Management
Use submerged combustion systems to efficiently destroy hazardous plant waste
In the production of clean fuels, plastics and other hydrocarbon-based products, refineries and petrochemical facilities generate unwanted (waste) byproducts. Having no market value, the undesired byproducts must be recycled, minimized or eliminated. Depending on the feedstocks, end products and reactant materials, the unwanted materials can be gases, liquids or multiphase materials.
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.
Pay attention: LockerGoga and Trisis/Triton demand an improved cybersecurity strategy
The need for a solid cybersecurity strategy has been discussed and debated for nearly half a century. However, the basic worm-type attacks first documented in 1972 are still with us today. Why? The reason is because even the most basic measures to protect control systems from these types of attacks are still not systematically employed.
The future of wireless control
In 1864, James C. Maxwell predicted the existence of radiowaves by means of a mathematical model. The so-called Maxwell equations are the most famous and successful formulas. In 1884, John H. Poynting realized that the Poynting vector would play an important role in quantifying electromagnetic energy. In 1888, bolstered by Maxwell’s theory, Heinrich Hertz first succeeded in showing experimental evidence of radiowaves using his spark-gap radio transmitter. The prediction and evidence of radiowaves were the beginning of wireless power transfer (WPT).
Process engineering, optimization and advanced process control
A recent <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> “Industry Perspectives” survey found that process engineering and optimization is the number-one topic that readers want to read about most. Process engineering and optimization rated higher than the next-highest topic (maintenance and reliability) by a factor of 2:1, and higher than every other topic by a factor of at least 4:1. Process control and instrumentation made the top ten list, albeit below process engineering and optimization by a factor of 7:1.
People
ABB has appointed Maryrose Sylvester as Country Managing Director and Head of electrification for the US.
Business Trends: One downstream—Strategic imperatives for the evolving refining and chemical sectors
Downstream executives will remember the present decade as a golden age for the industry, driven by low feedstock prices and healthy end-use demand.
Industry Perspectives: Hydrocarbon Processing honored with industry award nominations
In early September, <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> staff learned that the publication was nominated for several publishing awards by Folio magazine.
Cybersecurity: Crucial defenses for critical infrastructures
A colleague of mine once suggested to a chemical plant operator that it was a good idea to apply patches to Windows-based supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) servers as soon as they become available every month—after all, a lot of them fix security vulnerabilities.
Associations: Integrated vs. non-integrated safety systems: Does it really matter?
ARC Advisory Group’s 23rd annual Industry Forum included a panel discussion that explored the relative merits of integrated vs. non-integrated safety systems in an increasingly connected world.
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