Drivers

HP Reliability: Make equipment decisions with up-to-date technical information

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Answering lube practice-related questions is important. These questions provide insight on the status of education and technology, along with trends in understanding equipment reliability, safety and ..

HP Reliability: Small deviations can compromise equipment reliability

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

In 2013, a major refinery was experiencing serious pump problems. The refinery had a massive thrust-bearing failure on a critical 3,560-rpm pump. The pump was designed and manufactured by a well-known..

Keep liquid analysis invisible in refineries

Joseph, D., Rosemount Analytical

The hidden heroes of hydrocarbon processing plants are the liquid analyzers, especially the pH and conductivity loops. Unlike their flashier cousins in gas analysis, these analyzers operate behind the..

Reciprocating compressors running together—Is that a problem?

Knight, C., KnightHawk Engineering, Inc.

A new maintenance engineer is assigned the task of overseeing large, critical rotating equipment in a petrochemical facility (Fig. 1). In this example, the facility has vent-gas compressors that, in g..

HP Reliability: Consider single-point responsibility for compressors

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Equipment purchasers are always interested in meeting the cost and schedule targets for projects. However, there could be conflicting goals when purchasing compressor drivers and/or auxiliaries from v..

HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 77: Random deck vibration with beats

Sofronas, A., Consulting Engineer

When something vibrates, it is usually in a predictable manner. Motors, pumps, compressors, turbines and centrifuges all vibrate when they are out of balance. Vibration analysis can help predict the s..

Update on lubrication systems

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Several case histories illustrate the pros and cons for maintaining rotating equipment under various plant conditions.Example 1In late May 2013, a US oil-mist provider in one of the Great Lakes states..

Control moisture in ‘wetted’ rotating equipment

Barnes, M., Morgan, D., Des-Case Corp.

In turbomachinery, water is one of the most deleterious contaminants. Left unchecked, moisture can severely reduce the service life expectancy of oil-wetted rotating and reciprocating components by as..

Improve quality of lubricating fluids via filtration

Kroger, K. G., Puradyn Filter Technologies

Micro-sized dust particles, along with water, can ruin the best lubricating fluids. Contamination of lubricating fluids can occur due to the byproducts of combustion, metal wear, oxidation and more. T..

HP Reliability: Was that a failure or ‘just a repair’?

Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Purists among reliability professionals are sometimes concerned about the accuracy of the measurement of the mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) of an asset. There are many ways to conduct this failure f..