1. The function of a cooling water system is to remove heat from processes or equipment. The system is crucial for refineries and petrochemical plants. Failure of the cooling water system will cause major production losses. TABLE Q1 shows the recorded incidents for the cooling water system in one of the petrochemical plants. TABLE Q1 Incident Incident Incident Incident Start Date Start End Date End Time Recorded Incident Time 11-Jan-12 7 am 12-Jan-12 11 am Plant tripped due to high vibration at cooling tower Rectification for cooling 24-Jun-13 2 am 27-Jun-13 11 am tower gearbox 22-Nov-13 29-Nov-13 4 am Detected high vibration at gearbox Plant tripped due to gas 21-Nov-14 7 am 21-Nov-14 detector at cooling tower triggered low explosion limit (LEL) 10-May-15 9 pm 28-May-15 2 am Planned May Shutdown Plant tripped on electrostatic 19-May-17 20-May-17 discharge (ESD) due to 5 am cooling tower gas detector activated 16-Jul-17 Plant tripped due to cooling 16-Jul-17 11 am tower gas detector activated Plant planned shutdown due 17-Oct-18 11 am 18-Oct-18 1 pm to high vibration in compressor 7 pm 5 pm 9pm 4 am Evaluate the performance of the cooling water system in terms of its reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) for the study period (i.e. 2012 - 2018). Elaborate on the assumptions used, if any, and recommend ways to improve the availability of the system. [50 marks) 1. The function of a cooling water system is to remove heat from processes or equipment. The system is crucial for refineries and petrochemical plants. Failure of the cooling water system will cause major production losses. TABLE Q1 shows the recorded incidents for the cooling water system in one of the petrochemical plants. TABLE Q1 Incident Incident Incident Incident Start Date Start End Date End Time Recorded Incident Time 11-Jan-12 7 am 12-Jan-12 11 am Plant tripped due to high vibration at cooling tower Rectification for cooling 24-Jun-13 2 am 27-Jun-13 11 am tower gearbox 22-Nov-13 29-Nov-13 4 am Detected high vibration at gearbox Plant tripped due to gas 21-Nov-14 7 am 21-Nov-14 detector at cooling tower triggered low explosion limit (LEL) 10-May-15 9 pm 28-May-15 2 am Planned May Shutdown Plant tripped on electrostatic 19-May-17 20-May-17 discharge (ESD) due to 5 am cooling tower gas detector activated 16-Jul-17 Plant tripped due to cooling 16-Jul-17 11 am tower gas detector activated Plant planned shutdown due 17-Oct-18 11 am 18-Oct-18 1 pm to high vibration in compressor 7 pm 5 pm 9pm 4 am Evaluate the performance of the cooling water system in terms of its reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) for the study period (i.e. 2012 - 2018). Elaborate on the assumptions used, if any, and recommend ways to improve the availability of the system. [50 marks)
