A Non-Bolted Restraint for Coke Drums

The failure of coke drum anchor bolts is a demanding and recurring maintenance item for many delayed coking operators. While there are several factors that can contribute to these failures, some studies have demonstrated that significant stresses may result from thermal expansion of the drum under non-uniform thermal gradients. To address bolt failures, a restraint system that utilizes non-contacting anchor blocks has been developed and implemented for the first time on a set of operating coke drums. In this paper, the background of anchor bolt failures as well as the design and first implementation of the new restraint system are discussed.