Systems Test 1 review questions

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What is the definition of a system?

A collection of interrelated equipment and processes

What should Process Technicians learn about each sub-system?

The terminology and process technology

How do sub-systems work together in a larger system?

They are interdependent and rely on each other

What should Process Technicians do when faced with a complex system?

Break the system down into smaller sub-systems

What is the system concept?

A way to understand a work process

Why is it important to understand sub-systems in a larger system?

All of the above

What should Process Technicians do once they understand all the sub-systems?

Put the sub-systems together to understand the total system

What is the purpose of breaking a system down into sub-systems?

All of the above

Which of the following tasks may expose process technicians to the hazard of poisonous snakes?

Monitoring raw water pumps

Process technicians are responsible for performing which of the following tasks involving service water systems?

Monitor clarifiers.

How might heavy rain result in the loss of feed water?

Low-lying raw water pumps might be submerged.

Which kind of water usually is used for wash downs?

Service water

Service water systems require process technicians to perform which of the following tasks?

Monitor clarifiers.

What is one of the possible hazards related to the task of working with clarifiers?

Chemical exposure

What is typically used to clean water that has already passed through a clarifier?

A sand filter

What term is used to describe the cloudiness caused by particles suspended in water or some other liquid?

Turbidity

Process technicians are responsible for performing which of the following tasks involving firewater systems?

Monitor pumps to ensure they will work properly when needed.

What are the primary means for treating turbidity?

Clarifying and filtering

What is the most common controlled variable in water systems?

Pressure

What is the term used for the thick mixture formed in pipes and equipment by accumulation of suspended solids?

Sludge

Which of these water systems requires process technicians to monitor pumps and ensure they will work properly when needed?

Firewater systems

What is the primary means for preventing fish and other marine life from entering the water intakes of a plant?

Screens

How is firewater derived?

From screened raw water

What human function uses the concept of latent heat of evaporation?

Sweating

In water systems, what does the term colloid usually refer to?

Water that contains suspended solids

What is one of the possible hazards related to the task of cleaning screens?

Moving parts

What principle is used to cool water in a cooling tower?

Evaporative cooling

Which systems require process technicians to backflush filters as needed?

Service water systems

What is a sign of significant toxic chlorine gas production?

A faint yellowish-green haze

What is used to introduce chlorine gas into water for disinfection?

An eductor

What is one of the processes required to produce service water in addition to screening?

Clarification

Why does cooling water require ongoing monitoring and treatment?

Evaporation may cause contaminants in the cooling water to concentrate.

In a fire water system, what can cause a drop in water pressure?

Activation of a deluge system

To fulfill which area of responsibility in storage and blending systems does the process technician review all procedures and safety precautions?

Starting up the storage blending system

In which area of responsibility in storage and blending systems does the process technician add proper amounts of reagents/inhibitors?

Monitoring conditions of the system

In performing the task of preparing for maintenance, why is it important to steam, wash, or purge equipment?

To ensure all hydrocarbons are removed before any air is admitted to the system

What can cause a material to be put in the wrong storage tank, contaminating the other material in the tank?

Improper valve alignment

What can cause the product to become too viscous and inhibit or stop transfer by clogging lines and pumps, which may damage them beyond repair?

Insufficient heating in the temperature control system

What is the term used to describe products that are sold to the customer and are not processed further?

Final products

As the liquid level rises inside a tank that uses an inert gas blanketing system, inert gas is vented through a process sometimes called ________.

depadding

What kind of control uses both a nitrogen valve and a vent valve to control pressure?

A split range control

Which of the following is an advantage of aboveground tanks?

Easy access for maintenance and repair

Which area of responsibility in storage and blending systems requires the process technician to purge equipment?

Starting up the storage blending system

Which of the following is a disadvantage of underground tanks?

Harder to recognize leaks

How does the surface area of the solid or liquid in contact with a gas affect vapor pressure?

Surface area has no effect.

What term describes a series of tanks and vessels that are interconnected in a system for storing feedstock, intermediates, additives, and final products?

