A Working Guide to Process Equipment

The latest methods for troubleshooting and maintaining process equipment

Applicable to a broad range of technicians and industries and fully updated throughout, A Working Guide to Process Equipment, Fourth Edition explains how to diagnose, troubleshoot, and correct problems with chemical and petroleum refining process equipment. This new edition contains five new chapters covering state-of-the-art design and function of process equipment. All chapters in the book are updated with the latest troubleshooting and problem-solving techniques. This practical resource effectively illustrates how theory applies to understanding the root causes of real-world plant operating problems.

Revisions include:

• Effect of perforated tray panel distortion on tray flooding and fractionation efficiency
• How multi-component fractionation differs from binary fractionation
• Effect on vapor-liquid tray loads
• Effect on the reflux drum temperature and pressure
• Simple calculation methods and the significance of constant condenser duty
• Current operating experience with shell and tube exchangers using hellical baffles
• Problems with twisted tube exchangers
• Where to use spiral heat exchangers
• Sintered metal tubing for reboilers in pure component, clean hydrocarbon service
• Current design and operating practices for waste water strippers
• NH3, H2S, sour water, and Amine systems
• Recent design and operating problems with steam condensate collection systems
• Introduction of the concept of the "Point of Optimum Drainabilty"
• Modern mechanical seal designs for centrifugal pumps
• Expanded chapters on vacuum system operation, ejector design (both steam and liquids), and surface condenser
• Section on the importance and design of barometric seal leg including vacuum seal drum design
• Advantages of indirect combustion air pre-heaters
• Methods to reduce CO2 emissions as a result improper operations and poorly conceived projects

Norman P. Lieberman is a chemical engineer with more than 47 years of experience in process plant operation, design, and field troubleshooting. An independent consultant, he troubleshoots oil refinery and chemical plant process problems and prepares revamp designs. Lieberman teaches 20-25 seminars a year on “Troubleshooting Process Plant Operations" and is a top consultant, having authored six book on plant process operations and problems.