KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

EXTERNAL INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENT REPORT

BSc. PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

BURNS NYAMBURI NOAH: J24/4900/2014

KENYA PETROLEUM REFINERIES LIMITED

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF GAS AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

3 MONTHS

SUPERVISED BY…………………………………………

SUBMITTED ON…………………………………………..
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I hereby take this distinguished opportunity to facilitate members of Kenya Petroleum Refineries
Limited fraternity for their commendable conduct during my 3 months industrial attachment.
Additionally, special thanks to the department of Gas and Petroleum Engineering, School of
Architecture and Engineering for prompt grooming in engineering principles and fundamentals
prior to the industrial attachment.
 ABSTRACT
The ideas inscribed herein are firsthand experiences gained from current certified experts in the
Oil and Gas downstream sector at Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited. Additionally, the report
highlights into detail the works carried out by various departments such as Mechanical
Engineering Workshop, Tanks and Offsite as well as Inspection Department. The activities of the
various departments will be extensively analyzed to establish how they collaborate into making
KPRL live to it’s expectations. On the other hand, we'll get a proper insight into KPRL’s health
and safety dossier which is a critical part of operation that has enabled the company earn a
decent reputation overtime.
 CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited was originally set up by Shell and the British
Petroleum Company BP to serve the East African region in the supply of a wide variety of oil
products.

The Company was incorporated in 1960, under the name East African Oil Refineries Limited.
The first refinery complex which has distillation, hydrotreating, catalytic reforming, and bitumen
production units was commissioned in 1963.

The second refinery train was commissioned in 1974 and also has distillation, hydrotreating, and
reforming units.

1.1 KEY HISTORICAL DATES

1959: Colonial Government Agreement with
‘Consolidated’ (50% Shell, 50% BP)

1960: East African Oil Refineries Limited Incorporated

1963: Complex I completed and commissioned

1963: Esso and Caltex become Shareholders

1970: Grease Plant Constructed

1971: Government acquire 50% Shareholding

1974: Complex II completed and commissioned

1983: Change of name to – Kenya Petroleum Refineries

 Limited

1994: Deregulation leading to introduction of base

load and processing fees changes

1996: New Control Center (DCS) commissioned

1997: Esso sold their shares

1998: KPRL Laboratory ISO 9002 Certified

2005: Commencement of production of unleaded

mogas

2007: New Laboratory completed and commissioned

2009: Essar acquired 50% of shares from Shell, BP and

Chevron

2016: Essar exits from shareholding of KPRL and shares

100% acquired by GoK

2017: KPRL signed an agreement with KPC for a 3 year

lease of its storage facilities

1.2 MISSION, VISION, MOTTO & CORE VALUES

1.2.1 MISSION
We will maximize value addition to delight our customer and other stakeholders.
1.2.2 VISION
To be the number one supplier of integrated energy.
1.2.3 MOTTO
“Energizing Our Nation.”

1.2.4 CORE VALUES

Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Trust, Openness, Teamwork, Professionalism, and Pride in all that
we do.
1.3 FUNCTIONS CARRIED OUT AT KENYA PETROLEUM REFINERIES LIMITED
Over the years the company has worn many hats right from refining of crude oil to storage of
finished products. Today KPRL performs various duties as outlined below:-
 Product handling and hospitality- The products enjoying this service include Liquefied
Petroleum Gas, Premium Petrol, Dual Purpose Kerosene, Automotive Gasoline and fuel
oil.
 Laboratory Services- Any fuel product entering the country must meet certain guidelines
and standards specific for use in the country’s market. The KPRL laboratory offers
services to certify or verify if a particular oil product or products meet the stipulated
standards. A certificate is then issued on the same.
 Fuel Loading Facility- KPRL has a robust pipeline system fortified with an efficient truck
loading facility.

1.4 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited is solely owned and operated by the government of Kenya.
1.4.1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
At the top of hierarchy at KPRL is the esteemed members of Board of Director whom are 5 in
number as enumerated in the table below.
NAME NATIONALITY APPOINTING POSITION
SHAREHOLDER

HESBON GONDI KENYAN GOVERNMENT OF DIRECTOR

KENYA

JOSEPH KARIUKI KENYAN GOVERNMENT OF DIRECTOR

KENYA

JOSEPH WAFULA KENYAN GOVERNMENT OF DIRECTOR

KENYA

HENRY KARINGA KENYAN GOVERNMENT OF DIRECTOR

KENYA
 LILIAN MAHIRI- KENYAN GOVERNMENT OF DIRECTOR
ZAJA KENYA

1.4.2 MANAGEMENT TEAM

Below the Board of Directors comes the management team of about 6 individuals catering for
different positions as highlighted in the table below.
NAME POSITION

JOSEPH NDOTI Ag. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

ABIGALI MWANGI CHIEF OPERATIONAL OFFICER

MARTIN WAHOME HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Eng. EVANSON MOMANYI ENGINEER MANAGER

