Agility, reliability, reporting and sharing of business information are among the key ingredients that have been dictated to modern-day control systems by the competitive pressures facing today’s manufacturers. In short, production must be faster, more efficient and provide actionable data…
For any capital-intensive and labor-intensive engineering and construction (E&C) project, the lead process engineer (LPE) plays a pivotal role. To maximize the success of these complex projects, companies that hire E&C companies should be aware of the role that the…
Contact-based temperature sensors, such as thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), have demonstrated accurate and cost-effective operation throughout the chemical process industries (CPI). However, there are many applications and settings where they are simply not practical. In those cases, engineers…
Throughout the chemical process industries (CPI), project owners often track key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure that all participants are able to attain or improve important performance objectives associated with their investments. For instance, for complex projects involving various contractors…
The precise monitoring and control of valve position is essential for efficient automation of both discrete and continuous processes. Measurement of valve position provides the data required for the use of advanced control strategies and predictive maintenance algorithms. More effective…
The pressure testing of process piping and vessels is essential in the chemical process industries (CPI). In liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other cryogenic facilities, residual water left by hydraulic pressure testing could result in operational problems if not completely…
The fact that I was 150 ft up, on the outside of an extraction column, in January, in Canada, in a 20-mph wind, was not the worst part of the experience. The worst part was that the column was not…
Steam thermodynamics Brad Buecker’s article, Steam Generation Thermodynamics (November 2010, pp. 44–47), was excellent — good information without getting bogged down with too much theory and formulae. I never had formal education in thermodynamics so some of the examples he…
Piping integrity is always a major concern in the chemical process industries (CPI), but the level of concern elevates when piping is buried underground. Soil conditions not only exacerbate general external corrosion, but also increase the difficulty and cost of…
Buried piping — especially lines carrying hydrocarbons — shoulders many more risks in terms of plant safety and environmental protection than aboveground piping does. Leaks in buried pipes are much harder to detect and, yet, are no less catastrophic. Ironically,…