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

Rotating Equipment

Business Trends: Autonomous operations in process manufacturing—Part 2

IBM Corp.: Agnihotri, R.

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate an autonomous operations (AO) vision, along with its feasibility, by conceptualizing a roadmap where meaningful progress can be achieved in a horizon of 3 yr–20 yr.

Hydrocarbon Processing 2020 Awards WINNERS

<i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i>, the downstream processing sector’s leading technical publication, has announced the winners for its third annual awards.

Hydrocarbon Processing Awards 2020—FINALISTS

This special section details all finalists within each category for the fourth annual <ital>HP</ital> Awards. The winners will be announced on Oct. 1.

Doing more with less: Extending critical fluid system resources

Swagelok: Menz, B.

Fluid system operators are tasked with maximizing value from their systems to enhance plant and refinery operations.

Refining: Despite decline, Group 1 base stocks are here to stay

ExxonMobil: Nadasdi, T.

Given increasingly stringent automotive specifications and the advent of the International Maritime Organization’s 2020 sulfur regulations, the continued decrease in Group I base stocks demand should come as no surprise for anyone in the industry.

Variable capacity control technology facilitates efficient operation for reciprocating compressors

Siemens: Sanford, J.

Reciprocating compressors are used extensively in refinery and petrochemical operations to keep feedstocks and products moving through miles of piping.

Design of very-high-flow coefficient centrifugal compressor stages

Elliott Group: Jariwala, V.

Centrifugal compressors are widely used in the oil and gas and petrochemical industries, with more than 15,000 operating in the U.S. alone.

Effectively clean air fan coolers with water and steam

SK Energy: Byung-Moon, J.  |  Seok-Ryong, J.  |  Sang-Gyu, K.

In many refineries and petrochemical plants, air fan coolers (AFCs) become a major bottleneck to increasing plant capacity. Many plants suffer from lower heat duty than designed, especially during the summer months, which can lead to lower plant capacity.

Leveraging modern flow technologies to improve safety in refineries

Emerson: Jha, M.  |  Valentine, J.

The refining industry is facing increased pressures, such as crude oil supply changes, changing product distributions and increasing regulations. These pressure points create a highly competitive market where refiners are looking for options that include digitally transforming operations and adapting new technologies to enhance safety and improve uptime, flexibility and efficiency, while securing their competitive position in a dynamic market. Improving personnel and process safety remains a top focus area for refiners.

Reveal the unmonitored risks in your rotating equipment: The effects of torsional vibration—Part 2

Bently Nevada, a Baker Hughes Business: O’Connor, D.  |  Gutierrez, J.

In recent case studies, unexpected and unmonitored torsional vibration resulted in sudden failures, costly downtime and potential safety hazards. Part 1 of this article, which appeared in the January issue of <i>Hydrocarbon Processing,</i> examined the origins of torsional vibration and case histories to drive an understanding of the unmonitored risk existing at many industrial sites.