MICHAEL KARIUKI MANAGER TECHNOLOGY,

DEVELOPMENT &OPERATIONS
KADZO KALAMA HEAD OF LEGAL SERVICES
 CHAPTER TWO
2.0 DEPARTMENT REVIEW
Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited houses various departments which I was privileged to
interact with a good number of them such as:-
 Health and Safety Department
 Mechanical Engineering Department
 Information Technology Department
 Tanks and Offsite Department
 Inspection Department

2.1 HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT INDUCTION (HSE)

HSE is given special importance or prominence and any individual intending to be part of KPRL must be
taken through a thorough HSE induction. This involves bearing in mind their HSE policy and commitment
which is commitment to eliminate all work related injuries and carry out all their activities with proper
regard to the environment.

The objective of KPRL is to have an HSE performance that earns the confidence of the customer,
shareholders and the community and contribute to sustainable development. Consequently they are
committed to the following:-

• Pursue the goal of eliminating all work related injuries and adverse health effects.
• Carry out all KPRL activities with proper regard to the environment.
• Reduce the risk of people, the environment and the assets to a level that is as low as reasonably
practicable.
• Work with the government and other bodies to develop regulations and standards, and
contribute to the promotion of best HSE practices in Kenya.
• Respect and recognize the HSE concerns of the community, their customers, employees, service
providers and provide relevant information when required.

KPRL HSE policy states clearly that all their activities will be conducted taking foremost account of the
health and safety of employees, contractors, customers and the community while paying proper regard
to the environment.
The most important point to note is that HSE matters are a line responsibility. Everyone on site has an
HSE role. It is the responsibility of all employees and contractors, both as individuals and as team
members.

KPRL fire safety policy purpose is to promote fire safety, eliminate injuries, prevent asset damage and
environmental pollution due to fire incidents, and to comply with Kenyan fire safety regulations or other
appropriate and stricter guidelines where it’s relevant.

Use of drugs and alcohol is not tolerated and as a result there is a policy in place and surveillance in
place. People entering the site are subjected to alcohol testing.

When one hears and alarm call apart from the weekly routine alarm siren on Wednesdays at
0745 hours he/she should do the following:-

• Stop whatever you are doing, switch off all running equipment
• Ensure persons working next to you have heard the alarm

• Leave site and walk to the nearest safest emergency assembly point
• Personnel will not leave the emergency assembly point until a senior member of KPRL gives
further instructions or allows them to do so.

2.1.0 REPORTING OF INCIDENTS AND NEAR MISSES

An incident is a unplanned event or events that has or could have resulted in injury, illness or damage to
assets, environment or company reputation consequently a near miss is an incident that could have
caused illness, injury or damage to assets, environment or company reputation.

All incidents and near misses must be reported to the FSA so as to pave room for investigations to
establish what might have led to it and also create awareness to the other working personnel in order to
prevent an occurrence of the same.

2.1.1 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)

All personnel within KPRL’s inner gates or the plant must and its mandatory that they should have PPE
on. PPE provided depends on the nature of the work they are carrying out. The following are some of
the PPE:-

• Safety helmet- protects against falling objects

• Safety footwear- protects the feet upon stumbling and falling objects
• Ear protection- protects against noise pollution
• Eye protection- protects the eye when performing welding, grinding
• Overall
• Gloves

2.1.2 PERMITS
All work to be carried out in the refinery area must be covered by a work permit. The types of permits
include
 • Clearance certificate, covering work with low elements of risk. Green in color its valid for 24
hours and can be extended.
• Safety certificates, covers work involving elements of risk requiring special precaution usually
pink in color.
• Fire permit, is a permit that’s issued when the nature of work involves hot works.

When entering the refinery inner gates or the plant phones, radios, match boxes and sticks, lighters are
prohibited.

2.1.3 HSE GUIDELINES FOR WORK PLANNING AND PREPARATION

Every job at KPRL must be done with prior planning and preparation. Every person responsible for the
job should consider the 4 what’s the macho NNE before starting

• What can go wrong?

• What can cause it to go wrong?
• What can be done to prevent it going wrong?
• What can be done to minimize the negative consequences if it does go wrong?

2.1.4 SAWA
SAFETY AT WORK ALWAYS very important word. Numerous incentives have also been initiated to
promote safety at work like awarding people who have spotted and reported near misses and raffle
competitions. The refinery is covered by a fire water pipeline system and fire extinguishers are at every
corner of the refinery. A dispensary is also located in the premises plus 3 fire engines and an ambulance
to handle emergencies.

2.2 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

The Information Technology department plays a crucial role in installation, maintenance of company
network as well as systems. Additionally, the department consists of a team of qualified experts whom
ensure the network runs smoothly. Some of the duties the department undertakes includes:-

 Technical support to workers such as software installations and updates.

