Standards
2013
TWO-PART
FEATURE STARTS
PAGE 36
www.che.com
Controlling
Air Pollutants
Sonochemistry
Focus on
Explosion
Protection
Vapor
Depressurization
Process
Development
PAGE 30
Facts at Your
Fingertips:
Solids Conveying
It mixes like a
PowerMix
on steroids!
The Ross PDDM Planetary Dual Disperser is
engineered in the U.S.A. by the company that introduced
the original Double Planetary mixer and the PowerMix,*
the industrys first hybrid disperser/planetary mixer.
With independent drive controls, a choice of
interchangeable blade designs and US-based support,
the PDDM is the worlds most versatile tool for mixing
battery pastes, adhesives, sealants and other products
requiring high-viscosity, multi-stage mixing.
Learn more.
Visit www.planetarydispersers.com
*Patent No. 4,697,929
Mike Morse
Regional Sales Manager
Employee Owner
Circle 16 on p. 56 or go to adlinks.che.com/45773-16
www.che.com
30
COVER STORY
30 Cover Story Solving Vessel Equations: A Better Way
Irregularly shaped vessels and tanks can present challenges for determin-
ing the volume of contained liquids. New tools can help
NEWS
11 Chementator A solid-acid-catalyst alkylation process to be commercial- 16
ized; Continuous production of cellulose nanofibers; A cleaner, safer
way to obtain tantalum and niobium; A new butadiene process to be
commercialized; A technology for delivering chilled air using less power;
and more
ENGINEERING
28a Facts at Your Fingertips Solids Conveying
This one-page reference discusses two common device categories for
conveying solids: angular-pitch vibrating conveyors and horizontal differ-
ential-motion conveyors
21
29 Technology Profile Ethylene Production via Ethanol Dehydration
This one-page profile describes the technology and
economic considerations for the titled process
COMMENTARY
5 Editors Page The pending water shortage Access to water will be an
increasingly important issue for industry in the coming years and decades. To
prepare for the future, CPI operators should begin to develop the ability to
account for water usage and output
DEPARTMENTS
ADVERTISERS
54 Product Showcase/Classified
57 Advertiser Index
COMING IN JULY
Look for: Feature Reports on Lifecycle Costs applied to Process Equipment De-
27 sign; and Cybersecurity; An Engineering Practice article on datasheet do's
and don'ts; a Solids Processing article on Rotary Valves in Pneumatic Con-
*ONLY ON CHE.COM veying Systems; a Focus on Level Measurement; A Facts at Your Fingertips
column on Piping; A News Article on Cooling Towers; and more
Look for New Products;
Latest News; and more
Cover: David Whitcher
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Circle 12 on p. 56 or go to adlinks.che.com/45773-12
Winner of Eight Jesse H. Neal
Awards for Editorial Excellence
Editors Page
T
PUBLISHER ART & DESIGN
MICHAEL GROSSMAN DAVID WHITCHER tries (CPI) in many regions of the world. Those regions include China,
Vice President and Group Publisher Art Director/
mgrossman@accessintel.com Editorial Production Manager
the worlds manufacturing powerhouse; swaths of the U.S., including
dwhitcher@che.com large parts of its South; and chunks of Europe.
EDITORS
PRODUCTION For once, the crisis has nothing to do with energy costs. The emergence
DOROTHY LOZOWSKI of cheap shale gas in the U.S., and the identification of exploitable basins
Executive Editor JOHN BLAYLOCK-COOKE
dlozowski@che.com Ad Production Manager in other places (even though adapting hydraulic fracturing technology for
jcooke@accessintel.com
GERALD ONDREY (Frankfurt) these new finds will be difficult), is painting a much brighter picture of fu-
Senior Editor INFORMATION
gondrey@che.com SERVICES
ture energy availability than we have witnessed for decades.
SCOTT JENKINS CHARLES SANDS
The crisis this time is fresh water availability. Already, in many regions,
Senior Editor Senior Developer there are regular periods of very tight water supply, and current weather
sjenkins@che.com Web/business Applications Architect
csands@accessintel.com
patterns (whether or not you believe that they are caused by man-made
CONTRIBUTING global warming) are exacerbating the problem. Some technology trends, in-
EDITORS MARKETING
MICHAEL CONTI
cluding biotechnology processes that are touted as being environmentally
SUZANNE A. SHELLEY
sshelley@che.com Marketing Director friendly, will also increase the pressure on water availability.
TradeFair Group, Inc.
CHARLES BUTCHER (U.K.) michaelc@tradefairgroup.com Global chemical company, DSM (Heerlen, the Netherlands; www.dsm.
cbutcher@che.com com), estimates that only 0.02% of the worlds total water is available for
JENNIFER BRADY
PAUL S. GRAD (Australia)
pgrad@che.com
Assistant Marketing Manager industrial and domestic use. Only 3% of the Earths total water is fresh
TradeFair Group, Inc.
TETSUO SATOH (Japan) jbrady@che.com water, and 2% of that is locked up in the polar ice caps and glaciers. Only
tsatoh@che.com 0.2% of the worlds water is available for consumption. The industrial and
EDITORIAL
JOY LEPREE (New Jersey)
jlepree@che.com
ADVISORY BOARD domestic share is about 0.02%, with the rest going to agriculture.
GERALD PARKINSON JOHN CARSON Now imagine a world with 50% more people in the next 40 years, all need-
Jenike & Johanson, Inc.
(California) gparkinson@che.com ing abundant supplies of fresh water for nourishment and sanitation. How
DAVID DICKEY
AUDIENCE MixTech, Inc. will industry continue its growth on a resource-limited planet?
DEVELOPMENT MUKESH DOBLE There are three likely outcomes of this emerging crisis: rising costs for
SARAH GARWOOD IIT Madras, India water; competition for water rights between industry and municipal govern-
Audience Marketing Director HENRY KISTER
sgarwood@accessintel.com Fluor Corp.
ments and other claimants; and a drive within the CPI to establish a better
GEORGE SEVERINE TREVOR KLETZ understanding of water consumption and how to manage and reduce it.
Fulfillment Manager Loughborough University, U.K. At this point, most CPI plants do not have a clear view of their water con-
gseverine@accessintel.com
GERHARD KREYSA (retired) sumption. Try to calculate it, and the math is not straightforward.
JEN FELLING DECHEMA e.V.
List Sales, Statlistics (203) 778-8700 RAM RAMACHANDRAN For the CPI to consume water responsibly, and sustainably, there are sev-
j.felling@statlistics.com (Retired) The Linde Group eral steps that need to be taken. Every plant should, and ultimately will
HEADQUARTERS have to, estimate its own water footprint and know how much surface or
88 Pine Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10005, U.S. ground water, in particular, it is consuming. CPI plants need to understand
Tel: 212-621-4900 Fax: 212-621-4694
how their water footprints impact the local community, both in terms of man-
EUROPEAN EDITORIAL OFFICES
aging water scarcity and in terms of reducing pollution from wastewater.
Zeilweg 44, D-60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Tel: 49-69-9573-8296 Fax: 49-69-5700-2484 CPI plants also need to set aggressive targets for reducing their water
CIRCULATION REQUESTS: footprints. This should not be thought of just as doing good, but as risk
Tel: 847-564-9290 Fax: 847-564-9453 management. Pose the question in terms of the right outcome for the planet,
Fullfillment Manager; P.O. Box 3588,
Northbrook, IL 60065-3588 email: clientservices@che.com and most CPI executives will balk at reducing their water footprint. Pose
ADVERTISING REQUESTS: see p. 56 it in terms of managing the risk of restricted access to water, and you will
For photocopy or reuse requests: 800-772-3350 or info@copyright.com get a lively, engaged conversation, and rather quickly a business plan that
For reprints: Wrights Media, 1-877-652-5295, sales@wrightsmedia.com
involves reducing fresh water consumption.
ACCESS INTELLIGENCE, LLC In its water assessments, DSM has gone a lot further than just esti-
DON PAZOUR ROBERT PACIOREK mating a water footprint, but has also calculated its fair share of water
Chief Executive Officer Senior Vice President,
ED PINEDO
Chief Information Officer availability, and vowed to have no adverse impact on the
Executive Vice President SYLVIA SIERRA availability and quality of groundwater or surface water
& Chief Financial Officer Senior Vice President,
MACY L. FECTO
Corporate Audience Development in the areas where we operate.
Exec. Vice President, MICHAEL KRAUS How many in the CPI are ready to make a similar com-
Human Resources & Administration VP, Production, Digital Media
HEATHER FARLEY
& Design mitment? If this is not done voluntarily, it will probably
Divisional President, STEVE BARBER happen because of public opinion or legislation, as the
Access Intelligence Vice President,
DANIEL MCKINNON
Financial Planning and Internal Audit water crisis deepens. Get ready, water will be a big part
Vice President, GERALD STASKO of your professional life in the years ahead. And, if you
Energy and Engineering Events Vice President/Corporate Controller
do not start to take account of water issues, no amount of
cheap shale gas will make you successful.
John Pearson, CEO, Chemical Industry Roundtables
4 Choke Cherry Road, Second Floor
Rockville, MD 20850 www.accessintel.com CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013 5
Letters
Introduction to Foundation Fieldbus. Fieldbus Elastomer Technology & Seal Design for Oil & Gas.
Foundation (Austin, Tex.). Phone: 512-794-8890.; Web: Precision Polymer Engineering (Blackburn, U.K.). Phone:
fieldbus.org +44-1254-295400; Web: idexcorp.com
Austin, Tex. Aug. 20 Houston Oct. 8
Circle 1 on p. 56 or go to adlinks.che.com/45773-01
8 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013
EUROPE Elastomer Technology & Seal Design for Critical
Introduction to Foundation Fieldbus. Industry Sealing Applications. Precision Polymer Engineering
Source (Mesa, Ariz.). Phone: 480-775-6020; (Blackburn, U.K.). Phone: +44-1254-295400; Web: idex-
Web: fieldbus.org corp.com
Frankfurt am Main, Germany June 18 Blackburn, U.K. Nov. 67
5th Symposium on Continuous Flow Reactor Tech- Advanced Principles of Foundation Fieldbus.
nology. AIC ASTI Incentives & Congressi s.r.l. (Pisa, Fieldbus Foundation (Austin, Tex.). Phone: 512-794-8890;
Italy). Phone: +050-598808; Web: aicgroup.it Web: fieldbus.org
Pisa, Italy Sept. 1112 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Nov. 1315
Elastomer Technology & Seal Design for Oil & Gas. ASIA & ELSEWHERE
Precision Polymer Engineering (Blackburn, U.K.). Phone: 26th Interphex Japan. Reed Exhibitions (Tokyo,
+44-1254-295400; Web: idexcorp.com Japan). Phone: +81-3-3349-8518; Web: interphex.jp
Duisberg, Germany Oct. 22 Tokyo, Japan July 1012
Elastomer Technology & Seal Design for Semi- In-Cosmetics Asia. Reed Exhibitions (Norwalk, Conn.).
conductors. Precision Polymer Engineering (Blackburn, Phone: +44-20-8271-2122; Web: in-cosmeticsasia.com
U.K.). Phone: +44-1254-295400; Web: idexcorp.com Bangkok, Thailand Oct. 2931
Dresden, Germany Oct. 24 Suzanne Shelley
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Edited by Gerald Ondrey June 2013
Generic Alkylation Isobutane
n-butane
13BD
(Wison; Shanghai; www.wison.com) has
recently introduced details about its Solvent recovery Fuel
proprietary butadiene technology, which and waste water
is set for commercialization. The process treatment
Waste water
aims to meet the anticipated growth in
annual butadiene consumption, which
will far exceed global expansion in tor. After recovering the heat, the reac- in the conversion of butane to butene, to
capacity, says Wisons technical direc- tion gas is further cooled and scrubbed reach a conversion of 7779% in a single-
tor and chief technologist, Yansheng Li. to remove acids and other impurities, pass; and a 23% increase in the selec-
China, in particular, is seeing butadiene then compressed. Crude 1,3-butadiene tivity for 13BD, to reach a final selectiv-
demand rising significantly due to the (13BD) is recovered by an absorber/de- ity of 9294%, says Li. He also adds that
increasing number of synthetic rubber absorber unit, and then purified in a the improved heat integration leads to
projects, he says. 13BD-extraction unit. a 15% reduction in utility consumption
In Wisons butane process (flowsheet), The ODH reaction features a new, compared to existing technology.
butanes and lighter components are patent-pending catalyst developed by The company has finished preliminary
first separated in the C4 pre-separation Wison, which is based on the traditional work for several projects in China, and
unit. Butenes are then mixed with air B-02 (iron-based) catalyst technology. is now in the final stages of completing a
and steam and dehydrogenated in the Compared to the traditional catalyst, the process-design package for a 75,000-ton/
oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) reac- new catalyst achieves: a 34% increase yr butadiene plant, says Li.
