Prudent planning and scheduling during a project’s front end can lead to more expedient commissioning and startup activities The cost of starting up large new facilities in the chemical process industries (CPI; Figure 1) is a significant element in a…
Some of the many things to consider for the complex task of performing a column revamp are presented in this cover story Petroleum refineries, chemical-processing plants, natural-gas purification plants and other facilities in the chemical process industries (CPI) all contain…
Corrosion of steel is a key concern in many industrial settings, both from an asset-management perspective and from a safety perspective. The following briefly describes corrosion mechanisms for various classes of steel, and provides information on the corrosion resistance of…
It is important to conceptualize plant layout in terms of both ideal location and optimal geographical positioning of equipment components For any chemical process facility, the cost of improper or sub-obtimal plant layout can be enormous. Designers are generally well…
Best-efficiency point (BEP), the flowrate at which a pump operates at its highest or optimum efficiency for a specific impeller diameter, is a key consideration when assessing pump performance. While most pumps do not consistently operate at their exact BEP,…
Figure 1. During tightening, hydraulic pressure load within a bolt should be uniformly and accurately applied to avoid gasket damage and other issues that can create leakage Common knowledge dictates that planning ahead ensures effective results, regardless of the task…
New safety and environmental regulations, longer plant uptime and changes in maintenance practices have created new requirements across the chemical process industries (CPI). Among the plant equipment affected by these changes are control valves, since they are used in numerous…
Pressure variations resulting from the oscillatory flow patterns found in positive-displacement machinery, especially reciprocating compressors, are referred to as “pulsations.” Found in both liquid- and gas-handling systems, pulsations are a common phenomenon in the chemical processing industries (CPI). Operational problems…
There is a temptation that steam design engineers find difficult to resist — to put condensate from high-pressure (HP) steam mains directly into the low-pressure (LP), pumped condensate-return (CR) mains. After all, the CR main is so convenient — it…
Lubricants in rotating machines reduce friction and wear, dissipate heat, protect surfaces, keep out foreign contaminants and remove wear particles. Commonly used liquid lubricants fall into two main categories: mineral (petroleum-based) oils and synthetic oils. Mineral oils…