2 replies to this topic

[sheiko]

Hi,

I have had the chance to attend Norm Lieberman's refinery troubleshooting seminar last week in Antwerp.

Below is the link to his blog where he shares his knowledge:
http://asknormlieberman.blogspot.com/

Enjoy.

Edited by sheiko, 25 September 2011 - 03:06 PM.

[Padmakar Katre]

Hi,
Thanks in tonns dear. This is really very helpful link.

[kkala]

Norm Lieberman's career as a freelancer solving process problems on field is inspiring. He has approached the issues with much understanding and patience; some of his experience has been recorded in his easy to read books. In "A working guide to Process Equipment" (2008), he writes that the general knowledge as to how process equipment really functions is disappearing from process industries; for pollution and global warming (due to CO2) that Nature may get really angry to eliminate the problem -- "time is not on our side".
Moreover below you can find some useful thoughts (abbreviated) from the first Chapter (what is a process design) of his book "Process Design for reliable operations (Gulf publishing co, 1983):
- A process design is more than a summation of heat & material balances. A process plant is more like a living organism than a machine, the process designer plays the part of creator, nor just engineer.
- A process plant, like a man, is a collection of compromises, hence can only approach perfection. It has a unique character reflecting the knowledge and experience of man having designed its controls. Control strategy is the essence of process design.
- Next to it, specification & size of equipment is the most vital part. The inexperienced engineer will overdesign every part of the plant and then undersize an essential flash drum or pump, which bottlenecks its entire operation.
- Relative arrangement of equipment for maximum energy efficiency and capacity is another major function, e.g. is it best to preflash crude prior to product fractionation? Plot plan, or physical location of equipmant, is defined by project engineers.
- The instrument engineer (having an electrical engineering background) will decide whether pneumatic or electronic instrumentation will be used, how to control a particular variable (closed loop, or have a man turning a valve?).
- Process, project and instrument engineers working together (project team) elaborate the P&ID, being the fundamental document for building a process unit. Twenty years after commissioning, the operators will still be consulting the P&ID to solve operating problems. But the P&ID is based on the Process Flowsheet, issued by process engineer.
- The Process Flowsheet is the most important document in a process design package, and frequently the only one that many people look at. Control loops should be shown for clarity.
"Fallible humans operate a process plant, and the process flowsheet must reflect this weakness. The knowledge to compensate in the process design for human error comes only from years of field experience".

Although project organization / responsibilities can differ somehow from company to company, above is considered useful, especially for young engineers.