Our robotic catalyst removal technology was successfully trialed for the first time in a live operating LNG plant.
CAROL (Catalyst Removal Amphirol) was used to remove catalyst remotely from a dehydration vessel, avoiding the need for worker confined space entry under inert conditions.
The challenge
The dehydration vessels at the LNG plant, which remove water from gas before it is liquefied, have previously been unloaded using a water flood method. The catalyst is deactivated using water after which workers enter the vessel equipped with breathing apparatus and manipulate the end of a vacuum to remove the material. Other vessels at the plant must be unloaded under inert conditions – a nitrogen environment. Our client was seeking to minimize confined space entry, particularly under inert conditions.
The dehydration vessels at this LNG Plant also provided some unique challenges for the robotic catalyst removal technology. The manway was off-center, which meant the robot needed to travel a long distance to the outer edge of the 4.1-meter diameter vessel. The top ceramic balls were on a steel mesh screen, and there were moisture probes located towards the bottom of the vessel, which the robot needed to navigate around.