 Monitoring internal communication infrastructure, the (LAN) local area network.
 Control data storage, access as well as security.
 Troubleshooting and hardware repair
 Monitor contracts with suppliers
 Maintain and improve company website
 License renewal and protection of legal documents

2.2.1 SAFETY FUNDAMENTALS OF IT SECURITY

Information is a very vital tool in an organization or company, and should not be provided to just
anybody. For one to access a company’s vital or considered vital information there are procedures that
he/she should follow in order to be allowed to do so any attempt not to seek the proper channel is
trespassing and that a crime.
The individual must be part and parcel of the particular company. In the world of today information can
be exchanged with some good amount of ransomed. It is the duty of the information technology
department to secure, safeguard and ensure that information does not fall into prohibited hands if so
adverse consequences will be imposed on the particular person that violates the rule and can lead to
termination of contract in case of a contractor and loss of employment in the case of an employee, legal
proceedings may also follow.

For one to be able to use computers in various departments in a company he/she must be given log in
credentials at the IT department. It is forbidden for one to insert external storage devices on these
computers without proper formal authorization.

No modifications of any kind should be performed on the computers; this involves changing the desktop
background. Cyber-attacks are prominent in this era one is required to be careful when accessing the
internet using the LAN of KPRL. Some links are corrupted with virus that may delete access and
manipulate data stored in the systems.

When one is provided with the log in credentials and becomes a user, his password and username is his
private entity but still owned by KPRL. When logged into a computer you should not leave it unattended
to while performing other tasks.

One is advised to log off since you trust nobody but yourself, anyone can be a hacker. It’s hard to tell
who a hacker is, how he looks like. A hacker is an anonymous individual with the intention of illegally
accessing through your computer data.

As a member of KPRL one has the duty to safeguard information relating to the company’s operations.
For communication purposes each member in a department is provided with a Microsoft outlook email.
This aids in reaching each and every individual at the click of a button.

2.3 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING WORKSHOP

Before handling or taking part in a project/work in the mechanical workshop one is required to have
personal protective equipment on.

Assessing ones safety before undertaking a project is important, much emphasis in put on the 4 what’s.
SAWA is essential the workshop premises, this aids in eliminating injuries. All equipment in the
workshop always has a safety color code painted on them.

The color code justifies whether the particular machine is in good shape for use or not. If one has to use
equipment that has no color code prescribed for that year then he has to seek permission from relevant
authority in this case the workshop supervisor. The color code does usually change for every year; like in
2017 KPRL safety color code is red.

Tool box talk- is an informal safety meeting that focuses on safety topics related to the specific job,
normally conducted prior to the commencement of a job.
Any sort of injury should be addressed however minor it may seem to be. In the workshop there is a first
aid kit available and if anyone seeks to use it the engineer in charge is ready to assist.

Cleanliness in the workshop is a priority. Available are two waste disposal points, one of which metallic
wastes are disposed in and the other plastic products.

2.3.1 BOILER TRAINING

The training covered the following:-

I. General description of the boiler and working principles

II. Boiler associated installations e.g. fuel oil system, feed water, steam and condensate
systems
III. Boiler operations
a) Start up
b) Running
c) Shutting down
d) Preservation
IV. Maintenance
V. Water treatment

General description of the boiler and working principles- A boiler is a fuel burning apparatus or
container for heating water in particular. There are basically two general types of boilers:- • Fire tube
boiler

• Water tube boiler

In our case we dealt with the fire tube boiler, its features are as follows:-

• Water surrounds the tubes through which hot combustion gasses pass before venting to the
atmosphere through gas uptakes.
• Boilers are of fully automatic design.
• Essential mountings include safety valves, steam pressures switch, pressure gauge, gauge glass,
valve fittings, low water level cut off and alarm device.
2.3.1.1 OPERATION OF FIRE TUBE BOILER
Fuel is burnt inside a furnace; hot gasses produced in the furnace then pass through the fire tubes. Fire
tubes are immersed in water inside the main vessel of the boiler. As the hot gases are passed through
these tubes, heat energy of gases is transferred to the water surrounding them. As a result steam is
generated in the water and naturally comes up and is stored upon the water in the same vessel of fire
tube boiler. This steam is then taken out from the steam outlet for utilizing for required purpose. Water
is fed into the boiler through the feed water inlet.

2.3.1.2 ORIGINAL START UP

No attempt should be made to initially fire the boiler until the following points have been checked

 Sufficient water supply is available. Water used to initially fill the boiler must be at ambient
temperature but not less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
 Steam piping, blow off and blow down lines etc. must be inspected and ready for operation.
 All fuel supply lines must be checked for tightness and leaks.
 Electrical power lines to burner unit are connected and the voltage required is verified. ▪
Hydrostatic test has been completed.
It is recommended that newly installed boiler be boiled out. Boiling out will remove any remaining mill
scale, rust, welding flux or any other foreign material associated with manufacturing or shipment.

