Bloch, Heinz P.
Heinz P. Bloch resides in Montgomery, Texas. He retired as Exxon Chemical’s Regional Machinery Specialist for the U.S. and has authored or co-written more than 780 publications, among them 23 comprehensive books on practical machinery management, failure analysis, failure avoidance, compressors, steam turbines, pumps, oil mist lubrication and optimized lubrication for industry. Mr. Bloch holds BS and MS degrees (cum laude) in mechanical engineering from the Newark College of Engineering (NCE). He is one of 10 inaugural inductees into NCE’s Hall of Fame, which honors its most distinguished alumni.
HP Reliability: Consider overspeed protection retrofits
The overwhelming majority of small turbine overspeed trip devices are mechanical; they incorporate a spring-activated trip bolt that moves out and contacts a trip lever whenever a pres..
HP Reliability: Consider disc pumps where impeller pumps fail
Until recently, finding a suitable pump was difficult for plants pumping viscous fluids or fluids that undergo viscosity change. Here, using conventional centrifugal pumps may lead to poor performance..
HP Reliability: Strategic mechanical seal partnerships
Not all mechanical seal supplier agreements benefit both parties equally. We have recently seen some rather one-sided ones. At a recent users conference, the suggestion that the "partner" should discl..
Toward better reliability management
Reliability is like safety – everybody is in favor of it, but not everybody practices it. Safety professionals know that solid achievement rests on the need to change an existing culture, replaci..
HP Reliability: Inductive pumps solve difficult lubrication problems
Authoritative texts show that traditional static oil sumps, both with or without oil rings, represent nonoptimum means of lubricating rolling element bearings. With sump lubrication, the rolling eleme..
HP Reliability: Improve turboexpander shaft seals and bearings
Virtually all cryogenic turboexpander seals are either close-fitting labyrinth or noncontacting (dry) gas types. Conventional mechanical seals are not generally used; high velocities prohibit use of c..
HP Reliability: Conclusions drawn from bearing life equations
Fig. 1 shows an example of the influence of contamination on bearing life in general terms. A "real life example" best illustrates the various aspects of bearing life calculations. It s..
HP Reliability: Expander power absorption methods
Turboexpanders frequently used in refrigeration processes develop power, but recovery of this power has often been of secondary importance. A number of power absorption methods are dire..
HP Reliability: Oil feed rates for reciprocating compressors
In the lubrication of double-acting compressor cylinders, one of the most important factors is the oil feed rate. Likelihood of over-lubrication is greater than that of supplying too li..
HP Reliability: Bearing life and contamination
As if we didn't know, lubricant contamination will reduce bearing life. However, a thorough understanding of the contamination / bearing life relationship is essential if improvements a..
- ExxonMobil plans 1 Blbs/yr of advanced recycling by 2027 11/22
- Gauging the likely Trump effect on U.S. energy and power sectors 11/22
- Russia's Lukoil restoring cracker at NORSI refinery, gasoline output rising 11/22
- Nigeria's local currency crude sales fall short of target, Dangote refinery says 11/22
- U.S. October gasoline imports hit post-pandemic low on slump in European shipments 11/22
- Clean Hydrogen Works awards McDermott FEED contract for Ascension Clean Energy (ACE) project 11/21