May 2008

Archive

Special Report: Maintenance/Reliability

Improve pump reliability with advanced composite wear rings
Aronen, R., Bouden International; Boulden, B., Boulden Company; Russek, M., Sunoco, Inc

The results were reduced vibration and seal leaks at this plant

Sound-based predictive maintenance: a cost-effective approach
Goti, A., University of Mondragon

An electronic stethoscope, digital recorder and computer program can detect and diagnose many incipient equipment failures

Ultrasonic flowmeters improve delayed coker reliability
Scelzo, M. J., Flow Measurement Solustions GE Sensing

A US refiner significantly reduced flowmeter maintenance costs and improved safety by changing to ultrasonic flowmeters for coker furnace feed flow. A second refiner chose to install ultrasonic meters from the start.

Improving decoking water system reliability in delayed coker units
Sharma, M., Sharma, R. K., Trikha, S., Reliance Industries Ltd.

Here's how the erosion and corrosion problems were solved

Mechanical seals and energy efficiency
Booth, C., Smith, R., AESSEAL plc

Savings can be realized by using the most suitable API seal flush plan

Engineering Case Histories

Case 44: Cracking due to sudden temperature changes in piping
Sofronas, A., Consulting Engineer

Excessive thermal stresses can be the cause

Environment

Fine-tune compliance requirements for your company
Goldenhersh, L. E., Enviance, Inc.

Internet-based technologies improve managing environmental and safety information in petrochemical facilities

Heat Transfer

Is your facility operating energy efficiently?
Gill, B. S., Career Institute of Technology & Management

Recovering lost heat energy can improve the bottom-line for any refinery

Piping/Fluid Flow

The effect of kinetic energy change on flow in gas pipelines
Demneh, F. A., Department of Chemical Engineering, Falculty of Engineering, University of Tehran; Mesbah, A., Process and Energy Laboratory, Delft Univeristy of Technology

The significance of the acceleration term in pressure drop calculations is investigated

Plant Management

Quantifying the benefits of virtual plant modeling
Ayral, T., Lanza, C., INOVx Solutions

As with any new and significant development, plant managers may eventually wonder how they were able to effectively perform their work before this technology existed

Process Developments

Develop more accurate prediction of flash points
Ramakumar, K. R., Gujarat Refinery, Indian Oil Corporation Limited

New calculation improves estimating minimum flash temperature for petroleum products

Columns

HP Reliability: More than procedures are needed to avoid incidents
Bloch, Heinz P., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Here is the typical scenario: An explosion rips through a refinery (and when an explosion happens, the heat is on). As usual, the organization reacts swiftly. The customary failed assets remediation t..

HPIn Europe: New fundamental is money flow—mantra is peak theory
Wright, Tim L., Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Could it be that a financially talented cadre managing fantastic swathes of wealth has not only "bought" peak oil theory, but has been investing massively in what amounts to a classic bull market sque..

HP Water Management: Could your process cooling tower close your plant?
Huchler, L. A., MarTech Systems, Inc.

LORAINE A. HUCHLER, Contributing Editor    Comments? Write: editorial@HydrocarbonProcessing.com If legionella bacteria were present in the..

HP Innovations

Mini-LNG concept plants operating worldwide Global Cryo Systems, a member of the Dubai-based Global Process Systems Group, has developed an innovative concept for mini-liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) plan..

HP Associations: HPIn Associations
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

  Fieldbus Foundation, HART and Profibus work together The Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communication Foundation and Profibus are working together..

New Developments

Custom-fabricated ASME pressure vessels Company offers "design to delivery" capability to fabricate custom ASME-coded pressure vessels. With over 27 years of experience, South Gate Engineering has per..

HP Construction: North America
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The MapleLNG liquefied natural gas project in Goldboro, Canada, took another major step forward, receiving a positive decision on the comprehensive study report from the Canadian environment minister..

HP Construction: South America
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Skanska has a contract to build a hydrodesulphurization (HDS) unit at a Refap refinery in Brazil. Skanska's contract amount totals $150 million. The contract covers construction of the HDS unit at R..

HP Construction: Europe
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Technip has a lumpsum front-end engineering design (FEED) contract with Shtokman Development Co. for the onshore portion of the first phase of the Shtokman gas project in Russia. The Shtokman gas fie..

HP Construction: Middle East
Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

CB&I has a contract for approximately $40 million for several large water storage tanks to be built at an independent water and power plant project in the Middle East. The project is scheduled to b..

HP Construction: Asia-Pacific
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Alfa Laval has an order for plate heat exchangers to the power industry in China. The order value is about SEK 90 million. Delivery is scheduled for 2010.   The Supreme Council of Datus Alimao..

Free Literature

Showcasing sensor and control products Gems Sensors & Controls' new 12-page product overview brochure showcases its family of level, flow and pressure sensors, and valves and relay cont..

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

Industry perspective Our key challenge is to squeeze even more from an energy system that already produces about 420 million gallons of oil equival..

HP Impact: HPImpact: China's petrochem sector challenging refinery output
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

China will continue its high growth momentum over the next two years. But with an expected slowdown in world economy and the Chinese government's determination to cool the economy, growth will likely ..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Brisk global LNG capacity additions to fuel rising demand
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

In 2007, global LNG demand reached approximately 172.4 million metric tons (MMton), a rise of roughly 13 MMton (or 8%) compared to 2006. The largest growth on a percentage basis occurred in the Americ..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Some not tackling 'looming deadlines' imposed by REACH
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

While most European firms are very aware of the EU's newest rules on chemicals and their safe use, many North American companies are falling behind in their knowledge of the law's impact and scope. So..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Process improvements in propylene oxide aim to ease tight markets
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

Technologies for propylene oxide (PO) production are undergoing a flurry of activity, according to a new outlook from global energy consultancy Nexant, Inc. (www.nexant.com). Since the commercializati..

HP Impact: HPImpact: Ethylene players scramble for position in volatile climate
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

The cyclicality of the ethylene business has been a constant for many years. Balancing the addition of new capacity against a forecast for demand growth in a manner that does not create significant l..

HP Impact: HPImpact: By 2011, world biofuels demand to reach 92 million metric tons
Weirauch, Wendy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff

World demand for biofuels will expand nearly 20%/yr to 92 million metric tons in 2011, despite recent concerns about the impact of biofuels on the environment and world food supplies. A recent outlook..

Processing Developments

Distillation column relief loads—Part 2
Nezami, P. L., Jacobs Engineering

The conventional method is expanded and a series of guidelines are developed

Letters to the Editor

Leters to the Editor

Give and take on peak oil This is a good column on peak oil production ("HPIn Europe," March 2008, p. 11). I have been watching this topic since 2000 when I was at BP. Factoring in the rapidly growin..

Misc

Does promoting the value of automation improve the success rate for funding automation projects?

DAVE WOLL, Contributing editor       Comments? Write: editorial@HydrocarbonProcessing.com Several months ago the ARC Advisory Group conducted user-dr..

Improve crude oil fractionation by distributed distillation
Haddad, H. N., URS Corp.; Manley, D. B., Missouri University of Science and Technology

Heat-integrated distributed distillation in crude oil fractionation can reduce energy consumption and emissions