July 2002

Archive

Special Report: Plant Utilities

Securing supervisory control and data acquisition systems
Saad, A. Y., Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.

Use these guidelines to reduce the impact of cyberterrorism

Variable-speed drives lower compressed air costs
Perry, W., Kaeser Compressors, Inc.

Users can improve energy efficiency, start / stop motors repeatedly, plus reduce maintenance costs and noise levels

Consider online predictive technology to reduce electric motor maintenance costs
Flickinger, G., GE Inspection and Repair Services; House, M., GE Power Systems; Lee, S. B., GE Global Research Center; Weinstein, H., GE IDAX

Continuous monitoring can increase plant revenue and minimize downtime

Modernizing an electrical distribution system
Virgilio, R. J., Foster Wheeler

The project presented several technical, logistical and environmental challenges

Improve plant water treatment
Choi, D. W., Consulting Engineer

Preparing water for plant applications is a fine science that involves many complex steps

Management Guidelines

Identify value-added work
Beavers, J. T., Consultant

Here's a review of core activities for initiating the 'right way to manage'

Piping/Reliability

Reduce risk of vibration-induced pipework failure
Ballantyne, D., Lewandowski, S., Shell UK Exploration and Production; Martin, J. T., Shell Global Solutions International BV; Swindell, R. J., ATL Consulting Group Ltd.

Use these guidelines to help ensure reliability after plant modifications

Safety/Loss Prevention

Hazard identification and management – an overview
Nair, M. P. Sukumaran, Special Secretary to Government of Kerala, and Chairman, Chemical Engineering Division Board of the Institution of Engineers

Processing hydrocarbons is a risky business. Yet, HPI companies daily use systems that manage potentially hazardous chemicals with the utmost safety and produce high-value products

Columns

HP Control: Consider MRA
Kane, L., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

About five years ago, Invensys introduced what we considered to be an innovative online process analyzer based on nuclear magnetic resonance technology (see "HP Innovations," March 1998) which it call..

HP Reliability: Why smart companies rarely buy from the lowest bidder
Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

An appropriate column heading might have been, "Conditioned bids and the value of post-installation service." After all, we simply want to illustrate sound and experience-based reasons..

HPInternet: Let’s buy a gas station
Crowley, B., Competitive Analysis Technologies

At the very end of the oil and gas industry supply chain is the gas station or convenience store. You know, that friendly corner spot where we get our gasoline or diesel and our bread ..

HP Water Management: Audit your water systems for conservation, reuse and compliance options
Huchler, L. A., MarTech Systems, Inc.

Due to drought conditions in the northeastern U.S., many manufacturing facilities are strongly motivated to consider water conservation and reuse options. Compliance studies are typica..

HP Innovations: HPInnovations

  As HP editors, we hear about ..

HPInformer
Jackson, Kim M., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP's (CPChem) polyethylene (PE) units and PE laboratory at its Cedar Bayou facility in Baytown, Texas, are receiving ISO-9002 certification for their quali..

New Developments

Synchronous motor soft start Unlike other electric motors, synchronous motors require special design consideration for critical motor characteristics such as transient startup oscillating t..

HP Construction: HPIn Construction
Jackson, Kim M., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Sandvik Steel supplying heat exchanger tubes to China Sandvik Steel Co. is supplying Luzhou Natural Gas and Chemical plant (LTH) Sandvik 2REG69 stainless steel heat exchanger tubes. The..

Free Literature

Shaft couplings, instructions and engineering data International CD-ROM catalog from Lovejoy, Inc. details 11 categories of shaft-to-shaft power transmission couplings, with separate m..

HP In Brief: HPIn Brief
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Ethanol pollution concerns raised by EPA. In a letter to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), EPA states, "Recent testing performed at several ethanol production facilities indicates emissions of vo..

HP Impact: China's import quotas impact HPI markets
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

China became a full member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Dec. 12, 2001. Its government finally released on May 1, 2002, a detailed import quota for refined products for the year (Table 1). ..

HP Impact: Polypropylene: cycles in market spark renewed investment
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Polypropylene (PP) is the fastest growing commodity polyolefin other than linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). So says a new report researched by SRI International Co., Menlo Park, California. How..

HP Impact: Ethylene oxide to reach high utilization rate
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

A world ethylene oxide (EO) and ethylene glycol (EG) analysis from CMAI examines major issues confronting both EO/EG producers and consumers over the coming years. After what should turn out to be a r..

HP Impact: New API specifications for compressors
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Upcoming revisions to API specifications will greatly simplify specifying integrally geared (IG) compressors (in fact, all centrifugal / axial compressors) for all services. So says Carl Schwarz, mech..

HP Impact: Strong growth forecast for styrenic resins
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Worldwide demand for rigid styrenic polymers (including polystyrene, ABS, SAN and various specialties) amounted to about 16.5 million metric tons (MMton) in 2001. So estimates global consulting compan..

HP Impact: Ammonia producers foresee improving demand
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Nitrogen-based fertilizer producers, specifically ammonia and urea manufacturers, have experienced dramatic declines in product pricing over the past year and have also had to contend with high natura..

HP Impact: Study assesses coal's role in power generation
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

In the past two years, over 22,000 MW of new coal-fired generations has been announced, planned or begun the permitting process. Almost all of this capacity will use existing technology in its product..

HP Impact: Alternative fuel-powered vehicle crosses U.S.
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Fuel-cell-powered vehicle completes endurance trek across the U.S. In early June, DaimlerChrysler achieved a milestone in fuel-cell technol..

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor

Bearing upgrades I appreciated your "HP In Reliability" columns (Sept. 2001 andMay 2002) dealing with bearing upgrades. I am assuming thatoil flood lubrication means the bearing has "sump lubrica..

Misc

What is an SIF?

Edward M. Marsza, Contributing Editor One of the biggest problems in implementing safety instrumented systems (SISs) is poor definition of the safety instrumented function (SIF). More t..

A government of the people, by the people and for the people... Are we really so sure?
Romanow, Stephany, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Stephany Romanow, Senior Process EditorComments? Write:romanows@gulfpub.comU.S. history students recognize the title as an excerpt from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address presented on Nov. 19, 1863...