Technical & Practical
Distillation Column Modeling
Process simulation methods are used to evaluate the performance of proposed distillation systems and improve the performance of existing ones. The most common approaches for modeling distillation processes can be broadly divided into equilibrium and non-equilibrium methods. This article provides…
Fire-Water Pumps for CPI Facilities
FIGURE 1 Fire-water pump assemblies are typically skid-mounted to ease installation and operation. Shown here is an example of a skid-mounted, diesel-engine-driven, fire-water pump package Fire-water pumps are critical machines that save lives and prevent chemical process industries (CPI)…
Solids Handling: Using Flowsheet Simulation to Improve Process Design
Using flowsheet simulation to model processes involving granular solids — either those that are entirely separate from fluid processes or those that are combined with them — has many advantages for improving the process design. These include avoiding unplanned downtime,…
Achieving Excellence in Energy Efficiency
In today’s environmentally conscious world, industrial energy management is increasingly recognized as an essential business practice and economic necessity, rather than an on-again, off-again activity driven by energy prices and geopolitical crises. In this article, we examine the key elements…
Improve Your Contingency Estimates for More Realistic Project Budgets
The average large project in the chemical process industries (CPI) overruns its sanctioned budget, including contingency, by 21%. Even more alarming, 10% of large projects overrun their budget by more than 70%. These are findings based on research by the…
November Letters Facts at Your Fingertips: Forces Acting on a Gasket
This letter is in reference to the article, Forces Acting on a Gasket [ Chem. Eng. October, 2014, p. 32a]. I need to clear my understanding on the seating stress required for the proper sealing. As per the article, seating…
Wire Meshes in Filtration
Fabricated metal-wire mesh is one of the major categories of filter media. Woven metal cloths are often used to support a filter aid coating or a bed of granular or porous material. Proper selection of wire cloth can have a…
Bulk Solids: Operating Direct-Contact Heat Exchangers
Bulk solids are frequently used as reactants, catalysts or products in chemical process industries (CPI) operations. Often, they must be heated or cooled so that they can be handled safely or processed at a desired temperature. Traditionally, heat transfer to…
Design of Experiments (DoE): Optimizing Products and Processes Efficiently
Experiments are done to quantify cause-and-effect relationships between adjustable parameters (inputs, factors, x) and the results (outputs, responses, y). They help to answer questions like: How do the ingredients and proportions of a mixture (inputs) influence its properties (outputs)? How…
Critical Connections Demand Certainty
Figure 1. During tightening, hydraulic pressure load within a bolt should be uniformly and accurately applied to avoid gasket damage and other issues that can create leakage Common knowledge dictates that planning ahead ensures effective results, regardless of the task…