In
October, I was reminded how even a moment of distraction can have long-term
effects when I had a bicycling accident. It was one of those chain-reaction
events about which you can never be sure you understand what happened. I’m
certainly cognizant of the results: surgery on my knee and intensive
rehabilitation.
Of course, possessing an engineering mindset, I’ve been compelled to analyze
every phase of the accident, the treatment and my physical recovery for
insights and “control” of the process. And, while I would never advocate a
wholesale substitution of my judgment for that of the medical professionals’,
as with any seasoned long-term process engineer at a plant, no one knows my
“equipment” better than me. I am the most reliable sensor, process controller
and reporter of real-time data about “Plant Linda.”
And so, as I work to get my “system” back online at 100 percent, I find myself
troubleshooting the “equipment” in much the same way that Mark Crombie, a sales
manager at Pittsburgh-based Chromalox Inc., advocates addressing problems with
heat tracing systems. Crombie notes that a step-by-step approach and, at times,
close observation of failures and faults is necessary to determine root causes
and identify appropriate corrective actions. For a heat tracing system, this
means paying attention to how it starts up and when and how it fails or faults.
In “The Quintessential Guide: Troubleshooting Electrical Heat Trace Systems,”
Crombie looks at three common problems and suggests possible causes and
solutions.
But Crombie’s piece is not the only article in this issue suited to the
engineer’s mindset. Each has valuable insights to offer. For example, in “7
Q&As About Using Renewable Fuels in Process Ovens,” Gordon M. Harbison,
CEM, CSDP, and a senior manager for Dürr Consulting at Dürr Systems Inc.,
Plymouth, Mich., explains how to one manufacturer used landfill gas to power
its paint curing ovens. If you’re interested in reducing your energy costs by
exploring alternate energy sources -- and who isn’t? -- Harbison answers some
of the most frequently asked questions about using landfill gas for process
heating.
In “How to Conduct a Pumping System Survey,” an article from the Hydraulic
Institute, Parsippany, N.J., and the U.S. Department of Energy, key criteria to
consider when designing any pumping system, including fluid properties, end-use
requirements and environmental conditions, are outlined. The stakes are high:
According to the article, in the United States, more than 2.4 million pumps,
which consume more than 142 billion kWh each year, are used in manufacturing
processes. At an electricity cost of 5 cents per kWh, energy used for fluids
transport costs more than $7.1 billion per year. Consider an effective pumping
system survey the first exercise in your process rehabilitation plan to reduce
energy costs.
Finally, in “Into the Zero-NOXZone,” boiler
technologies that can help reduce NOXemissions are
described. Steam is a primary source of energy for a range of industrial
applications, yet emissions from these boilers can result in pollution. Learn
about process steam boiler technology that reduces oil and gas consumption and
emissions.
Linda Becker
Associate Publisher & Editor
BeckerL@bnpmedia.com
P.T. Required
January 8, 2008
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