Open AccessPREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE FOR THE EFFICIENT USE OF INDUSTRIAL AGITATORS IN DISTILLERS AND REACTORS
Author(s) -
Jose Sanchez Robles,
Félix Cesáreo Gómez de León Hijes,
Mariano Alarcón García,
Fernando Manuel Martinez Garcia,
Epifanio Belen Rivera
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
dyna
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.177
H-Index - 11
eISSN - 1989-1490
pISSN - 0012-7361
DOI - 10.6036/9448
Subject(s) - process (computing) , predictive maintenance , process engineering , engineering , reliability engineering , vibration , energy (signal processing) , computer science , mathematics , operating system , statistics , physics , quantum mechanics
Distillation is one of the most common processes in companies of the chemical sector. Its overall performance cannot be based only on physical-chemical processes carried out, but as a whole, including maintenance and operation costs and trying to achieve the best possible energy efficiency.By means of predictive maintenance techniques, such as vibration analysis, ultrasound, thermography, etc., it is possible to anticipate equipment failures, avoiding unnecessary stops and significant losses, and identify dangerous or inappropriate functional conditions to achieve proper operating dynamics.This article describes a methodology to analyze the functional conditions of the agitators of large distillers and reactors. Based mainly on vibration analysis techniques, this methodology tries to find the best operating conditions for the equipment, both electromechanically and energetically, and identifying, if that were the case, those that are dangerous for the equipment.This methodology is currently being applied in a large process plant, and has been extended to gradually integrate all the agitators of the industrial plant, obtaining a substantial improvement in its energy efficiency, as well as a significant reduction of failures, particularly in the mechanical seals, a very expensive and essential element to maintain the correct pressure and temperature required for the process.