Technical & Practical
Feature Report: Part 1: Using Installed Gain to Improve Valve Selection
The perfect valve to control your process has been selected. The valve will pass your maximum flow. Everything is great, right? In some cases digging a little deeper might help. The control valve usually should not be the most…
Valves and Specialty Metal Materials
The role of valves in a process is far from insignificant. These components enable engineers to control the vitals of a process: temperature, pressure, concentration, and flow. In some cases, the failure of a valve could be catastrophic and in…
Feature Report: Spray Technology Fundamentals & Applications: Game Winning Strategies
Spray technology is a powerful tool used to achieve higher levels of overall process performance. Strategic decisions in selecting and employing spray technology can yield dramatic wins. Understanding sprays, drop size, and the strengths and characteristics of nozzle types and…
Engineering Practice: Discharge Coefficients and Flow Resistance Factors
This article presents the fundamental concepts of the discharge coefficient, KD, of a relief valve or a safety relief valve, and flow resistance factor, KR, of a rupture disk, and their proper use in sizing an emergency relief system. When…
Strategies to Minimize Wastewater Discharge
As regulatory issues, environmental sensitivity, and longterm water supply concerns increase, the chemical process industries (CPI) are considering ways to reduce their water discharges. In fact, more and more companies are evaluating the viability of zero-liquid-discharge (ZLD) processes. This usually…
The Path to the Perfect Plant
Process engineers understand how to harness the power of closed-loop multi-variable control in their plants. The evolution of digital control in the chemical process industries (CPI) has provided that power. Yet digital control represents just one facet of optimization and…
Feature Report: Water Reuse and Conservation in the CPI
The need to conserve water is becoming a common concern throughout the world. Whether this is due to the cost of water, availability of water, or environmental concerns, water conservation is becoming a major focal point, both in the public…
From Tap to Transmitter
Today, companies in the chemical process industries (CPI) are faced with increased operating expenses, reductions in the number of qualified workers, strong competition and the need to do more with less. To meet these challenges, many companies are making use…
Engineering Practice: Predicting Water Content of Compressed Air
Each compressed air system is typically composed of one or more compressors with a power source, control system, intake air filter, after cooler and separator, air receiver, air dryer, interconnecting piping and a distribution system to deliver air to points…
Engineering Practice: Optimize your Process Plant for More than One Objective
There are many criteria that the engineer considers when optimizing: maximization of product yield or quality; minimization of recycle flow or energy consumption; and economic indicators, such as maximization of profits, net present worth (NPW) and minimization of payback period…