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The first pillar of Risk Based Process Safety Management is “Commitment to Process Safety.” A formalized mentoring system can ensure workforce involvement, compliance with company and regulatory requirements, increase the competency of personnel and enhance the process safety culture of the entire organization. Within this element there are several essential features that lead to a more effective process safety culture. Providing strong leadership is critical for any organization that strives to manage the risk associated with the activities associated with process safety. Leadership is a skill that is not necessarily intuitive to managers and mentors. Leadership is a skill that can be learned. In this Tip of the Month (TOTM), we explore process safety leadership. [Keep reading]

Several alkanolamines have been used for acid gas removal from natural gas streams. In this study only a primary monoethanolamine (MEA), a secondary diethanolamine (DEA) and a tertiary methydeithanolamine (MDEA) are considered. MEA has the highest reactivity and MDEA has the highest selectivity. In this TOTM, we will study and compare the performance of these three amines by simulation of a simplified process flow diagram for removal of H2S and CO2 from a sour gas stream. The H2S and CO2 concentration in the sweet gas, amine solution circulation rate, reboiler duty, amine losses, pump power, and lean-rich heat exchanger (HEX) duty are calculated and plotted for a wide range of steam rates needed to regenerate the rich solution. In addition, the optimized steam rate and corresponding design variables are determined and reported. [Keep reading]

This article describes simple equations to approximate changes to the properties of crude oil with changing temperature. Changes in crude oil density and specific heat, or heat capacity, can be estimated from graphs and/or more elaborate computer simulation. The latter generally requires access to a process simulator and characterization data for the crude oil. A suitable, tuned computer model is likely the most accurate method of estimating the fluid properties, but is not always available. Direct laboratory measurement is also possible if facilities and oil samples are available and a high degree of accuracy is required. [Keep reading]

This post goes over the acid gas-water phase behavior system. Specifically, different methods of predicting water content of acid gas systems are evaluated based on experimental data from the literature. Water content diagrams compatible with the experimental data for pure CO2, Pure H2S, pure CH4 and their mixtures are generated and presented. These charts can be used for facility type calculations and trouble shooting. [Keep reading]

In this Tip of The Month (TOTM), the effect of striping gas rate and triethylene glycol (TEG) circulation ratio on the TEG vaporization loss from the regenerator top and contactor top is investigated. Specifically, this study focuses on the variation of TEG vaporization losses with reboiler pressure, TEG circulation ratio and stripping gas rate. By performing a rigorous computer simulation of TEG regeneration at reboiler pressures of 110.3 kPaa (16 psia) and 524.1 kPaa (76 psia), several charts for quick estimation of TEG vaporization losses from regenerator top and contactor, which are needed for facilities type calculations are developed. In addition, the effect of contactor temperature on the TEG vaporization losses for a case study is shown. [Keep reading]

In this Tip of The Month (TOTM), the effect of striping gas rate and TEG circulation ratio on the still column top temperature for regeneration of rich triethylene glycol (TEG) is investigated. Specifically, this study focuses on the variation of still column top temperature with reboiler pressure, TEG circulation ratio and stripping gas rate. By performing a rigorous computer simulation of TEG regeneration at reboiler pressures of 110.3 kPaa (16 psia) and 524.1 kPaa (76 psia), two charts for quick determination of still column top temperature needed for facilities type calculations are developed. In addition, the effect of theoretical number of trays in the stripping gas section is studied. [Keep reading]