Good thinking.
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Engineering advanced 2013 Chemstations, Inc. All rights reserved. | CMS-2526 6/13
Circle 6 on p. 56 or go to adlinks.che.com/45773-06
Advatech
Newsfront
CONTROLLING
AIR POLLUTANTS FIGURE 1. Because liquid dis-
charge from wet fluegas desulfu-
While its not always easy to determine whats rization (WFGD) is of increasing
concern for many plants, Advatech
offers a wastewater spray dryer as
required for compliance, new technologies can help an economical means of achieving
zero liquid discharge from wet FGD
achieve air-pollution control processes at coal-fired power plants
S
electing air-pollution control Washington, D.C.; www.epa.gov) Mer- dates and locations for meeting with
equipment can be tricky. Its not cury and Air Toxics Standard (MATS) states to discuss regulations regard-
only difficult to determine which created updates of emission limits for ing air-pollution transport. What
pollutants must be controlled, mercury, particulate matter, SO2, acid makes compliance with this difficult
but also which type of equipment will gases and certain individual metals is that the ruling is technically in
best control them to required levels for new power plants. Additionally, limbo, says Hilton. And this makes
for any given process or facility be- certain monitoring and testing re- it harder to figure out how to control
cause there is no one-size-fits-all so- quirements that apply to new sources these pollutants, as well as the pollut-
lution. Technologies that successfully were adjusted. Two things to know ants regulated by MATS. A lot of what
control pollutants in one facility may about MATS are that the particulates generators need to do to be in compli-
not work as well in another. Permis- covered are not what many of us con- ance with MATS will cover SO2, which
sible levels in one region sometimes sider particulates, says Robert Hil- will also be covered by the Interstate
differ from those in another. A similar ton, vice president, power technologies Air Pollution Transport rule.
process may result in different types for government affairs with Alstom CAA and National Ambient Air
or levels of pollutants from one plant (Knoxville, Tenn.; www.alstom.com). Quality Standards. Under the CAA,
to the next. They are actually aerosols that are EPA is required to set National Ambi-
Fortunately, it is possible to solve classified by EPA as particulate. The ent Air Quality Standards for six com-
this puzzle. Experts suggest determin- other important thing to know is that mon air pollutants and then review
ing which regulations apply to your the revised standards affect only new those standards every five to six years
facilitys pollutants and region; learn- coal- and oil-fired power plants that to determine if the technology to fur-
ing about your particular process and will be built in the future. The update ther lower the permissible limits ex-
the resulting types of pollutants; and, does not change the final emission ists and, if so, whether it is actually
finally, looking, in detail, at the avail- limits or other requirements for exist- feasible to achieve these lower levels.
able technologies to figure out which ing power plants. This is expected to happen this year
one or which combination will provide Interstate Air Pollution Trans- and it is presumed that EPA will at-
the best solution for your worst-case port. As part of the Clean Air Act tempt to lower acceptable NOx levels,
pollution scenario. (CAA), this good neighbor provision says Hilton. If this happens, it likely
requires the EPA, states and proces- will be further out, in a sequenced im-
Regulations to watch sors to address interstate transport plementation plan, with a NOx com-
Regulations concerning mercury, ox- of air pollution that affects downwind pliance deadline in the timeframe of
ides of nitrogen (NOx) and sulfur states ability to attain and maintain 2017 to 2019. Until then, processors
(SOx), acid gases and particulate mat- National Ambient Air Quality Stan- in the 23 eastern states must comply
ter emissions are of the biggest con- dards. Emissions of SO2 and NOx can with NOx levels currently set by the
cern to power plants and some chemi- react in the atmosphere to form fine- Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), and
cal and industrial processors. There particle (PM2.5) pollution. Similarly, the remaining western states must
are several new or anticipated regula- NOx emissions can react in the atmo- comply with NOx levels currently set
tions concerning these pollutants that sphere to create ground-level ozone by the CAA and regional haze rules.
affected processors need to keep an pollution. The transport of these pol- So how do processors know which
eye on: lutants across state borders makes it regulations impact their facility? You
MATS. Revised twice and finalized difficult for downwind states to meet have to look at all the rules, look at
on March 28, 2013, the U.S. Environ- health-based air quality standards for your plant, look at the fuel you burn
mental Protection Agencys (EPA; PM2.5 and ozone. Recently EPA set and where you are located, because
16 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013
Contaminant
SO2
Source: Bionomics
Contaminant
Process Combustion
low Combined high
temperature gases temperature
NOx
(HCl, NH3)
ters to use zero-liquid discharge tech- cal director with Bionomic Industries be emitted at high temperature (favor-
nologies or install expensive wastewa- Inc. (Mahwah, N.J.; www.bionomicind. ing insoluble NO) or low temperature
ter-treatment processes. com). Instead, he suggests using a de- (favoring soluble NO2, N2O4 and so
Based on all these considerations cision tree to determine the best pos- on), or the gas mixture could contain
and different processes at each facility, sible solution. (Figure 2). a variety of NOx species. We usually
it is just not possible to buy an item The decision tree should start start with a request for an NO-to-NO2
off the shelf and have the problem with the contaminant, he says. In ratio test report. Based on this infor-
go away, says Ken Schifftner techni- the case of NOx, the contaminant may mation, there are a variety of possible
18 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013
Bionomic Industries
FIGURE 4. The BioNOxSolver NOx scrub- For mercury, it can get compli-
bing solution from Bionomic Industries sim- cated, warns Schifftner. We start by
plifies wet-scrubbing system operation and
reduces scrubber system complexity and cost
determining the state of the mercury
as it leaves the source. If the mer-
cury is elemental and at high concen-
emission source, he says. In the case tration, the mercury could possibly
of a process-emission source, perhaps be condensed and recovered. Perhaps
wet scrubbing with caustic can be used. it could be adsorbed onto carbon or a
If the SO2 must be recovered, humidi- zeolite. If the mercury leaves the pro-
fication (or scrubbing with sulfuric cess as a salt (usually a chloride), it
acid) can be applied. If the SO2 con- is often possible to use wet scrubbing,
centration is low, sometimes humidi- since the salt is soluble. At times, gas
fying then passing the gases through cooling followed by scrubbing is used.
a bed of pebble lime or limestone can If the mercury is emitted as an oxide,
be used. Sometimes lime or limestone to use wet scrubbing, usually con-
is injected into the ductwork (or even version to a soluble salt is required.
into the boiler) to control SO2. If am- This is done by using an acidic first
technologies to apply. (The logic tree monia is also present, the ammonia stage. That stage may be followed
lists just a few.) is removed first. If the source is from by a venturi scrubber and possibly
A similar process should occur combustion, various proven FGD tech- a WESP. If the mercury comes from
for SO2, says Schifftner. The emis- nologies are available. If SO3 (aerosol a combustion source, the mercury is
sion could come from a process or be forms), the problem shifts from gas usually in the form of an oxide and an
combined with other gases or from absorption to aerosol capture, thus a activated-carbon precoated baghouse
combustions. We usually start with fiberbed or wet electrostatic precipita- might be appropriate. If the mercury
a questionnaire that helps define the tor (WESP) is often used. arrives along with SO2 or HCl, the
Circle 2 on p. 56 or go to adlinks.che.com/45773-02
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013 19
Newsfront
baghouse precoat may include lime or sorber to meet codes. Now, it may need because they wanted to, says Hilton.
limestone. a WESP on the end to control that very Its a get-out-of-jail-free card and
The codes basically dictate not only small amount of residual particles. If a difficult one to obtain at that. But
the technology, but also how many mercury is present, the quencher may at the end of the day, it is possible to
stages are used, says Bionomics Schifft- be run highly acidic (to convert the Hg meet the regulatory requirements for
ner. For example, years ago, a hazard- to chloride), then the venturi, the ab- air-pollution control if you employ the
ous-waste incinerator may have used sorber and the WESP are used. right equipment.
a quencher, venturi scrubber and ab- No one ever bought these products Joy LePree
1-866-758-6004 WWW.FIKE.COM
Circle 7 on p. 56 or go to adlinks.che.com/45773-07
20 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013
Newsfront
SONOCHEMISTRY
MAKES ITS MARK Hielscher Ultrasonics
I
ndustrial uses of high-intensity ul- Biodiesel production Weve had good experiences with
trasound have grown tremendously Making biodiesel fuel from vegetable ultrasound for continuous-flow biod-
over the past 25 years, says Kenneth oils such as soy, canola, Jatropha or iesel production, says Weis. The best
Suslick, professor of chemistry at sunflower seed or animal fats, in- advantages are that it is a faster reac-
the University of Illinois at Urbana- volves the base-catalyzed transesteri- tion, less energy is used, it requires a
Champaign and one of the pioneers in fication of fatty acids with methanol smaller process area, and requires less
the field. Ultrasonic welding of plas- or ethanol to obtain either methyl or material with a flammable mixture of
tics is universal, ultrasonic cleaning of ethyl esters. Glycerin is a byproduct of methanol, he says.
equipment has replaced most solvent those reactions. The heavier glycerin The setup process was purely trial
and vapor degreasing, and it is even will sink to the bottom and the biodie- and error [with batch reactors]. With
routine for homes to have ultrasonic sel fuel floats on top and can be sepa- a continuous flow system it is fast and
humidifiers, either built-in or portable. rated by decanters or centrifuges. easy to make adjustments.
