Case Study Lewis Pumps - H2SO4 | MB Consultores e ...

How Yara Sulfuric Acid Plants reduced downtime more than 60 hrs a year and increased reliability more than 90%Case Study

• By: Jose E. Da Fonseca, Ronaldo Pereira da Silva, Rodrigo Andrade –Yara Paulinia; Martha Villaseñor –Weir, and Bruno Franchi Marftins MB Consultores

• The commitment to combining excellent wear materials, such as proprietary LEWMET® nickel-chrome alloy

• Engineering expertise = safe, efficient and reliable products.

• Equipment manufacturers advise: To use OEM parts for servicing existing equipment = maintain original design performance & ensure optimal performance ensuring long and useful life.

Making the case for OEM parts

• Yara (formerly known as Galvani) is one of the largest producers of super phosphates and granulated fertilizers in Brazil. The two Paulíniasulfuric acid plants, which were designed by MB Consultores in the late nineties, have a combined production of 1,100 metric tons of sulfuric acid per day.

• Production quotas were compromised .MB Consultores worked to improve efficiency and reliability of Yara’s Paulinia plants.

• Repeated failures on the Lewis® vertical centrifugal acid pumps.

• Lewis® staff worked with MB Consultores and Yara looking for a permanent solution eliminating the root cause.

• Common characteristic in pumps failing: Use of third party locally made parts.

Challenged production and finding a root cause

Action Flow Chart done by MB Consultores on Yara Galvani Paulínia

OperationalConditions Map Field Survey Process Engineering

Analysis Technical Report

Technical DatabaseValidation

(Master Spreadsheet)

Customer DatabaseValidation

Visits to ProvideTechnical Support

Follow Turnaround Forcasts

SUPPORT ENHANCE

Case Study: How Brazilian sulfuric acid plants of Galvani decreased downtime

Circulation pumps system of Sulfuric Acid Plant reliability improvement

Plant overview: CIP – Sulfuric Acid

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Begin of operation1993

2 plants of sulfuric acid

Plants capacity375 kt/y

Number of employees68

Power generation7,5 MW

Plant #2Plant #1

Collaboration: Multidisciplinary team to handle the challenge on a risk based approach

Risk analysis with multidisciplinary vision in order to mitigate impacts in safety,

environment and patrimonial

Achievements of goals is only possible due to the collaboration, both internally within Yara and

externally with partners.Team integration: Operation, maintenance,

engineering, procurement and supplier.

Root Cause Analysis – Main Causes• Use of NonOriginal Equipment Manufacturer without

appropriate specification for acid use.• Lack of study and development for NOEM use, following tests

of resistance and durability.• Frequent pump and rotating components breakdowns

due to corrosion and premature wear.• Lack of Spare Parts.

Losses reduction• Reduction of production losses and unschedule maintenance.

Decision-making improvement• Multidisciplinary integrated decision-making, evaluating maintenance costs, equipment life cycle and peopleexposure to risks.

Motivation: Circulation pumps system reliability improvement

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§ People exposure to Accident Risks during maintenance activity due tofrequent pumps breakdown

§ Risk of Environmental Harm due to SOx gases emission in case ofpump failure

§ Low Pump Reliability that impacts in sulfuric acid plants productivity

§ High number of Corrective Maintenance due to non original spare parts utilization

§ Production losses due to plants shutdown: 78 hours in 2015 and 38 hours in 2016 due to pump corrective maintenance

§ Objective: downtime reduction of 90%

SULFURIC ACIDFORMATION

Absorption System+

Drying System

Plant Shutdown

Pump FAILURE

CIRCULATING PUMP ROLE

Operation, maintenance,

process, engineering,

procurement andsupplier team

working together.Analysis and

monitoring ofresults: continuous

improvement

Results: 96% improvement in Unscheduled Stoppage due to AcidPump Recirculation

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Change of strategyUse of Specific and Original Equipment

Manufacturer decreases downtime more than 70 hours per annum at sulfuric

acid plants .

96%Reduction of downtime* Initial objective: reduction of

90%

.

Maintenance Cost + Production Losses**

Using OEM: 480* KBRL/yUsing NOEM: 1,485** + 255* KBRL/y

1,3 MBRL/yof reduction

• Cost of OEM/NOEM: Original/NonOriginal Equipment

Manufacturer

** Production Losses = Shutdown time (h) * Production (ton/h) * Cost Sulfur

Acid (kBRL)

The “look after” picture

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