Plant Engineer's Handbook (eBook)

R. Keith Mobley (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF | EPUB

2001 | 1. Auflage
2400 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-0-08-053904-1 (ISBN)

Infos

Plant engineers are responsible for a wide range of industrial activities, and may work in any industry. This means that breadth of knowledge required by such professionals is so wide that previous books addressing plant engineering have either been limited to only certain subjects or cursory in their treatment of topics. The Plant Engineering Handbook offers comprehensive coverage of an enormous range of subjects which are of vital interest to the plant engineer and anyone connected with industrial operations or maintenance.

This handbook is packed with indispensable information, from defining just what a Plant Engineer actually does, through selection of a suitable site for a factory and provision of basic facilities (including boilers, electrical systems, water, HVAC systems, pumping systems and floors and finishes) to issues such as lubrication, corrosion, energy conservation, maintenance and materials handling as well as environmental considerations, insurance matters and financial concerns. One of the major features of this volume is its comprehensive treatment of the maintenance management function, in addition to chapters which outline the operation of the various plant equipment there is specialist advice on how to get the most out of that equipment and its operators. This will enable the reader to reap the rewards of more efficient operations, more effective employee contributions and in turn more profitable performance from the plant and the business to which it contributes.

The Editor, Keith Mobley and the team of expert contributors, have practiced at the highest levels in leading corporations across the USA, Europe and the rest of the world. Produced in association with Plant Engineering magazine, this book will be a source of information for plant engineers in any industry worldwide.

* A Flagship reference work for the Plant Engineering series

* Provides comprehensive coverage on an enormous range of subjects vital to plant and industrial engineer

* Includes an international perspective including dual units and regulations

Inhalt

Front Cover 1
Plant Engineer's Handbook 4
Copyright Page 5
Contents 6
Foreword 8
Preface 10
List of Contributors 12
Chapter 1. Definition and Organization of the Plant Engineering Function 14
Chapter 2. Plant Engineering in Britain 20
Chapter 3. The Role of the Plant Engineer 26
Chapter 4. Physical Considerations in Site Selection 30
Chapter 5. Plant Location 48
Chapter 6. Industrial Buildings 56
Chapter 7. Planning and Plant Layout 80
Chapter 8. Contracts and Specifications 98
Chapter 9. Industrial Flooring 114
Chapter 10. Lighting 124
Chapter 11. Insulation 144
Chapter 12. Paint Coatings for the Plant Engineer 160
Chapter 13. Insurance: Plant and Equipment 174
Chapter 14. Insurance: Buildings and Risks 198
Chapter 15. Electricity Generation 212
Chapter 16. Electrical Distribution and Installation 246
Chapter 17. Electrical Instrumentation 268
Chapter 18. Oil 286
Chapter 19. Gas 298
Chapter 20. Liquefied Petroleum Gas 334
Chapter 21. Coal and Ash 348
Chapter 22. Steam Utilization 366
Chapter 23. Industrial Boilers 400
Chapter 24. Combustion Equipment 428
Chapter 25. Economizers 442
Chapter 26. Heat Exchangers 450
Chapter 27. Heating 460
Chapter 28. Ventilation 478
Chapter 29. Air Conditioning 494
Chapter 30. Energy Conservation 516
Chapter 31. Water and Effluents 530
Chapter 32. Pumps and Pumping 546
Chapter 33. Centrifugal Pump Installation 578
Chapter 34. Cooling Towers 584
Chapter 35. Compressed Air Systems 600
Chapter 36. Compressors 614
Chapter 37. Fans and Blowers 628
Chapter 38. Mixers and Agitators 636
Chapter 39. Gears and Gearboxes 642
Chapter 40. Hydraulic Fundamentals 652
Chapter 41. Pneumatic Fundamentals 700
Chapter 42. Noise and Vibration 720
Chapter 43. Vibration Fundamentals 734
Chapter 44. Vibration Monitoring and Analysis 770
Chapter 45. Air Pollution 826
Chapter 46. Dust and Fume Control 836
Chapter 47. Dust Collection Systems 850
Chapter 48. Maintenance Management in UK 858
Chapter 49. Effective Maintenance Management 870
Chapter 50. Predictive Maintenance 880
Chapter 51. Planning and Scheduling Outages 902
Chapter 52. Lubrication 928
Chapter 53. Corrosion 974
Chapter 54. Shaft Alignment 1000
Chapter 55. Rotor Balancing 1022
Chapter 56. Packing and Seals 1030
Chapter 57. Gears and Gear Drives 1042
Chapter 58. Flexible Intermediate Drives 1056
Chapter 59. Couplings and Clutches 1078
Chapter 60. Bearings 1094
Chapter 61. Finance for the Plant Engineer 1114
Chapter 62. Statistical Approaches in Machinery Problem Solving 1130
Chapter 63. Health and Safety in the UK 1144
Chapter 64. Regulatory Compliance Issues in the US 1164
Index 1172

Textauszug

1 Definition and Organization of the Plant Engineering Function

Richard Dunn

Editor, Plant Engineering Magazine

Contents

1.1. Introduction

1.2. Basic definition

1.3. Responsibilities

1.3.1. Activities

1.3.2. Knowledge areas

1.4. Organization

1.1 Introduction

The concept of the plant engineering function has changed little over the years. Yet, the ways in which that function is accomplished have changed significantly, primarily because of changing technologies and business models. More than ever before, for example, the plant engineer must learn to manage from the perspective of a business participant, relating his responsibilities and activities to the mission and goals of the enterprise. Moreover, the invasion of electronics and computerization into nearly every facet of engineering and business operation has fostered the integration of plant engineering into both the operations and the business plan of the enterprise.