The use of ultrasound for chemical pro- The traditional esterification reac- The throughput for most of the com-
cessing, too, has found a permanent tion in batch processing tends to be panys systems is 450 to 600 L/h. The
niche in industrial applications, includ- slow, and separation of the glycerin frequency and flowrate vary, depend-
ing sonocrystallization of pharmaceuti- can take several hours. The batch ing on the feedstock.
cals, enhancement of high-value-added process mixes various chemicals to- Genuine Bio-Fuel Inc. (Indiantown,
chemical reactions, well-water purifica- gether mechanically. Fla; www.genuinefuel.com) has had
tion, and preparation of ultrafine emul- When ultrasound is used, however, a similar experience. Batch reactors
sions for cosmetics. Many other large- the ensuing cavitation provides the are too cumbersome and limiting,
scale applications are developing as kinetic energy needed for faster and says the companys executive vice-
well in the food industry, says Suslick. more complete esterification. Cavita- president Jeff Longo. The batch pro-
Thirty years ago, sonochemistry tional shear also reduces the size of cess is time-consuming, taking any-
was a black art, unknown to nearly methanol or ethanol droplets, result- where from a couple of hours to days
all chemists, and understood by no ing in improved methanol and cata- to complete. Plus, it is not conducive
one. Today we understand in detail lyst utilization. Thus, less methanol to using a variety of alternative feed-
the nature of acoustic cavitation and and catalyst are required. stocks of variable quality, he says.
most of the mechanisms responsible As opposed to batch operations, ul- Using ultrasonics allows the company
for sonochemical reactions, Suslick trasonic biodiesel processing allows to produce greater quantities of finer-
continues. Our understanding of the for continuous inline processing and quality biodiesel fuel, while reducing
extraordinary conditions produced ultrasonic reactors reduce the process- costs and enabling the company to use
during cavitation, created by the im- ing time from the conventional 14 h a wide variety of feedstocks.
plosive collapse of microscopic gas to less than 30 s. Ultrasonication also Genuine Bio-Fuel spent 18 months
bubbles in liquids, is thorough. We can reduces the separation time from the procuring proprietary data, which gives
measure and control the temperatures 510 h required for conventional agi- the proper flowrates, catalyst percent-
and pressures of cavitation that drive tation, to less than 60 min, says Scott age, and injection rates along with the
sonochemical reactions. Weis, owner of Wisconsin Fluid Sys- proper frequencies to be applied.
In fact, biodiesel production, water tems LLC (Union Grove, Wisconsin Genuine Bio-Fuel has used the
and wastewater purification, and www.wisconsinfuels.com). UIP1000hd 1 kW, 20 kHz industrial
sonocrystallization of pharmaceuti- Ultrasound also allows a reduction in ultrasonic processor (Figure 1) from
cals, are among the most successful the use of heat and pressure, two of the Hielscher Ultrasonics GmbH (Teltow,
applications of sonochemistry. largest energy costs of batch plants. Germany; www.hielscher.com), de-
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013 21
ULTRASOUND SOURCES
The following companies offer equipment and services related to the use of ultrasound:
Newsfront
1. Ultrawaves GmbH (Hamburg, Ger- 7. Industrial Sonomechanics, LLC
many; www.ultrawaves.de); reactors (New York, N.Y.; www.sonomechan-
systems and consulting for treatment of ics.com); nanocrystallization of
signed for continuous processing at water, wastewater and biomass pharmaceuticals
high flowrates. 2. Hielscher Ultrasonics GmbH (Teltow, 8. Stoelting Ultrasonics (Kiel, Wiscon-
Germany; www.hielscher.com); ultra- sin; www.stoeltingcleaning.com);
Wastewater treatment sonic reactors for applications such as custom cleaning
While ultrasound in biodiesel fuel pro- biodiesel production, and wastewater 9. Telsonic AG (Bronschhofen, Switzer-
cessing works mainly by providing the and biomass treatment. land; www.telsonic.com); generators,
shearing forces that greatly speed up 3. Meinhardt Ultraschalltechnik (Leipzig, tube resonators, transducers, cleaning
the chemical reactions, additional ef- Germany; www.meinhardt-ultraschall. 10. Ultrasonics Australasia Pty Ltd.
fects are involved in ultrasonic waste- de); ultrasonic transducer/generator (Sydney, Australia; www.ultrason-
water treatment. Here the aim is to systems icsaustralasia.com.au); ultrasonic
reduce the amounts of pollutants, 4. Ultrawave Ltd. (Cardiff, U.K. www. cleaning
including nutrients and potentially ultrawave.co.uk); precision ultrasonic 11. Unisonics Australia Pty Ltd. (Sydney,
pathogenic micro-organisms. Low fre- cleaning equipment Australia; www.unisonics.com.au);
quency, high-intensity ultrasound can 5. Branson Ultrasonics (Danbury, Conn.; ultrasonic cleaning
break up various pollutants, and even www.emersonindustrial.com); precision 12. U&Star Ultrasonic Technology
break up bacteria. The ultrasound de- cleaners (Hangzhou, China; www.
stroys bacterial cells, causing them 6. Honda Electronics Co. (Tokyo, Japan; ustar-ultrasonic.com); ultrasonic ac-
to spill out their contents and endo- www.honda-el.co.jp); ultrasonic reactors cessories and reactors, consulting
enzymes, which are then consumed by
other bacteria that become more effec- capacity of 75,000 PE (persons Industrial Sonomechanics
CONFERENCE NOTE
FIGURE 3. This scanning electron mi- he 1st meeting of the Asia-Ocea-
crograph shows the effect of ultrasonic
irradiation on the surface morphology
and particle size of nickel powder. Upper
image is before ultrasound and lower
T nia Sonochemical Society will take
place at the University of Melbourne
on July 1012. The meeting will be be
is after irradition of a slurry in decane. chaired by Ashokkumar, with partici-
High-velocity interparticle collisions pants from China and Japan, as well as
caused by ultrasound are responsible from Australia, the U.S. (Suslick), and
for the smoothing and removal of a pas- the U.K. (Mason).
sivating oxide coating
Explosion Hoerbiger
Ventilwerke
Protection
This flowrate totalizer has
an explosion-proof enclosure
The PD6830 ProtEX-RTP Pulse Input
Rate/Totalizer (photo) has a rugged,
explosion-proof, NEMA 4X enclosure
and is designed for the quick and easy
display of local or remote flow infor-
mation in hazardous areas. The Safe-
Touch through-glass buttons allow
operation without removing the cover.
Flowmeter k-factor units are automat-
ically converted to the desired display
units. The meter has FM, ATEX, CSA,
IECEx and CE approvals. Precision
Digital Corp., Holliston, Mass.
www.predig.com
Ashcroft
A new generation of relief valves
for explosion-pressure venting
EVN 2.0 (photo) is this companys lat-
est generation of relief valves. It com-
bines a number of technical innova-
tions, offering maximum reliability
in flameless explosion-pressure
venting. The EVN 2.0 combines
the latest standard, according to
EN 16009, with the proven benefits
of vacuum-proof, nearly mainte-
nance-free construction. The EVN
Infastaub
2.0 is available in different mate-
rials, ranging from standard car- tests (photo) have now dem-
bon steel to a stainless-steel vari- onstrated that the MPR also
ant for the food industry. A variety copes with extreme explosion
of O-ring materials is also avail- conditions under which it can
able to match a wide range of ap- be safely operated. The filter is
plications. Hoerbiger Ventilwerke equipped with constructive mea-
GmbH & Co. KG, Vienna, Austria sures for explosion protection. There-
www.hoerbiger.com fore, explosion overpressure of only 1
barg (maximum) can be measured in-
Accurate pressure transmitters Precision Digital
side the filter, in spite of missing explo-
for hazardous areas sion pressure relief. A special flame fil-
The A2, A2X and A4 pressure trans- Cartridge filters proven safe ter is mounted inside to prevent flame
mitters (photo) are heavy-duty sensors for hybrid mixtures spread on the clean gas side. Infas-
with accuracies up to 0.25% full scale. The pressure-shock-resistant cartridge taub GmbH, Bad Homburg, Germany
The A2 is available with a wide vari- filter MPR was designed for the filtra- www.infastaub.de
ety of electrical connections, analog tion of sticky and lung-current, harm-
output signals and pressure ports for ful or toxic dusts as well as suspended FB dryers with automated
most industrial applications. The A2X matter or powders with active phar- explosion-suppression systems
(explosion- and flame-proof) and A4 maceutical ingredients (APIs). An ad- Vibrating fluidized-bed (FB) dryers
(intrinsically safe) configurations are ditional risk potential is caused by hy- (photo, p. 25) and coolers from this
designed for hazardous environments. brid mixtures that might result from manufacturer are available with an
Ashcroft Inc., Stratford, Conn. solvent-containing substances in the optional, high-pressure design to ac-
www.ashcroftinc.com pharmaceutical industry. Explosion commodate the addition of third-party,
24 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013 Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number
on p. 56, or use the website designation.
TORQUEGUN.COM
the
torque gun
tm
TM
company
AR
PR
rotation precision (+5%) torque mode for make-up and
TM
2013
break-out, free of reaction arm, inger pinching and
destructible side load. PATENTS RECEIVED & PENDING
Circle 10 on p. 56 or go to adlinks.che.com/45773-10
Witte Pepperl+Fuchs
cessing operations. The CV-S vent is
designed to support robust cycling and
applications where the operating pres-
sure approaches the burst pressure, or
where moderate vacuum pressure ex-
ists. The rectangular shape is available
in sizes ranging from 9 12 in. up to
44 69 in., as well as metric and cus-
tom sizes. Fike, Blue Springs, Mo.
www.fike.com
Focus
Successfully
INEX features a closed station that
Marrying Systems can be flushed from within by sucking
in the washing liquid through WIP/
to Processes CIP. Standard lightweight and pres-
sure rated systems are available with
INEX functionality. Volkmann, Inc.,
Hainesport, N.J.
www.volkmannusa.com
Larson
Electronics
Swagelok
Many valve types are featured colored, easily identifiable FRG has
in this new product line a fluoropolymer-coated body that is
The IPT Series of products includes a corrosion-resistant. The unit features
range of valve types for medium- and integral bolt holes for ensuring correct
high-pressure valves, fittings and location and making installation easy, Flexitallic
fluid control devices (photo). Products the company says. Flexitallic Ltd.,
in the IPT Series are constructed from West Yorkshire, U.K.
cold-worked, 316 stainless steel, an- www.theflexitallicgroup.com heavy wall of PTFE that has excellent
nealed 316 stainless steel and other compatibility with a variety of media,
corrosion-resistant special alloys. The This emergency exit sign including corrosive chemicals, such as
medium- and high-pressure IPT line is explosion-proof acids and newer hydraulic fluids, the
includes check valves with maximum The EXP-EMG-EXT-12W-1LX Ex- company says. Also, the PTFE tubes
pressures up to 60,000 psig, ball valves plosion-proof Emergency Exit Sign have a static-dissipating liner that
that accommodate applications up to (photo) is designed to provide failsafe provides a pathway for static elec-
20,000 psig, relief valves to handle up operation and a pathway to safety in tricity dissipation to the end fittings
to 20,000 psig and needle valves avail- the event of unexpected power fail- for applications where flow-induced
able in six body types, along with tub- ures. The sign is approved for use in electrostatic charges could build up
ing, coned and threaded fittings and Class 1, Div. 1 and Class 2, Div. 1 and and potentially damage the hose and
associated tools and accessories. 2 areas, and complies with all hazard- surrounding environment. The hoses
Swagelok Co., Solon, Ohio ous location regulations for emergency are braided with 304 stainless steel
www.swagelok.com explosion-proof lighting. It will run for to allow flexibility and a tighter bend
90 min when the main power sources radius while maintaining high work-
Seal damaged flanges with this are shut down unexpectedly. The unit ing pressures. Sizes range from 0.25-
compressible gasket features an LED-powered exit sign to 1-in. inner dia. Parker Hannifin
The Flange Rescue Gasket (FRG; and a high-performance nickel-cad- Corp., Fort Worth, Tex.
