Improving turbocompressor availability

Jul-2009

Modular replacement maintenance can reduce major overhaul downtime by nearly 50%, and time between combustion and major overhauls can also be extended

Energy management: raising profitability, reducing CO2 emissions

Oct-2010

Case studies show how lower energy demand via revamps and improved maintenance can save money and abate CO2 emissions in refinery operations

Corrosion monitoring improvements

Oct-2005

Case study examines prediction, monitoring and mitigation of corrosion-related effects at a West European refinery operating in a high temperature, naphthenic ...

Choose the right hose: a practical guide to hose selection

Mar-2013

The right hose keeps your process performing safely and cost effectively. The wrong hose could undermine your process, put personnel at risk and compromise ...

A novel investigation approach linking to risk assessment

Apr-2012

A novel incident investigation approach provides information on both management system and risk barrier failures

Planning for a pipestill clean

Jan-2010

A combination of proven technology, setting expectations and developing a detailed plan helped a refiner achieve optimum results from unit clearing and ...

Developing and enabling the next generation of refinery process engineers

Apr-2012

Changing viewpoints of engineering as a career path, generational priorities and global competition are affecting the ability of refiners and petrochemical ...

Minimising transfer line vibrations

Oct-2013

Computational fluid dynamics was used effectively to solve start-up problems in a transfer line

Avoiding unscheduled shutdowns

Apr-2001

Case studies have demonstrated that correct heater design and consequent performance will determine crude unit run length

Improving reaction furnace performance with the Blasch VectorWall mixing checkerwall

Sep-2013

Operators of large refractory lined combustion chambers, whether used as primary reaction furnaces, thermal oxidisers in tail gas units or miscellaneous ...

Improving profitability in the era of lower utilisation

Jul-2011

Over the last several years, the US refining industry has evolved from the golden era of high margins and maximum utilisation to tighter margins and refinery ...

Rethinking refractory design

Mar-2010

Near net shape refractory forming technology and its use to create significant process improvement. The vast majority of refractory, by volume, used in ...

Worldwide trends in RAM improvement

Apr-2004

A review of the improvements in plant reliability, availability and maintenance that have taken place to ensure better and sustainable results in a competitive ...

Refinery operations gain from advances in digital automation

Jan-2013

Advances in digital automation can better enable the next generation of refinery workers to operate more efficiently, reliably and safely

Achieving excellence in process safety management

Jan-2010

The management of major accident hazards in refineries must recognise that all areas of the business have vital roles to play to ensure process safety ...

Recips need dedicated vibration monitoring systems

Mar-2013

Avoiding ‘crater maintenance’ and the ‘doom loop’ Reciprocating compressors have a reputation as bad actors among the rotating equipment fleet; ...

Bridging the gap between safety protection and condition monitoring

Mar-2013

In the process industry it is still common that users strictly separate safety protection equipment from condition monitoring. Machine operators frequently ...

Key factors in selecting refractories for the hydrocarbon processing industry

Mar-2007

Longer campaigns, higher temperatures, and more oxygen all add up to increased wear and tear on process vessels and equipment and make proper material ...

Optimising the health of rotating equipment

Jul-2017

Applying predictive analytics to rotating equipment enables a preventative maintenance programme for improved savings

Improving energy efficiency

Apr-2009

Major opportunities for energy efficiency and reduction of GHG emissions within a refinery/petrochemical complex are identified. Work process methodology ...

Managing operating strategy affecting process reliability

Apr-1998

A review of the method for combining opportunities for profit improvement, together with processing and maintenance requirements, with engineering practices, ...

Helium supply: scarcity prompts the search for alternatives

Nov-2013

Helium is a finite resource and, along with fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas, reserves of this noble gas are noticeably dwindling.

Splitting distributed control for a refinery expansion

Jul-2015

A refiner’s expansion plan required a second distributed control system, achieved by splitting the original system without a shutdown

Identifying very small equipment leaks

Jan-2008

Very small leaks in feed/effluent exchangers can be identified using chemical tracing. This online technique can detect leaks as low as 5.0 ppm, avoiding ...

Utilising the checkerwall as a static mixer to improve SRU process performance

Oct-2010

A little more than a decade ago, as Blasch Precision Ceramics began to steadily grow their hex head ferrule business, they began to field requests from ...