2.3.1.3 FIRING UP
 Blow off valves, water column and gauge glass drains, gauge cocks are checked and closed if
mounted on water column.
 Vent valves, gauge glass, shut off valves and steam pressure gauge valves are opened.
 The boiler is filled with water at ambient temperature
 Water column and gauge glass are blown down to make sure water returns to proper level
promptly. Gauge clocks are opened to verify water level, if mounted on water column.
 Fuel piping whether gas or oil ought to have been pretested for leaks. Oil pump sets are started
so oil can be circulating and oil pressures adjusted to the burner requirements.
 Burner is started on low fire in accordance with instructions.
 The boiler is warmed up slowly to permit temperature to reach saturation temperatures and
metal and refractory temperature to equalize.

2.3.1.4 MAINTANANCE
Periodic maintenance should be performed by a qualified service technician to assure that all the
equipment is operating safely and efficiently.

a) Checking of water level. Unstable water level can indicate several problems such as excessive
solids or water treatment contamination from oil, overload or control malfunction.
b) Blow down boiler should be performed.
 c) Visual checking of combustion. The flame is looked at to see if something has changed,
changes may be an indication that a problem is developing.
d) Treating water according to the established program
e) Recording of boiler operating pressure or temperature.
f) Oil pressure and temperature recording.

2.3.1.5 WATER TREATMENT

Is any process that makes water more acceptable for a specific end use. Their two methods

• External
• Steam and condensate

Objectives of water treatment:-

I. Reduce corrosion.
II. Prevent scale deposition.
III. Increase boiler efficiency.

IV. Provide steam purity.

V. Safe boiler operation.

The figure below is a representation of the boiler in operation. Water surrounds the steel tubes through
which hot gases from the furnace flow. Additionally, the generated steam collects above the water level
in a cylindrically shaped drum.
2.3.2 CENTRIFUGAL PUMP
Like most pumps it converts rotational energy, often from a motor to energy in a moving fluid. A portion
of the energy often goes to kinetic energy of the fluid.

At the heart of the system lies impeller, it has a series of curved vanes fitted inside the shroud plates. It
always immersed in the fluid.

When the impeller is made to rotate, it makes the fluid surrounding it also rotate, this imparts
centrifugal force to the fluid particles and fluid moves radially out.

Since the rotational mechanical energy is transferred to the fluid, at the discharge side of the impeller,
both the pressure and kinetic energy of the water will rise.

At the suction side water is getting displaced so a negative pressure will be induced at the eye such a
low pressure helps suck then fluid into the system and the process continues.

The faster the impeller revolves or the bigger the impeller is, then the higher will be the velocity of the
liquid at the vane tip and the greater the energy imparted to the fluid. A centrifugal pump has two main
components

• Rotating component comprised of an impeller and shaft.

 • Stationery component comprising of casing, casing cover and bearings

Sealing is achieved by means of a mechanical seal the chamber is commonly referred to as a seal
chamber and its primary function is to protect the pump against leakage at the point where the shaft
passes out through the pump pressure casing.

Bearing housing encloses the bearing mounted on the shaft. The bearing keeps the shaft or rotor in
correct alignment with the stationary parts under the action of radial or transverse loads.

Shaft provides torques when starting and during operation while supporting the impeller and other
rotating parts.

2.3.2.1 PUMP OVERHAUL

A pump had stopped working since it had seized (its shaft was unable to turn). A block of wood was also
discovered in it. It was then brought to the engineering workshop and an overhaul was done. After
carefully examining the pump it was established that its bearing balls had tightened up and were unable
to provide that rotating motion hence seizing of the shaft. New bearing had to be ordered but first
measurements were taken as follows if

Shaft has a diameter of 75mm then it should have a clearance of +0.02 -0.01, +0.00 -0.02

And the bearing also should be 75mm and a clearance of 75 -0.00mm, -0.015mm

The O-ring was also fitted with a new one

When fixing the bearings onto the shaft the bearing is first heated in order for it to expand then it’s
immediately inserted onto the shaft. The process is called heat mounting. The bearing is heated to a
temperature greater than 125 degrees Celsius. The pump is then assembled back part by part; at this
point one should be keen since he/she can omit one of the parts. After the assembly a pressure test is
run on the pump to examine for possible leaks

• Pump is filled with water till it’s full.

• Any of the inlet or outlet of the pump can be used for this purpose
• Inlet is sealed completely and the outlet fitted with a seal but a small opening is left.
• The opening is fitted with a small pipe which has been connected to the manual pressure test
equipment
• The system pressure is raised by actuating the test pump handle
• Finally the pumps ball valve is closed when desired pressure is reached in our case its 23psi
since working pressure of the pump is 18psi
• Leakages are determined based on dropping pressure as indicated by the hydrostatic test
pump pressure gauge.

The pump was observed to be leaking at the seal it seemed that it had not settled in its required
position. Further adjustments were made and testing commenced finally it had no leaks thus the pump
was considered for use back in the field.

