Regenerative ClayCommissioned
10 KLPD Regenerative Clay Treatment Revamp India
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
LOCATION
India
CAPACITY
10 KLPD
TECHNOLOGY
Regenerative Clay
PLANT STATUS
Commissioned
BALAJI CONSULTANTS’ ROLE
Process Technology • Revamp Engineering • Regeneration-System Design • Equipment Supply • Commissioning
THE CHALLENGE
The client's existing 10 KLPD batch clay treatment section had become a production bottleneck. Frequent adsorbent replacement, repeated process shutdowns and the handling and disposal of oil-contaminated spent adsorbent created significant recurring operating requirements. The client required a more efficient treatment system with improved operating continuity and substantially lower dependence on fresh adsorbent.
OUR SOLUTION
Balaji Consultants developed a semi-continuous regenerative clay treatment configuration. The existing batch contactors were replaced with percolation-bed vessels integrated with a dedicated on-site thermal adsorbent regeneration unit allowing adsorbent to be regenerated and returned to service, substantially reducing fresh adsorbent consumption and spent-clay disposal. The complete modification was designed for execution within a planned 18-day shutdown to minimise disruption to the surrounding plant.
PROCESS CONFIGURATION
Feed oil is heated and passed through the active percolation-bed treatment vessels, removing colour-forming compounds, oxidation products and polar impurities. When a bed reaches its loading limit, it is taken offline for thermal regeneration retained hydrocarbons and contaminants are removed under controlled heating and oxidative conditions, and the regenerated adsorbent is returned to service. The semi-continuous arrangement keeps at least one bed in treatment service at all times, improving operating continuity. Under appropriate feed and operating conditions, the system produces good-colour finished base oil with substantially reduced product odour. Note: a regenerative system requires a higher number of treatment and regeneration columns or beds for a given processing capacity because sufficient adsorbent must remain on-stream while other beds are being regenerated, cooled or prepared for return to service.
PROJECT OUTCOME
BROWNFIELD CONVERSION COMPLETED DURING A PLANNED 18-DAY SHUTDOWN.
- Semi-continuous regenerative clay treatment introduced addressing the previous batch-treatment bottleneck
- Recurring fresh adsorbent consumption substantially reduced
- Routine spent-clay disposal substantially reduced
- Produces good-colour finished base oil with substantially reduced product odour under appropriate feed and operating conditions
- Improved operating continuity at 10 KLPD
- Brownfield integration completed during a planned 18-day shutdown
SCOPE OF WORK
- Technical audit of existing clay treatment section & revamp feasibility
- Semi-continuous percolation & thermal regeneration system design, heat & material balance
- Multidiscipline detailed engineering & 18-day shutdown planning
- Equipment procurement, fabrication supervision & regeneration system supply
- Site erection, installation & integration within the planned shutdown
- Commissioning, adsorbent-regeneration trials, performance testing & operator training
RELATED TECHNOLOGY
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