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Maintenance & Reliability

Optimize your insulation to reduce costs

Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is a common problem that is shared by the oil and gas (onshore and offshore), refining, petrochemical, power and manufacturing industries.

Innovations

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Andrew, Bob

Hawk Measurement Systems has announced a new OptioLaser S300 that can be used for the detection of all types of liquids, regardless of their dielectric properties.

Automation Strategies: Top technology trends in automation for 2018

ARC Advisory Group: Resnick, C.

The last several years have seen significant advances in, and acceptance of, new automation technologies.

Reliability: Consider stainless steel tubing for mechanical seal connections

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

If, in days past, you have questioned why hard piping was used for mechanical seal flush lines and seal support configurations in process pumps, you are certainly not alone.

Prevent buckling of tanks with external rafters

Suncor Energy Inc.: Tharakan, J.

Most cone roof tanks are designed with roof-supporting structures inside the tank.

Keep a floating roof on an even keel

Emerson Automation Solutions: Skogberg, P.

Users of large liquid hydrocarbon storage tanks at refineries and terminals must solve a variety of problems and make trade-offs related to vapor emissions and general structural integrity for these massive containers.

Preventing wire wooling journal bearing failure

Saudi Aramco: Brashler, K.

This work details the operation of a 21,000-HP, five-stage barrel pump utilized for seawater injection service.

Improve welding technology for heavy-wall pressure vessels in creep-resistant steel

Belleli Energy CPE: Alberini, S.  |  Fusari, F.  |  Musti, M.  |  Marangoni, P.

The standard practice recommended for high-pressure vessels with heavy wall thickness requires the implementation of weld joint preparation with a narrow gap technique. This generally calls for a two-beads-per-layer sequence, along with the use of the submerged arc welding (SAW) process.

Reliability: Include pump wear rings in your upgrade efforts

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Most centrifugal pump designs include replaceable rotating wear rings on the impeller (impeller wear rings) and stationary wear rings inside the casing (case wear rings). Although pump wear rings are simple components, they can have profound impacts on pump reliability, efficiency and safety. These wear rings serve three purposes:

Editorial Comment: It’s all in the makeup of things

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

This issue of <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> features a topic that has been addressed in sections of the magazine for several decades, but has never been a focal point of the publication. That topic is materials manufacturing.