Rapidly expanding computational power and decreasing costs for DNA sequencing and synthesis have made synthetic biology tools more accessible to chemical makers Not long ago, the late former Apple CEO Steve Jobs said, “I think the biggest innovations of the…
Deeper understanding of common alarm-system metrics can improve remedial actions and result in a safer plant Do you routinely receive “alarm management performance” reports, or are you expected to monitor a managerial dashboard equivalent? What do you look for and…
Alarm rates that exceed an operator’s ability to manage them are common. This article explains the causes for high alarm rates and how to address them Modern distributed control systems (DCS) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are…
Flooded condensers are the prime tower pressure-control methods for total condensers that generate only liquid products, and although these control methods can be troublesome, a good understanding of their principles will help achieve improved, trouble-free operations Pressure is the most…
By intensifying cooperation between process designers and cost engineers in the conceptual stage of plant projects, better-informed decisions can be made on the economic viability of plant projects The global economic environment is competitive, demanding and fast-paced, and becoming more…
Accurate pricing of CPI plants involves integrating technical design with economic evaluation and accounting for many types of risk. Knowledge of costing methods from the perspective of EPCs and owner-operators is critical Engineering is, by its nature, a commercial activity.…
Commonly used in the CPI, sulfuric acid requires many special precautions to ensure its safe handling and storage Sulfuric acid, sometimes called the “king of all chemicals,” is widely used in the chemical process industries (CPI) for the manufacture of…
These seven-steps form a guideline for handling ethically challenging situations in technical jobs Exercising sound ethics in the chemical process industries (CPI) surely requires a large dose of technical know-how, but it also requires a set of good ethical practices…
How would you respond to these hypothetical situations involving ethics questions in the CPI? Although not an everyday occurrence, ethical questions, large and small, confront each of us in our professional lives. For professionals in the chemical process industries (CPI),…
Determining net positive suction head (NPSH) can be confusing, but with these guidelines, engineers can avoid the pitfalls of incorrect calculations Most engineers have likely heard the term NPSH (net positive suction head) at some point in their careers. Put…