GE Oil Refinery Products Increase Efficiency, Reduce CO2 Emissions

General Electric today launched three products for oil refineries at the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers 2016 Annual Meeting, taking place today and tomorrow in San Francisco.

The first product is an online continuous monitoring system designed to improve corrosion protection in oil refineries. GE’s newly upgraded TrueSense for Process—Crude Overhead Monitoring System (COMS) reduces corrosion and fouling, which increases the efficiency of refinery operations, the company says.

TrueSense for Process COMS provides real-time continuous on-stream measurements reliable enough to consistently control chemical injections. It was developed to improve corrosion protection of crude unit overhead systems by providing online continuous measurement of critical parameters such as pH, chlorides and corrosion probes.

The digital system also automates chemical injection control in response to these measurements. By using GE’s TrueSense for Process COMS, refineries can reduce corrosion, extend equipment life and prevent the unexpected release of hydrocarbons into the atmosphere and environment.

Upgrades to the TrueSense platform include automated chloride measurement testing and corrosion probe readings, which previously were only available manually. In addition to increasing the frequency of the readings, now chloride and corrosion probe measurements are continuously uploaded to GE’s InSight* knowledge management system.

The second new product is predictive analytics software and laboratory equipment for the on-site testing of crude oil to determine how the oil might affect a refinery before processing even begins. GE’s CrudePLUS reduces the analysis time of crude oil and can lead to streamlined operations, less fouling and increased energy efficiency, the company says.

GE’s new digital solution tests crude oil and blends of various oil sources at the refinery, using predictive analytics to improve operation and reduce carbon dioxide emissions and costs. Data captured with CrudePLUS can lead to improved blending and desalter operations that result in reduced oil to the refinery’s wastewater treatment plant, which can reduce upsets and lower potential environmental impact.

Using CrudePLUS to analyze oils and blends can improve margins by mitigating processing issues while increasing discounted crude intake, expand a refiner’s operating envelope to process more at a lower cost, minimize heat transfer loss and maximize throughput in preheat trains and furnaces and reduce maintenance expense by implementing an effective fouling mitigation strategy, according to GE.

The third new GE product is an upgrade to its LoSALT simulator software. GE’s new LoSALT Online and Onsite Amine Speciation technology enables testing of critical amine contaminants on-site at the refinery.