The differences between industrial-scale facilities and pilot plants go beyond size, and these intricacies must be understood when estimating the costs associated with pilot-scale facilities Estimating the construction costs of pilot plant facilities can be tricky, and many of the…
Before any engineering or design work can take place, a project’s feasibility must be considered. Reasonably accurate costs can be obtained using the preliminary estimate methodologies presented here Evaluating the feasibility early in an investment project’s timeline is critical for…
Closed-loop control performance depends on the dynamic response of the controller, valve, measurement and process. Can wireless compete with conventional networks? When using throttling valves in closed-loop process control, a variety of factors impact the selection of the most appropriate…
An overview of the codes and standards that are most pertinent to chemical processing facilities Moving a process fluid from one stage of its processing cycle to the next requires the transfer of fluids between pressure vessels, through pressure piping…
Process monitoring and automation can improve efficiencies in wastewater treatment systems. A number of parameters well worth monitoring, as well as tips for implementation are described There is growing interest in automating wastewater treatment processes across a broad range of…
Excessive growth of filaments and biopolymers in activated sludge should be controlled in CPI wastewater-treatment plants, as both lead to sludge that is hard to handle. The sticky behavior of such sludge can be minimized by the addition of polyaluminum…
Cybersecurity is critical for plant safety. Principles developed for plant safety can be applied to the security of IT systems When the Stuxnet computer worm attacked programmable logic controllers (PLCs) at Iranian nuclear facilities running an integrated system, centrifuges were…
Security techniques widely used in information technology (IT) require special considerations to be useful in operational settings. Here are several that should get closer attention Industrial cybersecurity risks are widely appreciated. In April, the deputy director of the U.S. National…
The use of today’s high-performance rupture disc designs can help to reduce many common operating problems and support increased throughput requirements Chemical process industries (CPI) plants are typically designed to achieve specific production volumes, but as anyone who has worked…
Mechanical seals, as required by most vessel agitators, are systems sufficiently complex to warrant a good understanding by engineers and appropriate training for operators To ensure safe and reliable agitator operation, the sealing of the rotating shaft is of fundamental…