You are on page 1of 74

March Replacing

2013 Heat-Transfer
Fluid

PAGE 48

www.che.com

TWO-PART STORY
STARTS PAGE 38

Professional Integrating Polymer


Engineers Act Gas Turbines Processing

Facts at Your Fingertips: Environmental Focus on


Thermowell Installation Inspections Pumps

Focus on
Bins, Silos and Storage

Technology Profile:
Propylene Production
via Metathesis
NEW MAJOR RELEASE!

New module for plate-in exchangers: Xpfe


Signiicantly improved graphing capabilities
New materials of construction database
Several new and improved features in Xist including
Enhanced tube layout capabilites backed by
ASME mechanical design
3D visualization of exchangers
Ten new methods backed by proprietary research
New data entry form based on TEMA input sheet

Were changing the future of heat transfer www.htri.net


Circle 19 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-19
www.che.com

MARCH 2013 VOLUME 120, NO. 3


38
COVER STORY
38 Cover Story Part 1 Beware of Flow-Accelerated Corrosion
Operators of steam-generating systems should understand flow-
accelerated corrosion and the potential problems it can cause

41 Cover Story Part 2 Corrosion in Flexible Burner Hoses


Special care must be taken to avoid corrosion in flexible hoses for
burners. This failure analysis illustrates the mechanism and provides
recommendations

NEWS
11 Chementator Replacing a pressurization blower with a turbocharger
reduces energy use; A recipe for improved Ti extraction from ilmenite;
A renewable source for methane; Collecting fog; Making cork-like
monoliths from graphene; A step toward demineralizing carbon dioxide
capture from fluegas; and more
17
17 Newsfront Professional Bureaucracy
California's Professional Engineer Act continues to hinder chemical
engineers from practicing their profession

20 Newsfront Polymer Processing


Todays polymer and plastics processors face special challenges,
but new turnkey systems can help

ENGINEERING
36a Facts at Your Fingertips Thermowell Installation
This one-page summary describes practical tips regarding thermowell
installation and more
20
37 Technology Profile Propylene Production via Metathesis
This one-page profile describes the technology for propylene
production via metathesis

48 Feature Report Five Steps to Replacing Aged Heat-Transfer Fluid


Follow this procedure to ensure efficient operation of heat transfer
systems, with proper exchange and disposal of aged fluids

52 Engineering Practice Integrating Gas Turbines Into CPI Facilities


Capturing hot fluegas from gas turbines for use in process plants can 52
yield benefits, but tradeoffs must be considered

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 1


58 Environmental Manager
Responding to Environmental Inspections
A regulatory inspection can occur at any time. The best way to success-
fully handle an inspection is to be prepared for it before it happens

EQUIPMENT & SERVICES


25 Focus on Pumps
No cooling water needed for these hot-water pumps; Handle corrosives
with these AODD pumps; A solar-powered injection pump for remote
25 applications; Metering pumps for precise, small dosing; Self-priming
trash pump handles solids of up to three-inch size; This peristaltic pump
handles sludge and slurry with ease; Consider this cordless hydraulic
pump for remote applications; Centrifugal pumps for handling LACT ap-
plications; and more

31 Focus on Bins, Silos and Storage


Dry bulk-solids storage tanks that are made to order; Minimize product
hang-up with these dry material silos; Eliminate vapors inside chemical
storage cabinets; and more

33 New Products These filters resist pulse cleaning; A weigh module that
handles up to 100 tons; A UV disinfection system with longer lamp life;
Direct-acting solenoid valves for use in harsh environments; A new alarm
module for gas mixers; and more

COMMENTARY
5 Editors Page Lessons learned The greenhouse effect has been
known for over a century, but the complex relationship between green-
house gases and climate change is still being studied

61 The Fractionation Column


31 Ruptured rupture disc Much can be learned from purposely blowing
a rupture disc, including some surprises

DEPARTMENTS ADVERTISERS
6 Letters 32I-1 European Section
8 Bookshelf 62 Product Showcase
66 Whos Who 63 Classified Advertising
64 Reader Service 65 Advertiser Index
67 Economic Indicators

