Reactor Resources LLC has been awarded a U.S. patent for its SmartSkid™ DMDS Injection System. Reactor Resources has also filed for numerous international patents, now pending. The SmartSkid System was specifically designed to make the process of catalyst sulfiding safer, more accurate and much easier to control. Catalyst sulfiding typically involves the injection of dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) or tertiary butyl polysulfide (TBPS) into a hydrotreating or hydrocracking unit during start-up. Thorough sulfiding of the catalyst bed is critical, ensuring the catalyst will provide maximum activity during the entire cycle length.
The SmartSkid system uses a programmable logic controller with a WiFi laptop interface to precisely control the injection rate. The system is equipped with cloud-connected telemetry that continuously transmits key information to operations personnel and engineers via a password-protected web app. This allows customers to constantly monitor flow rate, total quantity injected, pressure, temperature and valve position.
Another key feature of the patented SmartSkid system is online analysis of the recycle gas from the unit being sulfided. It is imperative to closely monitor the concentration of H2S and hydrogen during the sulfiding process. Reactor Resources provides state-of-the-art online H2S and/or hydrogen analyzers that wirelessly transmit data to the SmartSkid System, providing real-time analysis of the recycle gas stream without exposing operators to hazardous sour gas. The analyzer output is also displayed on the telemetry web page.
Benefits of the SmartSkid system with gas analyzers
- Continuously measures the H2S level and hydrogen purity of the recycled gas, providing critical data in real time.
- Eliminates the need for operations personnel to pull draeger tubes while wearing breathing air, freeing up manpower and greatly improving safety by reducing exposure risks.
- Allows optimization of injection rates, providing savings of 10-50 percent in total chemical costs. Reactor Resources data shows 98-103 percent of the DMDS needed to meet stoichiometric requirements of the catalyst bed is injected with the SmartSkid System, allowing the return of the contingency amount of chemical that was ordered.
- Over-injection of DMDS is eliminated, reducing compressor issues related to high gas density. Over-injection can also lead to purging of sour gas, resulting in excess sulfur emissions.
- Reduces start-up time, since you will be aware of H2S breakthrough within five minutes of it occurring, allowing you to immediately proceed to the high-temperature sulfiding plateau.
Other features of the SmartSkid system
- Remote operation. In the event of a unit evacuation, the injection system can be controlled remotely. Because all of the pump operation parameters can be viewed on the internet, there will be no doubt on the status of the injection system if Reactor Resources' technicians have to leave the unit.
- Coriolis mass flow meters. The most accurate and dependable meters available.
- Empty pipe detector. Shuts off flow to the process once the delivery trailer is emptied, preventing cavitation of the feed pump.
- Materials. All seats, trim and gaskets are specifically chosen to meet the rigorous demands of pumping DMDS and TBPS.
- Safe line breaks. Reactor Resources purges all lines and equipment with diesel at the completion of a job, ensuring line breaks are not made with residual DMDS or TBPS in the lines.
This is a screenshot of the SmartSkid™ pump telemetry. Note the H2S level shown in the top left corner indicates breakthrough has occurred, signifying the first sulfiding plateau is complete and the reactor temperature can be raised without risking the catalyst damage caused by hydrogen reduction of the catalytic metals.
For more information, visit www.Reactor-resources.com or call (832) 544-1163.