Tank farm

In which area of responsibility in storage and blending systems does the process technician inspect equipment (possibly including the interior of tanks/vessels)?

Monitoring conditions of the system

Which process maintains the integrity of more valuable metals in pipes or vessels by connecting a more easily corroded “sacrificial metal” to act as the anode?

Cathodic protection

What can result in rupture of the rupture disc, venting dangerous gases to the atmosphere, and in extreme cases, a tank rupture?

PVRV failure in the pressure measurement and control system

Pressure/vacuum relief valves (PVRVs) help protect tanks against what form of permanent damage due to vacuum?

Implosion

Which type of blending uses a static mixer that is actually an internal part of the piping?

Inline blending

In which operator task is it important to make sure vapors are not escaping to the environment and contents of tank are not exposed to outside air to cause unwanted reactions?

Monitoring outside equipment

What can result from an inert gas supply interruption in the pressure measurement and control?

Implosion of the vessel

Which operator task can pose chemical contact/inhalation hazards?

Cleaning vessels

Pressurized spherical tanks are often used to store what types of product?

Products with a high vapor pressure

In addition to high/low level, temperature, and pressure, what other condition will typical storage tanks for continuous operation blending systems have alarms for?

Blanket system failure

Gasoline is an example of what type of product?

Blended

The structures designed to hold the contents of tanks in case of a spills, ruptures, or fire are called ________.

spill containment dikes

What is designed to destroy waste products with a fairly steady flow rate and composition, so that exhaust products emitted to the atmosphere have very low pollutant concentrations?

A thermal oxidizer (TO)

Why are flare headers in a relief system purged or swept with nitrogen or natural gas?

To keep oxygen levels minimal to avoid the potential for ignition in the header

Which task is part of a process technician's responsibilities for monitoring flare performance in a flare system?

Checking the flare pilot detection system periodically

If the waste material is highly toxic, the required destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) can be as high as ________.

99.9999%

What are three important factors for flare systems?

Smokeless capacity, thermal radiation, and noise

How long should a flare system be capable of running continuously?

Five years or more

When a process technician hears unusual sounds coming from a thermal oxidizer, it could indicate________.

a burner problem

What measurement is used to express the amount of heat a combustion reaction will produce?

British thermal units per standard cubic foot (BTUs/scf)

What can be very helpful in detecting hot spots caused by a failing refractory in a thermal oxidizing system?

An infrared imaging device

Generally, process burner flames are not as ________ today as in the past because of emissions standards.

turbulent

What is the term for the ratio of the highest firing rate to the lowest firing rate for a particular combustion unit?

Turndown

If its maximum firing rate is 150 million BTU/hr, and its lowest firing rate is 25 million BTU/hr, what is the unit’s turndown ratio?

150/25 or 6 to 1

What is reduced or eliminated when a flame is partially or fully extinguished?

Destruction and removal efficiency (DRE)

Why is smoke normally less an issue with thermal oxidizers (TOs) than with flares?

TO waste composition and flow rates are much steadier than those of flares.

Most thermal oxidizer (TO) systems have some type of________ to ensure safe operation.

burner management systems (BMS)

Looking for flame puffing and surging is part of a process technician's responsibilities for ________ in a flare system.

monitoring flare performance

Which term is used to describe waste materials that generate heat when they are burned?

Exothermic

What is the condition of a thermal oxidizer (TO) if its shell is glowing?

The temperature is much too hot.

What is one of the most important parameters for TO systems?

Destruction and removal efficiency (DRE)

Why are flare pilots normally operated on a separate fuel supply system, which is often natural gas?

Because the heating value is very steady

A gas detector often uses which of the following to represent the upper flammability limit?

%UEL

When are unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions particularly likely to occur?

When steam-assisted flares are fed too much steam

How are pilots usually lit?

With spark ignition

What is a device used in many flare systems to remove liquid from the waste before it goes to the flare for destruction?

A knockout drum

In addition to smokeless capacity, what is a second flow rating that is normally used during an emergency or upset condition, where smoke will be generated but is designed to burn safely?

Hydraulic capacity