Assuring Safe and Reliable High Pressure Urea Equipment

Details: Published: 23 February 2018; Hits: 2640

On February 22, 2018, UreaKnowHow.com and KEY-TECH Engineering did present at the FAI Training Programme for Senior Maintenance Engineers in Fertilizer Industry organised from 18-23 February 2018 in Surat, Gujarat, India. The Training Program was well attended by more than 35 participants from most ammonia/urea complexes in India. The topic of the presentation was “Assuring Safe and Reliable High Pressure Urea Equipment”. For an existing urea reactor this can be achieved by:...click here for more information.

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UreaKnowHow.com prepares a Risk Register Leak Detection System for Loose Liners of High Pressure Equipment

Clogging in the leak detection system is by far the most serious risk to cause high corrosion rates of the carbon steel pressure bearing wall of high pressure urea equipment. A state of the art leak detection system should safeguard first and for all warn before clogging occurs. Key words to avoid the aforementioned situations are early detection and high reliability.
This is the reason that passive leak detection systems, where one waits for the leak to show up at the analyzer are unsafe and not acceptable anymore today. This has been proven through trial and error in numerous incidents, for example Urea Incident 18-005 (FIORDA Urea Case #5).
The next question is: What are the requirements for a state of the art active and reliable leak detection system?
Find the Risk Register of a Leak Detection System including the lessons learned from related incidents via the following link: Risk Register Leak Detection System.pdf

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UreaKnowHow.com starts up UAN Incident Database

After establishing the largest Urea Incident Database with 130+ incidents, now UreaKnowHow.com starts up a UAN Incident Database. UAN seems a safe, non hazardous, colourless liquid but several serious hazards and risks are to considered when designing, operating and maintaining UAN plants. Experience has proven that HAZOPs only do not provide sufficient assurance that all risks are properly take care (background reference). Learning lessons from earlier incidents is in our opinion a very effective way to increase safety and reliability of your plant. Click here to go to our UAN Incident Database

UreaKnowHow.com welcomes GEXCON as our Sponsor

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SAIPEM approves AMMO LASER Leak Detection System

Urea incident databases and risk registers clearly prove the need for a proper leak detection system for loose liners of high-pressure urea equipment as the #1 Safeguard for Any Urea Plant. UreaKnowHow.com and KeyTech Engineering Company have developed an active vacuum-based leak detection system with the most accurate and reliable ammonia analyzer: The AMMO LASER Leak Detection System. This leak detection system is the most reliable leak detection system over all existing leak detection systems in operation so far.

UreaKnowHow.com starts up an E-MarketPlace

UreaKnowHow.com introduces a new initiative for the nitrogen fertilizer industry: An E-MarketPlace for revamps, upgrades, equipment supply, diagnostics, audits, repairs, etcetera. Post your equipment / project and/or services requests or offers (excluding confidential information) in our E-MarketPlace. Click here for posting your inquiries and click here for posting your offers.

High Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA) in Ammonia Plants

High Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA) is a problem which concerns steels operating at elevated temperatures in hydrogen environments. It is not to be confused with hydrogen embrittlement or other forms of low temperature hydrogen damage. HTHA is a time-temperature-pressure function. These, basically means the longer that a piece of equipment is exposed to temperatures above its resistance limit in certain hydro-process environment (see API941-NELSON Curve), the more damage to the steel will accumulate; and the higher the temperature rises above the limit of the steel, the more rapidly the damage will occur. Monitoring the integrity of equipment in HTHA-Service is necessary to avoid accidents, especially if one of the following reasons are true: - HTHA in many old plants -is true for many ammonia plants- can occur especially after a long onstream-time, if the incubation time ended. - However, there have been several cases where HTHA was found, even though operating conditions were below the Nelson Curve. - There are new findings since 2016: After explosion in the TESORO refinery with 7 dead, it must be assumed that HTHA in C steel can already be expected at > 204 °C and a hydrogen partial pressure of pH2 > 3.45 bar. It is strongly recommended to monitor the integrity of HTHA vulnerable equipment! Due to the age of many ammonia plants, a lot of equipment may need to be replaced. For avoiding HTHA of new equipment, use the recommendations for fabrication of new equipment in the hydrogen service according API 941 and API 934A! Click here for more information

New Record on March 12, 2020: 150 users active in our Round Tables

We did set a new record on March 12, 2020. 150 users were active in our Round Tables. Our Round Tables discuss all kind of issues in nitrogen fertilizer plants among our 6500+ Members of all nitrogen fertilizer plants worldwide. More than 1800 topics are under discussion with more than 9200 posts, so on average each topic has five replies. Truly an active forum improving the safety and performance of all plants in our industry. Join also our Round Tables

CORONA VIRUS: How to manage these difficult times?

