Your weekly smile, this week, is provided by Time Magazine, US March 19, 2012 edition. While explaining refining 3-2-1, in his article on page 12 entitled "Stumped at the Pump", Bill Saporito explains as follows: "The 3-2-1 means that out of one barrel of oil you get three barrels of gasoline...
I have read a few pros and cons around the web on ammonia as an automotive fuel. I suppose it presents an opportunity to use natural gas at a "large point source" to make ammonia and capture and sequester the CO2. The ammonia can then be used as an automotive fuel. With natural gas cost perhaps...
I have read that there have been a few wind turbine collapses. Does anyone have links to the reports on the causes of these collapses. Here is a video that shows one such collapse. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcrO4USqRfo
Looks like the brakes failed. In at least one other case, a turbine just...
Is there a place on Eng-Tips where power supply options for the Earth are discussed? It looks like nuclear will be out of favour for a few decades and it is hard to take wind and solar seriously as major reliable components of a supply mix. Natural gas seems to be in favour in spite of its...
When a screw pump, like one from PG Group, in a boat, loses suction on the oil/tar/pitch that it is pumping, would it pump (compress) air at any significant pressure? We think not, but would appreciate a second opinion. Thanks
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
The press is going have a hay day with "There about 27,000 abandoned wells in the Gulf." and it seems one close to the BP well is seeping. Can anyone clarify the situation. Is this good news, bad news, or not news at all?
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
If supply and demand is a major determinant of salary levels, why are engineers so keen to encourage people to become engineers? I also notice that engineers are keen to encourage under represented groups to become engineers. Are we really so altruistic?
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
This is meant to be a thread for engineers at large to discuss the pros and cons of plug-in hybrids. It seems to me that the plug-in hybrid has many benefits. I am surprized it is taking so long to get to market. Perhaps the manufacturers don't want to weaken the demand for the regular hybrids...
In 1992 we started to implement the OSHA Regulation of the Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals. Has anyone seen any papers on the effectiveness of the program? Its been 15 years now and we should have some idea of how it is working.
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
Does anyone have any data on the efficiency of rechargeable batteries. Something like (useable energy out)/(energy in) times 100, for one cycle. I could not find anything on this on Google. I am thinking of batteries of the type that can be found in a modern hybrid car.
HAZOP at...
In 1992 we started to implement the OSHA Regulation of the Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals. Has anyone seen any papers on the effectiveness of the program? Its been 14 years now and we should have some idea of how it is working.
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
We have carried out HAZOPs, with part of the team in a separate location, with varying degrees of success. Typically the rooms are connected by high speed internet so that video and audio of the teams are available to each office. In addition HAZOP software displays are available in both rooms...
I would be interested to hear of our members' experiences with Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) and/or Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA). Some of our clients are taking tentative steps into these subjects. They are writing engineering standards and starting to apply them. They are asking...
I read somewhere that in the early days of the pneumatic tire, someone predicted that there would soon be 6 inches or more of rubber dust all over the roads. That did not happen but that 1/4" or more that we are all wearing off our tires must go somewhere. My guess is carbon dust, CO2, and VOC...
I read somewhere that in the early days of the pneumatic tire, someone predicted that there would soon be 6 inches or more of rubber dust all over the roads. That did not happen but that 1/4" or more that we are all wearing off our tires must go somewhere. My guess is carbon dust, CO2, and VOC...
We have a client who is considering surrounding electrical transformers with crushed stone. The stone would be on top of a liner to contain a spill. Transformer incidents can include explosion and fire with burning transformer oil escaping to the surrounding area. The question is will the fire...
For a South Ontario, Canada location, is there an advantage using say 150 psig steam versus 50 psig steam? 150 psig costs more but may be less likely to freeze. What is the role of the quality of the steam?
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
We are looking for good material and application method for thermal insulation of the roofs of existing heavy oil and tar atmospheric storage tanks. Does anyone have a tried and true approach which would be resistant to ice and snow and rain and wind. Materials should have superior fire...
We are reviewing the use of a tire conversion process to determine its applicability to plastic waste processing. The tire process pyrolyses rubber to carbon black and oil. We are wondering if there is any public domain information on a similar process with waste plastic as the feed. Energy...
