| | Contents | |
| | | |
| |
| | Preface | XV |
| 1 | What is Trouble Shooting? | 1 |
| 1.1 | Characteristics of a Trouble-Shooting Problem | 2 |
| 1.1.1 | Similarities among TS Problems | 2 |
| 1.1.2 | Differences between TS Problems | 3 |
| 1.2 | Characteristics of the Process Used to Solve Trouble-Shooting Problems | 3 |
| 1.2.1 | How the Type of Problem Guides the TS Process or Strategy | 3 |
| 1.2.2 | Five Key Elements Common to the TS Process | 4 |
| 1.3 | Self-Test and Reflections | 5 |
| 1.4 | Overview of the Book | 9 |
| 1.5 | Summary | 9 |
| 1.6 | Cases to Consider | 9 |
| 2 | The Mental Problem-Solving Process used in Trouble Shooting | 17 |
| 2.1 | Problem Solving | 19 |
| 2.2 | Trouble Shooting | 23 |
| 2.2.1 | Considerations when Applying the Strategy to Solve Trouble-Shooting Problems | 23 |
| 2.2.2 | Problem-Solving Processes Used by Skilled Trouble Shooters | 24 |
| 2.2.3 | Data Collection and Analysis: Approaches Used to Test Hypotheses | 25 |
| 2.3 | Overall Summary of Major Skills and a Worksheet | 25 |
| 2.3.1 | Getting Organized: the Use of a Trouble-Shooter´s Worksheet | 25 |
| 2.3.2 | Feedback about your Trouble Shooting | 29 |
| 2.4 | Example Use of the Trouble-Shooter´s Worksheet | 35 |
| 2.5 | Summary | 40 |
| 2.6 | Cases to Consider | 40 |
| 3 | Rules of Thumb for Trouble Shooting | 43 |
| 3.1 | Overall | 43 |
| 3.1.1 | General Rules of Thumb and Typical Causes | 43 |
| 3.1.2 | Corrosion as a Cause | 45 |
| 3.1.3 | Instruments, Valves and Controllers | 46 |
| 3.1.4 | Rules of Thumb for People | 47 |
| 3.1.5 | Trouble-Shooting Teams | 48 |
| 3.2 | Transportation Problems | 51 |
| 3.2.1 | Gas Moving: Pressure Service | 52 |
| 3.2.2 | Gas Moving: Vacuum Service | 53 |
| 3.2.3 | Liquid | 54 |
| 3.2.4 | Solids | 56 |
| 3.2.5 | Steam | 58 |
| 3.3 | Energy Exchange | 58 |
| 3.3.1 | Drives | 58 |
| 3.3.2 | Thermal Energy: Furnaces | 60 |
| 3.3.3 | Thermal Energy: Fluid Heat Exchangers, Condensers and Boilers | 61 |
| 3.3.4 | Thermal Energy: Refrigeration | 65 |
| 3.3.5 | Thermal Energy: Steam Generation | 66 |
| 3.3.6 | High-Temperature Heat-Transfer Fluids | 66 |
| 3.4 | Homogeneous Separation | 67 |
| 3.4.1 | Evaporation | 67 |
| 3.4.2 | Distillation | 69 |
| 3.4.3 | Solution Crystallization | 72 |
| 3.4.4 | Gas Absorption | 73 |
| 3.4.5 | Gas Desorption/Stripping | 75 |
| 3.4.6 | Solvent Extraction, SX | 76 |
| 3.4.7 | Adsorption: Gas | 77 |
| 3.4.8 | Adsorption: Liquid | 77 |
| 3.4.9 | Ion Exchange | 77 |
| 3.4.10 | Membranes: Reverse Osmosis, RO | 79 |
| 3.4.11 | Membranes: Nanofiltration | 79 |
| 3.4.12 | Membranes: Ultrafiltration, UF, and Microfiltration | 79 |
| 3.5 | Heterogeneous Separations | 79 |
| 3.5.1 | Gas-Liquid | 80 |
| 3.5.2 | Gas-Solid | 81 |
| 3.5.3 | Liquid-Liquid | 82 |
| 3.5.4 | Gas-Liquid-Liquid Separators | 84 |
