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.…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…