COMING IN APRIL
Look for: Feature Reports on Combined Heat and Power; and Separation; an
33 Engineering Practice article on Relief Valve Sizing; an Environmental Man-
ger article on Safety Instrumented Systems; a Focus on Seals and Gaskets;
*ONLY ON CHE.COM News articles on Single-Use Technologies; and Coatings; and more
Look for more New Products;
Cover: David Whitcher. Corrosion photos: Dave Johnson, ChemTreat;
Latest News; and more Tom Gilchrist (ret.), Tri-State Generation and Transmission

2 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013


WHEN CHOOSING HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS,
PUT THE THERMINOL PERFORMANCE CREW
TO WORK FOR YOU.
In the heat transfer fluid race the competition can get pretty heated. Thats why you need the Therminol Heat Transfer
Fluid Performance Crew working for you. From start to finish, the Therminol TLC Total Lifecycle Care team of seasoned
professionals is ready to support you with everything you need to win. For your people, we provide start-up assistance,
operational training and a technical service hotline. For your facility, we offer system design assistance, quality Therminol
products, sample analysis, flush fluid & refill and a fluid trade-in program*. So join the winning team. In North America, call
1-800-426-2463 or in Europe, call 32.2.746.5134. www.therminol.com.

Therminol TLC Total Lifecycle Care is a complete program of products and services from Eastman
designed to keep your heat transfer system in top operating condition through its entire lifecycle.

2013 Solutia Inc., a subsidiary of Eastman Chemical Company. All rights reserved. Therminol, TLC Total Lifecycle Care, the Therminol logo, and Solutia are trademarks of
Solutia Inc., a subsidiary of Eastman Chemical Company. As used herein, denotes registered trademark status in the U.S. only. *Available only in North America.

Circle 14 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-14
W ER E E N H A N C I N G T HE

O F S T R E N G T H.

Corzan Industrial Systems get their strength


from our science. Thats because The Lubrizol
Corporations superior CPVC compounds create
every Corzan pipe and fitting. With the power of
mechanical strength and corrosion resistance,
Corzan pipe and fittings exceed the demands of
industrial and commercial applications. Plus, every
Corzan system has delivered MORE INSIDE
for more than 20 years giving you access to
Lubrizols unmatched R&D, technical expertise,
global capabilities and a network of customers
who are industry-leading manufacturers.

Enhance the strength of your next industrial


job. Visit corzancpvc.com or call a piping
systems consultant at 1.855.735.1431.

The Lubrizol Corporation 2012, all rights reserved.


All marks are property of The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway Company.
GC 121100
Circle 24 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-24
Winner of Eight Jesse H. Neal
Awards for Editorial Excellence
Editors Page

Published since 1902


An Access Intelligence Publication
Lessons learned
ack in the 1980s when teaching a physical chemistry (P-chem) labora-

