June, Safety, ethics on the horizon, p. 5: As a thoroughly schooled, experienced engineer, I have read the news, watched television and listened to the radio for an engineering explanation of what went on as BP lost control of its…
In any given chemical processing facility, there may be literally hundreds of operational environments that require protection from excessive pressure. Both rupture disks and pressure relief valves, or the two used in combination, help protect against damage to equipment and…
When it comes to managing regulatory documents such as product labels, bills of lading, and certificates of analysis (COA), virtually all manufacturers in the chemical process industries (CPI) face the same challenge — getting the right information into the right…
Relief systems are the last line of defense for chemical process facilities. Verifying their capability to safeguard equipment integrity becomes important as process plants age, increase their capacities to adjust to new market requirements, undergo revamps or face new environmental…
As environmental awareness receives renewed focus in the government, the public and industry, it appears that higher standards will be applied to processors to achieve even higher oxides-of-nitrogen (NOx) removal than in the past. And since selective catalytic reduction (SCR)…
Any chemical engineer can attest to the fact that safety is an ongoing pursuit in our profession, where we occasionally find our teams taking two steps forward and then one step back. Foreseeing and avoiding every type of equipment malfunction…
Tracing its origins to 1915, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (the code) [1] has become the established safety standard governing the design, fabrication and inspection of boilers and pressure vessels, as well as…
Wireless communications have great potential in the chemical process industries (CPI) because they do away with complex and costly cable installations and enable completely new applications. And while a recent wave of successful demonstrations has begun to emerge in the…
The use of appropriate hazardous-area lighting in the chemical process industries (CPI) is a key factor when it comes to improving overall plant safety and worker productivity, and supporting the best maintenance practices. The potentially hazardous conditions associated with many…
A little over one month ago, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) received national pledges from 55 countries, to cut and limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Included in the pledges was a commitment from the U.S. to…