photo) can be applied to seal damaged mium battery. Larson Electronics www.parker.com
flanges and avoid the need for replac- LLC, Kemp, Tex.
ing or machining the flange. The FRG www.magnalight.com Verify the effectiveness of
can reduce the time-consuming and rinsing with this device
costly process of flange maintenance, Handle up to 5,500 psi The FlowCam-ES imaging particle
especially in corrosive offshore envi- with these hoses analysis system is designed to auto-
ronments. The FRG is fabricated from High-pressure hose assemblies (photo) matically detect, image, count and
highly compressible Sigma PTFE are available from this company to measure metal particles in rinse
(polytetrafluoroethylene) to ensure handle working pressures as high as water to verify the effectiveness of the
that the FRG conforms to the dam- 5,500 psi, while maintaining peak rinse step in removing contaminants.
aged flange surface to seal and pre- flowrates. The 944B and 955B high-psi Operating online within the produc-
vent further deterioration. The bright- assemblies are manufactured with a tion line, the FlowCam automatically
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013 27
New Products
Fluid Imaging Technologies
TLV
ry, granular solids can be conveyed in a number of ways. FIGURE 2. Horizontal differential-motion
performance between the two types stems from the differences Line of
Velocity
in the kind of motion required to move the mass in one direction. action
The most significant difference between the two solids-conveying
systems is the presence, or absence, of motion in the plane nor- (Fi)
mal (perpendicular) to the plane of the conveying surface. W
( S) desired direction Editors note: Content for this edition of Facts at your Fingertips was pro-
y
ro
St
The Slipstick
Horizontal Motion Conveyor
Simply put, the Slipstick, the original Horizontal Motion Conveyor, offers rugged
construction, high capacity, impact resistant conveying thats reliable no matter how
severe the duty. How reliable? One customer just purchased new Slipstick conveyors to
replace units that were installed in 1982. Thirty-one years reliable.
Circle 18 on p. 56 or go to adlinks.che.com/45773-18
Ethylene Production
via Ethanol Dehydration
By Intratec Solutions
2 5 FU Fuel
9 RF 10
CW Cooling water
3 FU
RF Refrigeration fluid
ST
Water ST Steam
Ethanol, water and diethyl ether recycle
Feature
Cover Story
Report
Volume of
Volume of
liquid volumes. conical bottom:
2
elliptical top:
2
R R
New tools can help Vb :=
3
b
3
hb Vt :=
3
t
2
ht 3t 2 ht2
C
alculating the volume of a liquid h
in a vessel of a complex shape Conditions:
is a common task for chemical hc := if (H+bh) (h>b) h t := if (h>(H+b))
<
engineers. However, there are hb hHb
several difficulties associated with ac- else else
curately carrying out this calculation. 0 0
V := if (hb)
In my own experience as a chemi- Vb
cal engineer, I have become familiar b else h b := if (h<b)
with the complexities of calculations if h (H + b)
h
related to determining the volume of Vc + Vb else
a liquid contained in a vessel with an D else b
Vc + Vb + Vt
irregular shape.
Precise volume-determination equa- FIGURE 1. Calculating the volume of a liquid in an irregularly shaped vessel in-
tions are readily available for common volves combining equations for the various portions of the vessel, such as a cylinder
vessel shapes. But what if you are portion, a conical portion and an elliptical portion, in this case
using a vessel that is a vertical cyl-
inder with a hemispherical top and tion, the exact fluid volume must be At this point, two complexities arise.
bottom? Or, what if you are working known. One option is to measure the Engineers are forced to search through
with a horizontal elliptical vessel with volume using a meter pump, but this databases and manuals for the equa-
concave heads? No matter the type of method will not produce an accurate tions that are appropriate for the ir-
vessel you are working with, chemical result. The alternative is to verify the regular parts of the tank, and then cal-
engineers need to account for the liq- exact amount of liquid needed by cal- culate the volume using some kind of
uids within these irregular shapes to culating the volume of this irregularly calculation software. While many en-
calculate the volume properly. shaped vessel based on the liquid level. gineers favor Microsoft Excel as their
In this scenario, suppose that the calculation software of choice, keep in
Vessel-calculation challenges vessel in question is a vertical cylindri- mind that the program was not spe-
Lets begin with an example scenario. cal vessel comprised of a conical bottom cifically designed for entering complex
Suppose a chemical engineer works and elliptical top. The elliptical portion equations. As a result, this process for
at a pharmaceutical facility that pro- of the vessel is partially filled with liq- calculating the volume of a particular
duces cough syrup. In that capacity, uid, while the cylindrical and conical vessel can be a time-consuming and
the engineer may have to prepare a portions are fully filled (Figure 1). What inefficient process. Engineers cannot
solution in a 1,000-gal vessel or tank should be the approach to calculating afford to waste time they need reli-
with an irregular shape. To prepare the portion that is partially filled? able equations and quick calculations.
the proper concentration of cough To calculate the total volume, you In a similar scenario (depicted in
syrup, he or she may need to add 50 need to combine the different equa- Figure 1), the author and colleagues
pounds of an active pharmaceutical tions one for each of these three first either found and verified, or de-
ingredient into sugar syrup. basic shapes of the vessel: the conical rived equations, in some instances
Before adding anything to this liquid bottom, the elliptical top and the verti- using integrals, for each shape in-
base to prepare the proper concentra- cal cylinder. volved. Glancing through a reliable en-
30 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013
GENERAL Tafel equation
Symbols
log i 0
0 6 5 4
110 110 110 0.001
log i
gineering book, such as Perrys Chem- Life engineering calculation tools (SMath-based)
ical Engineers Handbook, revealed
nothing useful for this problem. Optional PLM integration layer
We had better luck conducting In- via API
ternet-based research, but it was not
Initial design stages: Part/unit replacement
until poring through many search
sizing, conceptualizing, and
results that we came across the fol- process improvements
material selection
lowing article by Dan Jones Cal-
culating Tank Volume (http://www.
webcalc.com.br/blog/Tank_Volume.
pdf). Also see (Chem. Eng., Sept. 2011,
Concept Operation and
pp 5563).
development maintenance
Using the equations provided in
Jones article for practical calcula-
tions proved to be a problem in itself. High-level
requirements
First, the equations had to be as-
sembled in a sensible way to account Acceptance
for all the shapes containing liquid in Detailed
the vessel. In addition, depending on requirements
the level of the liquid you are working
with, there are different equations High-level Subystem
that have to be used. design verification
Another common frustration for
chemical engineers is that the data
Detailed Scale-up, inte-
found online must be validated as well. design gration and testing
Often with research conducted online,
the reliability and validity of the the in-
formation found is not clear or defined. Implementation
Checking the validity of the equations
that are found can be complicated. To
be sure that an equation is validated, Time
engineers may need to recalculate ev-
erything from scratch which we did FIGURE 3. Cloud-based calculation tools can improve engineering workflow
Cover Story D
R
H
A. Conical top: B. Elliptical head: h
2
R 2
V :=
2
h 3 Hh
3 H
D Note: := means
where R :=
2 is defined to be
H
D
D. Horizontal elliptical vessel:
h
h L
R
2
h 2 h H
V := R H h+
H 3H
H 2 H
Vb :=
h 3 Rh h
D 6 R
where R :=
2 W
D
where R :=
2
a 2 2 2
h b 2
V :=
L (h b) b (h b) + b asin +b
2
b b
FIGURE 4. (AH) Various standard shapes that can be combined include
cylinders, cones, ellipsis and hemispherical. The diagrams and equations W H
where a := b := Note: := means
show some of the possible situations for volume measurement that engi- 2 2 is defined to be
neers might face
in this case and of course, it ended systems unless additional program- of engineers and engineering students
up costing us even more time. ming is introduced. Third, we planned around the world.
Once we found and validated the to create a browser-based application, This tool consists of a powerful math
equations and vessel dimensions, the but the Internet version of Excel has engine core, user-friendly worksheet-
next step was to use a calculation tool exhibited performance issues and is based graphical user interface (GUI)
that is easy to integrate with the data. not highly rated by many users. and plug-ins some of which are
We first turned to Microsoft Excel, Beyond Excel, there are engineer- open source software that connect
probably the most-often-used tool in ing calculation tools available such the core with GUI. SMath has the fol-
many engineers toolboxes. For most as PTCs (Needham, Mass.; www.ptc. lowing features:
calculations and analyses, an Excel com) Mathcad, which has automatic The ability to handle numeric and
spreadsheet would suffice. Several unit conversion and can check equa- symbolic calculations
generations of engineers now have tions for mathematical errors. How- Capabilities for 2-D and 3-D graphs
grown up using Excel its a common, ever, a browser version of Mathcad is Software versions designed for differ-
inexpensive software that is readily not available, and that limits its use- ent platforms and operating systems
available on most desktops and lap- fulness in cloud-based applications. Partial support of Mathcad files
tops. In addition to its familiarity, its (*.xmcd)
relatively easy to input large amounts SMath The ability to use mathematical units
of data into Excel. To calculate the volume of a liquid in a (either built-in or user defined)
However, in this case of calculating vessel of a complex shape, a task that Multi-language worksheets
volume in an irregularly shaped ves- should take only minutes, we tested Multi-language interface (28 lan-
sel, it was not. It became clear that it a tool that is readily available online guages)
would become an exceedingly time- and that could integrate our data. We The capacity to use programming
consuming process just to enter the found an engineering desktop calcu- functions directly on the worksheet
equations and variables. lation tool that is both powerful and Infrastructure to support third-
Other reasons why Excel was not the distributed free of charge SMath party plug-ins
right calculation tool in this case is that Studio (http://en.smath.info/forum/ An auto-complete feature with de-
programming is required with external yaf_topics12_Download-SMath-Stu- scription of all supported entries
data. Second, all calculations must be dio.aspx). The ability to use the tool in collabo-
performed in a consistent system of SMath has a browser version called ration (via server)
units with conversion factors embed- SMath Live. While it is function- Equation snippets
ded in equations. This is because Excel ally similar to the desktop version, it
does not automatically understand the needs further development. SMath, Improved volume calculations
units of measurement and does not developed specifically for engineering The tools chemical engineers have at
support calculations in different unit calculations, is now used by thousands their disposal are critical for main-
32 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013
E. Hemispherical head: G. Horizontal cylinder:
D
h taining high levels of productivity. Ide-
R
D
ally, engineers should use tools that
are seamless, can save time, and avoid
h L
costly errors in the workflow. One way
to accomplish this is through cloud
computing, where software programs
2 Rh 2
V := L
R acos
R
(R h)
2 R h h and data that have traditionally re-
sided on company servers are now lo-
2 D
Vb :=
6 h (
1.5 D h) where R := cated on a third partys remote servers
2
and are accessed via the Web.
Cloud computing assures todays en-
gineers quick and easy access to data
F. Hemispherical top: H. Horizontal hemicylindtrical top: from anywhere on a variety of devices.
It also allows engineers to easily share
data with their peers across the globe.
Fortunately, as technology continues
h
R to move into the cloud, engineers will
h
have more effective and reliable tools
to integrate data, such as equations
D
L
with calculation software, into their
design and workflow.
