Experts in Spray Technology

WHITE PAPER:
OPTIMIZING QUILL AND INJECTOR
PERFORMANCE IN REFINERY OPERATIONS

There are dozens of operations in refineries where quills and injectors are used. Before we discuss usage and
performance optimization, let’s clarify the difference between a quill and an injector. The terms are often
used interchangeably even though the devices are quite different.

• An injector has one or more spray nozzles on a pipe • A quill is a pipe with slots or holes. See Figure 2. The
and delivers a specific volume of fluid at a specified injected fluid flow is uninhibited. The receiving process
pressure drop. See Figure 1. The nozzle(s) convert stream breaks up and mixes the injected fluid.
fluid into a predictable drop size spectrum and provide
specific spray characteristics. The use of spray nozzles
allows more control over the distribution of the injected
liquid into the receiving process fluid.

INJECTORS AND QUILLS: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

FIGURE 1.
Injector with Spray Nozzle

FIGURE 2.
Quill with Slot

1.800.95.SPRAY | Intl. 1.630.665.5000 | www.spray.com 1

WHITE PAPER: OPTIMIZING QUILL AND INJECTOR PERFORMANCE IN REFINERY OPERATIONS

Should you use a quill or an injector? The answer is somewhat dependent on your operation but, in general,
you should use an injector unless you don’t need any control over spray characteristics such as flow rate, drop
size or spray pattern.

The most common uses for quills and injectors are in A third example is water wash. The wash water, via
gas conditioning, chemical injection and water wash. surface area contact, must have sufficient interaction
(See below for a complete list.) Here are a few examples with the vapor stream in order to dilute the corrosives
that show the performance advantages of injectors over and dissolve any water-soluble materials present. An
quills. injector with a spray nozzle provides more efficient
If you are cooling a gas, it is critical to know drop size mixing and better drop size breakup than a quill and
since it is proportional to how fast the cooling will be can provide more control over the process – something
achieved and when drop evaporation will occur. If a quill cannot achieve.
droplets are too large, you may not achieve the desired Injectors cost more than quills. However, given the
cooling effect. This can result in excess fluid in the pipe long service life requirements of injectors and quills –
or duct, cause maintenance problems and damage down- up to 10 years – the cost differential between the two is
stream equipment. insignificant should a problem occur due to imprecise
Chemical injection requires a greater surface area of flow. The cost of unscheduled downtime, damage to
injected liquid. Greater surface area requires better gas- downstream equipment or incomplete cooling, wash-
to-liquid (or liquid-to-liquid) interaction to ensure efficient ing or chemical reactions will greatly exceed the price
heat or mass transfer. differential between a quill and an injector.

A. Defoaming Injectors F. Slurry Backflush Injectors K. Torch Oil Injectors P. Coker Off-Gas Cooling Injectors
B. Distillation Column Injectors G. Packed Tower Headers L. Regenerator Bypass Injectors Q. Flue Gas Desulfurization
C. FCCU Overhead Water Wash H. Heat Exchanger Injectors M. Catalyst Reformer Gas Cooling Injectors
Injectors I. Additive Injectors Injectors R. SNCR NOx Control Injectors
D. FCCU Feed Injectors J. Mix Temperature Control (MTC) N. Chloride Injectors S. SCR NOx Control Injectors
E. Steam Quench Injectors Injectors O. Fractionator Water Wash T. Desuperheating Injectors
Injectors

1.800.95.SPRAY | Intl. 1.630.665.5000 | www.spray.com 2

WHITE PAPER: OPTIMIZING QUILL AND INJECTOR PERFORMANCE IN REFINERY OPERATIONS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INJECTOR SPRAY NOZZLES

Spray nozzles fall into two categories: hydraulic or air atomizing. A single liquid flows through a hydraulic
nozzle. A liquid and a gas flow through air atomizing nozzles. Air atomizing nozzles are often called dual fluid
nozzles.
Spray nozzles are designed to produce a spray pattern: full cone, hollow cone or flat spray.