Tools used:-
 • Allen key
• Fixed and open spanner

• Hammer
• Crane
• Stand
• Bolt and nuts
• Pressure test pump
• Pressure machine
• Lifting straps and shackles

After the overhaul all the parts of the pump were cleaned using water first then wiped by a rag dipped
in diesel. When assembling the parts of the pump are supposed to be clean no dirt particles should be
assembled with it.

2.4 TANKS AND OFFSITE

The department is charge of overall maintenance of the refinery facilities including tanks, pumps and
pipeline. They check for any fault and take necessary action to rectify the fault if it can be done on the
field; if not the particular equipment is then taken to the mechanical workshop for repair.

2 4.1 HYDROTEST ON A REPAIRED PIPELINE

Four important personnel were required for this purpose. One was stationed in the control room,
another at the refinery to open the valve allow water flow, another at the location where the glass
reinforced plastic pipeline was repaired. The last personnel was placed at the end of the line

Walkie talkie radio was essential for communication purposes. At the site the pipe was examined to
establish whether the repaired part had dried after which the test commenced. At the refinery the valve
was opened to allow for the flow of water. At the end of the line valve was also opened to allow air flow
out of the line. In the control room pressure was raised to 8bars first, the repaired line seemed to hold
but when the pressure was increased to 10bars leaks were noticed on the pipe.

2.4.1.1 REPAIRING LEAKS ON GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC PIPELINE

As a rule of the thumb work permits are compulsory requirement before undertaking work. The location
for the job had to be exposed to create workspace. For this purpose a mattock and a shovel came in
handy. Previously the leaking parts on the line were marked to keep track. Using a scrapper consolidated
sand stuck on the pipeline were carefully removed to further clean the pipeline a rag dipped in water
was used to wipe off any remaining sand on it. Measurements taken include circumference of the pipe
with the length or extent to which the assed area is to be covered. The pipe had to be grinded on its
surface to further expose the leaking parts. Acetone is then poured on the grinded part then the c class,
e class and hooven roven materials are then place on the pipe as follows:-

i. Hardener is mixed with resins in desirable quantities depending on the size of the part to be
worked on. Accelerator is also added and the mixture stirred.
 ii. C class material is quickly placed on the grinded part then the mixture of acetone, hardener
and accelerator smeared on it. Before this is done the liquid mixture is first smeared on
grinded part.
iii. After an interval of 30 minutes the c class material is dry.

iv. On a lengthy rectangular bar, acetone is poured on drying the above mixture is smeared on it
using a paint brush
v. E class is spread on the rectangular bar and the mixture is again smeared on both sides of the
E class material, and then quickly placed on the dry C lass. This is followed by the mixture then
smeared again.
vi. After 30 minutes e class has at least dried. Hooven roven material is placed on the rectangular
bar, the process repeats again smearing the mixture on hooven roven then placed on dried e
class. The setting is left to dry awaiting hydro testing.

2.4.2 MOTOR, PUMP ALLIGNMENT

Is the process of aligning shaft centerlines between a motor and a pump. The motor is the prime mover
supplying power to the pump.

Reasons for Alignment

i. Reduce power consumption.

ii. Decrease wear on bearings, seal, shafts and couplings.
iii. Reduce vibrations in shafts and foundation bolts.
iv. Significantly reduce damage to shaft and foundation bolt.
v. Improve pant operating safety.
vi. Reduce cost of consumption of spare parts.
Axes of rotation of both shafts should be collinear when the machine is running under normal
conditions.

Figure 5: coupling alignment

Shaft alignment should not be confused with coupling alignment. The coupling surfaces should not be
used to define alignment conditions since they do not represent the rotation axis of the shafts.

Figure 6: Vertical and horizontal offset

 Figure 7: Variations arising from soft foot

2.4.2.1 Measurement and correction of soft foot

There are two types of soft foot parallel and angular. Parallel soft foot indicates that the baseplate and
machine foot are parallel to each other allowing correction by simply adding shims to the correct
thickness. Angular soft foot is caused by the machine feet forming an angle between each other. One
solution to this is to use tapered shims to fill angular space between baseplate and the foot more drastic
but long-term solution is to remove the machine and grind the machine feet flat.

2.4.2.2 Soft foot measurement

Using a laser alignment system loosen one machine foot at a time the alignment system calculates the
amount of foot lift at each foot. Retighten the machine foot before proceeding to the next foot. Having
determined amount of soft foot present it is possible to make adjustments to the machine according to
soft foot condition diagnosed.

2.4.3 Alignment methods

 Dial indicators
 Laser shaft alignment
2.4.3.1 Laser Shaft Alignment
Pruftenichnik introduced OPTALIGN which is widely used and the following are its guidelines

1. Preparation and dimension

▪ Identification of the machine

▪ Set up
▪ Initial adjustment
▪ Enter machine dimensions

2. Measurement and alignment

• A quarter of a revolution is generally sufficient for calculating the alignment

• Regardless of the position of the laser and sensor simultaneous movement of the machine can
be followed in real time
• Machine alignment
• PERMABOLIC shims help for raising or lowering the machine.

