Service conditions performance

Knockout vessels are the most common form of basic separator. The vessel contains no internals and demisting efficiency is poor. However, they perform well in dirty service conditions (i.e. where sand, water and corrosive products are carried in the well stream). 

Table 8 indicates the compatibiUty of magnesium with a variety of chemicals and common substances. Because the presence of even small amounts of impurities in a chemical substance may result in significantly altered performance, a positive response in the table only means that tests under the actual service conditions are warranted (132). Other factors which may significantly alter magnesium compatibiUty include the presence of galvanic couples, variations in operating temperatures, alloy composition, or humidity levels. 

Phase diagrams can be used to predict the reactions between refractories and various soHd, Hquid, and gaseous reactants. These diagrams are derived from phase equiHbria of relatively simple pure compounds. Real systems, however, are highly complex and may contain a large number of minor impurities that significantly affect equiHbria. Moreover, equiHbrium between the reacting phases in real refractory systems may not be reached in actual service conditions. In fact, the successful performance of a refractory may rely on the existence of nonequilibrium conditions, eg, environment (15—19). 

Special Tests. Even though the American Society for Testing and Materials offers a wide range of test methods, there are other special tests that are imposed upon the manufacturer by consumers, the military, the U.S. Government, and ia some cases local or municipal governments. These tests are generally very specific and are oriented toward particular service conditions. In many iastances, the producers develop special tests within thek laboratories to solve customer problems or predict product or production performance. Many of these tests subsequentiy are adopted by ASTM. 

Durability. The term "durable" has several meanings, but in the present context it is used to describe an asphalt that possesses the necessary chemical and physical properties required for the specified pavement performance, being resistant to change during the in-service conditions that are prevalent during the life of the pavement. 

The performance of an induction motor is influenced by the service conditions, when these differ from the design... 

More importantly, such alloys also possess a very low temperature coefficient of electrical resistance (of the order of 220 idQ.IQ.rC, typical), which causes only a marginal change in its resistance value with variation in temperature. They can therefore ensure a near-consistent predefined performance of the motor for which the resistance grid is designed, even after frequent starts and stops. They are also capable of absorbing shocks and vibrations during stringent service conditions and are therefore suitable for heavy-duty drives, such as steel mill applications. 

These applications have considerably more stringent performance requirements than any other application. Circulating water pumps, boiler feed pumps, forced-draught (FD) and induced-draught (ID) fans, pulverizers (ball mills) and condensate pumps are components in a thermal power station that may require extra safety in a standard motor to make it able to fulfil these requirements and withstand abnormal service conditions and system disturbances. Abnormal operating conditions may be one or more of the following ... 

Ambient temperature, altitude and atmospheric conditions at the place of installation of electrical equipment are considered to be the service conditions for the equipment to operate and perform its duties. All electrical equipment is designed for specific service conditions and variations may influence its performance. Below we analyse the influence of such non-standard service conditions on the performance of equipment and the required safeguards to achieve its required performance. 

The rating of current-carrying devices and components should be selected according to the continuous current they have to carry and the duty they have to perform. Deratings, depending upon the service conditions, should also be applied when deciding their continuous current... 

Several factors are important in the performance of a generator, and not the service conditions alone, as discussed for motors, in Section 1.6. In addition to service conditions, the operating power factor plays a significant role in the selection of a DG set, as noted above. The following p.f. conditions may occur in practice, depending upon the type of loads connected on the system. Refer to Figure 16.8. 

The performance of a bus system can be affected by the following service conditions ... 

Amongst the factors that will influence service performance are the effect of additives and impurities, temperature, detailed geometric size and shape, orientation and morphology, surface condition, energy and speed of any impacting blow, the shape of the impacting instrument, the environment, and strains in the article due to external loads. For this reason it is desirable, but not always feasible, to test prototype articles under conditions as close to service conditions as possible. 

Fortunately the situation in practice is not quite as complex as it might seem. In general, very acceptable designs are achieved by using impact data obtained under conditions which relate as closely as possible to the service conditions. Impact strength values available in the literature may be used for the initial selection of a material on the basis of a desired level of toughness. Then, wherever possible this should be backed up by tests on the plastic article, or a specimen cut from it, to ensure that the material, as moulded, is in a satisfactory state to perform its function. 

A general-purpose direct-current small motor is a small motor of mechanical construction suitable for general use under usual service conditions and has ratings and constructional and performance characteristics applying to direct-current small motors as given in Parts 10, 11, 12, and 14. 

A considerable range of different toppings is available for heavy-duty service. The correct selection of the most appropriate topping on a cost/performance basis can only be made if service conditions are very clearly defined. In general, heavy-duty toppings require a sound (preferably 35N/mm strength) concrete substrate. 

Niobium like tantalum relies for its corrosion resistance on a highly adherent passive oxide film it is however not as resistant as tantalum in the more aggressive media. In no case reported in the literature is niobium inert to corrosives that attack tantalum. Niobium has not therefore been used extensively for corrosion resistant applications and little information is available on its performance in service conditions. It is more susceptible than tantalum to embrittlement by hydrogen and to corrosion by many aqueous corrodants. Although it is possible to prevent hydrogen embrittlement of niobium under some conditions by contacting it with platinum the method does not seem to be broadly effective. Niobium is attacked at room temperature by hydrofluoric acid and at 100°C by concentrated hydrochloric, sulphuric and phosphoric acids. It is embrittled by sodium hydroxide presumably as the result of hydrogen absorption and it is not suited for use with sodium sulphide. 

All testing has to be related to environmental conditions whose characteristics must be defined. The relation of accelerated corrosion test condition to real service conditions is one aspect while another is defining classes of environment and relating them to characteristic corrosion performance in order to produce useful specification guidelines. BS5493 1977 is an attempt to do this using four categories appropriate primarily to the UK (Table 13.2). Such a classification is clearly an over-simplification, but represents an important step in this particular direction. 

The problems that have been experienced in the recirculating rig test are indicative of those often met in performance testing. Attempts to reproduce the service conditions in a laboratory test inevitably involve attempting to reproduce each of the controlling conditions that exist in the real situation. Variations, which may be relatively small, in these simulations can lead to significant differences in test results. There is therefore much to be said for keeping test conditions as simple as possible rather than attempting to reproduce accurately the conditions in practice. A balance between reproducibility and realism has to be struck. 

Once this initial data has heen recorded, a running log will indicate the performance under service conditions. As the load and amhient conditions change, the plant operators will he ahle to monitor the day-to-day conditions. This estahlishes normal running. Only hy a clear understanding of what is normal can the abnormal be detected. 

Today, more and more know how to design a cure system capable of meet these demanding requirements. Some new materials allow compounder to reformulate a cure system capable of providing improved performance. Antireversion chemicals constitute a class of such materials, once again emphasizing the need to meet the service conditions. Health and safety issues, as for example, that concerning A-nitrosamines, have also lead to the introduction of new mbber additives. 

For details of the test methods used to measure physical properties reference is made to Handbook of Plastics Test Methods or the more recent Handbook of Polymer Testing [2, 3]. Standard tests have their limitations most were intended for quality control rather than prediction of service performance and produce arbitrary rather than fundamental measures of the properties. They do have the advantages of making data compatible with others and often have known reproducibility. In many standard methods the user is encouraged to opt for standard or preferred conditions which may not have relevance to the service conditions of the product. It is then sensible to base the testing on standard methods but to use more relevant conditions of, for example, time, temperature or stress. 

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