Case Study: LyondellBasell improves slurry cooling reliability and saves $435K with Datacor's Fathom

LyondellBasell boosts slurry recirculation 15% with Datacor

LyondellBasell faced a reliability challenge with a polymer slurry cooling system that was experiencing frequent downtime due to solids deposition in the piping. This issue threatened product quality and led to high maintenance costs. To address this, LyondellBasell engineer Rajitha Papagari used Datacor's Fathom software with its Settling Slurry module to perform a detailed analysis.

Datacor's solution identified specific areas of slurry deposition, which were later confirmed during a system turnaround. Based on the model's findings, LyondellBasell implemented piping modifications that eliminated the deposition and increased the recirculation rate by 15%. These changes were so effective that a planned $435K pump replacement was canceled, and the improved reliability resulted in approximately $247K in annual savings.

LyondellBasell