2 2 2 h 2 2 Currently in the early stages of de-
0.5 R R acos
3
D D V := L
h
R h
V :=
3
4
2
h
(D +h) R velopment, there is an engineering
cloud-based productivity tool (Figure
2) comprising of SMath Live inte-
PROTECT PUMPS
DRYRUNNINGCAVITATIONBEARINGFAILUREOVERLOAD
PUMPING
AMPS
Circle 11 on p. 56 or go to adlinks.che.com/45773-11
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013 33
Cover Story
grated with a searchable and brows- reasonable combination to calculate would enable users to find and select
able library of common engineering the volume of liquid in any partially equations for various shapes and then
equations, including those for par- filled vessel. Such a product will be assemble them like Lego blocks onto
tially filled shapes, that could help useful when integrated into engineer- an SMath Live worksheet. If you are
you calculate liquid volume as a func- ing workflow as an early-stage design working with any unusually shaped
tion of liquid level much faster than tool. The stages of a typical engineer- shells, bottoms or heads, you can build
before. A chemical engineer could ing workflow where this tool can be any vessel from them using smaller
use this cloud-based product to find integrated can be seen in Figure 3. pieces (Figure 4). You can continue
shapes and assemble them in any This type of Web-based product to build up to more complex shapes
and calculate the volume of the entire
shape or the volume of liquid in par-
tially filled shape. The same approach
could be used for calculating the vol-
Mark your ume of dry particulates, suspensions
and so on.
calendars for the Initial results are encouraging and
can be seen in Figure 1, which shows
single greatest
2
an example of a calculation for a verti-
cal cylindrical vessel with conical bot-
tom and elliptical top. This example
opportunity was assembled from calculations for
three basic shapes: cone bottom, el-
to grow your liptical top and vertical cylinder. Each
calculation contains limiting condi-
NEW for 13
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greater your chances of winning! of these sophisticated tools will be
20
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WEFTEC is the largest annual water of engineering productivity in the
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exhibition in the world offering the REDUC chnical
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education, training, and technology exhibitio register online
ou d Author
available. when y WEF an
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Visit www.weftec.org for details. Knovel in 1999 and as senior
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and Gurke continues to play an important role
in new product development and strategy. Prior
to Knovel, he spent 15 years with Chemical Ab-
stracts Service/American Chemical Society in
product development and editorial positions.
86th Annual Water Environment Federation His industrial experience includes working as a
Technical Exhibition and Conference chemist at water treatment and paint manufac-
turing plants. Gurke holds a masters degree in
McCormick Place South, Chicago, Illinois | October 5 9 chemical technology from St. Petersburg State
University of Technology and Design.
Circle 19 on p. 56 or go to adlinks.che.com/45773-19
34 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013
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Feature Report Part 1
Understanding FDI
A concise explanation of
Device parameters
(for example: unit,
range, diagnostic
Consistency rules/
dependencies
between
User interface
(programmed)
Manuals
Protocol
data, and so on) parameters specific
Field Device Integration Device structure
(for example:
Device functions
(for example: User interface
files
(GSD (ML),
(descriptive) and so on)
(FDI) Technology, blocks) calibration)
ith the advent of smart or what capabilities they support be- Foundation, Profibus & Profinet Inter-
Packaging
Fieldbus
Reference host 2) in a bit more detail.
Editing
Device Package and the actual device and execute the contents of a UIP hosting FDI server
hardware with one of the communica- Device Package. In addition, Information model
EDD engine
tion protocol foundations. For a given there will be a rigorous host EDD engine
device type with optional communica- registration test to insure
tion interfaces for HART, Foundation uniform implementation of FIGURE 5. Common
Fieldbus (FF), or Profibus PA, such as the common software compo- software components Interface services
a pressure transmitter, there will al- nents. The interpreter com- will interpret, display Communication
server
and execute the contents
ways be a corresponding HART FDI ponents available today are of a Device Package
Device Package, an FF FDI Device only for specific protocols and
Package, or a Profibus PA FDI Device differ significantly in their
Package. The advantage of the FDI functional capabilities and behavior to- The host under test (Figure 6) imports
technology is in its uniformity. Profi- ward the host system. a Reference FDI Device Package for a
bus DP devices will also be registered FDI will develop uniform, multi- specific communication protocol. This
using this same process. FDI will protocol standard FDI host compo- Reference Package is artificial in the
make the creation, maintenance and nents (Figure 5). EDD Engine (inter- sense that it is designed to exercise all
host integration of a Device Package preter), UID Renderer (display) and FDI Device Package features specified
more straightforward. UIP Hosting components (execution for a specific communication protocol.
What about the host system? This of the optional app) ensure that an The concept is that for a given com-
is where the cooperation with the FDI Device Package behaves in the munication protocol, the host should
FDT Group comes into play. The abso- same way on different systems. In ac- not only support all specified FDI fea-
lute goal of the FDI Project is that an cordance with IEC 61804-3, the EDD tures, but the features should be sup-
FDI Device Package must be read by Engine supports the entire language ported uniformly on different hosts of
any host (Figure 4). It is a suppliers scope of EDDL in a multiprotocol the same type. It is understood that
choice if the host is native EDDL, FDI manner, and is backward compat- the capabilities of a handheld com-
or FDT2 based. The host could be de- ible with existing EDD formats. This municator are different that those of
vice management software as part of a means that future system manufac- a control system.
process-control or asset-management turers no longer need to integrate
system, a device configuration tool on three interpreter components, but The benefits
a laptop or a handheld field commu- only one. This not only saves time and FDI combines the tried-and-tested con-
nicator. The FDI architecture allows effort, but also contributes to improv- cepts of both EDDL and FDT Technol-
for different kinds of host implemen- ing the quality and interoperability. ogy and thus provides benefits for all
tations including an FDT-Technology- parties; suppliers and end-users alike.
based host system that ensures in- Host testing For control-system manufacturers,
teroperability with FDT-based hosts. Of necessity, a large part of the host FDI has specified a client-server ar-
In any case, the host always supports system testing is accomplished manu- chitecture as an option. The commu-
the FDI Device Package and delivers ally, rather than being automated. nication between client and server is
38 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013
Reference
Import FDI Device Package
Host
under test FIGURE 6. A host under FDI is the underlying technology
Reference test imports a Reference FDI
FDI communication that is the means to achieve easy in-
packages/servers Device Package for a specific
communication protocol tegration of digital information into
host systems.
Edited by Gerald Ondrey
based on OPC-UA, an international package. Another advantage for sup- Author
standard for automation solutions. pliers is the scalability of the FDI De- Martin Zielinski is direc-
This client-server architecture simpli- vice Package. Simple devices get along tor of HART and Fieldbus
Technology at Emerson Pro-
fies the use of device data and func- with a simple-device package. By their cess Management (12001
tions in distributed control systems. nature, complex devices require a Technology Dr., Eden Prai-
rie, MN, 55344-8301; Phone:
In addition, transparent access to de- more-comprehensive device package. 952-828-3000; Email: martin.
vice data and functions facilitates the An integrated development envi- zielinski@emerson.com). Pre-
viously, Zielinski held several
integration of other applications [for ronment and standard host software positions with Rosemount
Inc., including RS3 product
example, connection of manufactur- components ensure interoperability planning manager and man-
ing execution systems (MES)]. Other and cost-efficient development of FDI ager of Digital Field Communications. He was
instrumental in the establishment of not only
benefits are clear: the central manage- Device Packages and host systems. the HART Communication Foundation, but also
ment of data prevents inconsistencies For the end-user, the main benefit Fieldbus Foundation as its former COO. Zielin-
ski is currently a member of the Board of Man-
and the automatic loading of user in- of FDI lies in the standardized in- agers of the FDI Cooperation, LLC and is on the
terfaces by the client means client-side tegration of field devices through a Executive Committee of the FDT Group. He is
also president of the Wireless Industrial Tech-
installation is no longer required. future-proof standard that ensures nology Konsotrium Inc. Earlier in his career,
Honeywell Inc. employed Zielinski as a principal
For device suppliers, FDI reduces ef- unrestricted interoperability of device development engineer on its control systems.
fort and saves costs because only one packages from a wide variety of device Zielinski has authored numerous papers on the
role of digital communications in industrial au-
FDI Device Package has to be created manufacturers with FDI systems (FDI tomation. He holds seven U.S. Patents. He has
for one device type, instead of the cur- hosts) from a wide variety of control a B.S.E.E. degree from Carnegie-Mellon Univer-
sity (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and an M.B.A. from Temple
rent EDDL- and DTM-based device system manufacturers. University (Philadelphia, Pa.).
Receivefull
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rocess sensors and actuators most certain to cause great
provide a wealth of information economic loss. In order to fa-
about their status. The Namur cilitate a particularly efficient
recommendation NE 107 that solution to that end, Namur
proposes standardized, easily under- published its recommenda-
standable status indicators was issued tion NE 107 in 2007. This doc-
by the International User Association ument not only emphasizes
for Automation in Process Industries that all information must be
(Namur; Leverkusen, Germany; www. reliable and available at all
namur.de), in an effort to enable plant times, but also stipulates that
operators to check the current condi- diagnostics must be reported
tion of their field devices quickly and in a specific shape and form,
easily. NE 107 helps to structure such irrespective of their particular
data in a concise manner by establish- origin and context, in order to
ing distinct symbols and color codes. make it as easy as possible for
Remote I/O (input/output) systems operators to determine and
also generate messages and alarms initiate proper reactions.
that can provide helpful information Moreover, non-essential in-
for operation and maintenance. From formation for the application
a users perspective, an implementa- in question should be screened FIGURE 2. This commercial remote I/O
tion of the Namur recommendation out to ensure that no extra module provide onsite operators with basic
information through NE 107 and NE 044-ori-
for this technology was sorely missing data might detract attention ented channel and device status LEDs
until recently. from where essential data are
However, new remote I/O solutions needed. In effect, this means
now display important data on loca- that displays must be freely configu- (Figure 1). A green display stands for
tion at the module in a differentiated rable: select information must be a valid process signal in regular oper-
and concise manner according to NE shown or withheld depending on the ation. Blue signifies that maintenance
107. In addition, further alarm and task at hand and the level where those is required, though the signal remains
message options also enable efficient data are presented, since information valid. Yellow should alert users that
information display on higher auto- requirements are different for the per- a signal is out of specification. Tem-
mation levels. Finally, thanks to inte- son receiving them. For instance, re- porarily invalid signals during func-
grated wear detection, select remote quirements differ for users in the field, tional checks feature an orange tint.
I/O systems even empower users to operators in process control rooms or Finally, red marks indicate invalid
establish proactive or opportunity- supervisors responsible for asset man- signals in cases of malfunctions.
based maintenance routines that are agement. On the other hand, no mat-
safer, more economic and more effi- ter whether an extensive or minute Remote I/O technology
cient than before. This article looks at subset of data is displayed, a certain The adaptation of this scheme has
these recent developments. standardization should provide clarity been a gradual process. In the years
across the board for all mentioned user since the introduction of the recom-
Background scenarios and more. mendation, NE 107 has been partly
The main purpose of diagnostic data The recommendation suggests color implemented in process control sys-
gathered from field devices in modern and symbol conventions for status sig- tems, and widely in asset manage-
process plants is to avoid production nals to enable operators to quickly and ment systems. Many modern fieldbus
downtimes, since any standstill is al- easily grasp five specified conditions devices for Profibus PA or Foundation
40 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013
?
Display
Display/Diagnosis IOM Direct mode active
+ Parameters
I&M Diagnosis
Comments
Terminals Icon Name Value
Info Module diagnostics Redundant rail contact to IOM malfuction
Temperature monitoring OK
Slot addressing OK
Module status OK
Output Hardware interuption!!
