Americas
Update hydrocracking reactor controls for improved reliability
The industry consultant believes auto-quench, excursion control and bed-outlet layers should join auto-depressure as industry-best practice for all hydrocrackers.
Use a systematized approach of good practices in pygas hydrogenation via APC
APC with inferential modeling was successfully applied to pygas hydrogenation units. The lengthening of the catalyst run length limits downtime for both the pygas unit and upstream units such as the steam cracker.
Why don’t we properly train control engineers?
While there are managers in the process industry that see training control engineers as a “no-brainer,” these are very much in the minority. They may send staff on courses covering configura..
Consider automated fault detection systems to improve facility reliability
Automated fault detection and diagnosis systems (AFDDSs) are well established in many consumer and industrial sectors.1 The conventional limit-value based (high/low alarms) fault detection and diagnos..
Optimize desulfurization of gasoline via advanced process control techniques
This case history describes the development of the inferential models used in open-loop and closed-loop applications, laboratory and analyzer update mechanisms, and APC model generation.
Maximize diesel production in an FCC-centered refinery, Part 2
Part two of this series focuses on the selection of FCC catalysts, methods for hydroprocessing light cycle oil (LCO) and the production of diesel fuel from FCC byproducts.
Optimize sulfur recovery in dilute H2S sources
The new direct oxidation process is an economic method for sulfur recovery from low-H2S content gases, converting H2S in a gas catalytic process directly to elemental sulfur.
Identify and control excess air from process heaters
Process heaters are the largest consumers of energy in most plants. A refinery, on average, burns approximately 2 billion Btu/hr of fuel in fired heaters. The total quantity of fuel burned (heat relea..
Apply new pump-drive software to test performance
Process control schemes involving fluid-flow machinery with traditional adjustable speed drives (ASDs) or modules encounter limitations such as control flexibility and accuracy. In this context, the t..
Honeywell to buy majority share in gas technology firm Thomas Russell
The firm's UOP subsidiary has signed a definitive agreement to purchase a 70% stake in Thomas Russell Co., a privately-held provider of technology and equipment for natural gas processing and treating.
- Indian caustic soda major TGV SRAAC selects thyssenkrupp nucera for new expansion contract 7/23
- Sasol commits to next-generation catalyst supply for e-SAF pioneer INERATEC 7/23
- Solvay reduces scope 3 emissions in soda ash and bicarbonate production in France 7/23
- NNPC CEO reaffirms Nigeria's initiative to debottleneck domestic refining capacity, strives for self sufficiency 7/23
- Valmet to supply a Valmet DNA automation system to a bio-based raw material production plant in Portugal 7/23
- Evonik uses green electricity for polybutadiene production in Marl, Germany 7/23