FULL CONE SPRAYS are formed by swirling the fluid HOLLOW CONE SPRAYS are formed by injecting a stream
inside the nozzle by a stationary vane. There is a distribu- of fluid tangentially into a swirling chamber. The swirl-
tion of small to larger size droplets throughout the pattern. ing action allows a uniform film of liquid to discharge
Among hydraulic spray nozzles, full cone nozzles produce from the nozzle forming a ring of fluid. Hollow cone spray
the largest droplets for a given flow rate and pressure. nozzles produce smaller droplets and a tighter spectrum
The maximum free passage in full cone nozzles is a bit of droplets than full cone or flat spray nozzles. This means
limited due to the vane design, so it is important to keep in the droplets are relatively uniform in size throughout the
mind that clogging could be a problem when using liquids spray. Hollow cone spray nozzles have a large free pas-
with suspended particulates. If there are particulates in sage so the risk of clogging is minimal.
the fluid, consider using full cone spray nozzles featuring
a maximum free passage design.

Typical uses: flue gas cooling and urea injection for SNCR
NOx control, desuperheating, quenching and water wash.

Typical uses: overhead water wash, defoaming, torch oil

injectors and vacuum tower spray distributors.

1.800.95.SPRAY | Intl. 1.630.665.5000 | www.spray.com 3

WHITE PAPER: OPTIMIZING QUILL AND INJECTOR PERFORMANCE IN REFINERY OPERATIONS

FLAT SPRAY NOZZLES use an elliptical orifice to create Air atomizing spray nozzles designed for operation at low
a flat fan spray pattern. The exact shape of the orifice flow rates – 2 to 5 gallons per minute (8 to 19 liters per
determines the spray angle which can range from a minute) – can be sensitive to operational pressures. For
solid stream to a 120° spray angle. Drop size is medium – example, if the atomizing gas pressure is too high, it can
smaller than full cone sprays and larger than hollow cone choke or shut off the liquid flow due to high back pressure
sprays. in the mixing region. When a high volume of liquid needs
to be atomized – like 25 to 50 gallons per minute (95 to 189
liters per minute) – large quantities of gas are required to
achieve small droplets. A multi-stage air atomizing nozzle
is typically used. These specialty spray nozzles are more
energy efficient and produce small droplets over a wide
range of operating pressures.

Typical uses: steam quench, desuperheating, torch oil

injectors and catalyst reforming cooling.

AIR ATOMIZING NOZZLES are available in a wide range

of spray patterns – hollow cone, full cone and flat spray.
Although available as internal or external mix nozzles, Typical uses: gas cooling, fresh feed injectors to FCC
injectors in refinery operations are generally equipped units, emergency quench and urea injection for NOx.
with internal mix nozzles. Internal mix dual fluid nozzles
One more selection consideration is the environment
produce the smallest droplets. The size of the droplets is
where the nozzle will spray. For nozzles to atomize, they
determined by the mass and pressures of the atomizing
need to spray into vapor – which is air or any other gas
gas which is usually compressed air, nitrogen or super-
inside a duct system. Atomization does not occur when
heated steam.
liquids are sprayed into liquids. When liquids are sprayed
The liquid and gas streams in dual fluid nozzles are typi- into liquids, the nozzle is acting more like a dispenser.
cally kept separate until the two fluids are brought togeth- Spray nozzles with multiple orifices may prove advanta-
er just behind the discharge orifice. This enables mixing geous. Breaking the flow into multiple injection points can
efficiency to be maximized and the smallest possible drop increase the mixing of the injected liquid with the process
to be produced. If the two fluids are mixed earlier, coales- stream if it is also liquid.
cence and drag would increase drop size.

