In today’s typical process plants, preventing steam loss and improving condensate return are key opportunities to make a process more energy efficient. To be the most effective, steam generally needs to be dry (such as for process usage), or superheated…
Interest in energy efficiency is not a fad. The economics of industrial production, the limitations of global energy supply and the realities of environmental conservation will be enduring themes for decades, if not the millennia. As energy costs increase, pump…
A chemical executive once noted that his firm derives one-third of its income from products that are less than ten years old. Indeed, existing companies thrive and new ones proliferate through innovation and product improvement. They depend on scientists and…
Despite their apparent simplicity, bends are often poorly understood, and unless properly designed, they are potentially problematic Pneumatic conveying of bulk solids has been successfully practiced — in industries as diverse as chemical, agricultural, pharmaceutical, plastics, food, mineral processing, cement…
Membrane polymers are packaged into a configuration, commonly called a device or an element. The most-common element configurations (figure) are tubular, capillary fiber, spiral wound, and plate and frame. Tubular Made from ceramic, carbon, stainless steel or a number…
Protecting process systems from overpressurization is vital throughout the chemical process industries (CPI). Both safety relief valves and rupture disks are commonly used for this purpose. Sometimes the combination of a relief valve with a rupture disk can add service…
Rupture disc devices provide overpressure protection for a variety of storage and process vessels and equipment. The objective of the rupture disc is to maintain a leak-tight seal and be a passive bystander until called upon to relieve excess pressure.…
Technical and specialty gases find use in many synthesis processes and a number of unit operations, in analysis and in plant maintenance. This article outlines applications for gases in fine and specialty chemistry, ranging from synthesis processes and inerting to…
The patented design of this unit improves grinder efficiency The Annihilator (photo) is a twin-shaft, solids-reduction unit designed for a variety of industrial and municipal installations, including sewage lift stations, head works and sludge processing systems. The unit’s counter-rotating, hexagonal-shaft…
Friction Factor Fluid flowing through pipes experiences resistance due to viscosity, turbulence and roughness of the pipe surface. The Darcy-Weisbach Equation (1) is commonly used for the analysis of steady-state, Newtonian-fluid flow inside pipes. It summarizes the relations between frictional…