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

Maintenance & Reliability

HP Reliability: Consider suspended-access scaffolding

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

You may always have left scaffolding and access-to-work questions to an outside contractor to make the final decisions. But plant safety and timely work completion are everybody’s business. As a ..

Update on secondary seals for fluid machines

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.
AESSEAL plc: Carmody, C.

Elastomer-based O-rings are used as secondary sealing components in millions of fluid machines. Although O-ring seals are primarily intended for fluid containment between different but nonrotating com..

Improve compressor reliability with advanced chemical treatments

Although many olefin plants are making big investments in hardware and metallurgy to improve compressor performance and to extend run lengths, the reliability, efficiency and throughput capacity of the CGC are still key influences on plant profitability.

Triple-offset valves offer advantages in emergency services

Pentair Valves & Controls: Casaroli, S.  |  Ferrara, M.

Liquid hydrocarbon storage facilities have used triple-offset valves (TOVs) in traditional tank farm applications for decades. Due to more stringent health, safety and environment (HSE) requirements, ..

Case history: Troubleshooting a leaking valve in a hydrogen unit

A Middle East refinery installed a hydrogen plant that was designed to produce 20,000 Nm3/hr of pure hydrogen (H2) to support a diesel hydrotreater. The unit was commissioned in 2006. This H2 plant wa..

Optimize plant reliability with operator-based maintenance programs

Fluor Canada Ltd.: Fearn, D.
Irving Oil Refining, G.P.: Porter, M.

This case study demonstrates the potential maintenance-labor cost savings that can be obtained through the greater utilization of operations staff; such savings can justify OPPM program investment.

HP Automation Strategies: Energy management lessons from Europe

ARC Advisory Group: Güldner, F.

ARC Advisory Group research indicates that, by applying appropriate energy management measures, energy-intensive companies can reduce their energy consumption by 30% to 40% over a 15-year timespan. Th..

HP Reliability: Advances in gasket designs making progress

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Long service life and maintenance cost avoidance for equipment are of great interest to reliability professionals in the hydrocarbon processing industry. These goals are supported by a renowned gasket..

HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 80: Sudden temperature change in a centrifugal compressor

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

A process upset occurred that caused the gas temperature of a centrifugal compressor to increase from the design condition of Tstart = 300°F to Tinf = 600°F in t = 0.25 hours. Some engineers..

HP Reliability: Things to know and do before starting new initiatives

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

HP editors frequently attend technical conferences to keep informed on the many factors impacting the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI). The focus of these conferences often differs. However, one ..