Signals
No. TAG Value (int) Value (phys) Unit 0% 50% 100% Diagnostics
0 DO_0 ? 0 0.0000
1 DO_1 ? 0 0.0000
2 DO_2 ? 0 0.0000
3 DO_3 ? 0 0.0000
4 DO_4 ? 0 0.0000
5 DO_5 ? 0 0.0000
6 DO_6 ? 0 0.0000
7 DO_7 ? 0 0.0000
8 Status_S0 ? 0 0.0000
9 Status_S1 ? 0 0.0000
10 Status_S2 ? 0 0.0000
11 Status_S3 ? 0 0.0000
12 Status_S4 ? 0 0.0000
13 Status_S5 ? 0 0.0000
14 Status_S6 ? 0 0.0000
15 Status_S7 ? 0 0.0000
FIGURE 3. Via Device Type Manager (DTM), diagnostic data from field devices can be integrated, for example, into asset manage-
ment systems in compliance with NE 107
Fieldbus (FF) H1 also already comply the cost of equipment. Until the 1980s, Balancing earlier standards
with Namurs recommendation, or will and at many sites well into the 1990s, Despite the technical advantages and
do so shortly. Implementations are conventional point-to-point lines were great cost-cutting potential, it took
due to follow suit or are already pend- deployed from each and every field de- more than a decade for remote I/O
ing for several other fieldbus systems, vice to a controller at a considerable technology to broadly catch on in the
including ProfiNet, FF HSE / F-ROM, distance. Every one of these individual chemical process industries. At the
and HART. However, until very re- connections carried an analog 420- time of writing, however, these sys-
cently, no remote I/O solutions that mA signal. That inefficient setup was tems are now very well established.
observe the recommended scheme dispensed with, as remote I/O modules They are not only already operating in
had been generally available. picked up signals via short lines from countless process plants, but also still
Remote I/O systems were first in- a few field devices in their vicinity, have an edge over all-digital, full-scale
troduced about 25 years ago. This and then passed on all the information fieldbus installations in many newly
technology was conceived as a cost- gathered via digital data transmission. devised projects throughout the world.
efficient and flexible new solution for In effect, this alternative did away with With regards to Namur NE 107,
data acquisition in process plants (see a huge number of lengthy dedicated however, it is imperative for field de-
The Benefits of Remote I/O and Field- wires. Moreover, state-of-the-art re- vices and remote I/Os that a display
bus, Chem. Eng. September 2000, pp. mote I/O technology now allows users design, which complies with this new
64-I&C-14). This was particularly to universally link both conventional recommendation, remain compat-
crucial for hazardous areas, where and HART-compatible field devices in ible with existing worldwide practices
explosion protection measures for all Zone 1 areas of a plant via digital com- and standards (Figure 2). Especially
systems and components are generally munication to a control system on a yellow and orange (as well as white)
indispensable, but inevitably add to higher automation level. light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are al-
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013 41
Do you follow Feature Report
best practices ready used to display the switching reduce unscheduled service assign-
for nitrogen status of devices, as suggested by the
earlier NE 044 recommendation. Sig-
ments for operators and maintenance
personnel, including the associated
blanketing?
nal-related yellow LEDs for displaying extra costs.
the switching status should therefore A detailed diagnosis will, of course,
be kept as-is in systems implementing also help users avoid unnecessary
NE 107. exchanges of modules according to a
Remote I/O modules should have fixed cycle. Through NE 107-compli-
per-channel diodes, namely a yel- ant remote I/O, users stand to benefit
low LED for digital I/O signals and a from the advantages of the Namur
red LED for inputs and outputs that recommendations in most automation
flashes as proposed in NE 044 in case environments, and this is much more
of line errors. extensive than previously possible.
Another sensible feature would be a Unfortunately the NE 107 still can-
separate LED block for device-related not be expected to be universally sup-
information fitted with a green over- ported in the future, especially not by
all status LED, a red error LED, and all standard fieldbus systems. Nota-
Nitrogen blanketing is widely a blue maintenance LED. The latter bly, there are no plans to implement
should use a steady light to alert op- the recommendation for the widely
used to prevent ires, explosion, or erators whenever a replacement is used Profibus DP. For this fieldbus,
degradation of products during their necessary as a result of damage or some remote I/O systems now at least
wear. Flashing blue should be used provide a partial solution for cyclical
production, storage, and transport. to indicate that a module is no longer transfer of process values similar to
By implementing best practices in operating within specification, giving Profibus PA or Foundation Fieldbus
maintenance personnel a chance to H1. Just like fieldbus technology,
your blanketing system, you may ind
take preventive or corrective measures these current systems use a status
opportunities to reduce costs and before an actual failure comes to pass. bit in order to report for each channel
improve safety. Besides activating this blue LED, the whether the signal is within specifi-
module should also signal required cations or faulty. This feature for Pro-
maintenance by sending out a diag- fibus DP anticipates the status infor-
Visit our website below to watch nostic telegram. At a higher level, a mation that is to come at a later time
distributed control system (DCS) or in a similar form for ProfiNet, though
a video on best practices featuring asset management software can then with a width of one byte instead of
industry specialists at Air Products, process such information as needed merely one bit.
that is, analyze it and integrate it via Edited by Gerald Ondrey
Cashco, Inc., and Neutronics Inc. Also
Device Type Manager (DTM), in com-
download a technical article with Author
pliance with NE 107 (Figure 3). Andr Fritsch is senior prod-
more detail. uct manager, remote I/O &
fieldbus technology in the Au-
Proactive maintenance tomation division of R. Stahl
tell me more Besides NE 107-oriented LED dis-
plays, state-of-the-art remote I/O
Schaltgerte GmbH (Am Bah-
nhof 30, 74638 Waldenburg,
airproducts.com/N2blanketing Germany; Phone: +49-7942-
modules should also feature an inte- 943-0; Fax: +49-7942-943-
4333; Email: sales-ex@stahl.
grated wear-detection capability. Dur- de). Fritsch has worked for
ing operation, such a system ought R. Stahl since 1988, starting
with the responsibility for the
to continuously measure all relevant product ranges of safety barriers and intrinsi-
cally safe galvanic isolators. Over the years he
module parameters, such as ambient gathered professional experience in the explo-
temperature, system load, and switch sion protection methods of intrinsic safety and
is responsible now for the product ranges I.S.
on/off cycles. Depending on these Remote I/O and Fieldbus Technology for Field-
conditions, the realistic lifespan in bus Foundation and Profibus. Besides the topic of
intrinsic safety, special knowledge was achieved
the context of the actual application concerning fieldbus technology according to IEC
should then be calculated. 61158, Realtime Ethernet and also functional
safety according to IEC 61508 and IEC 61511.
An NE 107-oriented monitoring Fritsch is member of the Fieldbus Foundation
EMEA Steering Committee, FF German Mar-
function can notify users in time for keting Committee, FF F-ROM Working Group
instance twelve months in advance and the Profibus User Organization. He has
published various articles around Remote I/O,
about the imminent end of life of a functional safety, HART Management, fieldbus
module. In most cases, users will then solutions for hazardous areas with Remote I/O
and Fieldbus products and Industrial Ethernet
be able to exchange that module with- for process automation. He holds a degree (Dipl.
out urgency at the next convenient Ing.) in electrical engineering with a focus on
automation technology from the Berufskadamie
opportunity. This will significantly Mosbach (Germany).
Vapor Depressurization:
Concept and Implementation
When carrying out RO
(***) Slope
To flare or
depressurization >=2-in. (*) cold vent
system
(**) (**) Minimum
calculations, special Low temperature
if required
HP LP
Hitesh Pandya Figure 1 shows a typical arrange- The trapped system inventory of
Saipem India Projects Ltd. ment for blowdown system. It consists hydrocarbons is above a minimum
of an on/off valve, a restriction orifice value (for instance, 2 tons of butane
uring process operations, elevated (RO) and a block valve. to 15 tons of butane and so on)
From Concept to
Commercial Production
These four steps of
process development
are typically necessary
to effectively scale
a concept into full
production
Steve Donen
Rivertop Renewables
C
hemical technology is in a state
of constant innovation and evo-
lution that is being spearheaded
by laboratory researchers across FIGURE 1. Utilizing a scaled-up reactor during laboratory testing enables further
the world. Within the past decade, re- in-depth evaluation of process economics, cost-beneit analysis and costs of known
search specific to green or bio-based dependencies
chemicals has gathered funding and
momentum as broad-based opinion of commercial scale challenges can fied at this stage, but often this work
has shifted toward themes such as cost tens of millions of dollars more is limited to proof of performance. It
sustainability, renewables and conser- than it would have taken to develop a is very important to list these critical
vation. This momentum has impelled concept systematically. issues that need to be solved either
advances in green chemistry that are Assuming market demand is de- before proceeding or during the next
resulting in new products and appli- veloped and validated, this article stages of development. At this stage,
cations in bioplastics, resins, clean- discusses the four steps that are gen- a high-level cost analysis is conducted
ing supplies, corrosion inhibition and erally necessary to effectively scale a to identify critical issues concerning
much more as industries look for more concept into full production: 1) proof of the product and its economic viability
economically and environmentally concept; 2) laboratory testing; 3) pilot- along with business value hypotheses.
sustainable solutions for the future. scale or semi-works development; and While this early phase of analysis,
This green boom has led the way for 4) commercial production. discovery and proof of performance
thousands of new patents as innova- can be exciting, it is very important
tions are explored and tested across Proof of concept for researchers to be as objective as
many sectors. Unfortunately, the road Once a concept for a new technology has possible when evaluating the pathway
from concept to commercial-scale pro- been conceived, testing is conducted to forward. During this period, a hypoth-
duction is often long and arduous, demonstrate that the concept works. esis of real commercial value must be
which prevents many from seeing This process generally involves docu- developed. Do not let a seemingly good
their product ever reach consumers. menting the invention for patents or idea blind commercial value analysis.
