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

Maintenance & Reliability

Use new methods to optimize energy efficiency of hydrogen compressors

Repsol SA: Vila Forteza, M.

Hydrogen (H2) is a key to efficient operation of refinery desulfurization units (DSUs). Process H2, both pure and recycled from DSUs, must be compressed to pressures up to 85 kg/cm2. Centrifugal compr..

HP Reliability: Reassessing and updating electric motor bearing lubrication

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Over the past 25 years, this column has often dealt with electric motor lubrication. As listed in the recommended reading list, this subject is often asked and, of course, there are updates to the rec..

HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 84: Remaining service life of plant equipment can be determined

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

For new plant machines and equipment, the life expectancy is determined by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Yet, different analysis techniques are often required in a failure analysis. In a ..

HP Innovations

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Blume, Adrienne

Coatings line wins innovation awardHempel’s HEMPADUR AvantGuard range of products won the 2014 European Frost & Sullivan Award for the category of new product innovation. To be presented on May 1..

Safety and environmental updates for HPI storage tanks

   © leungchopan—Shutterstock.com Storage tanks are common in any hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) facility or receiving/shipping terminal. Crude oil, refined produc..

How Cr compounds discolor refractory brick walls of an ethylene cracking furnace

Saudi Basic Industries Corp.: Al-Meshari, A.
SABIC Technology Centre: Maity, M.  |  Al-Zahrani, E.

Unusual pink coloration was noticed on the entire refractory brick wall in the radiant section of an ethylene cracking furnace of a petrochemical plant. The problem was investigated by evaluating the ..

HP Reliability: The true cost of poor quality

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Knoxville, Tennessee-based System Improvements, Inc., has been in the forefront of teaching structured root-cause analysis throughout the world. System Improvements, Inc. has used its proprietary soft..

How caustic stress leads to failures of incinerator caustic spray nozzles

SABIC Technology Centre: Maity, M.  |  Al-Zahrani, E.  |  Al-Meshari, A.

Frequent failures of the waste spray nozzles in incinerators result in accelerated degradation of the refractory lining, requiring unscheduled shutdowns for repairs. A study was carried out to identify the factors that contributed to the nozzle failure and to prevent the reoccurrence of similar failures in the future.

Extend heat exchanger lifecycle with hyper-duplex stainless steel

Sandvik Materials Technology: Perea, E.

Intensifying performance demands in refineries, coupled with the ongoing decline in crude oil quality, require a new and improved duplex SS grade to withstand increasingly tough operating conditions. This need has led to the development of hyper-duplex stainless steels.

HP Reliability: Consider oil-resistant cable terminations to increase electric motor reliability

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Most engineers are familiar with adhesive-coated insulating tape used by electricians in the field and maintenance shop. If we use this tape in the engine compartment of an automobile, it will soon be..