The differences between industrial-scale facilities and pilot plants go beyond size, and these intricacies must be understood when estimating the costs associated with pilot-scale facilities Estimating the construction costs of pilot plant facilities can be tricky, and many of the…
Before any engineering or design work can take place, a project’s feasibility must be considered. Reasonably accurate costs can be obtained using the preliminary estimate methodologies presented here Evaluating the feasibility early in an investment project’s timeline is critical for…
A better understanding of what pressure instruments do and how they work can help improve measurement performance, especially in troublesome applications Effective use of process instrumentation is critical in any chemical manufacturing environment. These instruments are strategically located throughout various…
Plant layout is as important a part of process plant design as it ever was, but it is rarely taught as part of chemical engineering courses While process plant layout is a critical aspect of chemical process industries (CPI) operations,…
Be vigilant about parallel pumping conditions that can lead to catastrophic failures During my career, I have seen several massive centrifugal pump failures caused by pump users attempting to operate pumps in parallel without the proper equipment review, procedural review…
Users should consider both options when selecting a DP device. Understanding the differences can help make the decision for a given set of process conditions Differential pressure (DP) measurements are used in many branches of the chemical process industries (CPI)…
JGC Corp. (Yokohama, Japan; www.jgc.com) has been awarded the contract for the construction of a Methionine production facility for Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan; www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp). This new plant, which will be constructed alongside Sumitomo Chemical’s existing factory located in…
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (B&W; Charlotte, N.C.; www.babcock.com) says that its Denmark-based subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S (B&W Vølund), has been awarded a contract for nearly $40 million to design a waste-to-energy boiler for Shenzhen Energy Environmental Engineering…
The American Chemistry Council’s (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) shows that the fourth quarter started on a soft note, with the index for October showing no gain or loss on a three-month moving average…
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Dallas, Tex.; www.jacobs.com) has received a contract to complete a feasibility study for a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant located at the existing Borealis AG (Vienna, Austria; www.borealisgroup.com) production site in Kallo, Belgium. As part of the…