Achieving turnaround success

Oct-2016

Large maintenance overhaul projects are complex, expensive processes, often with unpredictable challenges that call for best practice techniques.

Manufacturing execution systems for the refining industry

Jul-2013

Real-time data and decision support tools provide access to plant information to enable a timely response to production issues

Benchmarking and optimising maintenance for turnarounds

Oct-2016

A methodology can be used to benchmark scope and provide early and reliable forecasts of labour hours and costs during a turnaround

Tackling fouling in vinyl monomer manufacture

Jul-2003

Conventional and new approaches to the control of fouling in vinyl monomer processes are discussed in this article, which describes the fouling characteristics ...

Worldwide trends in RAM improvement

Apr-2004

A review of the improvements in plant reliability, availability and maintenance that have taken place to ensure better and sustainable results in a competitive ...

Corrosion monitoring improvements

Oct-2005

Case study examines prediction, monitoring and mitigation of corrosion-related effects at a West European refinery operating in a high temperature, naphthenic ...

Benchmarking FCC operations

Jul-2006

Benchmarking is an important tool in routine FCC data evaluations. It can be used to validate unit data as well as identify areas for improved perform ...

Maintaining reliability when processing opportunity crudes

Oct-2013

A risk-based approach that considers crude oil corrosivity can allow refiners to safely and reliably process increasing levels of opportunity crude

Machine learning in asset maintenance

Jun-2018

Application of machine learning to asset performance management marks a transition from estimated and statistical models towards measured patterns of ...

Advancing industries through materials technology

Oct-2022

At the end of August 2022, following shareholder approval of a proposal presented by the Sandvik AB board of directors, Sandvik Materials Technology officially ...

Continuum damage FEA implementation in HTHA model

Feb-2023

Using the power of finite element analysis to accurately capture high-temperature hydrogen attack damage through the use of a custom creep user subrou ...

Improving preventive maintenance using equipment criticality

Nov-2024

Case study demonstrates the importance of rating equipment criticality in an effective preventive maintenance plan while reducing overall cost.

Minimising transfer line vibrations

Oct-2013

Computational fluid dynamics was used effectively to solve start-up problems in a transfer line

Optimising the health of rotating equipment

Jul-2017

Applying predictive analytics to rotating equipment enables a preventative maintenance programme for improved savings

Optimising crude unit design

Apr-2009

Real retrofit examples demonstrate how crude units can be successfully optimised with the crude slates currently being processed. Process design strategies ...

Early failure detection and shutdown of critical compressor due to a crosshead fracture

Aug-2011

Over the last few years it has become more and more apparent that operators of piston compressors use specific monitoring systems particular for their ...

Protecting compressors with dynamic simulation

Apr-2014

Dynamic simulation supports reliable operation of compressor installations to deliver maximum plant availability and productivity

Pressure relief with rupture discs

Jan-2019

A rupture disc is a non-closing safety device that is fail-safe with predictable operation and reliability characteristics.

Refinery power failures: causes, costs and solutions: part 2

Oct-2013

Technologies are discussed to help refiners formulate strategies in managing risks and crisis due to emergency shutdowns, thereby minimising financial ...

Benefits from a profits improvement plan

Jul-2001

How a Japanese refinery improved its profitability by adopting a detailed plan for optimising every aspect of plant operation as well as encouraging a ...

Developing and enabling the next generation of refinery process engineers

Apr-2012

Changing viewpoints of engineering as a career path, generational priorities and global competition are affecting the ability of refiners and petrochemical ...

Bridging the gap between safety protection and condition monitoring

Mar-2013

In the process industry it is still common that users strictly separate safety protection equipment from condition monitoring. Machine operators frequently ...

Plant optimisation: leveraging data analytics and modelling

Jan-2018

More advanced modelling skills are needed at the design stage to realise the promise of better optimisation

Some myths about mechanical cleaning

Aug-2018

Because it has long been the only option when unit cleaning becomes unavoidable, the true cost of mechanical cleaning has been overlooked.

Oil/water interface control for desalters

Oct-2007

Profiling instrument provides vertical real-time phase density measurement in desalter vessels. Benefits include reduced process upsets from interface ...