1.800.95.SPRAY | Intl. 1.630.665.5000 | www.spray.com 4

WHITE PAPER: OPTIMIZING QUILL AND INJECTOR PERFORMANCE IN REFINERY OPERATIONS

DETERMINING SPRAY DIRECTION

There are two ways to spray: co-current or counter-cur-
rent. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages.
Table 1 below summarizes the pros and cons of each
approach.
There is no right or wrong answer on spray direction. The
best direction is the one that will deliver the performance
you need.
A common rule of thumb is to center the injector in the The placement of an injector in a pipe can significantly impact performance.
process pipe and spray co-currently. However, this The third spray nozzle in the chart is the same as the sec-
doesn’t always produce the best results. See Table 2. ond nozzle but it is spraying counter-current to the vapor
This example illustrates how the type of spray nozzle used stream. There is a slight increase in water contact with
and the orientation of it can affect performance. the wall as the spray plume opens up. However, a greater
When the first and second spray nozzles in the chart amount of water evaporation occurs and droplet size is
below are compared, the impact of using a properly sized even smaller at the end of the pipe.
spray nozzle becomes clear. Wall wetting is decreased, Which is the better spray direction? In this case, the
the amount of water evaporated is increased and droplet application requirements will determine if 2% water
size is smaller at the end of the pipe. contact with the wall is acceptable to achieve greater
evaporation and cooling.

TABLE 1: SPRAY DIRECTION PROS AND CONS

CO-CURRENT COUNTER-CURRENT
SPRAYING SPRAYING
More flexibility in where the injector is placed in the pipe 3
Injector must be placed in the center of the pipe 3
Bearding (build-up) on the nozzles is minimized because the nozzle is spraying in the same direction
3
as the process stream
Bearding on the injector can occur if there is a high amount of particulate in the process stream. The
3
build-up can increase stress on the injector
Impingement on pipe walls possible if injector is not placed in center of process stream 3
Larger droplets created by fallback of sprayed droplets coalescing with newly sprayed droplets 3
Longer residence time of spray by opening up the spray pattern; shearing of the droplets can result in
3
smaller droplets
Faster reaction time required for full evaporation of the injected fluid 3

TABLE 2: EFFECTS OF NOZZLE TYPE AND ORIENTATION ON PERFORMANCE

INJECTOR MEAN OUTLET MEAN
SPRAY % CONTACT WITH OUTLET % WATER
NOZZLE TYPE DROPLET DIA. DROPLET DIA.
DIRECTION PIPE WALL TEMPERATURE EVAPORATED
DV0.5 (MICRONS) DV0.5 (MICRONS)
Hollow cone / large droplets Co-current 1115μ 85% 480°F (249°C) 4% 428μ
Hollow cone / small droplets Co-current 95μ 0.40% 349°F (176°C) 58% 133μ
Hollow cone / small droplets Counter-current 95μ 2.0% 283°F (139°C) 78% 67μ
Initial Process Stream Temperature = 540°F (282°C). Pipe Diameter = 36 inch (914 mm).
All measurements downstream from injector are at 15 feet (4.6 m) – 5 pipe diameters

1.800.95.SPRAY | Intl. 1.630.665.5000 | www.spray.com 5

WHITE PAPER: OPTIMIZING QUILL AND INJECTOR PERFORMANCE IN REFINERY OPERATIONS

INJECTOR DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

In addition to evaluating the factors that affect spray Using computer modeling to validate injector design and
performance, injector design and construction must be performance is generally recommended. Relying on theo-
carefully planned and validated. Operating conditions and retical calculations alone can be risky. Computer model-
service life will dictate design, materials of construction ing is used for two purposes. The first, Fluid Structure
and the level of validation required. Pressure, tempera- Interaction (FSI), is to evaluate the mechanical stresses
ture, corrosion and erosion typically determine process on the injector and verify structural integrity. These mod-
code requirements. Material options include stainless els reveal if the materials of construction can withstand
steel, HASTELLOY®, INCONEL® and titanium. Other spe- thermal stresses, high loads, high pressures and vibration
cial alloys and special coatings can be used in extreme caused by turbulence in addition to resisting corrosion
environments. and erosion.
The operating environment typically determines the level For example, the velocity of the process stream can
of testing and construction validation required. Testing and cause vortex shedding and premature injector failure. The
documentation generally include many of the following: length of the injector, the size of the pipe used for injec-
• Weld qualifications/procedures and weld maps tor construction and the type of welds are all important
considerations. Equally important are the types of forces
• Positive Material Identification (PMI) on the injector in the process stream. A failure inside the
• Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) process pipe is dangerous and it is more costly than using
– Radiographic Examination (RT) computer modeling to validate the system design before it
is finalized and installed.
– Liquid Penetrant Examination (PT)
The second way modeling is used is to validate injector
– Visual Testing (VT)
performance with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
– Ultrasonic Examination (UT) models. These models predict the interaction of the
– Material Traceability (MTR) injected fluids with other fluids or a vapor and determine
the heat transfer, mass transfer, chemical reactions and
– Hydrostatic Testing (LT)
other flow related phenomena that will occur when the
– Ferrite testing of welds fluids interact under specific conditions. Unforeseen in-
teractions can be identified and design modifications can
be made before injector construction begins.

