Industrial training after 3rd yr BTech / Int.

MTech
1.

Whats expected
a. Your expectations
b. Expectation of the training organization
c. Expectation of the trainer(s)
d. Institutes expectation

2.

Types of training organizations

a. Industry
b. R&D laboratory Govt. set up / university / Multi (?) national company

3.

Learning in industrial environment

Formal learning (Source : Text books, Business reports, Companys annual report,
Operating manuals, Books, Process flow sheets, Lectures from the engineers and
the operating personnel).
a. Industry : General idea. Different component processes (plants) making the
whole set up.
b. Plant(s) : plant flow sheet, major equipment, process control scheme energy,
safety, pollutants, utility, operating manpower, plant operation : normal, start
up, shut down, emergencies
c. Specialized equipment used in this plant / process / industry
Informal learning (Sources: Informal discussions with engineers and the operating
personnel. Interactions in off-duty hours)
a. Observing the organizational structure and organogram Identification of
responsibilities. Communication between peers, hierarchies
b. Who is managing the show in different levels : Corporate level, Plant level,
shop floor level.
c. Thoughts on corporate goal, local plant / process unit goal and individual
officer / staffs goal concurrent and conflicting objectives?
d. Yardstick of performance
Individuals at different levels
Process / plant level
Corporate level

4.

5.

DOs and DONOTs for the trainee a sundry list

Dos

How to study a plant / process

Donts

5.1

Identify clearly why are you taking up this study. You must know the level
/ depth to which you wish to know this plant / process. Learn general facts
first, followed by the manpower organization and then study the plant in
more technical details. In fact these are the stages of learning about the
plant.
purpose of the process / plant in the overall processing scheme
working principle of the plant / process in simple terms
capacity : nominal, design, turndown ratio etc. Capacity specification is
based on how many hrs of operation per year or days per year. Peak
processing capacity if available.
feed rate and characteristics of feed : design case and current values
identify the major equipment and follow the process streams from the
process flow diagram
identify each item of utility required and where it is utilized
identify from the P&ID all process parameters that can be varied by the
plant operator. Think and find out why these control schemes have been
adopted. (Dont forget there is reason for each item provided in the plant
and the designer must have had his own logic.)
Understand when and how each operating parameter is adjusted during
normal operation of the plant. Check if there are limits on the rate of
change, maximum or minimum limit or sequence of making changes in
the operating conditions. Think out your own logic / reason, discuss with
your peer and only then confirm / ask / discuss with the operating
personnel (field operator, panel operator and the shift engineer). Note your
inputs; think deeply later to finally accept anything. Often there are
practices so religiously followed by the operating personnel that the logic
for doing the same is not apparent to those who are operating the plant
regularly.

Studying a process plant

o General information : capacity, feed and run down streams, role of the plant in
the processing scheme of the chemical complex
o Understanding the process flow diagram. Identification of processing steps in
the plant functionality wise. Layout of the plant. Know the major operating
parameters of the process and identify how the process operator controls these
understand the P&I Diagram thoroughly. [Discuss with friends / operators /
engineers and read operating manual. Learn about normal operation, start-up,
shut down and plant emergencies. [Consult operating manual / experienced
operators / engineers for this.]
o Identify the utility required for the plant : steam (different pressure levels),
water (cooling water, process water, DM water etc), power (supply voltage
levels 220 V, 440 V, 3.3 KV, 6.6 KV etc.), compressed air (instrument air,
plant air)
o Equipment or set of equipment in each process step tracing the process
stream flow / piping from feed to run down streams, do not miss color code,
or markings on piping

o Source of information : Plant operating manual, discussions, write-ups

5.2
5.2.1

Studying individual equipment in a plant

Static equipment : Vessels (may be fitted with rotating equipment like stirrers),
Columns distillation, absorption, adsorption, extraction etc, storage tanks,
Driers, Heat exchangers, Cooling towers,
o Role of the equipment in overall processing scheme of the plant. Understand
the physical arrangements and the working of the equipment a hand sketch
is useful.
o Read the fabricators label fixed on the equipment understand each entry on
it e.g. equipment no, design standard / code, material code, design / test
pressure, operating temperature / pressure etc.
o Rating and other process plus mechanical specifications are normally
available in the data sheet for the equipment in the manual. Normally
datasheets are at the end of the process / design data book / manual, for all
equipment together. The individual equipment will be identified by its number
e.g. 37E-01 may denote the heat exchanger E-01 in process unit (code)
number 37. Sometimes several equipment data may be presented in a single
sheet this is common for control valves.
o Observe the external : insulation single / multiple material layers and
thickness of each, insulation cover (aluminum / asbestos etc), paint and color
and color code, steam tracing. Also watch out for the location of the
equipment relative to other equipment in the plant e.g. furnaces are located a
corner in a point keeping in mind the wind direction.
o Identify each external connection e.g. inlet(s)/ outlet(s), utility connection,
drain, vent, pressure safety valve mounting, rupture dist mounting,
manhole(s), instrument tapping(s) for pressure / temperature (thermowell) /
level, sampling port etc. Try to find the reason why the connections are at the
locations you fond it to be e.g. why the level tappings are x cm apart, why a
particular nozzle (say the utility nozzle) is having a particular orientation.
[Remember that the designer did have logic in providing everything that you
now see in the equipment]
o Make a hand sketch for the internal arrangements in the vessel / equipment.
Check if the equipment internal is lined. Find out the reason for choosing the
material of construction of the equipment or its components. Try to figure out
how the equipment was fabricated / assembled / erected / transported.
o In case of columns find out if it has plates or packed section(s) and the
details thereof. Try to find out how the trays are attached and assembled and
the packed bed are supported. How are the packing packed during
installation? How can the equipment internals be inspected during shutdown?
o Notice the column / vessel heads - shape, fixing arrangement, gaskets, flange
face and type
o Equipment support type, anchoring with the base / floor, special
arrangement for dampening vibration or distributing load etc.
o Miscellaneous guy ropes and their fixing to the equipment, ground / other support

davit
piping connections to the vessel, expansion arrangements for the pipes,
arrangements to ensure that the piping stress is not transmitted to the
equpment

[Best way to learn about an equipment is to first check it externally and look for answers
to the questions that come up. Then enter the equipment, if possible, after due clearance
from the operating personnel. Never attempt to enter any equipment unaccompanied and
without clearance from responsible operating personnel it can be fatal. Often spare
equipment lie in disassembled condition and can be easily inspected this is particularly
true in case of heat exchangers. ]
5.2.2

Rotary equipment : pumps, compressors, blowers, blenders, mixers etc.

Role of the equipment in overall processing scheme of the plant.
(i)
Centrifugal pump: Locate the equipment no, then its manufacturers label
on the pump as well as the motor (read and understand each entry); identify its
type single / multi stage, seal mechanical seal or gland packing, cooling
arrangement for casing/bearing/pedestal/ seal, lubrication arrangement for bearing
/ mechanical seal/ gland. Look for any flushing arrangement with appropriate
piping arrangement for the flushing fluid. Study the piping arrangement around
the pump look for flow regulation arrangement, isolation arrangement, reverse
flow prevention through the pump, arrangement to smoothly change over to its
spare pump.

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