Structures and Equipment

Obstructions to maintenance of the structure or equipment should be sub-divided, where necessary, and their width should be kept to a minimum. The optimum distance of an obstacle from the background structure or equipment depends on the available and required maintenance equipment and technique. 

Excessively low inaccessible seatings for machinery and equipment should be avoided, especially if entry or accumulation of an unwelcome eleetrolyte within their frame is possible. Coverplates and other items that have to be removed for maintenance purposes should be readily detachable.  

Piping systems should be designed to be cleaned on-stream, if possible and necessary. Critical parts or parts of systems subject to heavy corrosion should be separately dismantleable. Blind or non-inspectable areas should be kept to a minimum in a fail-safe design and, where unavoidable, additional strength must be provided to prevent the critical effects of corrosion fatigue. 

Corrosion, as such, is basically an economic problem associated closely with the loss of capital assets and business profits corrosion control should provide the most advantageous course of obviating such losses in the first case, whilst not neglecting the most important implications of safety, health, pollution of environment and products, which have a very close affinity with corrosion damage. 

The fullest investigation is necessary to answer these questions. 

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Many sophisticated models and correlations have been developed for consequence analysis. Millions of dollars have been spent researching the effects of exposure to toxic materials on the health of animals the effects are extrapolated to predict effects on human health. A considerable empirical database exists on the effects of fires and explosions on structures and equipment. And large, sophisticated experiments are sometimes performed to validate computer algorithms for predicting the atmospheric dispersion of toxic materials. All of these resources can be used to help predict the consequences of accidents. But, you should only perform those consequence analysis steps needed to provide the information required for decision making. 

Proper system and sequences of welding attachment of bimetallic pads for structures and equipment should be specified to avoid distortion and input stresses. 

For structures and equipment, the utility should be located where it cannot be affected by natural and climatic conditions. This includes (1) corrosive pollution that may be airborne, (2) prevalent winds, and (3) surface water currents from near or remote sources. 

Organic coatings are applied mainly to mild steel structures and equipment. They are also used on aluminum, zinc-sprayed and galvanized steel, but to a lesser extent. The applications for organic coatings can be divided into three areas corrosion by atmospheric pollution, protection from splash by process liquors, and linings for immersion in process liquors [70-74]. 

All submittals to the NRC concerning geology and seismic design 3asis for both structures and equipment. 

The fragility analysis evaluates the conditional fraction of failure of plant structures and equipment as a function of ground motion. The seismically initiated failure of plant components is expressed in terms spectral acceleration at 5.0 Hz which is between the fundamental frequency of the... 

Perhaps the most striking phenomenon encountered in outer space is the wide variation in temperature that can be experienced on spacecraft surfaces and externally located equipment. Temperatures and temperature gradients not ordinarily encountered in the operation of ground or airborne structures and equipment are ambient conditions for spacecraft equipment. On such hardware, not suitably protected externally or housed deep within the space vehicle in a controlled environment, these temperature extremes can wreak destruction. Designers of earthbound... 

The TSDF standards also establish requirements to ensure that hazardous waste management units are closed in a manner that protects human health and the environment. The closure provisions require the facility to stop accepting waste remove all waste from management units and decontaminate all soils, structures, and equipment. Some units (i.e., land treatment units, landfills, and surface impoundments) serve as places for the final disposal of hazardous waste. These land disposal units must comply with additional postclosure requirements to ensure proper long-term unit maintenance. 

The outputs can create consequences to personnel, structures, and equipment. There are different approaches for assessing consequences. Criteria can be developed that will allow the analyst to compare the results of the calculations to predetermined criteria. The results either meet or exceed the criteria. These criteria can be established based on a conservative approach of assuming a steady-state condition. Another approach is the use of more sophisticated heat transfer techniques, where a time-dependent onset of critical criteria is modeled. 

Fire protection systems achieve exposure protection by absorption of heat through application of extinguishing agents to structures or equipment exposed to a fire. The application of some extinguishing agents removes or reduces the heat transferred to the structures or equipment from the exposing fire, as well as limits the surface temperature of exposed structures and equipment to a level that will minimize damage and prevent failure. 

Exposure protection systems provide protection by the application of water to structures and equipment for the anticipated duration of the exposure fire. Water spray curtains are generally less effective than direct application due to unfavorable conditions such as wind, thermal updrafts, and inadequate drainage. Extinguishing agents such as CO2 or dry chemical agents are not able to provide this type of cooling. 

Fixed water spray systems are most commonly used to protect flammable liquid and gas vessels, piping and equipment, process structures and equipment, electrical equipment such as transformers, oil switches, rotating electrical machinery, and openings through which conveyors pass. The type of water spray will depend on the nature of the hazard and the purpose for which the protection is provided. 

Some commonly used fireproofing ratings for structures and equipment are indicated in Table 8-8 (API 2218). Unless otherwise noted, steel structures and... 

Structures and Equipment Exposure Time to Hydrocarbon Fire... 

Dismantling operations will create materials that are heavy and unwieldy. Handling heavy objects will create a risk of damaging structures and equipment still in operation or intended for abandonment in place. Workers could also incur risks. The placement and use of lifting equipment must be carefully planned to minimize the possibility of boom overload, collision of a boom or load with fixed objects, and contact with energized electrical distribution lines. 

Certain types of synthetic rubbers such as neoprenes and hypalons when suitably compounded with asbestos fillers are flame resistant and give passive fire protection. This safety aspect is a key priority in many chemical and engineering industries as well. These fire protection technologies are used to protect structures and equipment against all types of fires including the extreme conditions of a jet fire. 

The same technique can be used in pumping stations for the fast determination of the point of leak (valves, joints, connections, etc.). In this case it is based on the temperature difference of the metallic part involved in the leak. By analysing the images of the structures and equipment it is usually not difficult to determine the parts that are responsible for the leak. 

Safety planners should keep in mind that the process equipment and structures upwind of the release point and vapor barrier can influence the performance of the vapor barrier. It is well recognized that these structures and equipment will affect the flow of the released gas or vapor around them and the degree of mixing that occurs. 

Lightning is a natural phenomenon which poses a potential hazard to people, structures, and equipment unless adequate protection is provided. The type of protection required is related to the nature and function of the facility. The decision making process involves a number of interrelated factors which should be considered when determining the need for protection. 

Cleaning metal structures and equipment, tanks, dairy equipment, etc. Variable mostly oily or organic solid Usually vigorous rubbing, sometimes hydraulic Usually low in wash cycle may be high in rinse cycle Inorganic , built surfactant... 

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