Heat-transfer-fluid (HTF) system piping is insulated to reduce heat loss and prevent worker contact with hot surfaces. Insulated piping minimizes the effects of changes in ambient temperature to help ensure precise control of process temperature. Proper design of the HTF…
A recently introduced heat-transfer fluid is made from corn sugar, rather than from petroleum. Known as So-Blu, the fluid was developed through a joint effort of Dupont Tate & Lyle BioProducts (Loudon, Tenn.; www.duponttateandlyle.com) and SolarUS Inc. (Branford, Conn.; www.solarus.com),…
Following this step-by-step approach will ensure that the heat exchanger will perform as required when finally fabricated Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are among the most commonly used equipment in the chemical process industries (CPI), especially in petroleum refineries and chemical manufacturing…
Knowing the features of a good boiler will prevent problems associated with a poor design Oil- and gas-fired package steam generators (or boilers; Figure 1) are used in chemical plants, power plants, petroleum refineries and in cogeneration plants to generate…
At the end of last year, Mino Ceramics Co. (Nagoya City, Japan; www.mino-ceramic.co.jp) began shipping its first commercial high-temperature heat exchangers, which were developed in a project by Thermal Management Materials and Technology Research Assn. (TherMAT, Tokyo, Japan; www.thermat.jp). Developed…
To ensure you get the most out of your heat transfer fluids throughout their lifetime, it is recommended to sample, test and analyze your fluids once a year. Be sure to look for a heat transfer fluid supplier that provides…
A patented thermochemical regenerator system developed by Praxair, Inc. (Danbury, Conn.; www.praxair.com) has been demonstrated at its first industrial site, a glass-making facility in Mexico. The system, known as the Optimelt heat-recovery system, lowers fuel consumption in oxy-fuel furnaces, which…
The efficiency of circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) combustors can be significantly increased by substituting conventional bed material with an ilmenite-based bed material, according to researchers at Chalmers University of Technology (Gothenburg, Sweden; www.chalmers.se). Conventional CFB boilers use silica sand to evenly…
A new process technology from Aggreko North America plc (Houston; www.us.aggreko.com) aims to make turnarounds at petroleum refineries more cost-effective by decreasing the time required for catalyst cooling. The catalyst materials used for refining operations, such as hydrotreating, hydrocracking and…
Avoid tedious numerical calculation by using this quick, shortcut method Insulated pipes are important in many applications in the chemical process industries (CPI). When it comes to the insulation itself, the two main questions are: which material should be used;…