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Analysis of Common Faults in Chemical Engineering Machinery and Measures for Accident Management

2018-10-09View Original

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  I. Analysis of Common Faults in Chemical Engineering Machinery   1. Corrosion Issues   A significant problem that the chemical industry has always faced is equipment corrosion. According to relevant surveys, nearly 10% of the steel produced worldwide is corroded each year, and the economic losses resulting from corrosion account for approximately 2% to 5% of a country’s total national output. The severe consequences of corrosion problems are enormous, and finding effective ways to avoid and reduce the losses caused by corrosion is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently at present. An important aspect of corrosion issues is erosion wear. Erosive wear is a widespread problem in contemporary industries such as machinery, metallurgy, energy, and aviation, and it has become one of the major causes of material damage. According to investigations by relevant authorities, nearly 1/3 of all boiler accidents are caused by erosion and wear in the boiler pipes ; In transportation pipelines, the erosion at elbows is more than 50 times greater than the wear in straight pipelines.   2. Design issues The functional design of chemical processing machinery and equipment is unreasonable; as a result, such equipment fails to meet the actual requirements of chemical production. This leads to a significant disparity between the actual production conditions and those anticipated, causing the equipment to operate under overload conditions. The stresses on various components become excessive, easily exceeding their strength limits and ultimately leading to failures. Currently, unreasonable selection of component materials, unsound lubrication methods, and failure to take practical factors into account are common manifestations of inadequate equipment design.   3. Fatigue damage of mechanical equipment Fatigue cracks are also common in mechanical equipment, but fatigue damage poses a greater threat than fatigue cracks themselves. Fatigue damage usually occurs in pipelines and pressure vessels, and it results from periodic changes in temperature and pressure. The damage to the equipment initially manifested itself in the form of fatigue cracks; over time, the alternating stresses that accumulated eventually led to rapid expansion of these cracks, resulting in damage to the equipment and its components.   4. Leakage issues The losses caused by leakage problems are also significant; generally, leakage occurs due to the loose texture of certain components or the presence of gaps that are not visible to the eye, resulting in the flow of liquids or gases outward. The main reasons for leakage are the presence of gaps and excessive pressure in the sealed system; sometimes, the combined effect of multiple factors can also lead to leakage. To better address the leakage problem, targeted measures must be taken, with specific solutions for specific causes. Avoid carrying out leak prevention measures blindly for unknown reasons, as this will only lead to waste of materials and may even result in the release of toxic substances, posing a threat to production and public safety.   II. Measures for the Management of Failures and Accidents in Chemical Engineering Machinery 1. Emphasize failure prevention In actual chemical production processes, failures in chemical engineering machinery are a very common phenomenon, and they are inevitable. In terms of the production costs and service life of chemical equipment, fault prevention in such machinery is crucial for enhancing the safety of chemical production; it not only enables the timely detection of potential risks but also helps to reduce the incidence of equipment failures. In the process of fault prevention, maintenance personnel carry out regular or irregular proactive inspections. Although equipment maintenance can ensure the proper operation of mechanical devices, it cannot guarantee that chemical processing machinery will not experience any failures over the course of long-term use. Therefore, a prevention-first approach combined with maintenance as a supplementary measure is necessary. The main measures for preventing failures in chemical processing machinery include: 1.1 Utilizing modern technical methods to upgrade and transform traditional, outdated chemical processing equipment and production systems, thereby improving the reliability, safety, and efficiency of such machinery ;   1.2 Conduct regular fault detection to promptly eliminate potential issues in equipment operation ;   1.3 Adopt proactive and effective preventive measures to carry out planned and targeted prevention work while ensuring the proper operation of the equipment ;   1.4 It is necessary to strengthen preventive awareness and adhere to the principle of giving priority to prevention and using maintenance as a supplementary measure. In the maintenance of chemical processing machinery and equipment, it is necessary to base actions on the actual operating conditions of such equipment, striving to retire those that have reached the end of their useful life in a timely manner and to avoid repairing them repeatedly.   2. Strengthen the routine inspection of chemical processing equipment  To ensure the proper operation of chemical machinery and equipment, it is essential to intensify the routine inspections of such equipment. When carrying out routine inspection tasks, the inspection method should follow the five-principle approach of \"listening, smelling, touching, comparing, and observing\" in order to conduct a scientific assessment of the equipment’s operating condition, ensuring that there is no leakage of electricity, water, air, or liquid. Upon identifying any issues, records should be kept and reports should be submitted to the higher-level departments promptly; through effective and timely handling, equipment failures can be prevented.   