Peristaltic pumps work by compressing a tube against a circular pump housing with rollers on a rotating arm. The fluid that is ahead of the roller gets pushed forward, while new fluid is drawn into the tube by the vacuum…
Pneumatic conveying of solid material provides advantages over mechanical conveying systems in many applications, including those that require complex routing, multiple source-destination combinations and product containment. Routing of pneumatic piping offers process operators great layout flexibility, but taking advantage of…
To optimize process control and overall plant performance, magnetic flowmeters (mag meters) are the most widely used devices in many industrial flow-measurement applications. Mag meters are used to measure the flow of water and other conductive liquids by applying a…
Pressure relief valves and rupture disks are critical safety devices for protecting personnel and processing equipment from overpressurization situations. Presented here are several engineering practices that can help to identify and address common problems with the pressure relief systems of…
Protecting process systems from overpressurization is a critical task in the chemical process industries (CPI), and rupture disks and safety relief valves are routinely used for this purpose. In certain situations, using rupture disks in combination with safety relief valves…
Effective level measurement helps ensure smooth, continuous processes by maintaining material inventory at economic quantities, and maximizes plant output by preventing spillage, system clogging and process upsets. In chemical process industries (CPI) applications, level measurement of liquids, powders and slurries…
A well-operated steam generator can save money. In a steam-driven turbine system, water is heated in the steam generator to produce high-temperature, high-pressure steam. Steam is then expanded in a turbine to produce electricity from a generator. Turbine steam is…
Maintaining high-purity conditions in the chemical process industries (CPI) depends in large part on the techniques used for sterilization. As a method to inactivate or eliminate potentially harmful microbes, sterilization can be achieved through a number of different approaches, such…
A well designed and operated heat-transfer-fluid system is a key feature of a safe, reliable and cost-effective heating design. However, problems can arise if the heat-transfer fluid becomes heavily degraded or the system is allowed to accumulate solids and other…
Gas-liquid reactors in the chemical process industries (CPI) have increasingly been designed to handle larger manufacturing scales. Since gas-liquid reactors can represent substantial capital and operating costs for the user, optimizing mixing and maximizing productivity are critical. The need for…