Although some CPI management may not realize it, PLCs (programmable logic controllers) are the brains behind many operations in the chemical process industries (CPI). A malfunctioning PLC can cause lines, plants and even operations such as city bridges and water…
In the chemical process industries (CPI), multiphase flow regimes in reactors, bubble columns, pipework and elsewhere in plants determine process efficiencies and safety. As a result, a considerable number of intrusive and non-intrusive techniques have been developed to recognize phase…
Make a leak-free seal, even for irregular flanges The proprietary Multi-Swell gasket material (photo) is said to be the world’s first self-loading, general-service gasket. The material creates its own load when it comes into contact with oil or water, which…
Loop-powered digital pressure gauge provides local readout The AccuGauge AG200 (photo), media-isolated, digital pressure gauge offers a 4–20-mA output signal complete with a large LCD display. The AG200 can display each of the following measuring units with the…
Bartec GmbH (Gotteszell, Germany; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6899-538) has commercialized Hygrophil DTP, an optical dew-point sensor that uses a patented technique for accurately measuring moisture content and relative humidity (RH) of compressed air and other gas supplies. Conventional sensors that are based on…
ISA Expo, the largest automation and control exhibition in North America, will return to Houston’s Reliant Center on October 2–4. The Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society (ISA, Research Triangle Park, N.C.) hosts this exhibition of automation and control…
Multivariable (MV) control is a powerful technology. Applied in industry for several decades now, substantial benefits from its use have been reported in many publications. Yet, this technique is still by far not utilized to the extent it…
Computer models that simulate the operation of jet engines with alternative fuels will be developed by Reaction Design (San Diego, Calif.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6898-532) under a two-year contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; Glenn Research Center). The objective is…
Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all engineering software packages. Today, solution providers offer versions with improved integration for advanced data sharing and simplified user interfaces with the ability to multitask between the design house and the plant floor,…
In multicomponent systems, equation-of-state (EOS) methods generally do a good job of determining vapor-phase properties. But accurate determination of properties for the liquid phase is much more difficult, especially when the liquid contains dissimilar molecules, polar molecules such…