Technical & Practical
Technology Profile: Dimethyl Ether Production from Natural Gas and Carbon Dioxide
This column is based on “Dimethyl Ether Production from Natural Gas and CO2 (Direct Method) – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/dimethyl-ether-production-cost. Dimethyl ether (DME) is the simplest aliphatic ether, containing only two…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Hydrogen flame hazards and leak detection
The use of molecular hydrogen is common across the chemical process industries (CPI). Annually, 70 million metric tons of H2 are produced worldwide. Most industrial H2 production currently occurs via steam reforming of methane, but production via water electrolysis is…
Choosing Footwear for Chemical Working Environments
Selecting footwear for plant personnel is not a “one size fits all” situation — various factors must be considered to ensure the best shoe for a specific application Chemical manufacturing plants generally have questions about their overall safety protection program,…
Using Lifecycle Cost Analysis for Best Project Value
Lifecycle cost analysis (LCCA) can be used as a tool for selecting alternatives that add the most value to a project. The methodology for implementing LCCA is described here In the chemical process industries (CPI), identifying optimum process designs challenges…
Technology Profile: Isopropyl Alcohol Production from Acetone
This column is based on “Isopropyl Alcohol Production from Acetone – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/isopropyl-alcohol-production-cost. Isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol or 2-propanol) is a colorless and flammable liquid with a strong odor. Isopropyl…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Roof Classifications of Atmospheric Storage Tanks
Storage tanks that are freely vented to the atmosphere are known as aboveground atmospheric storage tanks (ASTs). ASTs have a vertical cylindrical configuration and can be identified by the open vent nozzle on the tank roof. This one-page reference outlines…
Design of Bulk-Solids Moving-Bed Heat Exchangers
Presented here are equations governing heat transfer in a moving-bed heat exchanger, along with a numerical method for solving them Moving-bed heat exchangers (MBHE) represent an efficient method for heating or cooling bulk-solid materials compared to other technologies, such as…
Thermodynamics of Gas Piping Systems
Understanding the implications of adiabatic and isothermal flow assumptions is necessary to have confidence in when to use such assumptions Every engineer uses assumptions because every analysis has an overabundance of variables to consider. Often, there are just too many…
Airset regulators for On/Off Valve Applications
Airset regulators are seemingly simple devices, but care must be taken to ensure the right devices are specified, particularly in safety instrumented systems Chemical plants and other heavy industrial facilities typically contain many pneumatically controlled valves, actuators and instruments. Airset…
Propionic Acid Production from Propionaldehyde
This column is based on “Propionic Acid Production from Propionaldehyde – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/propionic-acid-production-cost. Propionic acid (also known as propanoic acid) is a carboxylic acid commonly found in nature, mainly…