3. Measurements

▪ A quarter of the revolution is generally sufficient for calculating the alignment

▪ Measurement screen- all information at a glance
▪ Measurement table provides the result history

4. Alignment and Results

i. Regardless of the position of the laser and sensor simultaneous movement of the
machine can be followed in real-time.
ii. Vertical and horizontal alignment correctness are shown
iii. Horizontal alignment of machine
iv. PERMABOLIC shims support the vertical alignment.

5. Smiley and confirmation

i. Smile- alignment job is done

ii. Final vibration acceptance check
iii. Save your final result
The centrifugal pump initially brought to the workshop together with its motor for rewinding were taken
back to the plant and were aligned

2.5 INSPECTION DEPARTMENT

The department monitors the health of static equipment in the various units. A thorough inspection of
all equipment, with specific elaborate inspection of critical equipment as identified is carried out using
visual and Non-visual Destructive Techniques NDT such as thermography and radiography.

Inspection is the practice of examining the physical condition of materials, components, or entire pieces
of equipment in order to determine if and for how long it will operate as intended. Inspection plays a
vital role in any asset integrity management program. Inspection provides information about the current
condition of the equipment in question and may provide information to validate the reliability
prediction for the equipment (i.e. validate the accuracy of the equipment remaining life estimation).

2.5.1 Types of Inspection

a) Nondestructive Testing

Nondestructive testing (NDT) uses a variety of inspection techniques in order to locate and monitor
defects without causing damage to the component. External and internal corrosion and cracks are often
found using NDT methods. Some examples of common NDT methods include: radiographic testing,
ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle testing, electromagnetic testing, and many more. When selecting an
NDT method to use for a piece of equipment, the following four considerations should be accounted for:

The type of damage mechanism to be inspected for

▪ The size, shape, and orientation of the defect

▪ Where the defect is located (external or internal)
▪ The sensitivities and limitations of the NDT method

b) Destructive Testing (Mechanical Testing)

In contrast to NDT, destructive testing causes damage to the test specimen. The purpose of destructive
testing, also known as mechanical testing, is to reveal material properties when external forces are
applied dynamically or statically. Important material properties of interest include: tensile strength,
elasticity, elongation, hardness, fracture toughness, fatigue, and resistance to impact. Common
mechanical tests that provide information about those properties include tensile testing, compression
testing, torque testing, bend testing, hardness testing, charpy impact testing, and shear testing.

2.5.1.1 Inspection for Reliability and Remaining Life

The purpose of performing inspection is to provide information on the current state of a piece of
equipment or provide information for remaining life calculations. Risk-based inspection (RBI) and
fitness-for-service (FFS) assessments are two standards used in the oil and gas and chemical processing
industries.
 1. Risk-Based Inspection

RBI is a process that uses a combined system of methods to identify and understand risk. Put simply, risk
can be defined by two elements: the consequence of failure (CoF) and the probability of failure (PoF).
The CoF considers and evaluates the consequences of various outcomes (e.g. health and safety,
environmental damage, equipment damage, and economic loss). The PoF is the likelihood that a piece
of equipment will fail at a given time. Furthermore, both the CoF and the PoF involve qualitative and
quantitative assessments. The fundamental concept of RBI is “How much confidence do I need to have
in what I believe to be the true damage state of the equipment [1]?” RBI can be used to reduce
uncertainty about the damage state of a piece of equipment by prioritizing inspection-related
techniques. This is usually done by means of NDT.

2. Fitness-for-Service

FFS is a recommended practice and industry standard that evaluates in-service equipment for structural
integrity. The purpose of FFS is to determine if a component is suitable for continued service. There are
three levels of FFS assessments, each increasing in level of detail, analysis, and complexity. Typically,
data from NDT and mechanical testing provide critical inspection information used for FFS assessments.
The outcome of an FFS assessment, as it relates to inspection, is to establish inspection intervals for
specific equipment in order to monitor and eliminate potential failures. Establishing inspection intervals
improves the overall safety, reliability, and efficiency of aging equipment.

2.5.1.2 Inspection for Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) are often confused as being the same process. However,
the two processes are distinct.

a) Quality Assurance

The purpose of QA is to inspect the process that manufactures products. In other words, QA is a process
that looks to improve the product development in order to eliminate defects in manufactured products.
Inspection relating to QA does not typically involve NDT nor mechanical testing but rather, uses
qualitative methods to identify gaps and anomalies in the process.

b) Quality Control

QC is carried out after QA and involves inspection of the product. The QC process involves activities such
as NDT to ensure the quality of the product will operate as intended and for a specified number of
cycles (if applicable) before failure. Mechanical testing may also be performed on one part per batch or
per “X” number of batches. The number of batches is up to the company and individuals involved in the
manufacturing process. The purpose of QC is to detect flaws and to determine if the defect is acceptable
or rejectable for service.