One of the greatest production chal- publishing by conducting small batch Best practices. Include stakeholders
lenges to overcome is budgeting the testing to prove a reaction, conversion, from across your company including
necessary time and resources to de- or separation actually creates a prod- research, engineering, business and
velop and scale a product properly. uct that meets performance criteria, finance departments throughout this
Early stage concepts are constantly such as yield, concentration and reac- process. There have been too many
under pressure to get up and running tion rate or creates a new chemical instances of companies in the green
as quickly as possible, but a few weeks altogether. Critical issues are identi- chemistry space at this stage who ne-
46 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013
glected to field views from all aspects Best practices. In the laboratory capable of uninterrupted running for
of the business and the new technol- testing stage, best practices include a minimum of six months. This step
ogy looking for a problem won out, the following: is often shortened and not fully inte-
when further development of the busi- Documentation is key. Ensure that grated with all the recycles, or worse
ness case was required. critical issues and solutions iden- yet, even skipped. Recycle streams,
tified during this stage are docu- impurity buildups and contamination
Laboratory testing mented along the way. This includes can have devastating results on a com-
The laboratory testing stage involves discoveries on the economics of the mercial facility. It is critical to know
early process development, which is process, cost-benefit analysis, and the lifecycle of bio-catalysts or other
aimed at preparing the data necessary costs of known dependencies for catalysts, and to learn what contami-
to scale to a fully integrated pilot or the process. nants to expect, what fouls them under
semi-works facility. During this stage, All these processes usually require perfect conditions, or with varying raw
which is completed in a laboratory, multiple steps, often referred to materials. Not having detailed data on
the critical issues identified in the as unit operations. Do not skip or impurity buildups can eventually cost
proof-of-concept stage are resolved or shorten these development steps a project millions of dollars in produc-
abated enough to continue to the next and be sure to complete each unit tivity from contamination, fouling of
stage. Many times unit operations are operation testing in series, locking catalysts, contaminated solvents and
identified as conjecture or anyone in parameters prior to going to the lowered capacities (Figure 2).
skilled in the art but never tested next unit operation. Each success- The capacity of the pilot facility is
at the proof-of-concept stage. Every ful unit operation is linked to the specifically tailored to minimize the
step in the process is tested and data previous one and many modifica- steps necessary to scale from labo-
are developed on the laboratory bench tions can impact how the next unit ratory operations to a commercial
to prove performance and economics operation performs, many times facility. Many types of operations,
of the overall process, generally using even completely changing the next if the correct size is chosen, can be
standard in-house laboratory equip- unit operation. scaled in a single step from a pilot
ment (Figure 1) or via vendors. This In todays technology-driven world, to a commercial facility. A simple ex-
step is oftentimes skipped completely process modeling can help dramati- ample is distillation.
or not executed fully due to time con- cally, both in process speed and the If you build a distillation column in
straints or impatience. A general es- identification of step completion. It this step that is large enough to mini-
timate of when the laboratory stage is recommended to use first-princi- mize wall effects (8-in. dia.), then it
is complete is when all necessary in- ple-type data in the model, which could be possible to scale hundreds of
formation concerning kinetics, vapor are typically available for exist- times bigger and essentially transition
liquid equilibrium, solubility, physical ing materials and offer significant from semi-works to commercial in one
properties, solids separation, and all time efficiencies. step. If your process includes difficult-
other relevant properties is known To help decide if the bio-based to-scale unit operations, such as solids
with enough detail to develop a pro- chemical or product should be de- separations, then scaling at greater
cess model using modeling programs. veloped, you must further define its than ten to twenty times is very risky
Any gaps in the model are basically commercial value and cost models, and these types of processes will usu-
gaps in the process knowledge. while evaluating if the technology ally require at least two steps from a
The model can then be used to create has a commercial value that sup- pilot and semi-works facility to get to
a mass and energy balance (M&EB), ports moving forward. Again, there a commercial-scale process. In select-
which is used to design and build a fully is a strong need to involve team ing the number of steps required to
integrated pilot facility. Once a material members from research, engineer- scale from pilot- to a commercial-scale
balance can be developed, a relatively ing, finance and business depart- facility, it is best to begin by identify-
accurate cost model can be created, ments in this step to make the deci- ing the most challenging unit opera-
which will be the economic basis for sion to move forward. However, just tion of the process to scale up and then
the decision to continue development as important as internal scrutiny, it establish the steps necessary to scale
or to cancel the project. The length of is vital to involve an outside project- up that part of the process.
laboratory testing varies greatly due analysis company to conduct an as- Upon successfully completing the
to different process complexity and re- sessment of your project and provide pilot/semi-works step, a fully devel-
sourcing levels, but it generally takes feedback on the process readiness oped and integrated process model
a minimum of six months to multiple to move toward commercialization. should be in place, as well as M&EBs
years of experimentation. This step and project equipment specifications
should always include a combination of Pilot/semi-works development that can be scaled to commercial lev-
chemists, chemical engineers, and pro- Once the laboratory development els and be ready to start the front-
cess and economic modelers and should phase is complete, it is time to move to end-loading of the commercial plant.
involve coordination with development a fully integrated pilot or semi-works During this process, partners and
partners to ensure product specifica- facility, which includes recycle streams customers should be provided or sold
tions can be met. and continuous and batch operations samples as further proof that there
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013 47
Engineering Practice
kg/cm2g
is dirty or corrosive, Nitrogen to
Knock out
drum
nitrogen can be used primary seal Chiller
Cooling
Condenser
it requires special steps T: 38C
water
P: 5.1 kg/cm2g
Samir K. Nayek and
Leena Chaudhari Suction Separator
knock out
Reliance Industries Ltd. India drum
Process
O
ngoing advances in the design
and use of dry gas seals (DGSs; FIGURE 1. This igure shows a compressor system that uses dry gas seals (DGSs).
[1]) as an alternative to tra- DGSs use nitrogen rather than process gas, for a variety of reasons discussed here
ditional oil-lubricated wet seals
[2] have helped to improve the reli- possibility for wear; thus, there is no The lowest-cost and most-conve-
ability and efficiency of compressors need for lubrication. nient option is to use a slipstream of
throughout the chemical process in- Apart from this inherent reliability, process gas from the compressor dis-
dustries (CPI). One of the major design this approach eliminates the cost and charge. In many applications, the use
considerations in mechanical seals is hassles of processing the circulating of the process gas or some non-con-
how to protect seal faces from wear, as lubrication oil. In general, the replace- densable components of the process
one face rotates close to a static face. ment of wet seals by DGSs is quite com- fluid supported by the use of an
In traditional oil seals, the use of oil mon, and the opportunity for enhanced application-specific, gas-conditioning
lubrication prevents such wear. reliability often justifies such an invest- system with a sophisticated control
As their name suggests, DGSs are ment. However, in some isolated appli- system is quite common.
free from wet oil lubrication. Instead, cations, compatibility issues between Auxiliary systems that include high-
DGSs typically use the process gas to the seal material and the process fluid efficiency filtration and the provision
prevent seal wear. When the process can be a limiting factor, and will re- of superheating capabilities are often
gas is dirty or corrosive, nitrogen may quire additional, process-specific steps. adequate for treating the process gas
be used as an external gas source for One such case is discussed below. to meet the seal-gas specifications.
seal face lubrication. The costs associated with such a sec-
DGSs operate on the principle of Options and constraints ondary treatment system must be fac-
maintaining micro-level separation As noted, the seal gas or gases used in tored into the decisionmaking when it
(due to fluid-dynamic lift) between the DGSs is compressed by the rotating comes to selecting the most appropri-
two seal faces. Grooves in the rotat- seal faces. The reliability of the DGSs ate seal gas. In some cases, such an
ing ring generate the necessary seal- is absolutely dependent on a reliable analysis will reveal that the economics
gas pressure to maintain a gap of the supply of a high-quality seal gas. The of adding a process-gas-conditioning
order of 3 to 10 microns between the presence of particulate matter, liquid system (to meet the stringent seal-gas
seal faces. During operation, this seal droplets or other incompatible chemi- specifications) is unfavorable.
gas becomes compressed and the pres- cals may interfere with and damage In some applications, the presence
surized gas keeps the two seal faces seal faces and cause seal failure, of highly corrosive chemicals in the
apart. However, a small amount of leading to machine stoppages. Ide- process gas may rule out its use as the
this gas will get into system. ally, the seal gas must be clean, non- seal gas in DGSs. However, in these
In DGSs, the seal faces are not in condensing, and compatible with the cases, the use of a clean, external gas,
contact with each other so there is no seal faces. such as nitrogen, may be considered
50 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013
as an alternative. This is especially condenser (Figure 1). Since nitrogen bated, its application must still be
useful at integrated sites where nitro- is non-condensable, it will accumulate determined by a cost-benefit analysis.
gen is available onsite as a utility. The in the condenser and thus affect the The total cost of nitrogen, the costs
use of an external source of seal gas condensation of the iC4 vapor, thereby of the loss of associated iC4, and the
is a feasible and practical option for increasing the compressor discharge cost of refrigeration (to operate the
eliminating risk of seal damage that pressure. chiller) must be weighed against the
could occur due to the failure of treat- The use of non-condensable vent- operating cost of the wet seal and the
ment systems, or because of a drop in ing from the far end (that is, from the anticipated increase in reliability of
process gas pressure [1]. vapor-entry point) of the condenser is the DGSs.
a standard remedy to the occasional In the replacement case discussed
Impact of an external seal gas non-condensable blanketing problem. here, the refrigerant compressor may
The principle of functioning of DGSs Continuous purging to get rid of the become overloaded with this addi-
requires a very small ingress of seal continuous ingress of nitrogen is not tional chiller load. Since the actual
gas to the process side of the compres- likely to be economical. Although the operating cost and considerations will
sor. In some applications, this could amount of nitrogen that gets into the vary from place to place, no attempt is
lead to process-fluid contamination. process is small, the use of a continu- made here to present a fit-for-all con-
Although good design can restrict this ous purge will lead to a significant loss clusion. Further, the cost of potential
small source of leaked gas to a mini- of associated iC4. seal failure (associated with the use
mum, its impact unless evaluated Being saturated with iC4 vapor, the of oil-lubricated seals) and the conse-
and addressed may lead to opera- composition of the purge gas will vary quent downtime for the process is a
tional problems. as a function of the operating pres- factor of process and its profitability.
In some cases, the process is able to sure and cooling-water temperature. For safety reasons, nitrogen systems
integrate this minor ingress of clean, At the condensation temperature for are normally robust and highly reli-
inert nitrogen without any further iC4, with cooling water (supply tem- able in refineries and petrochemical
concern. But in other cases, an exit perature at 32C), this purge stream complexes. This often helps to justify
strategy such as the use of chemi- will have about 82 vol.% iC4 at the the use of nitrogen as an alternative
cal or physical means, such as reac- pressure (at 5 kg/cm2) used for this to process gas with a gas-treatment
tion, solution or purging must be calculation. A continuous purge mode system to support the use of DGS in
used to remove this leaked gas from will lead to substantial loss of the as- compressor applications. n
the system downstream of the com- sociated iC4 with the nitrogen, making Edited by Suzanne Shelley
pressor. Again, the system complexity this scheme uneconomical.
and costs associated with these op- Ingress of, say, 100 kg/h of nitrogen References
tions will vary from system to system will lead to about 1 m.t./h iC4 loss to 1. Stahley, John S., Dry Gas Seals Handbook,
Pennwell Corp., Tulsa, Okla..
and will influence whether or not the the flare. To reduce this loss, the tem-
2. Bloch, Heinz P., A Practical Guide to Com-
use of a dry gas seal is appropriate for perature of the purge stream can be pressor Technology, 2nd Ed., Wiley Inter-
a given application. reduced through a chiller, as shown in science, p. 357.
the figure. With respect to loss reduc-
Refrigeration compressor loop tion, the lower the temperature, the Authors
The refrigeration compressor dis- better. In the application shown in the Samir Kumar Nayek was,
until his recent retirement,
cussed in this case history is used to figure, we use 5C. senior vice president of Reli-
compress isobutane (iC4) vapor that is Refrigerant vapor from this chiller ance Industries Ltd. India
(Email: samir.nayek@gmail.
generated in the process plant. Com- is led to the compressor suction. The com). He holds a masters de-
pressed vapor gets condensed in a wa- chiller pressure is, by design, kept gree (MTech) in chemical en-
ginering from the University
ter-cooled condenser and the liquid re- to a minimum (the lowest possible of Calcutta, and a degree in
industrial engineering from
frigerant is supplied back to process. value, as limited by the compressor Indian Institution of Indus-
It is considered that the process suction pressure). At low tempera- trial Engineering. Nayek has
more than 35 years of experience in process plant
gas from the compressor discharge tures, the iC4 from the purge stream management, commissioning of major grass-
will not meet the required seal-gas will condense and will be routed to roots projects, and safety and technical service,
and has held leadership positions in large-scale
specification due to the presence of the separator by gravity. The extent petroleum refinery and petrochemical plants at
contaminants. Since the treatment of the recovery of iC4 depends on the a Fortune 500 company. He has authored several
technical articles.
of the process gas to remove the con- chiller temperature, and, in turn, by Leena Chaudhari is a se-
taminants is not economical in this the suction pressure of the compres- nior technologist at Reliance
Industries Ltd. (Email: leena.
case, the use of nitrogen is the pre- sor. At conditions shown in the figure, chaudhari@ril.com). She
ferred alternative seal gas for this ap- this loss can be reduced to the order holds a chemical engineering
degree from the University
plication. of 100 kg/h. Insitute of Chemical Technol-
As mentioned above, a small amount ogy (Mumbai, India). Over
the past seven years at Reli-
of nitrogen will get into the process Closing thoughts ance, Chaudhari has provided
specialized technical services
system through the seal faces and While in principle the scheme de- for a variety of aromatics and
thus flow with the iC4 vapor to the scribed here is too simple to be de- linear alkyl benzene plants.
