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Technical & Practical

PEMS: The Low-Cost Alternative To Emissions Monitoring

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…

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Flexible Heat Exchanger Networks

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…

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Distillation Back Mixing: Impact on Batch Yields

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…

Designing Safer Process Plants

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…

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Hopper inserts for improved solids flow

Storing solid materials in hoppers, bins and silos is ubiquitous in the chemical process industries (CPI), as are challenges associated with dispensing them. In many cases, using vessels with steep cones and smooth walls is enough to provide reliable flow.…

Refinery Operators and Maintenance Technicians: Mapping Competencies

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…

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Achieving Zero Liquid Discharge Status

Water-supply issues are emerging as a national concern with certain sectors coming under increasing scrutiny. This is certainly the case with the ethanol industry. State discharge regulations dictate that plant designs incorporate technological solutions to minimize water use. These designs…

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FRI’s parallel projects

Considering that Fractionation Research, Inc. (FRI) has been performing distillation research since 1954, don’t we have all the answers yet? Not according to the membership. The vendors of trays and packings have had very aggressive R&D programs. New and interesting…

Chemical Protective Clothing

Chemical protective garments are available in a wide variety of fabrics and designs that provide varying levels of protection for chemical process industries (CPI) workers, who may be exposed to chemicals in the form of vapors, liquids and particles. While…

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Solving Common Batch Problems: Controller-Based Systems

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…