With proper planning, spills can be managed properly and the risk of secondary events — which may be more dangerous and costly — can be reduced Spills are probably one of the biggest problems any laboratory or pilot plant operation…
Chemical engineers bring many essential skills to the diverse teams required for successful control room design In any continuous manufacturing plant in the chemical process industries (CPI), engineers need to consider control room architecture and design as part of their…
In order to correctly size pressure relief valves (PRVs), a robust understanding of discharge coefficients for vapor, liquid and two-phase flow is crucial A pressure relief valve (PRV) is used to prevent the pressure in a process vessel from exceeding…
Compliance with air-pollution regulations requires ongoing effort. Follow these recommendations to assess competing options and optimize system design while minimizing cost and risk The goal of air-pollution control (APC) is to limit the amount of pollutants entering the environment. These…
The numerous flame sources in CPI facilities necessitate the installation of advanced flame-detection technologies Fire is a primary and very real threat to people, equipment and facilities in the chemical process industries (CPI), especially in the refining and storage of…
Activated sludge processes are inherently complex. Proper system design, operation and maintenance are essential to adequately break down target organic materials Since its discovery more than 100 years ago in 1914 by Ardern and Lockett [ 1 ], the activated…
An important part of ensuring the success of a HAZOP study is to understand the errors that can cause the team to lose focus Since its inception in the 1960s and its first official publication in 1977, the Hazard and…
Approaches to plant safety continue to evolve based on lessons learned, as well as new automation standards and technology In the chemical process industries (CPI), one incident can have a tremendous impact on the people in the plant, the communities…
Understanding the different classification methods is necessary to better select the explosion-protection techniques that will be used Explosion protection is essential for many companies, and those companies have decision makers. But before any decisions can be made, there are some…
Alternative designs for pressure relief systems may offer investment cost savings Pressure relief systems for the chemical process industries (CPI) are essential to prevent a process system, or any of its components, from being subjected to pressures that exceed the…