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

Maintenance & Reliability

Does your control valve talk?

Palmela: Almas, A.

Pneumatic operated control valves (POCVs) are consistently the most used control final element for process control across most industries—in some cases, they are also part of the safety instrumented systems (SISs) layer.

Considerations for revamping shell-and-tube heat exchangers

Summum Projects: Garrido, E.

Revamp projects are complex in nature, and demand a great deal of resources for successful completion.

Revamp fired heaters with a common air-preheating system to increase capacity

Bechtel Corp.: Ahamad, S.  |  Vallavanatt, R.

In any process plant, fired heaters are generally considered to be one of the most optimally designed pieces of equipment.

Analyzing axial cooling fans’ high noise, vibration and failures

Saudi Aramco: Allah, W. K.

Shipping pumps with 1,800 hp are equipped with five cooling fans that cool the oil going to the lube oil pumps to lubricate the bearings.

Troubleshooting vacuum operation of an inter-after condenser unit in an ethylene plant

Sasol: Wieslaw, T.  |  Nichols, J.
Process Improvement Engineering: Lieberman, N.
Graham Corp.: Johnson, E.

A system of compressors powered by surface condensing steam turbines is inherent in the operation of a typical ethane cracker unit.

Industry Perspectives: The global reach of Hydrocarbon Processing

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Since the beginning of this year, Hydrocarbon Processing has published more than 200 articles and columns. These publications include technical and trends-based articles on the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) within the magazine, online, in show dailies, etc.

Reliability: Identify top ways to weather weak market conditions

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

New Jersey-based Carmagen Engineering Inc., a member of Mistras Group Inc., is a highly respected consulting engineering and project management firm comprising experienced subject matter experts (SMEs).

Reliability: Consider best available resources for reciprocating compressors

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Whether it is compressor selection, upgrading, routine maintenance, major maintenance, failure avoidance or failure analysis: Realize that the reciprocating compressor procurement and improvement options available today are surprisingly advantageous compared to the options of 30 yr ago.

Mexico's Pemex sees restart of Salina Cruz refinery on July 30

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) — Mexican state oil producer Pemex said on Thursday that it expects to restart operations on July 30 at Salina Cruz, its largest oil refinery, after it was hit last week hit by flooding and subsequent fire that forced a shutdown of the plant.

Case study: Improve vacuum tower operation with VFD addition

Saudi Aramco: Alshaye, A.

The bottom pump in crude vacuum units is an area of concern for almost all petroleum oil refineries. The harsh operating parameters in which these pumps operate, including high product temperature and significant vacuum suction pressure, have resulted in frequent vacuum tower upsets and low mean time between failures (MTBF) for vacuum bottom pumps.