Technical & Practical
Remote Thermal Sensing
By making it easy to detect heat anomalies, thermal cameras and infrared thermometers support preventive and predictive maintenance Rising temperatures and rapid or excessive heat buildup are useful markers for determining the operational health of many types of machinery and…
Seven Tools for Project Success
Have you ever heard someone say, “The job is a lot easier if you have the right tools?” Having the right tools is critical to the success of craftsmen, such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers and the like. The same holds…
Propylene Production via Propane Dehydrogenation
Propylene is the second most important intermediate in the petrochemical industry after ethylene, and its global demand is dominated by the production of polypropylene. However, the growing use of natural gas from shale deposits as a raw material for steam…
Pressure-Vessel Quality Control Requirements
Pressure vessels are common in the chemical process industries (CPI) and they range widely in size and complexity. Process engineers may be tasked with inspecting a new pressure vessel or with witnessing hydrostatic testing of a vessel. In addition, engineers…
Pressurized Piping: Sampling Steam and Water
Corrosion and deposition in boilers, steam turbines and many types of process equipment are among the most expensive causes of outages in utility and industrial steam plants. Deposits and scale buildup on heat-transfer surfaces reduce efficiency, and when allowed to…
Dust Hazards
Dust is a critical consideration in the chemical process industries (CPI) from both a process safety standpoint — as a potential fire and explosion hazard — and from an occupational safety standpoint — as a potential worker exposure hazard. Reinforcing…
Calculations in Process Engineering
The topic of carrying out process engineering calculations in the most effective manner can be considered in these four ways: 1. The purpose of the calculation 2. The content of the calculation 3. The method used to carry out the…
Corrosion: the silent killer
CUI — that acronym should be enough to capture your attention. All chemical process industries (CPI) plants are aging — and some are aged, especially in the U.S. and Europe. Corrosion under insulation (CUI) should be regarded as a silent…
Gear Units In CPI Plants
Gear units play a critical role in a diverse array of chemical process industries (CPI) facilities, to match the speed of a selected driver with the speed of the driven equipment. Today, they are used extensively in pumps, turbines and…
Filtration Testing and Slurry Conditioning
Testing in filtration processes is critical for determining the properties of solids being filtered and the ease or difficulty of the filtration. In addition, laboratory testing is important in specifying filter media, filter aids, filter area, cake space needed and…