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The article focuses on flanged and flued expansion joints used in shell-and-tube heat exchangers constructed according to the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. Topics include the minimum thickness requirements for these expansion joints, a case study of a heat exchanger with a 60-mm thick plate expansion joint, and the configuration and geometric proportions of expansion joint convolutions.

The article illustrates a few incidents regarding heaters, reformers, cracking furnaces and auxiliary equipment associated with the refining, petrochemical, fertilizer and steel industries for future reference and information. Topics include knowledgeable engineering consultant can save clients from such events by pointing them out prior to mechanical completion; and engineering stage has eliminated these issues from percolating to the construction.

The article proposes cost saving strategies for inventory reduction, and it emphasizes consistent naming conventions to avoid creating duplicate/ redundant items. Topic discussed include this concept is not applicable to existing plants where separate inventories are maintained for Class 300 and Class 600 flanges; and operator companies maintain separate inventory for ASME Class 300 and Class 600 flanges, flanged valves and gaskets for 0.5-in.–3-in. pipes.

The article discusses the results of a reliability, availability and maintenance (RAM) simulation of a pump/reactor/agitator system of a nuclear power plant in application to the hydrocarbon processing industry. Topics discussed include the aim to improve reliability and safety in hydrocarbon processing facilities using nuclear power plant methodologies, simple probabilistic simulations of the system to assess reliability, and the block diagram of the pump/reactor/agitator system.