Technical Research Group
Missions, Objectives, Plans and Priorities
Introduction
Research and investigation are innate parts of human life. We believe when there is a problem; certainly there are solutions too. However, finding the best solution that is cost effective and least time-consuming, as well as best results and yield, could be obtained only through scientific research procedure.
The technical research is carried out into the cases relevant to the following fields: “Corrosion, Materials, Metal coating and Cathodic protection”, “Mechanical Engineering Field, including both stationary and rotary equipment”, “Electrical Engineering Field including power generation and distribution and Electrical equipment, both stationary and rotary electrical devices”, “Electronics, Control, Automation and Instrument Engineering Field”, “Civil Engineering and fields related to structure reinforcement”, and finally “Energy Saving and Industrial Water refinery”.
History of the Group
Technical Research Group was established in Research and Development Affairs of Iranian National Petrochemical Company (NPC) in 1998. In 2003, with emerging Petrochemical Research and Technology Company (NPC-RT) and considering the strategy of the time, the activities of this group diminished. In 2006, due to necessity, the group was reorganized again. Actually this group has become functional since early 2007.
Mission of the Group
The missions of the group include policy making, planning, coordinating, and determining priorities, as well as defining, conducting and managing the execution of required technical research activities for petrochemical industries. This group along with polymer, non polymer, cutting edge technology, and catalyst research groups is an affiliate of Research &Technology Coordination and Planning.
Group Objectives
· Enhancement of Innovation, creativity, and technical research in petrochemical industries
· Increasing productivity, efficiency and life time of installations, equipment, parts and accessories in petrochemical industries by applying technical research
· Trouble shooting in petrochemical industries
· Saving and optimizing energy consumption and heat recovery in production plants and complexes
· Providing manufacturing know-how for foreign equipment, parts and accessories in petrochemical industries with considering relevant feasibility study
Group Programs
1) Determining and suggesting policies and providing group working programs
2) Establishing and organizing the six-fold research teams
3) Determination of research priorities and criteria for defining and selecting the suggested projects in specific fields
4) Establishing close relation and cooperation with R&D centers of petrochemical complexes
5) Cooperation and interaction with SPEC Co. regarding researches relevant to foreign equipment replacement policy and achieving manufacturing know-how of parts and equipment
6) Controlling and supervising research projects in line of group objectives
7) Carrying out important projects directly by group researchers via signing agreements with complexes in order to make profit for NPC-RT
8) Providing data bank of projects finished and/or in progress in petrochemical industries
9) Providing data bank of centers, institutes and researchers working in technical research areas
10) Supplying online information via NPC-RT web site and using
IT in communications
11)Holding special brainstorming meetings ,and gatherings ,as
well as educational seminars to collect ideas and suggestions
Group Research Teams
· Corrosion research team
· Mechanical research team
· Electrical(power) research team
· Electronic and instrument research team
· Energy and industrial waters research team
· Civil research team
Research Priorities
1- Executing applied researches in the following areas:
· Research in relation with trouble shooting in petrochemical plants
· Research relevant to increasing efficiency and life time of parts, equipment and installations in regard to corrosion, erosion, and the causes of failures in petrochemical industries
· Research pertaining to energy saving and optimizing industrial water production and consumption in petrochemical industries
· Research pertaining to manufacturing know-how for replacing foreign parts, equipment and accessories in petrochemical industries
2- Executing basic research relevant to science frontiers (at most %10 of projects)
Corrosion Team Priorities
· Corrosion management in petrochemical plants
· Taking advantage of nano technology to reduce corrosion
· Corrosion in armed concrete structures in petrochemical complexes and plants
· Utilizing smart computer systems for the purpose of corrosion monitoring
· Corrosion inhibitors
· Outer coating and linings of installations and equipment
· Trouble shooting in petrochemical industries with respect to corrosion
· Corrosion damage and loss in petrochemical industries
· Insulations and refractories
· Developing corrosion know-how as well as preventive and protective methods.
Energy and Industrial Waters Team Priorities
· Feasibility study on decreasing and recovering gases sent to flares
· Investigation, modification and optimization of steam wasting and consumption
· Hydrogen management in Special Economic Zones of Mahshahr and Asalouyeh
· Optimizing industrial water treatment and production systems
· Investigation on decreasing energy wasting and consumption in petrochemical complexes
· Investigation, modification, and optimization of process furnace isolation in petrochemical plants
· Energy recovery in process equipment outlet
· Investigation on electrical energy saving in petrochemical complexes
Mechanical Team Priorities
· Improvement in designing, manufacturing, and selection of suitable materials for mechanical parts
· Investigation on the causes of failures and break down in parts such as shafts
· The methods for estimating parts lifetime
· Achieving manufacturing Know-how for foreign parts and devices in order to replace them by in-house ones
Electrical Team Priorities
· Investigation on the stability of power generation and distribution network in complexes for reducing power failures
· Investigation on instability parameters in petrochemical power plants
· Investigation on the methods of know-how transfer, upgrading electrical distribution and protection systems, and improvement of their functions
· Providing manufacturing know-how for foreign electrical parts and equipment to be replaced by in-house ones
Electronic and Instrument Team Priorities
· Investigation on the know-how developing and transfer methods of control system design
· Study and compilation of the manufacturing know-how of systems , equipment ,and instrument cards and devices in order to replace them with in-house ones
· Investigation on methods of upgrading control systems and improving their functions
Civil Team Priorities
· Evaluating vibration vulnerability of installations in petrochemical sites against earthquake and reinforcement alternatives
· Reinforcement of concrete against erosion
Major research plans and projects in progress
· Organizing Paint and coating stance in petrochemical industries
· Design and establishment of paint and coating research stations in Mahshahr.
· Design and implementation of corrosion management system in operational petrochemical industries.
· Devising a software system of pipes corrosion monitoring
· Investigation into iron and iron alloy nano crystal coating application on armature.
· Study of creep behavior in butt welding of super heater tubes of reboilers
· Study of anti-corrosion performance of triple-layer polyolefin (PP.HDPE) coatings of pipelines
· Study into inhibit ability of imidazolederivatives as alternatives tochromatecompounds
· Compilation of reformer catalyst tubes manufacturing know-how
· Dynamic analysis of magnetic bearing rotor ,and manufacturing and modification of a laboratory magnetic bearing sample
· Investigation on various types of gas sensors ,and their functional principles in a comparative approach
· Effects of recovery processes on creep properties and longevity of nickel based super alloys in gas turbine blades
· Feasibility study into reducing and refining of flare gases in Olefin unit of AmirKabir petrochemical complex
Our motto: Research for better life
Innovation in research
Boom in technology