October 2010

Archive

Special Report: Process Control and Information Systems

Increase your margin by 25%
Korchinski, W., Advanced Industrial Modeling Inc.; Beerbaum, A., Chevron; Geddes, D., PREP Consulting Inc.

Here’s how to make sure that the planning LPs always match the plant

Improve exploration, production and refining with ‘add-at-will’ wireless automation
Laframboise, G., Chevron Corp.; Karschnia, B., Emerson Process Management

After the technology was validated, a wireless infrastructure was installed blanketing 80% of a US refinery

Advanced process control in the plant engineering and construction phases
Sakizlis, V., Vakamudi, K., Bechtel Corp.; Coward, A., Mermans, I., Honeywell Process Solutions

Testing MVC performance using a dynamic model offers several benefits

Building and installing a reliable industrial Ethernet infrastructure
Shuman, B., Belden

Here are six practical guidelines to consider

How to have a successful data reconciliation software implementation
Ayral, T., INOVx Solutions; Won, H., Cho, W-S., Inlibra Software Solutions Corp.; Samad, I., FertiNitro

Follow these guidelines to ensure success

Gas Processing Developments

New correlation for calculating natural gas Z-factor
Moghadam, A. A., Ghotbi, C., Sharif University of Technology

Use these calculations for low absolute average error

Laboratory Analyzers

Consider using alternative carrier gases for petrochemical analysis
Jacksier, T., Air Liquide; Duan, J., Air Liquide, Delaware Research and Technology Center

Advantages include higher efficiency and shorter analysis times

Petrochemical Developments

Troubleshoot silicon contamination on catalysts

What are the sources, impacts and possible solutions to controlling this problem in your hydrotreater?

Process Developments

Mitigate fouling in ebullated-bed hydrocrackers
Kunnas, J., Neste Engineering Solutions; Ovaskainen, O., Respini, M., Baker Hughes

New monitoring tools help track and control asphaltene levels and solubility issues in resid products

Pumps/Reliability

Cost optimization in mechanical seal applications
Chaware, D. K., Shukla, D. K., Swamy, R. B., Reliance Engineers Associates Ltd.

Real-life case studies prove it is possible to make more informed choices that often lead to cost savings

Columns

HP Control: Process control practice renewal 2010—performance
Latour, P. R., Clifftent Inc.

In August 2010, I followed Allan Kern’s “Continuous Improvement or Core-Competency editorial”1 with a review of the purposes of process control and IT in the HPI. After 50 years, it is ..

HPIn Europe: How German refiners sped up clean fuels rules to save their heating oil business
Wright, Tim L., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

European refiners are nearing the end of a decade of rapid change—some might say a revolution—in fuel specifications. For road fuels, at least, sulfur levels have gone from being a political..

HP Reliability: Better equipment selection starts with understanding available upgrade options
Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

It all started with a letter we received from a major multinational petrochemical company: A reliability manager related that he had recently asked each maintenance department within the corporation&#..

HP Water Management: Utility water boot camp for process engineers—Part 2
Huchler, L. A., MarTech Systems, Inc.

In Part 2, we will address the slowly developing problems in utility water systems. Too often, water-plant problems evolve slowly. Plant personnel fail to detect the non-conformances and failures occu..

HP In Brief: HPIn Brief
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

OU’s Biocorrosion CenterThe University of Oklahoma (OU) has joined forces with ConocoPhillips to create a new Biocorrosion Center within the OU Institute for Energy and Environment. The center wi..

HP Construction: North America
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) announced its wholly-owned subsidiary, Benham Constructors, LLC, has been awarded two new contracts by a subsidiary of Holly Corp. to provide engineerin..

HP Construction: Europe
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Air Products has a contract to supply Voronezhsintezkauchuk, part of the petrochemical company SIBUR, with a new on-site air separation unit (ASU). The ASU will have the capacity to produce up to 3,00..

HP Construction: Middle East
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Foster Wheeler AG’S Global Engineering and Construction Group has a contract with Gulf Farabi Petrochemical Co. for the provision of project management consultancy (PMC) services for Gulf Farabi&..

HP Construction: Asia Pacific
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd (IOCL) has chosen Axens to supply the technology for its coker gasoil (CGO) hydrotreating unit at its refinery in Haldia, India. With a design capacity of 1.4 million tpy, the new..

HP Impact: Global industrial valves market growing
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The world market for industrial valves will grow from $44 billion this year to $52 billion in 2015. This is according to a recent forecast by the McIlvaine Co. The biggest growth will be in power and ..

HP Impact: Industrial gas demand expanding
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The Freedonia Group says that world demand for industrial gases will increase 8% annually to $52 billion in 2014 (Table 1). Volumetric consumption will expand 5% per year to 530 billion cubic meters i..

HP Impact: IEC calls for a global taskforce
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is calling for a global taskforce to coordinate technology-based energy efficiency initiatives in an effort to increase coherence and reduce duplica..

HP Impact: The new biofuel: it’s whisky in a car
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland has filed a patent for a new biofuel made from whisky byproducts, which it says can be used in ordinary cars, without any special adaption needed.The fuel proce..

HP Impact: Studying the future of transportation fuels
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The National Petroleum Council (NPC) is a federal advisory committee to the US Secretary of Energy. At its September meeting, the NPC discussed the progress of one of its ongoing studies. The study ex..

HP Associations: Rice’s E&C Forum a well-rounded affair
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Rice’s E&C Forum a well-rounded affairRice University hosted its 13th annual Global Forum for Engineering and Construction last month. The theme of the gathering at Rice’s campus in Houston ..

HP Innovations: HPInnovations

Platform technology improves cooling system efficiencyGE has introduced a technology platform called TrueSense. This technology gives users previously unavailable tools to optimize productivity and in..

Free Literature

Magmeter meets critical application needs An eight-page full-color brochure from ABB describes the FSM4000 electromagnetic flowmeter, combining AC and DC magnetic-exitation advantages. According ..

New Developments

Real-time production organizer  The R1.02 upgrade is available for the Real-time Production Organizer (RPO), a suite of manufacturing execution system platform packages, integrating vertical prod..