Written on December 1, 2009 at 3:50 pm, by Dr. Mahmood Moshfeghian
In this tip of the month (TOTM) we will describe the dense phase of a pure compound, what it is, and how it impacts processes. We will illustrate how thermophysical properties change in the dense phase as well as in the neighboring phases. The application of dense phase in the oil and gas industry willContinue Reading
Written on November 1, 2009 at 3:47 pm, by Clyde Young
In this Tip of the Month, we look at how to deal with some of the challenges of managing process safety. This TOTM is an excerpt of a paper presented by JMC Instructor/Consultant, Clyde Young at the 2008 Mary K. O’Connor Process Safety Symposium. This TOTM continues where the February 2009, TOTM left off. Processes areContinue Reading
Written on October 1, 2009 at 3:30 pm, by Dr. Mahmood Moshfeghian
In the August 2009 Tip of the Month (TOTM), it was shown that pumping power requirement varies as the crude oil °API changes. Increasing °API or line average temperature reduces the crude oil viscosity. The viscosity reduction caused higher Reynolds number, lower friction factor and in effect lowered pumping power requirements. Since the objective ofContinue Reading
Written on September 1, 2009 at 10:36 pm, by Dr. Mahmood Moshfeghian
Process simulation computer programs are excellent tools for designing or evaluating gas processing plants, chemical plants, oil refineries or pipelines. In these simulation programs, most of the thermodynamic properties are calculated by an equation of state (EOS). The cubic equations of state can be regarded as the heart of these programs for generating the requiredContinue Reading
Written on August 1, 2009 at 10:31 pm, by Dr. Mahmood Moshfeghian
During the life cycle of a crude oil pipeline the properties of transported oil change, because in gathering systems the produced oils come from different wells. New wells may be added or some wells may go out of production for maintenance and repair. Production rates during the life of wells vary, too. In addition theContinue Reading
Written on July 1, 2009 at 10:23 pm, by Dr. Mahmood Moshfeghian
The change in enthalpy for a fluid where no phase change occurs between Points (1) and (2) can be expressed as: (1) The second term on the right hand side of this equation is generally not convenient to solve manually. However, it is trivial or zero for the following cases: (1) ideal gases, (2) constantContinue Reading
Written on June 1, 2009 at 10:20 pm, by Alan Foster
Introduction To many people involved in the Oil and Gas production and refining industry, the terms monitoring and inspection are used interchangeably when referring to corrosion issues. However, this lack of differentiation can lead to misunderstandings and errors. It is our contention that a clear differentiation is needed and that engineers should strive to useContinue Reading
Written on May 1, 2009 at 10:07 pm, by Joe Honeywell
One of the most important physical properties of a gas is the ratio of specific heats. It is used in the design and evaluation of many processes. For compressors, it is used in the design of components and determination of the overall performance of the machine. Engineers are frequently asked to evaluate a compressor performanceContinue Reading
Written on April 1, 2009 at 9:51 pm, by Dr. Mahmood Moshfeghian
The formation of hydrates in processing facilities and pipelines has been a problem to the natural gas industry. Whether the problem occurs in transportation or processing, hydrate formation can cause shutdowns and even destruction of valuable equipment. Because of these devastating and often costly consequences of hydrate formation, methods have been applied to prevent hydrateContinue Reading
Written on March 1, 2009 at 9:23 pm, by Dr. Mahmood Moshfeghian
In the February 2007 tip of the month (TOTM), Joe Honeywell [1] presented a procedure for calculating fluid pressure drop for liquid in a piping system due to friction. Continuing Honeywell’s TOTM, we will outline procedures for calculation of friction losses in oil and gas pipelines. From an engineer’s point of view the question may arise “howContinue Reading
