Many operations involving ideal gases are readily calculated using a basic knowledge of thermodynamics. Non-ideal gas behavior, however, can deviate significantly from that of ideal gases, and in some cases, large errors can be introduced in process calculations if a…
Originally published in the April 1, 1985 issue, this 21 page article contains timeless recommendations for ensuring plant safety. This article is available in pdf form only. Please click on the pdf tab at the top of the article to…
[Originally published in the May 1995 issue of Chemical Engineering] Cyclone dust collectors have been used - and misused - all over the world for more than 100 years. One reason for the misuse is a common perception among users…
All good things come to an end. And so it is with Microsoft extended support and security updates for Windows 2000,which ended in July 2010. Any manufacturer with industrial applications that are based on Windows 2000 may wisely be considering…
It was the Dr. James R. Fair Heritage Distillation Symposium at the Chicago AIChE meeting last month. I had decided to finally give a presentation about something that has been bugging me since October 28, 1974, my first day as…
Regulatory authorities around the world require continuous emissions monitoring of certain pollutants from large combustion sources. There are two main technologies for monitoring these emissions on a continuous basis — the more traditional one relies on sampling and analyzing exhaust…
The ever important aim of energy efficiency in the chemical process industries (CPI) is brought closer to its target by the practice of energy recovery in heat exchanger networks (HENs). When heat exchangers are designed to work together to exchange…
Several case histories illustrate the benefits of identifying and correcting poorly designed reflux and product-handling systems Manufacturers of specialty chemicals are routinely required to reduce costs and increase the production of their high-value products. Specifically, competitive pressures from the developing…
Many individuals and organizations have made important contributions to the creation of inherently safer (IS) products, processes and process plants [1–3]. A brief survey of successful case histories shows that most reported applications relied on only a few of the…
Use this visual mapping method to assess functional qualifications A variety of factors — including a shift in the median age of workers worldwide and the impending skills shortage due to attrition and early retirements — have created a need…