2.5.1.3 Welding Inspection

Weld quality assurance is the use of technological methods and actions to test or assure the quality of
welds, and secondarily to confirm the presence, location and coverage of welds. In manufacturing,
welds are used to join two or more metal surfaces. Because these connections may encounter loads and
fatigue during product lifetime, there is a chance they may fail if not created to proper specification.

2.5.1.4 Weld testing and analysis

Methods of weld testing and analysis are used to assure the quality and correctness of the weld after it
is completed. This term generally refers to testing and analysis focused on the quality and strength of
the weld, but may refer to technological actions to check for the presence, position and extent of welds.
The following methods are used mainly used to inspect welding project during the execution process
and after completion. Except for destructive and Charpy testing, all the methods described here are
non-destructive testing (NDT) methods. • Visual inspection

• Radiography

• Ultrasound testing

• Liquid-penetrant testing

• Destructive testing

• Magnetic particle testing

• Eddy-current testing

• Hardness testing

• Charpy V notch testing.

❖ Visual inspection — Visual inspection is the method involving the human eye and some tools. It
is the easiest, least expensive and most effective welding inspection method. This technique is
used while welding is in progress in a field or a workshop. A welder certificate, joint preparation,
condition of electrode, current used, weather conditions, slag removal, etc., can be checked
effectively by visual inspection.
❖ Radiography — Radiography or X-ray methods are also known as non-destructive testing (NDT)
and the process is used to examine the internal structure of a weld without destroying the
welded component. X-ray films are produced with the help of iridium isotope producing x-rays
passing through the weld. Excessive penetration, lack of fusion, concavity, cracks, etc., are
inspected through radiography.
❖ Ultrasound testing — High-frequency sound vibrations are transmitted by ultrasound
equipment through a welded joint. The signals that are received in return on a glass screen
determine the defect in the welded joint. The thickness of a welded joint, cracking, lack of
penetration, and blow holes can be detected by way of the ultrasound method.
❖ Liquid-penetrant testing — this method detects surface defects in a weld, such as hairline
cracks, porosity, etc. In this test, a liquid penetrant is applied on the weld surface. Next, a
developer is applied that renders the defects visible.
 ❖ Destructive testing — In this test the completed weld is cut into pieces, as per the code for face
bend, root bend, side bend, and tensile tests, etc. It’s a method that is effective for locating
porosity, slag inclusion, undercutting, and like defects in a weld.
❖ Magnetic particle testing — this is a method used to detect surface and slightly subsurface
discontinuities in a weld. Electric current is passed through the weld to form a magnetic field.
Iron particles are applied in that magnetic field. The iron particles will build up in the defect
area, isolating it and helping to determine its cause.
❖ Eddy-current testing — Very small cracks are detected through this method. A circular coil
carrying an alternating current is placed near the test specimen. The AC in the coil generates a
magnetic field that interacts with the test specimen and generates eddy current. The presence
of any flaw will cause a change in the eddy current, and this change can be measured by a
receiver coil.
❖ Hardness testing — this test is carried out by striking a specific load on an indicator placed on
the weld. The size of the indentation that is so produced can be referred to a table measuring
hardness.
❖ Charpy V notch testing — by this method, the toughness of a weld is measured. It is performed
by collecting a sample of the weld, cut to a specific size, into which a Vshaped notch is carved.
Then, the sample is held in a clamp. A pendulum strikes the notch and swings upward, and the
result is a measurement of the weld’s toughness.

2.5.2 CORROSION
Corrosion can be defined as the degradation of a material due to a reaction with its environment.
Degradation implies deterioration of physical properties of the material. This can be a weakening of the
material due to a loss of cross-sectional area, it can be the shattering of a metal due to hydrogen
embrittlement, or it can be the cracking of a polymer due to sunlight exposure. Materials can be metals,
polymers (plastics, rubbers, etc.), ceramics (concrete, brick, etc.) or composites-mechanical mixtures of
two or more materials with different properties. Metals corrode because we use them in environments
where they are chemically unstable. Only copper and the precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, etc.)
are found in nature in their metallic state. All other metals, to include iron-the metal most commonly
used-are processed from minerals or ores into metals which are inherently unstable in their
environments. There are many different types of corrosion, each of which can be classified by the
cause of the metal's chemical deterioration. Listed below are some common types of corrosion:

1. General Attack Corrosion:

Also known as uniform attack corrosion, general attack corrosion is the most common type of
corrosion and is caused by a chemical or electrochemical reaction that results in the
deterioration of the entire exposed surface of a metal. Ultimately, the metal deteriorates to the
point of failure. General attack corrosion accounts for the greatest amount of metal destruction
by corrosion but is considered as a safe form of corrosion, due to the fact that it is predictable,
manageable and often preventable.
2. Localized Corrosion:

Unlike general attack corrosion, localized corrosion specifically targets one area of the metal
structure. Localized corrosion is classified as one of three types:

• Pitting: Pitting results when a small hole, or cavity, forms in the metal, usually as a result
of de-passivation of a small area. This area becomes anodic, while part of the remaining
metal becomes cathodic, producing a localized galvanic reaction. The deterioration of
this small area penetrates the metal and can lead to failure. This form of corrosion is
often difficult to detect due to the fact that it is usually relatively small and may be
covered and hidden by corrosion-produced compounds

• Crevice corrosion: Similar to pitting, crevice corrosion occurs at a specific location. This
type of corrosion is often associated with a stagnant micro-environment, like those
found under gaskets and washers and clamps. Acidic conditions or a depletion of oxygen
in a crevice can lead to crevice corrosion.

