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Chemical Technology • April 2015
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addition to lower blowdowns (eg, lower water use), reduced
chemical costs by 20 % or $150K/month, saving $1,8
million/year.
• EAM alerts give early warning of failure, enabling the me-
chanical department to schedule repairs before they fail,
cutting costs by $4,8 million.
• Reduced process slowdowns from cooling tower cell
shutdowns saved, on average, $350 000 per year in lost
production.
• Reduced downtime due to cooling tower failures in the
alkylation plant eliminated losses that totaled as much
as 2 587 BPD or $5,9 million.
• Wireless monitoring improved process efficiency of the
cooling towers between 10%-15%.
The refinery estimates that the wireless monitoring system
for one cooling unit paid for itself in a little over two weeks,
and the company owning the refinery is proceeding to install
similar systems at other facilities.
Althoughmuch of this article dealt with the specific case of
cooling towers in refineries, most of the principles discussed
apply to any facility with large cooling towers such as power
and chemical plants.
For further information contact
Michael Eksteen at Emerson
SA on tel +27 11 451 3700, or email Michael.Eksteen@
Emerson.com
z
PETROCHEMICALS
The recently-established Voith Africa Power, Oil and Gas
(POG) Division covers the full scope of maintenance, ser-
vicing, upgrades and repairs across Africa. The company
has filled a gap in the local market by providing a com-
prehensive and dedicated aftermarket services offering.
Voith is globally-recognised as the leading OEM for
high-speed rotating equipment, including; high-speed
gearboxes, fluid couplings, geared fluid couplings, vari-
able speed drives, turbine controls and torque converters.
Voith Africa POG vice president Derain Pillay states
that the division boasts global technology and expertise
that is customised for local operating conditions. “With
our dedicated African presence, qualified experts assist
local clients in configuring, operating and maintaining
their equipment for each particular application in the most
efficient and cost-effective manner,” he says.
Pillay adds that the Voith Africa POG division also
provides maintenance contracts in order to increase the
availability of the equipment, while reducing downtime
and unnecessary costs. The division supplies critical
spares and skilled service engineers for breakdowns or
upgrades upon request.
Pillay highlights the fact that the Africa POG division
also has unlimited access to Voith’s pool of global re-
sources and expertise. “Should a complex challenge arise
Adding value to the African power, oil
and gas aftermarket