A pilot project set up by the University of California Davis (UC Davis; Davis, Calif.; www.ucdavis.edu), GE Water & Process Technologies (Trevose, Pa.; www.gewater.com) and wine-industry service provider Winesecrets LLC (www.winesecrets.com) seeks to capture rainwater for use in wine production,…
When compared to traditional refrigeration cycles, Peltier (thermoelectric) technology has many benefits, including no moving parts and no hazardous refrigerant chemicals. However, it has not yet been widely adopted into large-scale industrial processes (due to poor efficiency, inability to scale…
Scientists at Oregon State University (Corvallis; www.oregonstate.edu) have for the first time demonstrated the use of hydronium ions (H3O+) as charge carriers. The research opens another avenue of exploration for high-power, sustainable batteries for stationary power-storage applications. The research team,…
Efficient distillation Toyo Engineering Corp. (Toyo; Chiba, www.toyo-eng.co.jp) has completed construction for an energy-saving distillation system used in a project for Maruzen Petrochemical Co. (Tokyo, Japan; www.chemiway.co.jp). This system, tradenamed SuperHIDiC, has achieved an energy saving of over 50% compared…
Plant Watch SNC-Lavalin wins EPC contract for ammonia plant in Oman March 9, 2017 — SNC-Lavalin (Montreal, Que., Canada; www.snclavalin.com) has been awarded a contract by Salalah Methanol Co. LLC (SMC) for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of an…
As price margins tighten, ammonia and urea producers are diversifying their products, while new catalysts and process improvements boost capacities and lower energy consumption Since the start of “shale-gas boom” in 2012, the U.S. has been moving toward becoming an…
Wearable sensors enhance CPI worker safety and help close the approaching skills gap For many years, sensors have been used in the chemical process industries (CPI) for many activities, including monitoring the health and safety of employees. In these applications,…
This pipe-milling end-prep tool is for beveling boiler tubes The Esco Wart Millhog (photo) is a pipe-beveling machine that is designed for making repairs to water-wall boiler tubes. It features a rigid-inner-dia. clamping system, and uses titanium-nitride-coated cutter blades to…
The new TJ40G rotary tank-cleaning machine (photo) uses a high-impact jet stream to effectively clean tough tank residues and minimize the risk of product contamination. This four-nozzle rotary jet head also cleans tanks 60% faster than static spray-ball technology, thereby…
The VersaMix Multi-Shaft Mixer (photo) is designed for mixing pastes, creams and gel-type products, with the capabilities of powder dispersion, emulsification, dissolution, deagglomeration, homogenization, heating, cooling and deaeration. All of these functions are achieved in a closed system, without the…