1. Purpose
This document provides detailed procedure for rope packing operation to be performed during lower tray,
intermediate trays and upper tray installation.
2. Safety precautions
Personal protective equipment required (gloves, long sleeve working suit, protection glasses etc…)
3. Manpower
Rope packing is quite time consuming and duration of this task is highly dependent on the number of workers
affected to this job. It also requires correct organization to avoid losing time. We recommend:
• 1 supervisor inside the Adsorber
• 8 workers inside the Adsorber (if more are available, duration will be improved)
• 1 Axens advisor
4. Prerequisite
► All panels are properly positioned with spacers (15 mm).
► All staff involved in this step must wear rubber soled shoes. Rope packing tools must be available, clean and dry.
► Rope diameters available: 8mm, 20 mm (normally used) and 30 mm.
5. Special recommendations
► Check that there is no free space especially for the first row against the rope arrestor.
► In the event, the gap between shell and panel is not sufficient to allow packing of available rope, reduce the space between panels, from 15 mm to 10 mm. The rope packing is finished when the rope is flush with the top frame panel, that is, after about 6 to 8 rows.
6. Rope packing steps for Lower Tray and Intermediate Trays
Remove the spacers that were put in place for keeping the proper clearance between the tray panels. The steps from 1 to 4 are done to avoid short length of rope pieces between panels 4A and 4B and SA and SB.
6.1 STEP 1 (refer to figure 1)
6.1.1 Case of Lower Tray
► Check the clearance between center pipe and panels (normally 15mm). Adjust the rope diameter
according to the clearance.
► Install 3 rows of ceramic rope and pack it using rope packing tools between center pipe and panels to
recover the height of rope arrestor located on other panel sides.
6.1.2 Case of Intermediate Trays
► Check the clearance between center pipe and panels (normally 15nun). Adjust the rope diameter
according to the clearance.
► Install I row of ceramic rope and pack it using rope packing tools between center pipe and panels to
recover the height of rope arrestor located on other panel sides.
► Check the clearance between shell and panels. Adjust the rope diameter according to the clearance.
► Install 1 row of ceramic rope and pack it using rope packing tools between shell and panels to recover
the height of rope arrestor located on other panel sides.
6.2 STEPS 2 to 5 (refer to figures 2 to 5)
Each step is divided into 3 sub-steps:
► Step 2:
o Step a: Install 1 continuous of ceramic rope and pack it using rope packing tools between
center pipe and panels, then along panel frames l-4A and 1-4B in direction of the shell as
shown on figure 2 and finally between shell and panels. Use if possible only 1 piece of rope
starting from point A and finishing on point B. In case the clearance is varying too much,
the piece will be cut and another rope packing piece of different diameter will be used.
Particular notice for Lower Tray : WIRE ROPE INSTALLATION AT V3 LOCATION
During rope packing between shell and panels, V3 (bottom head flush out nozzle) must be protected from any
rope plugging. For this purpose first row of rope is replaced by wire rope on 2 meters length at V3 location as
shown on the following graph.
0 Step b: Between panels (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (A and B)), install rectilinear sections of rope
approximately 10 mm longer than the necessary length.
0 Step c: Starting from shell, cut 1 piece of rope and pack in the line between panels 5-8A and
panels 5-8B.
► Step 3:
o Step a: Install 1 continuous of ceramic rope and pack it using rope packing tools between
center pipe and panels, then along panel frames 4A-5A in direction of the shell as shown on
figure 2 and finally between shell and panels. Use if possible only 1 piece of rope starting
from point A and finishing on point B. In case the clearance is varying too much, the piece
will be cut and another rope packing piece of different diameter will be used.
o Step b: Between panels (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (A and B), except between 4A and 5A), install
rectilinear sections of rope approximately 10 mm longer than the necessary length.
o Step c: Starting from shell, cut 1 piece of rope and pack in the line between panels A and
panels B.
► Step 4:
o Step a: Install 1 continuous of ceramic rope and pack it using rope packing tools between
center pipe and panels, then along panel frames 5-8A and 5-8B in direction of the shell as
shown on figure 2 and finally between shell and panels. Use if possible only 1 piece of rope
starting from point A and finishing on point B. In case the clearance is varying too much,
the piece will be cut and another rope packing piece of different diameter will be used.
o Step b: Between panels (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (A and B)), install rectilinear sections of rope
approximately 10 mm longer than the necessary length.
o Step c: Starting from shell, cut 1 piece of rope and pack in the line between panels 1-4A and
panels 1-4B.
► Step 5:
o Step a: Install I continuous of ceramic rope and pack it using rope packing tools between
center pipe and panels, then along panel frames 4B-5B in direction of the shell as shown on
figure 2 and finally between shell and panels. Use if possible only 1 piece of rope starting
from point A and finishing on point B. In case the clearance is varying too much, the piece
will be cut and another rope packing piece of different diameter will be used.
o Step b: Between panels (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (A and B), except between 4B and 5B), install
rectilinear sections of rope approximately IO 111111 longer than the necessary length.
o Step c: Starting from shell, cut I piece of rope and pack in the line between panels A and
panels B.
6.3 STEP 6 (refer to figure 1)
► Repeat step I two times.
6.4 STEP 7 (refer to figure 6)
► Between panels (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (A and B)), install rectilinear sections of rope approximately 10 mm
longer than the necessary length.
6.5 STEP 8 (refer to figure 7)
► Starting from shell, cut section of rope (for each panel length) and pack in the line between panels A
and panels B.
6.6 STEP 9 (refer to figure 8)
► Starting from shell, cut a continuous length of rope and pack in the line between panels A and panels B,
in order to cover by a continuous rope the previous intersection.
6.7 STEP 10 (refer to figure 9)
► Between panels 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 A, install rectilinear sections of rope approximately IO mm longer than
the necessary length.
► Between panels 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 B, install rectilinear sections of rope approximately 10 mm longer than
the necessary length.
6.8 STEP 11
► Repeat steps 7 to IO I time.
If necessary, repeat steps 6 to 11 in order to finish the rope installation flush with the panel frame or flush
with the tray frame. This might require adjusting the number of rows to be installed in step 6.2 and the
number of times that step 7 to 10 shall be repeated.
7. Rope packing procedure for Upper Tray
► Check the clearance between center pipe / shell and panels. Adjust the rope diameter according to the clearance.
► Install sufficient rows of ceramic rope to be flush to top panel frame. Pack it using rope packing tools between center pipe / shell and panels.
► Rope packing between panels is performed as follows:
o Cut rope pieces with a length slightly lower to the distance between stud bolts.
o Pack rope pieces using rope packing tools between panels.
Figure 1 : Rope packing step 1 : Ceramic rope packing
• For LT : 3 rows around Center Pipe, no row around shell
• For IT : 1 row around Center Pipe and 1 row around shell)
Figure 6 : Rope packing step 7 : Ceramic rope packing (1 row)
Figure 7 : Rope packing step 8 : Ceramic rope packing (1 row)
Figure 8 : Rope packing step 9 : Ceramic rope packing (1 row)
Figure 9 : Rope packing step 10 : Ceramic rope packing (1 row)
Figure 9 : Rope packing step 10 : Ceramic rope packing (1 row)
