Normalized profitability metrics provide a basis for comparing the efficiency of capital investments, but they are often misunderstood. New interpretations of these metrics can help engineers to make more informed decisions In a financial sense, a large capital project can…
Using the approach outlined here, piping engineers can select the most appropriate bolt-tightening technique based on pressure class and flange size, and calculate the required torque or tool pressure if hydraulic tensioning tools are used In the majority of industrial…
Sewage and wastewater often contain pollutants and environmental hormones (endocrine disruptors) that can have a negative effect on the environment and on human health. Catalysts currently used to destroy such pollutants involve high costs. And up to now, research has…
Phenom ParticleX (photo) is a desktop scanning electron microscope (SEM) that is designed to provide additive manufacturing (3D printing) companies faster quality-control analyses of materials used in development and production. The Phenom ParticleX includes a broad range of automated SEM…
The AMS Asset Monitor edge analytics device (photo) digitizes data and analytics, with focus on essential assets that were previously monitored only with infrequent assessments. The new device connects with the Plantweb Optics asset-performance platform to provide instant asset-health details.…
Featuring a durable, low-maintenance solenoid drive equipped with double-ball valves, the NSP Series of solenoid metering pumps (photo) provide consistent and precise dosing of a variety of chemicals, including acids, alkalis, coagulants and flocculants. The compact design and easy-to-use control…
This practical overview of ASTM standards can serve as a roadmap when selecting and evaluating heat transfer fluids Heat-transfer-fluid systems are often used for process heating to 500°F or higher. To accomplish heating above 500°F, steam pressure must be above…
Working with supercritical fluids poses challenges when designing heat exchangers. Some practical tips and precautions are presented here Industrial applications involving fluids at high pressure — pressure above the critical pressure of a particular fluid — are increasing in number.…
Portable laptop computers and smartphones can be used to emulate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling results using this interpolation procedure Most engineers are familiar with computational-fluid-dynamics (CFD) models and their power (for an overview of CFD, see Part 1). At…
The Orbit 60 Series (photo) is a next-generation condition-monitoring and protection platform that collects and processes data to evaluate machine health. It is said to be the first intrinsically cyber-secure machinery-monitoring platform with a built-in data diode, which enables secure…