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pH Measurement And Control

The mechanical design and material science of pH-sensor technology have evolved dramatically over the last century. Current-day uses include a wide range of applications from high-purity pharmaceutical processing to wastewater treatment. Some of these applications pose high challenges to pH…

Foolproofing Regulatory Document Generation

When it comes to managing regulatory documents such as product labels, bills of lading, and certificates of analysis (COA), virtually all manufacturers in the chemical process industries (CPI) face the same challenge — getting the right information into the right…

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Conservation economics: Carbon pricing impacts

Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continues to be a major issue in national and international public policy, as well as a major focus for companies in the chemical process industries (CPI). Many countries are considering systems that place a…

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Seeking out difficult situations

In 1952, 37 companies established Fractionation Research, Inc. (FRI). Most of those original members are now gone or absorbed by other companies. Nevertheless, their goal was to study distillation in columns having diameters and heights that were similar to industrial…

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Optimize Shift Scheduling Using Pinch Analysis

Pinch analysis emerged as a systematic design tool during the energy crisis of the late 1970s, particularly for the optimization of heat-exchanger networks and other heat-recovery systems [ 1 ]. Since then, ongoing breakthroughs in the use of pinch analysis…

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Controlling Acoustic Coupling

Acoustic coupling in industrial furnaces is an issue that appears to have become more prevalent as designs increase the volumetric heat density of furnaces, and burner technology is required to meet more-stringent emission requirements. The problems associated with acoustic coupling…

Aging Relief Systems — Are they Working Properly?

Relief systems are the last line of defense for chemical process facilities. Verifying their capability to safeguard equipment integrity becomes important as process plants age, increase their capacities to adjust to new market requirements, undergo revamps or face new environmental…

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Using Inserts to Address Solids Flow Problems

Storage of bulk materials in hoppers, bins and silos is ubiquitous in the chemical process industries (CPI), and so are the challenges that go along with it. Flow stoppage (bridging or arching), variability in mixture composition (de-mixing or segregation), erratic…

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A cross-section of insert patents

This table supports the article Using Inserts to Address Solids Flow Problems, CE, July 2010, pp. 32–37. U. S. Patents       Patent # Date Title Inventors 1,731,675 Oct. 15, 1929 Sawdust Feeder McCoy, John C. 2,843,274 Jul. 15,…

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Distillation Tray Design

In a distillation column tray, vapor passes upward through liquid that is flowing across a horizontal perforated plate. Vapor passing through the perforated plate forms a two-phase mixture with the liquid and enables mass transfer contacting. This mixture is typically…