Cost-Effective Process Plant Operating Reliability Starts From Day One Vincent Carueci Carmagen Engineering, Inc. Madison, NJ ‘th International Process Plant Reliability Conference and Exhibition Marriott Westside Hotel Houston, Texas October 25-30, 1998 Organized by Gulf Publishing Company and Hydrocarbon Processing ight © 1998 by Gal obling Compans, Mouton, TX. Allrighs rior. Ths desimont may mot be reproduced in any form without permission om the copprightoxner.Cost-Effective Process Plant Stas By Vincent A. Carucci Carmagen Engineering, Inc. Madison, NJ 07940 How much is one-day delay in the startup of a new unit worth, or one extra day of unplanned unit downtime? Have maintenance expenses increased without any apparent improvement in unit reliability? Much has been written about design details, operating and maintenance procedures that focus on improving the operating reliability of individual types of equipment. This presentation, however, discusses process plant reliability in a broader sense. ‘To minimize the total life cycle costs of a process plant, maintenance needs and operating reliability must be considered at the beginning of a project and during project execution. Three aspects of this are: Process design specifications that consider maintenance and operational needs, + Development and application of owner-company engineering standards. © Performing engineering quality control on process plant capital projects. Plant maintenance and reliability needs have always been considered to some extent in developing process design specifications; however, the advent of more formal and computerized ‘maintenance data collection and management systems have provided the means to utilize this information in “front-end” project activities. Owner-company engineering standards, when focused on items that could significantly affect unit reliability, safety, the environment, ‘maintenance, and/or operations, prove their worth several times over during the operating life of aplant. Systematic engineering quality control done by experienced owner-company engineers during the course of project execution helps ensure adherence to project requirements, and helps avoid project delays and unit startup or operational problems. ‘The increased project costs associated with implementing these techniques are minor when compared to the costs associated with project delays, unplanned unit downtime, and increased maintenance expenses. When taken together, these three techniques are essential ingredients to improving the long-term reliability of process plants while reducing the overall cost of ownership. Overview ‘The Hydrocarbon Processing Industry (HPI) is a competitive and cost conscious environment, ‘Therefore, isn’t it good business for owner companies to minimize “special” engineering requirements and let the engineering contractors and equipment manufacturers do their work ‘with minimal owner company involvement? ‘Applying the information gathered as part of established maintenance and reliability programs 10 process design specifications just makes practical sense, Owner-company engineering standards and a systematic procedure for engineering quality control (EQC) on capital projects were always necessary ingredients to achieve reliable long-term and cost-effective operation ofprocess plants. They are more necessary today because of the changes that the industry has undergone in recent years and continues to undergo, and because the business environment is ‘extremely cost competitive. Employing these techniques will increase the owner company’s “up front” engineering costs. However if properly implemented, the increased costs are small when compared to what will be saved over the life of the plant. These techniques will help minimize technical difficulties and delays during project execution, avoid new unit startup delays, and achieve more reliable and less costly long-term plant operation. ‘The examples used in this presentation relate to piping systems and fixed mechanical equipment (€g. pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and storage tanks) because the author deals with these items. However, the basic concepts discussed generally apply to all process plant equipment and systems as well (e.g., machinery, process heaters, instrumentation, electrical systems, etc.). Process Design Specifications That Consider Maintenance and Reliability “Front-end engineering” is the general term used to describe the first step in developing any engineering design. It includes identifying and preparing the data needed to take the next step and prepare the detailed engineering design. The end result of the front-end engineering activity ‘for major process plant projects is the process design specification. This specification is used by the engineering contractor and the selected equipment suppliers to perform the necessary detailed engineering. Historically, process design specifications considered maintenance needs primarily by providing adequate access and spared equipment where necessary. Maintenance and operations personnel normally provide input to these design specifications, but time constraints and insufficient plant maintenance data often limit this effort. Consequently, maintenance considerations are generally ‘based on what was done before. This does not necessarily consider if capital spending could be irected to help reduce long-term maintenance and operating expenditures while improving long- ‘Owner-companies have come to realize that process plant reliability can be increased and significant profit improvements achieved by paying greater attention to maintenance practices and procedures, Risk-based inspection and maintenance, reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), and computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) have allowed companies to focus limited inspection and maintenance resources on areas that give the greatest return. The next logical step is to take the information and procedures developed from these programs and apply them to front-end project development activities. Such maintenance needs assessments, require more interactions among operating plant, engineering, and project management personnel; however, the result can be improved plant reliability at reduced total cost. One of the objectives of an RCM program is not necessarily to avoid the failure of equipment. It is to minimize the likelihood of unacceptable consequences resulting from such a failure. With this approach, the maintenance program does not necessarily focus on performing ro overhauls, extensive condition monitoring, or inspections just to avoid a failure. It is much less expensive to repair an item only after it has failed, provided thatthe failure consequences are acceptable. This is where the link between the “back-end” maintenance and reliability requirements and the “front-end” engineering design comes in.