To provide corrosion protection and long life, steel products are galvanized by immersion into kettles containing molten zinc. These galvanizing kettles need to be checked periodically to monitor rates of corrosion in order to avoid a catastrophic spillage of molten…
The following is a list of selected recently published books that may have interest to professionals in the chemical process industries (CPI). Standards and Typical Specifications for Tray-Type Dearators, 10th ed., by the Heat Exchange Institute (HEI), www.heatexchange.org, 2017, $150.…
New motors and drives provide energy efficiency and reliability in chemical applications Always on the lookout for ways to reduce downtime and energy costs, chemical processors are turning to advanced motors and drives to help achieve these goals. Sometimes as…
Severe service valves (SSVs) differ from general purpose valves in important ways. Presented here is guidance on how to increase service life, reduce costs and improve safety and environmental performance of SSVs Severe service valves (SSVs) are often identified by…
After Purdue University noticed that the water and sewer costs for their Biochemistry building were running quite high, a subsequent investigation showed that the building vacuum system was the cause of the high bills and massive water consumption. Purdue University…
Applying mass and energy balance calculations yields critical operating insight Cooling towers are an important unit operation in chemical process industries (CPI) operations. Applying mass and energy balance calculations enables process engineers to evaluate evaporation loss, blowdown and makeup-water requirements,…
A number of factors need to be considered to properly size and specify a vacuum pump. In some of our previous posts, we've discussed topics like how to determine the right flow rate for your new pump. Considerations such as…
Central vacuum systems often rely on resource-hungry pump technology like oil-sealed rotary vane or liquid (water) ring pumps. Both of these pump technologies rely on fluid to create a seal and generate vacuum. Replacing the sealing fluid imposes significant operating…
Design and integration of vacuum equipment is a specialty - often even a sub-specialty - that spans a variety of industries and disciplines. A number of unique factors come into play when selecting vacuum equipment that do not arise in…
From initial conceptualization to final calculation, designing compressors requires not only engineering intuition and robust simulation tools, but also a bit of creativity As technology has evolved, so has the refrigeration industry. What were once holes in the ground filled…