Summary At a gulf coast site, a large catalyst drier began experiencing vibrations after start up and suffered a failure. The drier internal diameter is approximately 7 feet, measures 40 feet long and is supported at each end by 2 large trunion shafts on which are mounted 2 rollers. There is a large ring gear […]
Two compressors at a Refinery in Texas were up-rated to bushing type dry gas seals to eliminate the historical H2S leakage to the environment. The existing seals in both of these machines were the original Clark floating bushing oil seals. There were concerns that the leakage path may be around the outside of the seals […]
Background and The Problem 24 new 3600 RPM, 440 volt AC induction motors were replaced at a large refinery as a result of flooding during hurricane Ike. The motors were inundated by 6 ft to 12 ft of floodwater. The new motors were from three of the major industrial motor manufacturers. Horsepower ratings ranged from […]
In addition to the many clarifications, updated references to codes and standards, updates to basic allowable stresses, and added listed materials, there are several substantive changes to the 2012 Edition of ASME B31.3, Process Piping. These changes are: Category D Fluid Service The definition was revised to include piping with design minimum temperatures below -29⁰C […]
A demister pad is similar to an air filter except instead of removing dust particles from a stream of air for example, it removes micron-size liquid particles from a liquid/vapor stream often found in many industrial processes. An air filter prevents dust particles from entering downstream equipment; similarly a demister prevents liquid droplets from entering […]
Operations and Maintenance Practices in refineries focus on maximizing safety, reliability and profitability, in a highly competitive industry, with tight margins. A key consideration is to effectively manage annual maintenance costs which can be as high as 40-50 MM$/year for a medium size refinery. These costs can escalate to several hundred million dollars, if unplanned […]
It is useful to have a screening rule for evaluation of piping vibration in order to determine if the vibration is potentially harmful (can lead to damage or fatigue failure) or if it is simply a nuisance and can be accepted without doing a more detailed assessment or anything to mitigate it. A very useful […]
When attempting any lift, regardless of how small or seemingly insignificant, there is some basic information that must be known and confirmed before you begin. As an industry, we do a great job planning critical and super lifts. These major lifts are executed with precision and are successful if the plan is carefully followed. We […]
For quite some time now, Section VIII Division 1 of the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code has included the following provision in Appendix 2-15: 2-15 QUALIFICATION OF ASSEMBLY PROCEDURES AND ASSEMBLERS. It is recommended that flange joints designed to this Appendix be assembled by qualified procedures and by qualified assemblers. ASME PCC-1 may be […]
