Considering water-management strategies as a central component of infrastructure design at industrial facilities will unlock cost savings throughout the operation Mounting water shortages and resulting regulations across the globe are fueling the need for seamless and smarter water-management methods —…
Heat-transfer fluid selection can be intimidating when considering the long-term impact on costs and operability. The right fluid will provide optimal performance and lifecycle costs, while freeing engineers for other assignments. Most engineers do not routinely consider fluid selection, so…
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…
With a thorough investigation and proper problem diagnosis, an entire gas plant limited by a deethanizer reboiler circuit was successfully debottlenecked This article describes a case study of a gas plant (designed by others) that was bottlenecked by the reboil…
Follow these tips to get the most out of these high-risk, high-reward, third-party arrangements Outsourcing is the subcontracting of a business function to an outside entity. The concept of outsourcing was first articulated by David Ricardo, an English economist in…
This column is based on “Diammonium Phosphate Production – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/diammonium-phosphate-production-cost. Diammonium phosphate (DAP) ranks among the most important phosphate-based fertilizers, not only for its high nutrient content, but…
Characterizing mixer impellers on the basis of power, flow, shear and efficiency Mixing has been defined as “the application of mechanical motion in order to create fluid dynamic effects that achieve a desired process result” [1]. The process result is…
Blending is a fundamental chemical unit operation, and there are a handful of common ways to implement it. Blending applications can be either manual or automated, and can be carried out either as a batch or continuous process. There are…
When installing rupture discs, there are several mechanical and operational considerations for reducing the likelihood of leaks and fugitive emissions Overpressure relief systems consisting of rupture discs and relief valves are vital for preventing damage and injury within chemical processing…
Successful operation of safety valves in steam systems requires careful adherence to established industry standards for installation and design One of the most critical safety devices in a steam system is the safety valve. Figure 1 is an illustration of…