June 2019

Archive

Special Focus: Process Optimization

Set refinery profitability goals
Johnson, A., Johnson, E., Graham Corp.; Lieberman, N., Process Improvement Engineering

While the ultimate purpose of operating a refinery is to produce gasoline, diesel or asphalt, key objectives include improving return on investment (ROI), net profitability and cash flow.

Linear vs. nonlinear: Calculate gasoline component properties
Curcio, E., Refinery Automation Institute, LLC

The US is the largest “gasoline guzzler” in the world, producing and consuming about 9 MMbpd of gasoline—global production is approximately 45 MMbpd.

Air-cooled steam surface condenser case study: Retrofit vs. revamp
Pramanik, R., Srinath, N. R., Fluor Daniel India Pvt. Ltd.

It is difficult to revamp an existing air-cooled steam surface condenser (ACSSC) for higher throughput, since most ACSSC suppliers have changed to a single-tube row design and have discontinued their multi-tube row design.

Catalysts

Novel semi-regenerative reforming catalyst increases unit efficiency and productivity
Jawandhiya, A., Honeywell UOP; Dieterich, R., BAYERNOIL Raffineriegesellschaft mbH

Catalytic reforming has been a staple in petroleum refining since 1949.

Heat Transfer

Welded plate heat exchangers cut refinery process costs—Part 2
Broad, R., GESMEX Exchangers GmbH; Kauders, P., CDE Projects Ltd.

Plate-and-frame (P&F) heat exchangers were first manufactured 100 yr ago for use in the dairy industry.

Process Control and Instrumentation

The benefits of automatic batch distillation

Process control methods have been applied to batch distillation of crude oil and intermediate oils performed in the Chevron DPST labs in Richmond, California.

Mitigating corrosion challenges from opportunity crudes
Wold, K., Emerson Automation Solutions

High-quality crudes are not always readily available, or at a price that is acceptable to the producer’s budget.

Raman spectroscopy for the optimization of hydrogen usage in refineries
Sutherland, S., SpectraSensors

Approximately 700 refineries are in operation worldwide, producing a range of petroleum products including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and fuel oils.

Maintenance and Reliability

Equipment life assessment—An exercise to help ensure plant equipment integrity and reliability
Anwer, A., Contributing Editor

Numerous plants around the world operate with hazardous oil and gas, petrochemicals and refining fluids that have surpassed their design life.

Project Management

The new normal in petrochemical revamp projects
Prajapati, J., Sheth, C., Nilesh Mangukia, Linde Engineering

You have made the decision to increase plant capacity—with a change in feed—in the existing facility.

Environment and Safety

Can nuclear power plant methodologies help improve hydrocarbon processing reliability?—Part 2
Pradhan, S., Consulting Engineer; Abdelkhaliq, A., Tecnicas Reunidas

Safety requirements within nuclear power plants (NPPs) have encouraged the development of several rigorous methodologies that, in turn, have stimulated excellence in operability, reliability, availability and maintenance (RAM) to the extent that numerous guides and standards now regulate that industry.

Columns

Editorial Comment: The true essence of optimization
Nichols, Lee, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

What is the first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word optimization?

Reliability: Know the pitfalls of excessively high oil viscosity
Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Since its inception in June 1990, more than half of the 347 “HP Reliability” columns published in Hydrocarbon Processing have incorporated consulting experiences and communications that span the globe.

Petrochemicals: DME market outlook impacted by clean fuels demand, diesel emissions
Singh, P., Global Market Insights

As environmental concerns emerging from the incessant consumption of fuels have gripped the attention of global leaders, energy producers have been developing cleaner fuel alternatives for use in domestic and commercial settings.

Engineering Case Histories: Case 107: Weld failures in vibrating equipment
Sofronas, A., Consulting Engineer

Vibrating equipment can be machines, such as vibrating screens, conveyor pans or a combination of both, that are designed to transport, sort or dry materials.

Risk: Navigating energy volatility: Understanding the principles of commodity risk management
Echols, J., Crowley, G., Opportune LLP

The persistent volatility of energy prices is well known, and sustained price movements have fueled a boom-and-bust cycle in different energy sectors for decades.

Executive Viewpoint: Trends in the global process furnace market

Whether it is heating process fluids to achieve enough temperature in crude atmospheric and vacuum distillation units, or reaction temperatures inside furnace tubes to produce ethylene, vinyl chloride monomer, synthetic gas and continuous catalytic reformer reactors, or simple process heating (thermal fluid), process furnaces play a critical role in refineries and petrochemical complexes.

Industry Perspectives: What topics do you want to hear about?
Nichols, Lee, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Throughout Hydrocarbon Processing’s 97 yr of publishing technical material for the refining and petrochemical industries, the journal has focused on numerous topics to optimize downstream processing facility operations.

Business Trends: Sustainability: Clean fuels—The advancement to zero sulfur
Nichols, Lee, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

In April, Hydrocarbon Processing launched the first iteration of its HP Sustainability webcast series.

Industry Metrics
Rhodes, Mike, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

In the US, continued gasoline–related tightening exerted upside pressure on prices, despite improvement in refinery throughputs as refineries returned online.

Construction
Nichols, Lee, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Sinochem Hongrun Petrochemical Co. Ltd. will use Honeywell UOP’s ionic liquids alkylation technology to produce high-octane, cleaner-burning transportation fuels.

Innovations
Rhodes, Mike, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Librestream and ecom, a Pepperl+Fuchs brand, have collaborated on an innovation for asset analysis and safety inspections in hazardous locations: the Onsight Cube-Ex wearable camera.