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

Heat Transfer

Review of the CSB report on the 2010 Tesoro refinery fire

PetroTech Consultants: McGovern, S. J.

On April 2, 2010, a catastrophic fire occurred within the naphtha hydrotreating unit in the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Washington. The final CSB report, including recommendations, was issued in May 2014, more than four years after the incident that resulted in the tragic loss of seven lives. This work critically reviews the CSB analysis of this incident and several of its resulting recommendations.

Reduce industrial energy bills through improved combustion control

MOL Group: Galambos, L.  |  Stefán, F.  |  Kovács, I.

The last few years have been an extremely challenging period for the oil industry due to the adverse global economic environment and the impact of unfavorable external factors.

Sample heat transfer fluids to offset carbon effects on thermal plant efficiency

Global Heat Transfer: Wright, C.

The long-term viability of a plant depends on maintaining continuous output and reducing production costs.

Optimize isomerization reactor temperatures and component RON

Tüpraş: Toraman, N.  |  Kahraman, K
Honeywell UOP: Billings, P.  |  Sabitov, O.

Isomerate is useful because it is paraffinic and contains no benzene, aromatics or sulfur. This pentane and hexane fraction of crude oil is known as light naphtha. The main objective of reactions is to increase the research octane number (RON) of the components. Decreasing fuel consumption without changing the product RON of isomerization units is discussed here.

Use computational fluid dynamic analysis to revamp fired heaters

Furnace Improvements Services Inc.: Garg, A.  |  Chilka, A.

A refinery process fired heater system consists of multiple sub-units, of which the fired heater is the most critical, as it impacts the overall efficiency of the system.

Calculate thermal efficiency to optimize fired heater operation

Saudi International Petrochemical Co. (Sipchem): Ibrahim, M. E.  |  Shirpurkar, V.

In a Saudi International Petrochemical Co. petrochemical plant, fired heaters are designed to supply heat duty at 7 MW and are one of the major consumers of energy.

Minimize unplanned shutdowns of fired heater operations

John Zink Co. LLC: Baukal, C.
OnQuest Canada ULC: Newnham, R.
John Zink Hamworthy Combustion: Johnson, B.

There are many potential “rules,” or guidelines, for the safe operation of process heaters.

Control fouling on preheat trains with a two-stage approach

Fouling in heat exchanger preheat trains is a well-known problem in the refining industry.

Alfa Laval to supply heat exchangers for Korean petrochemicals complex

The order comprises the delivery of Packinox heat exchangers which will recover energy in the production of mixed xylenes, ingredients in the manufacturing of synthetic nylons and PET bottles.

Mitigate vibration issues in shell-and-tube heat exchangers

L&T-Chiyoda Ltd.: Dole, R.  |  Sridhar, S.  |  Vivekanand, S.

Heat exchanger tubes tend to vibrate when influenced by crossflow velocities.