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Maintenance & Reliability

HP Reliability: Consider oil mist for positive-displacement blowers

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

       Positive-displacement blowers (Fig. 1) are often used to move air ranging in pressures from slightly negative to about 15 psig (~ 1 bar) positive. These rotary-lobe machines..

Case 47: Refrigeration system vibration

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

A systematic procedure can identify the vibration source

HP Reliability: Remembering Flixboro: part 2

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Last month's column attempted to make the point that reliability professionals must search for answers to questions as to why equipment failed. It related when one of six cyclohexane oxidation reactor..

Innovative approach solves CCR regenerator pinning problem

The root cause was regenerator gas blower oversizing

Remembering Flixboro: part 1

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

At a recent gathering of over 500 reliability professionals in Texas, we invited questions from the audience. I was asked what I thought of installing flexible piping (or connectors) on centrifugal pu..

Caustic injection relocation project

Corrosion and fouling in the second preheat exchangers were eliminated

Case 46: Rotary screw compressor failure

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

Most complex equipment can be simplified

HP Reliability: API-682: the internal clearance issue

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

 While the operating characteristics and run-length capabilities of all dual-mechanical seals are strongly influenced by the condition of the fluid in the sealing cavity, seal life expectancy is ..

HP Reliability: Reader's choice and editorial writing

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

 The question is: Should reliability professionals endorse superior products and alert others to solutions to problems. Relating to this topic, the September 2003 issue of Hydrocarbon Processing ..

HP Reliability: Notes from a consulting assignment

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

 "Machine failed; how do we fix it?" As a consulting engineer, one often gets this type of request. Unfortunately, the client sometimes has neither the time nor the interest to elicit the consult..