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How is petroleum coke removed from a coke drum?
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petroleum refining
Aerial view of an oil refinery near New Orleans.
In petroleum refining, the removal of solid coke from a coke drumāa process known as decokingāis performed using a high-pressure water jet.1
The procedure follows these steps:
- Preparation: Once a drum is filled, it is removed from service. The top and bottom heads of the vessel are removed.1
- Drilling: A hole is drilled through the center of the solid coke mass from the top of the vessel to the bottom.1
- Cutting: A rotating stem is lowered through the drilled hole. This tool sprays a high-pressure water jet sideways, which cuts the solid coke into smaller lumps.1
- Removal: The resulting coke lumps fall out through the bottom of the drum, where they are collected for transport via trucks or railcars.1
This cycle typically repeats every 24 hours, with the drum alternating between filling and the decoking process.1