August 2004

Archive

Special Report: Fluid Flow and Rotating Equipment

Designing small-bore piping and valve connections
Singh, A., Reliance Engineers Associates Ltd.; Choudhury, M. G., Reliance Engineering Group (REG)

Follow these guidelines to improve reliability

Segregated and integrated process and antisurge compressor control systems
Lemmers, S. P. B., Vopak LNG Holding BV

A proven design eliminated control interactions in this ethylene cracker facility

Consider regenerative pumps for low-flow/low-NPSH applications
Muller, S., Stepehns Mechanical Associates

In low-flow applications they use less horsepower when 'curve run-out' is considered

Oil mist system provides rapid payback
Hartman, J., Lubrication Systems, Co.

Benefits included lower maintenance costs and reduced lost production

Improved pump hydraulic selection reduces cavitation risk
Budris, R., Consulting Engineer

Follow these guidelines to improve reliability

Engineering Case Histories

Case 22: The mysterious bending of impeller blades
Sofronas, A., Consulting Engineer

A quick analysis helps solve an unexplained failure

Process Technology

Improve custody-transfer operations
Moldes, R., Total Austral

Coriolis flowmeters overcome maintenance problems when used in light hydrocarbon service

Process Technology/Heat Transfer

Optimize process furnace operations
Hellander, J. C., C&M Technologies, Inc.

Ceramic coatings improve production capabilities and thermal efficiencies of process furnaces and boilers

Risk Management

What to look for in a project feasibility study - Part 1
Cooper, H. W., Dynalytics Corp.; Ebin, L. A., Hudson Strategic Partners, Inc.

Here's how to judge the strengths and weaknesses of its technical and economic content

Columns

HP Reliability: Reassess your pump startup and shutdown procedures
Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

It may sound far-fetched, but the ramifications of incorrect pump startup and shutdown procedures have recently been debated in reliability-related litigation in US courts. At issue was performance of..

HP Water Management: Passivating heat exchangers: Is it necessary?
Huchler, L. A., MarTech Systems, Inc.

Refineries and petrochemical plants have a large number of heat exchangers. Maintaining reliability and heat transfer efficiency of these heat exchangers is critical to optimizing refinery operation..

HP Integration Strategies: SCADA'S new capabilities support business processes and supply chain
Novak, R., ARC Advisory Group

Supported by intelligent field devices, expanded communications networks and improved compatibility with IT, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) can now provide a wealth of information an..

HPIn Europe: A crisis, a crunch and a bottleneck
Wright, Tim L., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The excitement of starting to write for HP has been tempered over the past month or so by a family crisis ? the birth by emergency ceasarian of a little son with a syndrome of ailments. One of the few..

HP Impact: North America
Jackson, Kim M., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

T-Thermal Co., a Selas Fluid Processing Corp. division, is providing four liquefied natural gas (LNG) vaporizers to regasify liquid natural gas at the Lake Charles, Louisiana, import terminal. The add..

HP Construction: Europe
Jackson, Kim M., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Aker Kvaerner is conducting detailed design and planning activities for future offshore phases of the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal in the North Adriatic Sea. It previously p..

HP Construction: Middle East
Jackson, Kim M., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd. (FWEL), a Foster Wheeler Ltd. subsidiary, has a program management services contract with Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC). The agreement is for a new grassroots petroch..

HP Construction: Asia-Pacific
Jackson, Kim M., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Taiyuan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. (TISCO) has an agreement with Uhde GmbH, Dortmund, Germany, to build two coke oven batteries, each with 1.0 million metric tpy capacity of blast furnace coke, in Taiyu..

Free Literature

Labyrinth piston compressors Sulzer Burckhardt's labyrinth piston compressor (Laby) is a unique oil-free machine refined by more than 65 years of experience. There are to date more than 6,500 Lab..

HP In Brief: HPIn Brief
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

  Outlook: gas, coal prices to fall Coal and natural gas ..

HP Impact: Laser scanning: best methods for capturing existing conditions
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Facilities throughout the HPI are keenly interested in methods to record as-built plant design data. Laser scanning is one such technique; however, confusion about how these devices work is prevalent...

HP Impact: CERA: energy supply in US facing a 'critical juncture'
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

A global ?energy demand shock? ? compounded by extremely tight world oil supplies, constraints on US natural gas production and geopolitical turmoil ? is putting the US at a ?critical juncture? in its..

HP Impact: PLC demand in China to double by 2008
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The China market for programmable logic controllers (PLCs) is expected to grow at 14.1%/yr over the next five years in spite of a decline in prices. The market was about $370 million in 2003 and is fo..

HP Impact: NPRA reacts to study alleging emissions underreporting
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

A study was recently published alleging misreporting of certain air emissions from US refineries and chemical plants. It focused on the Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) ..

HP Impact: Global energy review projects sufficient oil for 40 years
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Data from BP's annual ?Statistical Review of World Energy? illustrates the continued growth in reserve volumes across the world. ?At current levels of consumption, there are sufficient reserves to m..

HP Impact: Safety procedures in EU enhance business viability
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The actual or potential impact of plants on the environment within which they operate is increasingly under scrutiny the world over, as the risk-thresholds that governments and the public alike are pr..

Misc

HPInnovations

Potential for 43% boost in combined cycle profits Fern Engineering Inc., a worldwide company that provides consulting services and products to the turbomachinery industry, has recently conducted a c..

Top 10 energy companies by sales/revenue
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

   Top 10 energy companies by sales/revenue    &#..