Drivers
HP Reliability: Can integrally geared compressors be successfully used with variable speeds?
A recent HP webinar answered a number of compressor-related questions. This same webinar also generated a few additional ones. A viewer thought that two statements from this presentation were in contr..
Raise profitability through continuous performance evaluations
Reliability engineers use a wide variety of tools to support plant equipment and to optimize unit uptime and availability. Sound reliability programs assist organizations to be more competitive in the..
Improve monitoring and troubleshooting of reciprocating compressors
The terms surveillance and monitoring for reciprocating compressors can be used interchangeably. With few exceptions, the monitoring and/or surveillance tasks are assigned to the unit operators. They ..
HP Project Management: Pipeline expansion uses rerating to debottleneck services
The Colonial Pipeline connects refineries primarily on the US Gulf Coast with customer service markets across the southern and eastern US. In 2010, Colonial’s 5,500-mi pipeline was transporting a..
Update on secondary seals for fluid machines
Elastomer-based O-rings are used as secondary sealing components in millions of fluid machines. Although O-ring seals are primarily intended for fluid containment between different but nonrotating com..
HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 80: Sudden temperature change in a centrifugal compressor
A process upset occurred that caused the gas temperature of a centrifugal compressor to increase from the design condition of Tstart = 300°F to Tinf = 600°F in t = 0.25 hours. Some engineers..
HP Viewpoint: Optimize control systems with preventive maintenance
Ensuring equipment integrity by conducting thorough maintenance provides multiple benefits, from maximizing machine uptime and minimizing process shutdowns, to prolonged equipment service life and imp..
HP Reliability: Things to know and do before starting new initiatives
HP editors frequently attend technical conferences to keep informed on the many factors impacting the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI). The focus of these conferences often differs. However, one ..
A chemist’s perspective on organic fouling in ethylene operations
Since organic fouling cannot be completely eliminated, ethylene producers must use operational, chemical and mechanical methods to minimize heat transfer losses and equipment downtime.
Automate furnace controls to improve safety and energy efficiency
Furnace firing is the biggest single operating expense in any refinery. Consider a medium-size refinery (250,000 bpd) that consumes 2,000 MMBtu/h. At a cost of $5/MMBtu, that’s $87.6 MM/yr being ..
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