June 2000

The operations team performed early dryout of plant systems before mechanical completion of the entire plant, thus enabling a trouble-free commissioning of new equipment

An FCCU case study illustrates the procedure

In this case history, a refiner uses simulation models with plant test data to debottleneck a crude unit

Interviews with heads of facilities reveal the need for specific education and development skills

Process plants have for decades applied nonlubricated reciprocating compressors. Early designs used carbon piston rings and rider bands; these were soon followed by Teflon, filled Teflo..

For many of us older folks, the main information source in our homes and at school was the encyclopedia. I remember my mother buying one big red book a week with groceries until we had ..

At the closing of this issue, HP's editorial staff had just returned from the 26th ACHEMA technical conference and exhibition (Frankfurt am Main, Germany, May 22-27, 2000). Our Mar..

In 1983, three deaerators ruptured from cracking. Due to concern over potential cracking in other deaerators, many firms conducted independent surveys. Inspections by one refiner, Exxon..

Frequently, it seems like the safety protection part of an automation project is viewed simply as a cost - an unnecessary add-on needed because of some bureaucratic regulation or a fana..

The performance materials segment of the BFGoodrich Co., Charlotte, North Carolina, and Advanced Polymer Technologies, LLC have formed a North American joint venture - APT, LLC. The team will produce ..

Fluent Inc., Lebanon, New Hampshire, a leading supplier of computational fluid-dynamics (CFD) software, and BHR Group Ltd., Cranfield, UK, an internationally recognized authority in the field of fluid..

BEFS-PEC awarded project by RÜTGERS VFT BEFS-PEC has been awarded a project by RÜTGERS VFT n.v. for the purification of 36 Mtpy of naphthalene. This is the 21st industrial naphthalene-purifi..

Just when you thought you'd heard the last of this topic . . . here's a Y2K retrospective from the U.S. Department of Energy. Summing up the experience, Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson notes that ..

Was 1999 the turning point for global petrochemicals? Current industry analyses were featured at CMAI's annual World Petrochemical Conference. The following are highlights from selected papers present..

Regulatory changes, coupled with steady growth in U.S. natural gas consumption, are expected to trigger a 21% increase in gas storage capacity over the next 15 years, according to a recent Gas Researc..

According to a new report from Datamonitor, independent market analyzers of strategic business information, the energy supplier to the industrial and commercial markets, as it exists today, may soon b..

As the number of companies committed to e-commerce continues to grow, momentum is building toward a substantial shift in the way companies do business. According to a recent report from Forrester Rese..

Is one of your workplace's most critical tools performing a bit sluggishly? Here are seven tips for cleaning up unneeded files from your computer, as suggested by Wayne Springer, president of Atiwa Co..

Les Kane, Editor       Comments? Write: kaneles@gulfpub.com Our Special Report this month is Process Optimization. What enco..

A refinery air-cooled heat exchanger problem illustrates the method