3. Improve the intelligence level of fault detection. In the actual maintenance of chemical processing equipment, it is necessary to make full use of the advantages and capabilities of modern technical methods. Firstly, in the practical prevention of chemical processing equipment, it is necessary to make active use of modern testing technologies to comprehensively monitor information such as the operating condition of the equipment and the degree of damage to its components. The data obtained is then compared with data from normal conditions, thereby enabling efficient detection of faults in chemical processing machinery ; Secondly, in the practical maintenance of chemical processing machinery and equipment, chemical enterprises should strengthen the development of their maintenance teams, carry out regular skill-training activities, and continuously improve their capabilities in chemical equipment maintenance ; Finally, it is necessary to enhance the awareness of prevention and maintenance among relevant personnel, and to carry out regular maintenance of the equipment in order to extend its service life. In actual production, it is necessary to take into account the actual operating conditions of chemical processing equipment, and provide a comprehensive service that includes prevention, maintenance, and repair of such equipment. Only in this way can the maintenance costs associated with chemical processing equipment be effectively reduced, their productivity improved, and the sustainable development of chemical enterprises further promoted.   4. Improvement of maintenance for chemical processing equipment  4.1 To enhance the maintenance of chemical processing machinery and equipment, it is first necessary to properly address faults in temperature transformers as well as those in fluid flow measurement devices. For troubleshooting temperature transformers, check whether the power supply to the temperature transformer is functioning properly, then examine any issues with the connections in the equipment’s wiring. Finally, use appropriate technical methods to test whether all components are operating correctly. To properly measure flow devices, it is first necessary to conduct a thorough inspection of the entire device to ensure that all connections are accurate and that the display connectors are functioning properly, so as to prevent any abnormalities during operation of the fluid measurement device. Finally, it is important to ensure that the converter is in the correct position.   4.2 Targeted maintenance In the chemical production process, in order to effectively improve the efficiency of chemical processing equipment, it is necessary to carry out timely repairs on the equipment that is malfunctioning. For example, those responsible for the maintenance of chemical processing machinery and equipment must have a thorough understanding of the operating principles and patterns of such equipment, as well as possess the skills necessary for their maintenance. They need to continuously improve their professional competence and skill levels, while also engaging in ongoing self-study and improvement. In the actual maintenance of chemical processing equipment, it is necessary to establish a modern management model based on the actual circumstances, adopt a system of accountability, and clarify the responsibilities of management personnel, thereby laying a solid foundation for achieving efficient equipment maintenance. Once chemical processing equipment fails, the relevant personnel are responsible for carrying out repairs. For example, if a malfunction occurs due to an error made by a staff member, that employee is responsible for their actions and must provide corresponding compensation. This accountability system can enhance employees’ awareness of safe production, and improve the reliability, efficiency, and safety of chemical equipment operation.   5. Further improve the competence and technical skills of equipment maintenance personnel. Analysis of the findings regarding the causes of failures in chemical processing machinery shows that a large proportion of these failures are due to human factors such as improper operation by the staff and the low quality of some operators. Therefore, to reduce the occurrence of mechanical equipment failures, improving the technical skills and ethical standards of operators is an important measure. Companies can organize regular training sessions for employees on operational standards and techniques, as well as periodic workshops aimed at facilitating the exchange of knowledge and skills among workers. This provides a platform for employees to learn from one another, enabling them to gain a better understanding of operational standards and the human factors behind system failures. It encourages them to make an effort to learn, to master relevant knowledge, understand the standards, and be able to perform repairs, thereby enhancing the overall ability of front-line employees to prevent and resolve common equipment failures.   In summary, chemical processing machinery and equipment are important tools for the development of the chemical industry, as well as driving forces behind its progress. Therefore, in practical operations, it is necessary to further strengthen the maintenance and repair of such machinery and equipment, improve management of these devices, and ensure their healthy and efficient operation.

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