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

Safety

Consider new labyrinth seals to optimize compressor operations

Flexware, Inc.: Gresh, M. T.
John Crane Engineered Bearings: Whalen, J. K.

Degradation of labyrinth seals in centrifugal impellers can have a significant impact on not only compressor power consumption but also on plant production rate. Upgrading to rub-tolerant seals can be..

Maximize energy recovery with small steam turbines

Energent: Kaupert, K.
Energent Corp.: Krull, R.  |  Iles, R.

Using smaller turbines (50 kW to 300 kW) can aid system efficiency and help conserve energy. We investigate examples in which the application of smaller steam turbines provided return on investment within two years.

Improve relief-device sizing under supercritical conditions

Smith & Burgess LLC: Smith, D.
Smith and Burgess LLC: Burgess, J.

Properly sized relief devices under supercritical conditions are vital to processing natural gas and gas condensates into olefins. These processes operate near the critical locus of the process gases ..

Use new methods to optimize energy efficiency of hydrogen compressors

Repsol SA: Vila Forteza, M.

Hydrogen (H2) is a key to efficient operation of refinery desulfurization units (DSUs). Process H2, both pure and recycled from DSUs, must be compressed to pressures up to 85 kg/cm2. Centrifugal compr..

HP Reliability: Reassessing and updating electric motor bearing lubrication

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Over the past 25 years, this column has often dealt with electric motor lubrication. As listed in the recommended reading list, this subject is often asked and, of course, there are updates to the rec..

HP Automation Strategies: Developing the best practices for operator effectiveness in the age of collaboration

ARC Advisory Group: Miller, Paul

Multiple converging trends make operator effectiveness even more important today than ever before. These include: loss of expertise in industrial plants and the transition to a new workforce, business..

HP Innovations

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Blume, Adrienne

Coatings line wins innovation awardHempel’s HEMPADUR AvantGuard range of products won the 2014 European Frost & Sullivan Award for the category of new product innovation. To be presented on May 1..

Use vapor distributors to improve fractionation column performance

Technip Stone & Webster Process Technology: Fewel, K. J.

Vapor distribution has often been neglected in fractionation columns. Although the importance of liquid distribution is well understood and has been a consideration in column design from the early sta..

HP Editorial Comment: Accessing the value of methane and the North American petrochemical revolution

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

The North American (NA) petrochemical industry is experiencing a renaissance of new project announcements and manufacturing expansions. This wave of activity is supported by abundant, low-cost natural gas supplies. In particular, many ethylene projects are under various stages of development.

HP Reliability: The true cost of poor quality

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Knoxville, Tennessee-based System Improvements, Inc., has been in the forefront of teaching structured root-cause analysis throughout the world. System Improvements, Inc. has used its proprietary soft..