| 3.5.5 | Dryer for GS Separation | 85 |
| 3.5.6 | Screens for Liquid Solid Separation or Dewatering | 85 |
| 3.5.7 | Settlers for LS Separation | 86 |
| 3.5.8 | Hydrocyclones for LS Separation | 86 |
| 3.5.9 | Thickener for LS Separation | 86 |
| 3.5.10 | Sedimentation Centrifuges | 87 |
| 3.5.11 | Filtering Centrifuge | 87 |
| 3.5.12 | Filter for LS Separation | 88 |
| 3.5.13 | Screens for Solid-Solid Separation | 88 |
| 3.6 | Reactor Problems | 88 |
| 3.6.1 | PFTR: Multitube Fixed-Bed Catalyst, Nonadiabatic | 89 |
| 3.6.2 | PFTR: Fixed-Bed Catalyst in Vessel: Adiabatic | 91 |
| 3.6.3 | PFTR: Bubble Reactors, Tray Column Reactors | 93 |
| 3.6.4 | PFTR: Packed Reactors | 94 |
| 3.6.5 | PFTR: Trickle Bed | 94 |
| 3.6.6 | PFTR: Thin Film | 96 |
| 3.6.7 | STR: Batch (Backmix) | 96 |
| 3.6.8 | STR: Semibatch | 98 |
| 3.6.9 | CSTR: Mechanical Mixer (Backmix) | 99 |
| 3.6.10 | STR: Fluidized Bed (Backmix) | 101 |
| 3.6.11 | Mix of CSTR, PFTR with Recycle | 106 |
| 3.6.12 | Reactive Extrusion | 106 |
| 3.7 | Mixing Problems | 107 |
| 3.7.1 | Mechanical Agitation of Liquid | 107 |
| 3.7.2 | Mechanical Mixing of Liquid-Solid | 108 |
| 3.7.3 | Solids Blending | 108 |
| 3.8 | Size-Decrease Problems | 109 |
| 3.8.1 | Gas Breakup in Liquid: Bubble Columns | 109 |
| 3.8.2 | Gas Breakup in Liquid: Packed Columns | 109 |
| 3.8.3 | Gas Breakup in Liquid: Agitated Tanks | 110 |
| 3.9 | Size Enlargement | 110 |
| 3.9.1 | Size Enlargement: Liquid-Gas: Demisters | 110 |
| 3.9.2 | Size Enlargement: Liquid-Liquid: Coalescers | 110 |
| 3.9.3 | Size Enlargement: Solid in Liquid: Coagulation/Flocculation | 111 |
| 3.9.4 | Size Enlargement: Solids: Tabletting | 111 |
| 3.9.5 | Size Enlargement: Solids: Pelleting | 111 |
| 3.9.6 | Solids: Modify Size and Shape: Injection Molding and Extruders | 112 |
| 3.9.7 | Coating | 126 |
| 3.10 | Vessels, Bins, Hoppers and Storage Tanks | 126 |
| 3.11 | ‘‘Systems’‘ Thinking | 127 |
| 3.12 | Health, Fire and Stability | 130 |
| 3.12.1 | Individual Species | 130 |
| 3.12.2 | Combinations | 131 |
| 4 | Trouble Shooting in Action: Examples | 133 |
| 4.1 | Case #3: The Case of the Cycling Column | 133 |
| 4.2 | Case #4: Platformer Fires | 138 |
| 4.3 | Case #5: The Sulfuric Acid Pump | 141 |
| 4.4 | Case #6: The Case of the Utility Dryer | 144 |
| 4.5 | Case #7: The Case of the Reluctant Crystallizer | 157 |
| 4.6 | Reflections about these Examples | 162 |
| 5 | Polishing Your Skills: Problem-Solving Process | 165 |
| 5.1 | Developing Awareness of the Problem-Solving Process | 165 |
| 5.1.1 | Some Target Skills | 166 |
| 5.1.2 | The TAPPS Roles: Talker and Listener | 166 |
| 5.1.3 | Activity 5.1: (35 minutes) | 168 |
| 5.1.4 | Feedback, Self-Assessment | 172 |
| 5.2 | Strategies | 173 |
| 5.2.1 | Some Target Skills | 174 |
