Pumps
Digital: Better maintenance through better data
When I talk to professionals in the refining and petrochemical businesses, they are always interested in how new technologies can improve operational efficiency, make plants safer and increase profitability.
Reliability: When slow-rolling machines can cause failures, and how to avoid them
All the book learning in the world will fail if we do not use common sense. We could also say that we need to think things through and should recognize that intuitive logic can lead us astray. If that sounds like semantic banter, let us zero in on three practical field examples that illustrate the issues at hand.
Editorial Comment: Honoring the industry’s best … take 2!
Due to Tropical Storm Imelda, Hydrocarbon Processing issued its first force majeure in postponing the third annual HP Awards.
Hydrocarbon Processing Awards Winners
<i>Hydrocarbon Processing,</i> the downstream processing sector’s leading technical publication, has announced the winners for its third annual awards. The <i>HP</i> Awards celebrate innovative technologies and people that have been instrumental in improving facility operations over the past year.
Reliability: Viewing issues out of context may be a waste of time
An alternative to the above title would be “Test your rotating equipment engineers’ IQ.”
Hydrocarbon Processing Awards
<i>Hydrocarbon Processing,</i> the downstream processing sector’s leading technical publication, has announced the finalists for its third annual awards.
Horizontal distillation column technology
Gas-liquid contact operations are required for the separation of mixtures based on differences in the chemical properties (volatility, solubility, etc.) of various components.
Reliability: Find the cause of black oil in pump bearing housings
While on consulting assignments, observant reliability engineers often uncover (or rediscover) failure initiators that their long-departed colleagues experienced years ago.
Pumps handicapped by not using best available technology
Pump lubrication deficiencies are often denied, and the outstanding reliability performance of oil mist is vastly underreported.
Innovations
To test developments of pumps and systems under even more realistic conditions, LEWA has inaugurated a specially developed container test bench that will be used for experiments with hot or explosive fluids.

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