Air-cooled heat exchangers (ACHEs) are designed to use ambient air to cool or condense a process fluid, which eliminates the need for large cooling water capacities. In this article, Kate and Ben discuss how a fitness-for-service (FFS) assessment can be a very powerful tool in air cooler lifecycle management to improve inspection planning and guide run, repair, or replace decisions.
Brazed aluminum heat exchangers (BAHXs) are distinctly prone to several damage mechanisms, including thermal fatigue, cracking, and corrosion. In this comprehensive article, the author uses a 2016 BAHX failure to explain typical BAHX reliability and maintenance issues and provide an overview of practical damage mitigation techniques.
Creep, a common damage mechanism across the refining industry, is commonly often found in fired heaters and boilers. In this article, Lucas offers a detailed description of an Omega creep test and shares the benefits of performing this analysis to accurately diagnose current damage and extend the remaining life of a facility’s fired heater tubes.
Welds are often the weak links in pressure equipment and other structures, especially when operated at elevated operating temperatures. This article highlights the importance of understanding the high-temperature behavior of welds, specifically in relation to creep response, and discusses how creep testing helps to predict remaining life.
Process simulation models changes to a process, operations, or pressure relieving systems. Proactively simulating proposed changes at your facility will save money, improve safety process, and increase equipment reliability. In this article, you’ll read how investing in the long-term maintenance of your simulations will lead to better insights into the downstream effects of any changes and help you troubleshoot any process upsets.
API 521 outlines the requirements for analyzing the credibility of a tube rupture and how to design overpressure protection in heat exchangers. Determining the credibility of a tube rupture can save a facility money on costly mitigation measures. In this article, you’ll learn about E2G’s proprietary tube rupture credibility assessment (TRCA) methodology and the four components needed to address API 521 requirements.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires owner-users to maintain essential documentation authenticating adequate design and maintenance of pressure vessels and storage tanks. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to find equipment operating in industry with minimal or no documentation. In this article, Bob Davis and Stephanie Dux discuss how large-scale SFS projects are an efficient and effective way to evaluate equipment on a defined schedule. SFS projects provide guidance on roles and responsibilities, methodologies, assumptions, and documentation of results.
Today, most in-service equipment remains in use for many years, or decades, beyond its intended design life. Throughout that extended service life, the process conditions can change, affecting equipment reliability. In this article, Matt Schaser discusses the importance of conducting rerates on equipment to meet jurisdictional requirements and use a variety of case studies to highlight some options available when performing a rerate assessment.
Coke drums in delayed coker units present many reliability problems because they are subjected to unique types of damage mechanisms due to their operation. Thermal fatigue cracking is common in regions of high thermal stress due to frequent and severe thermal cycling. Bulging is also common because of this severe thermal cycling that creates hot and cold spots due to channeling effects in the coke formation that results in thermal ratcheting or progressive cyclic plastic strain accumulation.
Combining design by analysis (DBA) methods with modern computational approaches provides critical engineering tools for evaluating the structural integrity of in-service equipment and new equipment designs. To know which DBA technique to employ, it is essential to understand all possible failure modes based on equipment operation and loading scenarios. In this article, Phillip offers a high-level overview of modern DBA techniques and procedures for providing protection against plastic collapse, local failure, buckling, and cyclic failure.
Equity is committed to safety and reliability. Our specialized consulting services, technology, training, and corporate standards are dedicated to your safety and success. Using our technology-forward mindset, we solve complex industrial asset integrity issues and improve plant performance. Our practical and actionable solutions help you manage risk, control costs, and maximize equipment lifecycle.
Equity’s Quality Management System is certified to the ISO 9001:2015 quality standard by Amtivo.
Equity solves industrial asset reliability problems. We deliver purpose-fit solutions that prioritize safety, reliability, and performance. Together we offer specialized consulting services, training, software, and corporate standards for the energy sector and other industrial processing industries.
We are Technology Forward.
20600 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 1200
Shaker Heights, OH, 44122, United States
P: +1.216.283.9519
F: +1.216.283.6022
E: CustomerService@e2g.com
What happens when in-house process design and engineering experience disappears and design decision makers walk out the door of your organization? What if your engineering knowledge didn’t leave with people […]
Equity uses a multi-disciplinary approach to help improve facility-wide safety, increase inspection efficiencies, reduce equipment downtime, and maximize operational reliability. Our specialized engineering consulting services and technologies support the oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical, fertilizer, and other related processing industries.
Equity’s engineering and consulting services are focused on managing the entire asset lifecycle to provide you with practical recommendations to improve safety, increase equipment reliability, and mitigate risk.
Equity’s cloud-native software keeps you and your asset management projects moving forward. Our software is designed to simplify your day-to-day tasks while helping you develop expert-level analysis skills.
Equity offers training courses and webinars to support your professional growth wherever you are in your career. As active participants on API and ASME committees, our team uses this knowledge to develop high-quality and industry-relevant training courses and webinars.
What happens when in-house process design and engineering experience disappears and design decision makers walk out the door of your organization? What if your engineering knowledge didn’t leave with people […]
Equity is headquartered in Shaker Heights, OH, with offices in Katy, TX, Houston, TX, Calgary, AB, Canada, Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Hyderabad, India. Our specialized consulting services, technology, training, and corporate standards prioritize safety and reliability for industrial processing facilities.
20600 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 1200
Shaker Heights, OH, 44122, United States
P: +1.216.283.9519
F: +1.216.283.6022
E: CustomerService@e2g.com
