Power plant operators face operational challenges that stress their equipment in ways not anticipated at commissioning. Power plants designed and constructed as baseline plants are now balancing the load from intermittent power sources such as solar and wind generation. For many plants, this creates new operational challenges for machinery which was not designed for stop/start operation.
Industrial agitators are an essential part of many chemical and industrial processes. While these machines come in a wide range of sizes and configurations, a common maintenance item is the product-lubricated steady bearing. As the machine becomes larger and the shaft becomes longer, a product-lubricated steady bearing will be added along the shaft or at the bottom of the shaft to limit shaft movement inside the machine. Because agitators are used in some very tough environments, this steady bearing has to be able to withstand the process conditions without wearing out or failing.
Centrifugal compressor trains are the heart of an ethylene plant. Cracked gas and refrigeration trains are critical to plant production and consume huge amounts of power. Upgrading the labyrinth seals in these machines is a proven, reliable upgrade which increases compressor efficiency. For an ethylene plant, this can translate into either increased capacity or reduced operating costs.
Use DuPont Vespel CR-6100 in Cryogenic Ethane and Methane Pumps. Ethane and methane are the lightest light hydrocarbons. In liquid form, they are most commonly found at cryogenic temperatures down to -160⁰C.
Upgrade Your Vertical Multistage LPG Pumps with DuPont™ Vespel® CR-6100
Vertical LPG pumps are a common source of headaches for hydrocarbon processing plants around the world. Shaft bushings wear out, seals fail, and the pump needs to be sent to the shop for overhaul.
How to re-use the worn wear rings for better performance Axially split, between bearings multi-stage pumps (API Type BB3) are used for some of the most important services in the hydrocarbon processing industry–charge pumps, boiler feed pumps, and product...
Between 2011 and early 2012, a refinery suffered repeat failures of a pair of vertical pumps. Looking at the cross section, you can see this is not an ordinary pump. It is essentially a BB5 multi-stage diffuser pump mounted vertically.The pumping conditions are also...
BB5 boiler feed water pump upgraded to Vespel® CR-6100 with the PERF-Seal® design for the wear partsLast week, we wrote about a boiler feed pump case history where the customer paid dearly because they didn’t use Vespel® CR-6100. Repeated failures due to pump...
Boiler Feed Pump Seizing Problems The low lubricity of boiler feed water along with operational challenges can lead to pump seizures. How do you avoid the problem? Or, if it happens, what is the best way to solve the problem? This case study is about repeat seizures...
DuPont™ Vespel® CR-6100 helps the pump survive and keep pumping. The Diesel Charge Pump A refinery in North America experienced recurring issues with their diesel charge pumps. The pumps provide feed into the refinery HDS unit. Loss of feed to the unit can result in...