[ End User Interview ]
[ End User Interview ]
“ I offer my input and try to keep the situation as contained and reasonable as possible ,” he explained . “ If a plant is losing upwards of USD 100,000 an hour , every hour of inaction makes a difference . Therefore , we strive to begin the repairs as soon as possible and mitigate asset failure through planned turnarounds .”
Navigating turnaround The frequency of a turnaround often depends on the technology of the plant , as well as the process being implemented and how the plant is maintained . “ The process and maintenance teams have to work almost hand-in-hand to understand what is going on within a plant ,” said Federle . “ Between the two plants I oversee , there are about four major scheduled turnarounds a year consisting of two to three weeks each . The frequency of a turnaround is based heavily on the type of processing and refining underway . For example , we make polymers which gum up the system and therefore need to be cleaned more regularly than other services .” Smaller turnarounds are also required in acrylic acid services . “ With acid , short washes are required at much more frequent intervals . At the oldest plant , this occurs every 30 days , resulting in a two to three-day outage ; there are also longer washes every six months . At the second plant , this occurs every 45 days .”
Dealing with problematic assets At a chemical plant , pumps are a crucial asset . “ Unfortunately , pumps do break down ,” said Federle , “ and when that happens , it needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible . In plants that I have previously worked in , we did a lot of work with diaphragm pumps .” To work correctly , the diaphragms separate the hydraulic fluid from the process fluid , and both need to run simultaneously . If they do not run concurrently , the process stops and causes a halt in production and a large profit loss . When assets break down , there is usually not one big problem , but rather , a combination of factors leading to failure . “ For example , when the oil levels in the pump are not adequate , we must find ways to adapt to the situation . We had a situation where the oil levels were often inadequate . To solve this issue , we added sight glasses into the process so that operators could check for proper oil levels using a good visual indicator ,” Federle said . After the alteration was complete , the assets were handed back to Operations . In his current plant , most of the active pumps are centrifugal , and their most common failures are seal failures . Many of these are attributed to the constant starts and stops from the multiple outages . Federle is , therefore , constantly working with Reliability Engineers , Operations , and vendors to evaluate and improve pump performance .
Heat exchangers In addition to rotating equipment , Federle often works with a variety of fixed equipment ; all the pressurized equipment is built to an ASME standard , and part of his job is to make sure that the mechanical integrity of each piece of equipment is maintained . When a new piece of equipment is acquired , teams are established to oversee the assets and ensure that all the unit ’ s needs are met . If the assets require repairs , Federle works with the site ’ s Pressure Vessel Group and various vendors to make appropriate repairs and modifications .
“ Prioritization is one of the first steps in the maintenance process .”
Recently , he has had to work with the salt bath coolers that are used to cool the reactors . These coolers are submerged in liquid salt and are used to generate steam . As the coolers are as old as the plant itself , they have begun to require in-depth evaluation and repairs . Federle , therefore , works with the Pressure Vessel Group to determine adequate inspections and make recommendations for repairs . “ These salt bath coolers are more complicated than a typical shell and tube exchanger for two reasons . First , they are non-fired boilers , which have their own set of intricacies . Second , on one side of the exchanger , there is no removable head to access the tube sheet . To perform a simple tube plugging , the swim head must be cut off , which in some cases is about 2 inches thick . While it is vital that we do not have tube leaks , it is also important that cumbersome repairs are limited to only those that are needed .”
Charles Federle : “ Don ’ t be afraid to ask questions , even if you think you know the answer .”
To keep heat exchangers running reliably , maintenance is crucial . “ I decide what types of preventative or predictive maintenance works best for the asset . Do we need vibrations or sampling to protect the oil ? How often are we required to rebuild ?” detailed Federle .
Industry lookout When working with a variety of individuals to solve maintenance issues , it is important that the team come together to provide the most optimal solution . “ Even as an introvert , I find such joy in the way a team comes together with one focus to get important jobs done ; everyone has a unique skill or know-how for each project , which allows us to rectify issues and address challenges much faster .” “ Maintenance will always be important , especially in the chemical industry ,” said Federle when asked his thoughts on the future of the industry . “ Health and safety will also always be key . A higher level of reliability will be crucial in terms of increasing safety and environmental changes . Higher consciousness in those areas has been the way since the beginning of time , however , now the need is getting tighter .” “ To those entering the industry , do not be afraid to get your hands dirty , so to speak ,” he added . “ You can often learn best from other people . Do not be afraid to ask questions even if you think you know the answer , as chances are they have seen it a lot and can provide insights you did not have before .”
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