• Filiform corrosion: Occurring under painted or plated surfaces when water breaches the
coating, filiform corrosion begins at small defects in the coating and spreads to cause
structural weakness.

3. Galvanic Corrosion:

Galvanic corrosion, or dissimilar metal corrosion, occurs when two different metals are located
together in a corrosive electrolyte. A galvanic couple forms between the two metals, where one
metal becomes the anode and the other the cathode. The anode, or sacrificial metal, corrodes
and deteriorates faster than it would alone, while the cathode deteriorates more slowly than it
would otherwise.

Three conditions must exist for galvanic corrosion to occur:

• Electrochemically dissimilar metals must be present

• The metals must be in electrical contact, and

• The metals must be exposed to an electrolyte

4. Environmental Cracking:
Environmental cracking is a corrosion process that can result from a combination of
environmental conditions affecting the metal. Chemical, temperature and stress-related
conditions can result in the following types of environmental corrosion:

• Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC)

• Corrosion fatigue
• Hydrogen-induced cracking
• Liquid metal embrittlemen

5. Flow-Assisted Corrosion (FAC):

Flow-assisted corrosion, or flow-accelerated corrosion, results when a protective layer of oxide

on a metal surface is dissolved or removed by wind or water, exposing the underlying metal to
further corrode and deteriorate.

• Erosion-assisted corrosion
• Impingement
• Cavitation

2.5.3 Storage Tanks

Most storage tanks are designed and built to the American Petroleum Institute API-650
inspection. Storage tanks are used throughout the oil and gas industry for the bulk containment of
fluids at different stages of the refinery process. Most often, products are stored for a short time
before being transported for further processing.
The American Petroleum Institute’s API 650 standard outlines minimum requirements for the
design, fabrication, erection, and inspection of welded storage tanks in the oil and gas industry.
We’ll look at the types of tanks used for these applications: fixed roof and floating roof tanks,
LNG tanks.
2.5.3.1 Fixed Roof Storage Tanks
API 650 prescribes storage tank design requirements that minimize the risk of structural failure
and potential damage to the environment. The standard does not prescribe tank dimensions or
features that should be included in the design. These are specified by users to suit their individual
needs and application.
Some primary features of fixed roof storage tanks include:
• Sampling and gauging hatch – Sometimes referred to as a thief hatch, this is necessary to
retrieve samples of contents for analysis. It is also used as an access point for a dip-stick to gauge
the level in the tank and to check level measuring instruments.

• Vapor vent – The vapor vent is an essential feature of a tank and is often called a breather
valve. Without a properly functioning vapor vent, tanks are subject to damage from the buildup
of pressure when filling. They also are at risk of imploding from the vacuum created during
emptying.
• Relief valve – Relief valves are designed to relieve excess pressure should it rise above the safe
operating limit.
• Inert gas blanket – Inert gas blankets are used to displace air that may form an explosive or
flammable mixture with vapors from volatile liquids in the tank. Nitrogen is often used for this
purpose.
• Drain– Drains are used to remove any water that separates from the product. They also are
used to empty the tank during cleaning operations.
• Fire protection – Tanks are often fitted with a ring of nozzles that spray foam into and over the
surface of the tank in the event of a fire.
• Earth connection – Static electricity tends to form during filling and emptying of the tank.
This constitutes a potential explosion or fire hazard, especially when handling flammable liquids.
An earth connection prevents the buildup of static electricity.
• Manhole – Manholes can be located on the roof of the vessel or at ground level to facilitate
access to the inside of the tank for inspection, cleaning and maintenance.
 CHAPTER 3
3.0 ATTACHMENT EVALUATION
I learn a great depth during my time with KPRL fraternity right from a safety stand point to
technical hands on know-how.

Engineering is practical in nature and must be backed up with theoretical facts that help map out
a solution for a problem.

It is therefore mandatory for an engineer to be versatile in terms of understanding the operation

of machinery to detail in order to counter attack breakdowns that might occur.

Downtime is an expensive endeavor for a company since production or runtime in halted leading
to adverse effects on the market as far as company operations are concerned.

As a result you need a dedicated experienced team of technical experts whom perform
maintenance practices, inspection as well as apply mechanical knowledge, electrical to solve
problems.

3.1 KEY