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What is the most practical way to deplug LVGO nozzle of a vacuum tomer, whitout opening the tower?
 
Answers
08/11/2013 A: Eric Vetters, ProCorr Consulting Services, ewvetters@yahoo.com
It is extremely unlikely that you will be able to unplug a nozzle in the vacuum tower without a shut down and getting inside the column. Once the nozzle is plugged, flow takes the path of least resistance and all passes through the unplugged nozzles. If there is some sort of organic or inorganic foulant plugging the nozzle then it will be very difficult to get any sort of solvent to the nozzle because there is no flow. If there is debris in the nozzle then a solvent wouldn't help anyway.
If all the nozzles are plugged you could potentially block in the flow to the spray header and then try to pressure the system up with steam to blow the deposits out. Success is not likely though in a system containing multiple nozzles. Most likely result is that one or two nozzles clear then the rest of steam flows through the cleared nozzles, leaving the other nozzles plugged.