This guidebook contains how-to engineering articles formerly published in Chemical Engineering. The
articles in Volume 2 provide practical engineering recommendations for process operators faced with the
challenge of treating inlet water for process use, and treating industrial wastewater to make it suitable for
discharge or reuse.
There is a focus on the importance of closed-loop or zero-discharge plant design, as well as the selection,
operation and maintenance of membrane-based treatment systems; treating water for use in recirculated-
water cooling systems; managing water treatment to ensure trouble-free steam service; designing stripping
columns for water treatment; and more.
Table of Contents
Process Water Treatment Challenges and Solutions Facts at Your Fingertips: Controlling Membrane Fouling
Water Reuse and Conservation in the CPI Biodegradation and Testing of Scale Inhibitors
Strategies to Minimize Wastewater Discharge Keeping Cooling Water Clean
Strategies for Water Reuse
Caring for Cooling Water Systems
Wastewater: A Reliable Water Resource
Purifying Coke-Cooling Wastewater
Membranes for Process Water Reuse
Strategies for Controlling Membrane Fouling Non-Chemical Water Treatment
Fact at Your Fingertips: Membranes CPI Water and Steam Chemistry
Facts at Your Fingertips: Membrane Configurations Designing Steam Stripping Columns for Wastewater
Team building
ave you ever participated in a the entire technician staff to partici-
Diane Burleson
Email: dburleson@accessintel.com
Tel: 512.250.9555 Fax: 512.213.4855
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name Title
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City State/Province Zip/Postal Code
FREE PRODUCT INFO 14 engineering, Design & Construc- 29 10 to 49 employees 47 Pollution Control equipment
(please answer all the questions) tion Firms 30 50 to 99 employees & Systems
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YOUR INDUSTRY
vices 32 250 to 499 employees 49 Safety equipment & Services
01 Food & Beverages
16 equipment manufacturer 33 500 to 999 employees 50 Size reduction & agglomeration
02 wood, Pulp & Paper
17 energy incl. Co-generation 34 1,000 or more employees equipment
03 inorganic Chemicals
18 other YOU RECOMMEND, 51 Solids handling equipment
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JOB FUNCTION SPECIFY, PURCHASE 52 Tanks, Vessels, reactors
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20 Corporate management 53 Valves
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07 Paints & allied Products 41 Filtration/Separation equipment
nance ware/Peripherals
08 organic Chemicals 42 heat Transfer/energy Conserva-
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Coal Products tems
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12 Stone, Clay, glass, Ceramics EMPLOYEE SIZE 45 motors, motor Controls 58 materials of Construction
13 metallurgical & metal Products 28 less than 10 employees 46 Piping, Tubing, Fittings 59 Compressors
1 16 31 46 61 76 91 106 121 136 151 166 181 196 211 226 241 256 271 286 301 316 331 346 361 376 391 406 421 436 451 466 481 496 511 526 541 556 571 586
2 17 32 47 62 77 92 107 122 137 152 167 182 197 212 227 242 257 272 287 302 317 332 347 362 377 392 407 422 437 452 467 482 497 512 527 542 557 572 587
3 18 33 48 63 78 93 108 123 138 153 168 183 198 213 228 243 258 273 288 303 318 333 348 363 378 393 408 423 438 453 468 483 498 513 528 543 558 573 588
4 19 34 49 64 79 94 109 124 139 154 169 184 199 214 229 244 259 274 289 304 319 334 349 364 379 394 409 424 439 454 469 484 499 514 529 544 559 574 589
5 20 35 50 65 80 95 110 125 140 155 170 185 200 215 230 245 260 275 290 305 320 335 350 365 380 395 410 425 440 455 470 485 500 515 530 545 560 575 590
6 21 36 51 66 81 96 111 126 141 156 171 186 201 216 231 246 261 276 291 306 321 336 351 366 381 396 411 426 441 456 471 486 501 516 531 546 561 576 591
7 22 37 52 67 82 97 112 127 142 157 172 187 202 217 232 247 262 277 292 307 322 337 352 367 382 397 412 427 442 457 472 487 502 517 532 547 562 577 592
8 23 38 53 68 83 98 113 128 143 158 173 188 203 218 233 248 263 278 293 308 323 338 353 368 383 398 413 428 443 458 473 488 503 518 533 548 563 578 593
9 24 39 54 69 84 99 114 129 144 159 174 189 204 219 234 249 264 279 294 309 324 339 354 369 384 399 414 429 444 459 474 489 504 519 534 549 564 579 594
10 25 40 55 70 85 100 115 130 145 160 175 190 205 220 235 250 265 280 295 310 325 340 355 370 385 400 415 430 445 460 475 490 505 520 535 550 565 580 595
11 26 41 56 71 86 101 116 131 146 161 176 191 206 221 236 251 266 281 296 311 326 341 356 371 386 401 416 431 446 461 476 491 506 521 536 551 566 581 596
12 27 42 57 72 87 102 117 132 147 162 177 192 207 222 237 252 267 282 297 312 327 342 357 372 387 402 417 432 447 462 477 492 507 522 537 552 567 582 597
13 28 43 58 73 88 103 118 133 148 163 178 193 208 223 238 253 268 283 298 313 328 343 358 373 388 403 418 433 448 463 478 493 508 523 538 553 568 583 598
14 29 44 59 74 89 104 119 134 149 164 179 194 209 224 239 254 269 284 299 314 329 344 359 374 389 404 419 434 449 464 479 494 509 524 539 554 569 584 599
15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 165 180 195 210 225 240 255 270 285 300 315 330 345 360 375 390 405 420 435 450 465 480 495 510 525 540 555 570 585 600
Fike Corporation 20
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Kenneth Lane becomes president of Mark Yingling joins The Doe Run vices and rentals for drilling, pipeline
BASFs Catalysts Div. (Iselin, N.J.), Co. (St. Louis, Mo.), a natural and process operations, makes the
succeeding Frank Bozich, who has resources company and producer of following announcements: Gene Gar-
decided to leave the company. lead, as vice-president of environmen- ber becomes chief integration officer;
tal health and safety. Blayne Prejean becomes operations
Klber Lubrication North America manager of GEGs Cherokee Services
LP (Londonderry, N.H.) names Ralf Technology provider GEA Process division; and Elroy Schaub becomes
Kraemer CEO. He succeeds Dieter Engineering Ltd. (Dsseldorf, technical sales representative.
Becker, who returns to Klbers global Germany), names David Wilkinson
headquarters in Munich, Germany. automation service manager to Moore Industries International
support automation control systems (North Hills, Calif.), a maker of elec-
Heather Rayle becomes senior busi- throughout the U.K. tronic measurement and interface
ness director at specialty chemicals instruments, hires Tom Watson as its
maker Sartomer USA LLC Greenes Energy Group (GEG; new corporate marketing manager.
(Exton, Pa.). Houston), a provider of testing ser- Suzanne Shelley
S U
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Dispen
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FOR MORE ECONOMIC INDICATORS, SEE NEXT PAGE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNE 2013 59
Economic Indicators 2011 2012 2013
Annual
Mar. 13 Feb. 13 Mar. 12
(195759 = 100) Index:
Prelim. Final Final 600
CE Index 568.3 569.9 596.1 2005 = 468.2
Equipment 688.3 690.9 729.9 2006 = 499.6
Heat exchangers & tanks 624.2 627.4 686.6 550
Process machinery 651.1 653.8 680.7 2007 = 525.4
Pipe, valves & fittings 879.8 887.6 934.8 2008 = 575.4
Process instruments 414.5 417.0 433.9 500
2009 = 521.9
Pumps & compressors 920.4 917.4 922.2
Electrical equipment 514.4 513.5 513.6 2010 = 550.8
Structural supports & misc 741.1 739.3 772.1 450
2011 = 585.7
Construction labor 319.0 318.9 323.0
Buildings 534.2 530.9 526.2 2012 = 584.6
Engineering & supervision 326.9 326.6 327.8 400
J F M A M J J A S O N D
CPI output index (2007 = 100) Apr. '13 = 87.9 Mar. '13 = 88.1 Feb. '13 = 88.3 Apr.'12 = 87.4
CPI value of output, $ billions Mar. '13 = 2,123.10 Feb. '13 = 2,192.70 Jan. '13 = 2,195.40 Mar.'12 = 2,167.30
CPI operating rate, % Apr. '13 = 74.3 Mar. '13 = 74.6 Feb. '13 = 74.8 Apr.'12 = 74.9
Producer prices, industrial chemicals (1982 = 100) Apr. '13 = 308.7 Mar. '13 = 313.5 Feb. '13 = 314.2 Apr.'12 = 328.9
Industrial Production in Manufacturing (2007=100) Apr. '13 = 95.2 Mar. '13 = 95.6 Feb. '13 = 95.8 Apr.'12 = 93.9
Hourly earnings index, chemical & allied products (1992 = 100) Apr. '13 = 154.3 Mar. '13 = 154.8 Feb. '13 = 155 Apr.'12 = 159.6
Productivity index, chemicals & allied products (1992 = 100) Apr. '13 = 104.2 Mar. '13 = 104.7 Feb. '13 = 104 Apr.'12 = 106.8
CPI OUTPUT INDEX (2007 = 100) CPI OUTPUT VALUE ($ BILLIONS) CPI OPERATING RATE (%)
120 2500 85
110 2200 80
100 1900 75
90 1600 70
80 1300 65
70 1000 60
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
Current Business Indicators provided by IHS Global Insight, Inc., Lexington, Mass.
CURRENT TRENDS
Equipment Cost Index Available P reliminary data for the March
2013 CE Plant Cost Index
(CEPCI; top; the most recent avail-
Exclusively from Marshall & Swift able) indicate that the composite
index declined by 0.3% from the
February value. The decrease was
driven by a lower overall equip-
ment cost index. The indices for
construction labor, buildings and
engineering & supervision edged
higher. The March decline follows
a similar 0.2% dip the previous
month. The March 2013 prelimi-
nary PCI stands at 4.6% lower than
the corresponding final PCI value
from March 2012. Meanwhile, the
latest Current Business Indicators
from IHS Global Insight (middle)
Quarterly updates of our industry-leading Equipment Cost Index all edged lower compared to the
previous month. For example, the
are now available at www.equipment-cost-index.com. CPI output index for April dropped
to 87.9 from 88.1 in March.
SM
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