Maintenance & Reliability
Evaluate structural stiffness for piping stress analysis
Hydrocarbon plants use a system of pipes of various sizes, pressures and temperatures. Sometimes these pipes have pulsating flows that result in piping system vibration. These piping systems must be designed for a high degree of reliability, which requires a comprehensive piping stress analysis for thermal, sustained, occasional and dynamic loading conditions.
Consider pitot tube pumps for low-flow, high-head applications
Low-flow, high-head pumping requirements in refining and petrochemical plants make up less than 2% of the total pump population. This minor percentage is creating significant reliability concerns, which result in low mean-time between failures (MTBF), as well as high maintenance costs.
Eliminate mechanical seal failure in a crude distillation unit
Multiple mechanical seal failures in a crude distillation unit (CDU) resulted in total losses of $3 MM in a refinery since its startup in January 2015. The maximum seal life achieved did not exceed 6 mos, which was much shorter than the American Petroleum Institute (API) 682 “Advancements in Mechanical Sealing” goal of 3 yr of seal life.
Japan plans maintenance at seven naphtha crackers in 2018
TOKYO (Reuters) — Seven naphtha crackers in Japan are expected to be shut in 2018 for scheduled maintenance, industry and company sources said.
Engineering Case Histories—Case 99: Pooling knowledge and experience builds personal and team success
With the help of an excellent mentor, I became adept at analyzing equipment and structures at the start of my career, using analytical techniques.
Reliability: Dry gas sealing technology replaces segmented carbon rings in small steam turbines
Since the late 1800s, small steam turbines have incorporated bushing-type, single-piece and/or segmented carbon gland components to reduce and prevent steam leakage along the shaft.
Incorporate assurance into an operational readiness program—Part 2
Investors have a critical need for assurance that the asset they are invested in will achieve continuous operation at the designed rates, as well as meet—and hopefully surpass—reliability, availability and maintenance targets safely.
Libya needs a week to repair blown-up oil pipeline
TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) — A Libyan crude oil pipeline blown up on Tuesday will take about a week to repair, the head of state oil firm NOC told Reuters on Wednesday.
PDVSA at risk of losing Bonaire terminal over maintenance delay
HOUSTON (Reuters) — Venezuela’s PDVSA could lose its license to operate an oil storage terminal it owns on the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire if it does not soon fulfill maintenance demands by regulators, a government spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
Ineos considers shifting refinery work due to Forties outage
LONDON (Reuters) — Ineos may bring forward maintenance work at its Grangemouth refinery in Scotland due to the unplanned outage at its Forties North Sea crude pipeline, which threatens to choke the plant's feedstock, industry sources said on Wednesday.
- Honeywell carbon capture technology to create hydrogen and ammonia fertilizer at Indiana gasification facility 11/4
- MENA Biofuels begins Phase 1 of the UAE's first SAF production facility 11/4
- Avantium’s plant-based plastic PEF Releaf® receives CPBR approval for recycling in Japan 11/4
- Plug Power to supply electroylzers to Allied Biofuels eSAF project 11/4
- ExxonMobil explores more refinery upgrades as it hones in on higher-value products 11/4
- Chevron Lummus Global enhances catalyst portfolio with ART and W. R. Grace 11/4