| 5.2.2 | The Extended TAPPS Roles: Talker+ and Listener+ | 175 |
| 5.2.3 | Activity 5.2: (time 35 minutes) | 176 |
| 5.2.4 | Feedback, Self-assessment | 179 |
| 5.3 | Exploring the ‘‘Context’‘: what is the Real Problem? | 180 |
| 5.3.1 | Example | 180 |
| 5.3.2 | Activity 5-3 | 181 |
| 5.4 | Creativity | 183 |
| 5.4.1 | Some Target Skills | 183 |
| 5.4.2 | Example: Case #10: To dry or not to dry! (based on Krishnaswamy and Parker, 1984) | 186 |
| 5.4.3 | Activity 5-4 | 190 |
| 5.4.4 | Feedback, Self-Assessment | 191 |
| 5.5 | Self-Assessment | 191 |
| 5.5.1 | Some Target Skills | 192 |
| 5.5.2 | Activity for Growth in Self-Assessment | 192 |
| 5.5.3 | Feedback About Assessment | 193 |
| 5.6 | Summary and Self-Rating | 194 |
| 6 | Polishing Your Skills: Gathering Data and the Critical-Thinking Process | 195 |
| 6.1 | Thinking Skills: How to Select Valid Diagnostic Actions | 196 |
| 6.1.1 | How to Select a Diagnostic Action | 196 |
| 6.1.2 | Select from among a Range of Diagnostic Actions | 196 |
| 6.1.3 | More on Gathering and Interpreting Data | 200 |
| 6.1.4 | Summary | 209 |
| 6.2 | Thinking Skill: Consistency: Definitions, Cause-Effect and Fundamentals | 209 |
| 6.2.1 | Consistent Use of Definitions | 210 |
| 6.2.2 | Consistent with How Equipment Works: Cause  Effects: Root Cause-Symptoms | 212 |
| 6.2.3 | Consistent with Fundamental Rules of Mathematics and English | 217 |
| 6.2.4 | Consistent with Fundamental Principles Of Science: Conservation of Mass, Energy, High to Low Pressure, Properties of Materials | 218 |
| 6.2.5 | Consistent with Experience | 218 |
| 6.2.6 | Summary | 219 |
| 6.3 | Thinking Skills: Classification | 219 |
| 6.3.1 | Classify the Starting Information | 219 |
| 6.3.2 | Classifying Ideas from Brainstorming | 220 |
| 6.4 | Thinking Skills: Recognizing Patterns | 221 |
| 6.4.1 | Patterns in the Symptoms | 221 |
| 6.4.2 | Patterns in the Evidence | 223 |
| 6.5 | Thinking Skill: Reasoning | 223 |
| 6.5.1 | Step 1: Classify the Information | 224 |
| 6.5.2 | Step 2: Write the Conclusion | 225 |
| 6.5.3 | Step 3: Identify the Context | 225 |
| 6.5.4 | Step 4: Clarify the Meaning of the Terminology | 226 |
| 6.5.5 | Step 5: Consider the Evidence | 227 |
| 6.5.5a | Identify the Evidence | 227 |
| 6.5.5b | Check for Consistency | 227 |
| 6.5.5c | Which Evidence is Pertinent? | 228 |
| 6.5.5d | Diagram the Argument | 229 |
| 6.5.6 | Step 6: Formulate the Assumptions | 230 |
| 6.5.7 | Step 7: Assess the Quality of the Reasoning | 230 |
| 6.5.8 | Step 8: Assess the Strengths of the Counterarguments | 232 |
| 6.5.9 | Step 9: Evaluate the Consequences and Implications | 232 |
| 6.5.10 | Activity 6-14 | 232 |
| 6.6 | Feedback and Self-Assessment | 233 |
| 6.7 | Summary | 233 |
| 6.8 | Exercises | 234 |
