Coker Wire Rope Case Study

Oil refineries are among the harshest environments for structures and associated equipment due to the temperature and pressure differentials, continuous operating cycles, potential impact and blast loading scenarios, and highly corrosive materials. This paper will provide a detailed case study for a Midwest refinery coker structure wear plate system where multiple wire ropes failed within a short time span. Wire ropes were used to suspend a steel plate used to protect a concrete chute structure from material impact. Failed wire ropes were analyzed by metallurgists and various conclusions were derived to the cause of failure, including temperature, fatigue, and corrosion due to exposure to the aggressive environment. Based on the forensics and analysis results, a solution was designed to improve the reliability of the wear plate system by addressing the causes of failure, while maintaining the required strength. The solution was also designed considering the geometry, connectivity, and flexibility benefits gained from using wire ropes. The improved system was installed successfully, and the coker unit is currently in operation.