Using computer modeling enables injector

design and performance to be validated
prior to construction and prevents costly and
potentially dangerous design problems.

FSI Model CFD Model

1.800.95.SPRAY | Intl. 1.630.665.5000 | www.spray.com 6

WHITE PAPER: OPTIMIZING QUILL AND INJECTOR PERFORMANCE IN REFINERY OPERATIONS

MINIMIZING MAINTENANCE DOWNTIME

Injectors may need to be removed for inspection, rou- Using retractable injectors can also help dramatically
tine maintenance or insertion in another location. Safely reduce downtime. One refinery in the midwestern U.S. is
retracting the injector so an isolation valve can be closed using mechanical retractable injectors to spray liquid ni-
prior to unbolting the injector from the process pipe is a trogen into the hydrocracker reactor to cool the catalyst
major advantage. prior to replacement. The injectors are inserted and the
There are two types of retractable injectors. One is re- cooling process begins while the plant is on line. Previ-
moved manually and the other features a handwheel and ously, a partial shutdown of the refinery was required be-
screw mechanism that provides a mechanical assist. The fore the liquid nitrogen cooling process could begin. The
mechanical retractable version provides an additional shorter turnaround resulting from the use of the retract-
safety level since the injector cannot be retracted any able injectors saves the refinery an estimated $2,000,000
faster than the handwheel operator allows. With the use by reducing downtime by two days.
of retractable injectors, the primary injector can be ser-
viced safely offline and redundant injectors can be used
to prevent process disruption.

Mechanical Retractable Injector

SUMMARY

The guidelines outlined here provide a good starting point when a new or replacement injector is required. However, the
specifics of your operation will determine what’s necessary to optimize performance. You may find the following checklist
helpful as you move forward with your next injector project.

q Don’t automatically replace like with q Be meticulous about the details q Consult with experts even if you are
like. Just because performance and eliminate open issues. Use confident in your specifications/
seems to be OK doesn’t mean it modeling to uncover potential design. They have specialized
couldn’t be better. You may be problems and ensure performance. equipment, modeling programs
able to reduce wetting, decrease Fixing problems after an injector and experience that can help
maintenance time, extend service is installed will cost considerably validate your design. They may also
life and more by revisiting the more than the investment in recommend design enhancements
current design. modeling. based on advancements in spray
technology.

1.800.95.SPRAY | Intl. 1.630.665.5000 | www.spray.com 7

WHITE PAPER: OPTIMIZING QUILL AND INJECTOR PERFORMANCE IN REFINERY OPERATIONS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dan Vidusek has 30 years of spray nozzle design experience Chuck Munro has more than 17 years of experience with
with Spraying Systems Co. He has extensive application ex- Spraying Systems Co. in spray nozzle and injector application
perience in a wide variety of industries and now specializes in assistance and troubleshooting. His areas of focus include
chemical injection, water wash and gas conditioning applica- water wash, emergency quench and torch oil injection in the
tions. Mr. Vidusek has presented papers at many technical petrochemical and chemical industries. Mr. Munro is a mem-
conferences and is currently working with NACE International ber of several industrial committees and has been involved in
on updating its publications on injector use in refineries. many different injection optimization studies.

HASTELLOY® is a registered trademark of Haynes International, Inc.

INCONEL® is a registered trademark of Special Metals Corporation group of companies.

Experts in Spray Technology

Spray Spray Spray Spray
Nozzles Control Analysis Fabrication
North Avenue and Schmale Road, P.O. Box 7900, Wheaton, IL 60187-7901 USA
Tel: 1.800.95.SPRAY Intl. Tel: 1.630.665.5000
Fax: 1.888.95.SPRAY Intl. Fax: 1.630.260.0842
www.spray.com

White Paper No. 109 Printed in the U.S.A. ©Spraying Systems Co. 2012