Chemical Processing - December 2007 - (Page 25)

new level Advances in performance monitoring can provide critical insights As Aging process And mechAnicAl equipment begins to deteriorate, its energy effectiveness decreases, power consumption rises, efficiency drops and operating costs escalate. many of the effects of degradation are avoidable, so being able to identify struggling equipment at an early stage is essential to renewing its productivity — adding dollars to your bottom line. that’s why it’s so important to be aware of the performance of crucial equipment, including key compressors, heat exchangers, steam boilers, turbines and pumps. most chemical makers accept an overall loss of efficiency as largely inevitable, part of running a large complicated process. they try to maintain output by pushing the machinery harder and using preventive maintenance and periodic shutdowns. however, preventive maintenance isn’t the answer to avoiding serious problems with your most critical machinery. truth is this drop in efficiency stems from small losses throughout the process that can be corrected only when properly identified. the big utility companies, for example, are constantly making strategic efficiency calculations to know where losses are occurring so that a maximum amount of power can be generated for the cost. A similar opportunity now exists for chemical companies to obtain information on current efficiencies of critical equipment that may not be easy www.chemicalprocessing.com Take equipment diagnostics to a By Todd Anderson, Emerson Process Management to assess — and to achieve true predictive maintenance, which is considerably more cost-effective than schedule-based preventive maintenance. Advances in equipment performance-monitoring technology coupled with third-party expertise can provide specific details about performance losses of essential machinery along with recommendations for raising the performance of that equipment to acceptable levels. the results can be impressive, for example: • detection of a significant efficiency loss of a single critical compressor enabled one company to take corrective action that resulted in a financial benefit of $3 million per year. • Avoiding an unplanned shutdown saved another company $2.6 million. • modifying operation within a heat exchanger network reduced power consumption by 2% without a change in outlet temperatures. Achieving such results doesn’t require managers to look through a lot of data. instead, specialists at the third-party keep them informed and advise about alternatives for any evolving situation that could impact productivity. performance monitoring gives the managers the hard facts and financial justification to make decisions that affect the entire plant and allow equipment to be optimized for extended run times and maximum december 2007 • 25 http://www.chemicalprocessing.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Chemical Processing - December 2007

Chemical Processing - December 2007 Contents From the Editor ChemicalProcessing.com Field Notes In Process Energy Saver Compliance Advisor 2007 Vaaler Award - The Quest Ends Take Equipment Diagnostics to a New Level Better Bellows Boosts Blending Process Puzzler Plant InSites Equipment & Services Product Spotlight/Classifieds Ad Index End Point

Chemical Processing - December 2007

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