More Best Practices for Rotating Equipment

Michael S. Forsthoffer

• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN:
  9780128092774
• eBook ISBN:
  9780128114094
• Topic: Tecnología e ingeniería
• Subtopic: Ingeniería mecánica

More Best Practices for Rotating Equipment follows Forsthoffer's multi-volume Rotating Equipment Handbooks, addressing the latest best practices in industrial rotating machinery and also including a comprehensive treatment of the basics for reference. The author's famous troubleshooting approach teaches the reader proven methodologies for installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment, and covers all phases of work with rotating equipment. Reliability optimization is also addressed for the first time. The book is ideal for engineers working in the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of power machinery. It is also an essential source of information for postgraduate students and researchers of mechanical and industrial engineering. - Presents 200 new best practices for rotating equipment - Offers an easy-to-use reference, with each chapter addressing a different type of equipment - Covers all phases of work with rotating equipment, from pre-commissioning through maintenance

Chapter 1

Project Best Practices

Abstract

Reliability of every machine can be traced back to the project and the standards at which the machinery was scoped out and selected. Therefore, you cannot have the a reliable piece of equipment unless, it was selected properly to begin with. This chapter focuses on Best Practices that assist the reader in establishing reliability before the purchase.

Keywords

projects

MEGA ethylene plants

MEGA butyl rubber plants

rotating equipment

steam turbines

gas turbines

B.P. 1.1: Establish a database of Lessons Learned with cost of unavailability in order for all corporate plants to utilize

Obtain daily revenue value (based on nominal market prices) and calculate the time that specific issues (Lesson Learned) have resulted in a shutdown or reduced rates and what the total loss of revenue was for each Lesson Learned.

This information should be tabulated in a company-wide database along with the Best Practice that would be focused on eliminating the root cause. Then all facilities within the corporate umbrella can utilize these Best Practices to resolve ongoing issues, but most importantly assure that future projects incorporate the appropriate Best Practices.

Of course, this database should be used by the “Project Team” when a new or upgrade project is in the PRE-FEED phase.

L.L. 1.1: Failure to utilize Corporate Wide LL/BP Database has resulted in certain plants within the company that have ongoing issues that other plants have already solved

Not having specific Lessons Learned in a corporate database segregates the plants from each other and if one plant has solved a machinery issue, the others may not know the solution and continue to lose daily revenue.

Not incorporating this BP will also result in new construction/upgrade projects that end up with the same exact issues that have been present since day 1 of start up in other similar corporate wide projects.

Benchmarks

This Best Practice has been used by Forsthoffer Associates, Inc. since 1990 and has been incorporated into companies with the following types of Plants with the benefits listed earlier:

• MEGA Ethylene Plants

• MEGA Butyl Rubber Plants

• Methanol Plants

• MEGA LNG Plants

Supporting material

As someone who has been involved with projects as a rotating equipment vendor, end user, and consultant since 2004 (and with experience of personnel within the company since the 1970s), I have had the opportunity to see custom designed rotating equipment projects from all industry viewpoints. Regardless of your position, you will face the challenges of company profit optimization, depleted workforce experience levels and time constraints.

The Vendor, EPC, and End Users all have different objectives and the more that the End User can provide up front early in the project the better chance the Vendor and EPC will understand their objectives. Vendor lessons learned are detailed in Table 1.1.1.

Table 1.1.1

Vendor Lessons Learned

▪ Time constraints forced the acceptance of what was on the data sheet

▪ The tendency was to think inside the flanges of the compressor only and not consider the process

▪ Questions to the end user/contractor were minimal based upon competitive pressures and time constraints

▪ Copying from past jobs “cut and paste” was a necessity to minimize engineering hours and Today (21st Century) is electronic cut and paste

▪ Contractor/end user questions diminished valuable engineering time. There was little time or money for visits to client plants unless there were significant design problems

Table 1.1.2 details the lessons learned by the End User.

Table 1.1.2

End User Lessons Learned

▪ Time constraints forced acceptance of what was on the process data sheet without time to question the basis for the stated conditions

▪ The tendency initially was to think inside the machinery flanges, but eventually it was understood that all equipment is directly influenced by the process

▪ Contact with the client (plant where the equipment will be installed) was minimal based on project team pressures for schedule milestones

▪ Company specification contents were increasing rapidly since all company divisions and plants were required to review specifications and therefore naturally contribute something

▪ There was limited project budget for visits to client plants unless there were equipment design problems.

Review Tables 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 and observe the similarities all imposed by time and budget constraints. Also, observe how the involved...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• About the Author
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• How to Use This Book
• List of Best Practices
• List of Lessons Learned
• Chapter 1: Project Best Practices
• Chapter 2: Pumps
• Chapter 3: Compressors
• Chapter 4: Gears and Couplings
• Chapter 5: Steam Turbines
• Chapter 6: Gas Turbines
• Chapter 7: Auxiliary Systems
• Chapter 8: Pump Mechanical Seals
• Chapter 9: Dry Gas Seals
• Chapter 10: Construction, Installation, Commissioning, and Turnarounds
• Chapter 11: Predictive and Preventive Maintenance
• Chapter 12: Reliability Optimization
• Index