Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

Maintenance & Reliability

Control fouling on preheat trains with a two-stage approach

Fouling in heat exchanger preheat trains is a well-known problem in the refining industry.

Reliability: Interpreting API Standard 618 for reciprocating compressors

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

A rotating machinery engineer working for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor in India is often involved in selecting reciprocating compressors for hydrocarbon processing plants.

Engineering Case Histories: Case 88: Normal operating loads do not usually cause failures

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

Equipment of all types are designed for normal operating conditions, usually with some margin for unknowns.

HP Innovations

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Blume, Adrienne

The FM-approved FireChek thermal shutoff valve with resettable memory shape alloy can now be used to automatically shut down a pneumatic control system when a nearby fire occurs, or when the ambient temperature reaches 135°F, 150°F or 165°F.

Use dynamic simulation to increase reliability of hydrogen generation

Technip India Ltd.: Prasad, M. K. E.  |  Ethakota, M.  |  Agarwal, P.  |  Marathe, M.

Through this plant study, a licensor demonstrates effective use of rigorous dynamic simulation tools to implement the new control schemes and configurations.

HP Reliability: Consider high-pressure throttle bushings made from fluoropolymers

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

In February 2004, I reported on how horizontal multistage pumps could be upgraded with a high-performance plastic produced by DuPont, Vespel CR-6100.

HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 87: How an engineering consultant can help your company

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

While engineering consultants are available for a wide range of client requirements, such as developing or reviewing specifications for new equipment, this article is only concerned with analyzing equipment failures.

Emerson unveils new system to monitor corrosion

The Roxar Corrosion Monitoring system, consisting of wireless-based probes, will provide refineries with flexible, responsive, integrated and accurate corrosion monitoring, according to project officials.

Design pressure reduction in high-pressure heat exchangers with dynamic simulation

A commercial simulation tool is used to carry out the analysis of the transient phenomena caused by the tube rupture event during the design phase of an HP heat exchanger.

Maintaining gas system accuracy and reliability through calibration

AURA Gas Controls: Dickerson, D.

In the process industries, laser-based analytical techniques have emerged as a popular method of examining process line samples because of their high level of durability, fast response time and minimal maintenance requirements.