| 7 | Polishing Your Skills: Interpersonal Skills and Factors Affecting Personal Performance | 237 |
| 7.1 | Interpersonal Skills | 237 |
| 7.1.1 | Communication | 237 |
| 7.1.2 | Listening | 238 |
| 7.1.3 | Fundamentals of Interaction | 239 |
| 7.1.4 | Trust | 240 |
| 7.1.5 | Building on Another´s Personal Uniqueness | 243 |
| 7.2 | Factors that Affect Personal Performance | 244 |
| 7.2.1 | Pride and Unwillingness to Admit Error | 244 |
| 7.2.2 | Stress: Low and High Stress Errors | 245 |
| 7.2.3 | Alienation and Lack of Motivation | 249 |
| 7.2.4 | ‘‘I Know Best!’‘ Attitude | 249 |
| 7.2.5 | Tendency to Interpret | 249 |
| 7.3 | The Environment | 253 |
| 7.4 | Summary | 253 |
| 7.5 | Exercises and Activities | 253 |
| 8 | Prescription for Improvement: Put it all Together | 259 |
| 8.1 | Approaches to Polish Your Skill | 259 |
| 8.1.1 | Triad Activity | 259 |
| 8.1.2 | Individual Activity | 262 |
| 8.2 | Cases to Help you Polish Your Skill | 263 |
| 8.2.1 | Guidelines for Selecting a Case | 263 |
| 8.2.2 | The Cases and Understanding the Choice of Diagnostic Actions for each Case | 263 |
| 8.3 | Summary | 396 |
| 9 | What Next? | 397 |
| 9.1 | Summary of Highlights | 397 |
| 9.2 | Reflection and Self-Assessment are Vital for the Development of Confidence | 401 |
| 9.3 | Going Beyond this Book: Setting Goals for Improvement | 402 |
| 9.3.1 | Prepare Yourself for Success | 402 |
| 9.3.2 | Use Reflection and Self-Assessment Effectively | 403 |
| 9.4 | Going Beyond this Book: Updating your Rules of Thumb and Symptom  Cause Data for Process Equipment | 403 |
| 9.5 | Beyond this Book: Sources of Other Cases | 403 |
| | Literature References | 405 |
| | Index | I 1 |
| | CD Contents | |
| | Appendix A
Feedback about Experience with Process Equipment | 411 |
| | Appendix B
Improving ‘‘Systems Thinking’‘ | 415 |
| | Appendix C
Feedback on the Cases in Chapters 1, 2 and 7 | 423 |
| | Appendix D
Coded Answers for the Questions Posed to Solve the Cases | 435 |
| | Appendix E
Debrief for the Trouble-Shooting Cases | 537 |
| | Appendix F
Other Tasks for the Skill-Development Activities in Chapter 5 | 565 |
| | Appendix G
Selected Responses to the Activities in Chapters 6 and 7 | 569 |
| | Appendix H
Data about ‘‘Causes’’ for Selected Process Equipment | 573 |
| | Appendix I
Feedback about Symptoms for Selected Causes | 579 |
| | Appendix J
Guide for Students: How You Can Get the Most from this Book | 581 |
| J-1 | Getting Started: Get the Big Picture | 581 |
| J-2 | Try a Trouble-Shooting Case where the Problem is Reasonably Well Defined | 582 |
| J-3 | See How Others Handle a Case | 591 |
| J-4 | Pause, Reflect on the Pretest, and Invest Time Polishing Specific Skills | 591 |
| J-5 | Work your First Cases Starting with Case #19 | 591 |
| J-6 | Trouble Shooting on the Job | 591 |
| J-7 | Summary | 592 |
