Technical & Practical
Design of Bulk-Solids Moving-Bed Heat Exchangers
Presented here are equations governing heat transfer in a moving-bed heat exchanger, along with a numerical method for solving them Moving-bed heat exchangers (MBHE) represent an efficient method for heating or cooling bulk-solid materials compared to other technologies, such as…
Technology Profile: Sodium Chlorate Production
This column is based on “Sodium Chlorate Production – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/sodium-chlorate-production-cost. Sodium chlorate (NaClO3; also known as chlorate of soda) is an odorless inorganic salt with colorless crystals and…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Hopper Outlet Geometry and Arching
When transferring stored bulk-solids materials from hoppers, bins and silos, flow stoppage can occur because of bridging or arching at the vessel outlet. Hopper outlets must be large enough to prevent cohesive arches or stable ratholes from developing. Determining the…
Evaporators: Energy Conservation Strategies and Process Control
Several strategies for improving energy consumption and process control in evaporation processes are presented here In industrial evaporation, a heat source (usually condensed steam) is used to concentrate a material through the removal of a liquid solvent. There are several…
Rapid Maintenance Response: When Plants Can’t Wait
Even with advanced predictive technologies, unplanned equipment failures can still occur. In these instances, as shown in this boiler example, rapid maintenance action is crucial to minimize downtime Maintenance activities generally fall into two categories — reactive and preventative. The…
Methods For Testing Steam-Trap Stations
Testing steam-trap stations can be very easy if the plant provides the correct equipment, training and commitment to the steam-system management program When it comes to testing steam traps, a frequently asked question is, “what is the best method?” The…
Technology Profile: Polypropylene Carbonate Production
This column is based on “Polypropylene Carbonate Production – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/polypropylene-carbonate-production-cost. Polypropylene carbonate (PPC) is a thermoplastic polymer produced from the catalyzed copolymerization of carbon dioxide (CO2) and propylene…
Reliable and Cost-Effective Solids Feeding
A holistic approach to bulk-solids-feeding installations can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of operations involving solids handling Many chemical processes involve the extraction of bulk solid materials at a controlled rate from a storage vessel for delivery into the process.…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Cost Estimation and Risk
Understanding project risks is critical to arriving at useful cost estimates. Since each capital project in the chemical process industries (CPI) is somewhat unique, it can be difficult for engineers and project leaders to price risks in their estimates and…
Liquid Layers: Measuring Overall Level and Interface Points
Accurate interface level measurement is crucial to optimizing separation processes. Today’s guided wave radar technologies make it possible to measure thin liquid layers with greater accuracy than ever A bottle of salad dressing can illustrate a challenging level measurement application.…