Changes in enterprise organization models have also impacted plant engineering. In many industrial plants, for example, the title of ‘plant engineer’ has disappeared, being replaced with such titles as ‘facilities manager’ or ‘asset productivity manager’. Yet, the essential services provided by these people and their departments remains essentially unchanged, and every enterprise with physical facilities must have a plant engineering function, regardless of the name by which it is labeled and the organization through which it is accomplished.

1.2 Basic Definition

Plant engineering is that branch of engineering which embraces the installation, operation, maintenance, modification, modernization, and protection of physical facilities and equipment used to produce a product or provide a service.

It is easier to describe plant engineering than to define it. Yet, the descriptions will vary from facility to facility and over time. Every successful plant is continuously changing, improving, expanding, and evolving. And the activities of the plant engineer must reflect this environment. Each plant engineer is likely to have his own, unique job description, and that description is likely to be different from the one he had five years earlier.

By definition, the plant engineering function is multidisciplinary. It routinely incorporates the disciplines of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and civil engineering. Other disciplines, such as chemical engineering for example, may also be needed, depending on the type of industry or service involved.

In addition, skills in business/financial management, personnel supervision, project management, contracting, and training are necessary to the successful fulfillment of plant engineering responsibilities. The function is fundamentally a technical one, requiring a thorough technical/engineering background through education and/or experience. But beyond it’s most basic level, a broad range of skills is needed.

If the plant engineer is a specialist in anything, it is in his/her own plant or facility. Plant engineers must learn to know their own plants thoroughly, from the geology underlying its foundations and the topology of the rainwater runoff to the distribution of its electricity and the eccentricities of its production machinery. They must ensure the quality of the environment both inside and outside the facility as well as the safety and health of the employees and the reliability of its systems and equipment. And they are expected to do all of this in a cost-effective manner.

A few phrases from a 1999 classified ad for a plant engineer provide some real-world insight on the scope of responsibilities:

• Support ongoing operations, troubleshoot, resolve emergencies, implement shutdowns

• Organize and maintain information on plant systems/equipment and improvement programs

• Implement plant projects and maintain proper documentation

• Deal effectively with multiple activities, requests, and emergencies

• Manage scope, design, specification, procurement, installation, startup, debugging, validation, training, and maintenance.

To this list, most plant engineers would quickly add compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as well as accepted industry standards and practices.

More than 25 years ago, Edgar S. Weaver, then manager of Real Estate and Construction Operations for General Electric, provided a succinct description of the function:

‘The primary mission of the plant engineer is to provide optimum plant and equipment facilities to meet the established objective of the business. This can be broken down into these four fundamental activities: (1) ensure the reliability of plant and equipment operation; (2) optimize maintenance and operating costs; (3) satisfy all safety, environmental, and other regulations; and (4) provide a strong element of both shortterm and long-range facilities and equipment planning.’

The description still rings true today.

1.3 Responsibilities

There are two ways of analyzing the plant engineering function. One is through the activities plant engineers must perform. The other is through the facilities, systems, and equipment they must be knowledgeable about. For a complete understanding of the function, both must be considered.

1.3.1 Activities

The activities that plant engineers must perform generally fall under the responsibilities of middle-to-upper management. Like all managers, they plan, organize, administer, and control. But more specifically, plant engineers are involved in or in charge of the following activities:

• Design of facilities and systems

• Construction of facilities and systems

• Installation of facilities, systems, and equipment

• Operation of utilities and services

• Maintenance of facilities, systems, and equipment

• Improvement, retrofit, and redesign of facilities, systems, and equipment

• Planning to meet business needs

• Contracting for equipment, materials, and services

• Project management, including planning, estimating, and execution

• Administration of the plant engineering organization and personnel as well as related financial considerations (budgeting, forecasting, cost control), training, and record keeping

• Regulatory compliance with a wide variety of governmental laws and standards

• Coordination of plant engineering activities and responsibilities with all other functions and departments in the organization

• Purchasing of requisite tools, equipment, parts, and materials.

These activities are nearly universal throughout the plant engineering function, although they may be described differently in specific companies or facilities. Also, other activities might be added to the list.

1.3.2 Knowledge areas

While most plant engineers are, in fact, engineers by education and training, there is no single, traditional engineering discipline that comprises all areas of plant engineering responsibilities. A combination of mechanical and electrical engineering education and experience is essential, and some knowledge in the areas of civil, structural, environmental, safety, chemical, and electronic engineering is useful and important.

Mere education is not enough, however. Plant engineering demands a level of experience in applied knowledge and problem solving that is more intense than in most other engineering functions. In fact, plant engineers are often described as ‘jacks of all trades’ or ‘firefighters’ because of their abilities to respond to a wide variety of needs on short notice, to fix almost anything that breaks, and to implement solutions to emerging problems.

Nevertheless, a major portion of every plant engineer’s efforts is devoted to the prevention of problems and emergencies, as exemplified by their intense involvement in the maintenance of virtually all structures, systems, and equipment in their facilities.

Thus, to be successful, plant engineers must be knowledgeable in the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of the following:

• Electrical power systems

• Electrical machinery

• Lighting

• Fluid power transmission

• Mechanical power transmission

• Instrumentation and controls

•...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 14.5.2001
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Chemie ► Technische Chemie
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Bauwesen
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Elektrotechnik / Energietechnik
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Logistik / Produktion
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Unternehmensführung / Management
• ISBN-10: 0-08-053904-1 / 0080539041
• ISBN-13: 978-0-08-053904-1 / 9780080539041