In recent years the understanding of the relationship between drum damage and bulge sharpness has improved significantly. The authors of this paper developed a new parameter called bulge sharpness and have previously shown the relationship between sharpness and observed damage. Further to this study the authors have exhaustively studied the evolution of stress cracking (elephant skin) on mid-course bulges and have estimated the likelihood of finding a particular type of surface damage based on the observed sharpness levels. This correlation has led to a proposed scale to categorize stress cracking into three levels: minor, intermediate, and significant. In addition, the progression of bulge sharpness over time was analyzed and it was determined through statistical modeling that bulge sharpness can have a range of rates of change or sharpness growth rates: low, medium, and high. These sharpness growth rates were subsequently studied and their relationship with overall cycle times analyzed. The study also shows that individual coke drums can experience different sharpness growth rates and there can be a distribution of these rates. To determine when repairs should be conducted, coke drum operators must consider the expected operational run. While the random nature of coke drum damage can defy such targets, bulge sharpness growth assessments can be used to better define when repairs should be conducted. Understanding current bulge sharpness levels, year-over-year sharpness growth rates and their distribution, can significantly assist in targeting areas of concern for optimized repair strategies and can also be used to avoid unnecessary repairs.
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