More and more measures are taken in order to control the spread of the Corona virus. More and more regions are affected and stricter travel policies apply.
Luckily via UreaKnowHow.com all of us can easily stay in contact with each other!
Nearly 6500 managers, engineers and specialists working in all nitrogen fertilizer plants worldwide can be safely contacted without any restrictions.
Have a look in our Round Tables with nearly 1800 topics under discussion and more than 9000 posts and contact the participants.
Have a look at our Library with 1000+ Technical Papers, our Photo and Video Galleries and contact one of our Experts.
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UreaKnowHow.com welcomes VECOM as our Sponsor

VECOM are Global Expert in Chemical Cleaning.

In urea plants for example VECOM are the experts in cleaning of the Urea Stripper and Recirculation Heater.

The Vecom way - in practice: Our core value is: safe for people, the environment and metal. Our industrial customers benefit from more than 65 years of leading experience in metal surface treatment and can feel 100% assured of the correct treatment of their process installations. Clients of our customers often indicate that they would like to have their products and installations treated "The Vecom way". The highest quality guaranteed for surface treatment The Vecom way also means that procedures have been laid down for our customers. This guarantees equal results with the same metal contamination. When a new procedure is required, it is tailor-made. Research into the metal alloy is done through a Metal Analyzer and into the contamination is done in the in-house laboratory of Vecom. If there is no suitable cleaning product on the market, we have it made on our own recipe, also in-house. This allows us to deliver the highest quality time and again without exception.

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100% Excellent Score from CF Industries

From 13-17 January 2020, UreaKnow How.com did held a customised 5-Day Training Program for Urea Engineers, Managers and Shift Supervisors at CF Industries in Donaldsonville, the United States. CF Industries is one of the largest urea producers in the world. Some 45 engineers participated from Donaldsonville, Port Neal, Verdigris, Medicine Hat in Canada.

CF’s feedback on the training program was very positive: A 100% Excellent Score!

We thank CF Industries for their perfect organisation and great hospitality!

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UreaKnowHow.com presents new 3-Barrier Ammonia Storage Technology

Safety Risks exist when storing and bunkering Ammonia when using the existing standards. Professionals in the ammonia industry know how to manage these risks and are able to assure a safe environment.

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We have a Leak... Do we need to stop the plant ?

During the AICHE Ammonia Safety 2019 Conference in San Francisco, UreaKnowHow.com moderated the Round Table discussion "We have a leak... Do we need to stop the plant ? Several cases were presented of leaks in High Pressure synthesis and ammonia pipelines and accessories. Step by step more information was provided by means of a risk assessment. After each step each of the some 200 participants had to decide: shall I stop the plant yes or no ?
The lively discussions did lead to valuable conclusions which kind of leaks introduce critical safety risks. And which actions to stop the leak are very dangerous. You can download the hand out of this Round Table discussion via the link below.

Hand Out AICHE 2019.pdf

UreaKnowHow Urea Training Program & Urea Masterclass in June 2020 in Amsterdam

UreaKnowHow.com will organise its by more than 1000 participants attended 5-Day Urea Training Program again from 1-5 June 2020 in Amsterdam.
And directly following, we will organise the 3-Day Urea Masterclass from 8-10 June 2020 also in Amsterdam. The 3-Day Urea Masterclass is a unique follow up of the 5-Day Training Program and will apply in realistic cases the earlier lessons learned. It will take your urea knowledge to a deeper level by an active participation in intensive workshops. You will get minimum 5 Takeaways of each workshop to directly use in your plant.
If you join both programs you will receive 20% Discount. We also offer Group and Early Bird Discounts. So register now and assure your participation in these unique Training Programs! Click here for More Information and Registration Forms

UreaKnowHow.com writes Urea Chapter of Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology

Written by prominent scholars from industry, academia, and research institutions, the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology presents a wide scope of articles on chemical substancesincluding their properties, manufacturing, and uses. It also focuses on industrial processes and unit operations in chemical engineering, as well as covering fundamentals and scientific subjects related to the field. Additionally, environmental and health issues concerning chemical technology are also addressed.

Click here for the Link to Kirk-Othmer Urea Chapter

Specific Process Safety Risks in Ammonia and Urea Plants 19-21 June 2019 in Amsterdam: A First of a Kind Milestone Event

In Amsterdam from 19-21 June 2019 for the first time an open 3-Day Safety Ammonia & Urea Training Program was organised by AmmoniaKnowHow.com and UreaKnowHow.com: “Specific Process Safety Risks in Ammonia and Urea Plants”. More than twenty engineers participated from all around the world: Belgium, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Nigeria, Pakistan, The Netherlands, UK, USA and Vietnam. It was a first of a kind milestone event in our industry as several process safety risks were shared and discussed amongst all participants, who origin from various licensors, contractors and producers. The result can only improve Safety and Performance of our industry! Click here to read the complete report and the video.

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Assuring Safe and Reliable High Pressure Urea Equipment

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