B
PUBLISHER ART & DESIGN
BRIAN NESSEN DAVID WHITCHER tory at Gannon University, I devised a simple experiment to analyze
Group Publisher Art Director/
bnessen@accessintel.com Editorial Production Manager the rotational band structure of carbon monoxide using our newly ac-
EDITORS
dwhitcher@che.com quired Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). Having worked with
DOROTHY LOZOWSKI PRODUCTION students in the lab before and seen some of the mistakes they are prone to
Managing Editor STEVE OLSON make, I preferred to avoid any and all risks associated with a cylinder of
dlozowski@che.com Director of Production &
GERALD ONDREY (Frankfurt) Manufacturing
high-pressure CO in combination with a glass cell with fragile NaCl win-
Senior Editor solson@accessintel.com dows. So instead of using pure CO, we simply connected the IR gas cell to a
gondrey@che.com JOHN BLAYLOCK-COOKE vacuum manifold, slid a lit cigarette onto the rubber tubing attached to one of
SCOTT JENKINS Ad Production Manager
Associate Editor jcooke@accessintel.com the stopcocks, and had the evacuated cell take a puff from the cig.
sjenkins@che.com There was sufficient CO in that puff to measure its absorption spec-
AUDIENCE
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
DEVELOPMENT trum, and the resolution of the FTIR was high enough to resolve the rota-
SUZANNE A. SHELLEY
SARAH GARWOOD tional bands of the CO, enabling the students to calculate all the nice things
sshelley@che.com
CHARLES BUTCHER (U.K.)
Audience Marketing Director you can get from that COs rotational constant, its moment of inertia,
sgarwood@accessintel.com
cbutcher@che.com
GEORGE SEVERINE the CO equilibrium bond length, and even the temperature of the gas. Be-
PAUL S. GRAD (Australia) Fulfillment Manager sides demonstrating the basic principles that the students were learning in
pgrad@che.com gseverine@accessintel.com
TETSUO SATOH (Japan)
the classroom, this simple experiment also had some lessons that I suspect
JEN FELLING
tsatoh@che.com List Sales, Statlistics (203) 778-8700 were not forgotten, namely, that CO is one of many harmful byproducts of
JOY LEPREE (New Jersey) j.felling@statlistics.com
smoking a cigarette (other harmful substances could be identified by the
jlepree@che.com
GERALD PARKINSON EDITORIAL fingerprint spectra of that one puff).
ADVISORY BOARD
(California) gparkinson@che.com If I were teaching that course today, I would point out one additional
JOHN CARSON
INFORMATION
Jenike & Johanson, Inc. lesson to be learned from the IR absorption spectrum of gases, namely,
SERVICES
DAVID DICKEY that water vapor and carbon dioxide the main products of combustion
CHARLES SANDS MixTech, Inc.
Senior Developer
and the dominating peaks in the IR spectrum of the puff are also the
MUKESH DOBLE
Web/business Applications Architect IIT Madras, India main greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the earths atmosphere, and their role as
csands@accessintel.com
HENRY KISTER GHGs is because these two gases have strong absorption bands in the IR.
MARKETING Fluor Corp.
Its fitting that the namesake for the FTIR spectrometer used for our little
JAMIE REESBY TREVOR KLETZ
Marketing Director Loughborough University, U.K. P-chem experiment Joseph Fourier first recognized in 1827 the im-
TradeFair Group, Inc. GERHARD KREYSA (retired) portance of atmospheric gases on the rate at which electromagnetic radia-
jreesby@che.com DECHEMA e.V.
JENNIFER BRADY
tion escapes into space. Just to drop a couple of more names: John Tyndall
RAM RAMACHANDRAN
Marketing Coordinator (Retired) The Linde Group discovered, in 1863, that most of the IR opacity of earths atmosphere was
TradeFair Group, Inc.
jbrady@che.com attributable to two minor components H2O and CO2; and Svante Arrhe-
HEADQUARTERS nius first calculated (1896) the warming of earth due to CO2 increase.
88 Pine Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10005, U.S. The point of this story is this: the greenhouse effect has been known for
Tel: 212-621-4900 Fax: 212-621-4694
over a century, and although the complex relationship between GHGs and
EUROPEAN EDITORIAL OFFICES
climate change is still being studied, the physics and chemistry of the phe-
Zeilweg 44, D-60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Tel: 49-69-9573-8296 Fax: 49-69-5700-2484 nomenon involved are well understood today, its simply a matter of
CIRCULATION REQUESTS: fine-tuning our models.
Tel: 847-564-9290 Fax: 847-564-9453 Words like myth, hoax and conspiracy should have no place in the
Fullfillment Manager; P.O. Box 3588,
Northbrook, IL 60065-3588 email: clientservices@che.com scientific literature, the trade press or even the main-stream media in the
ADVERTISING REQUESTS: see p. 64 discussions about GHGs. Demonizing, belittling or attacking those working
For photocopy or reuse requests: 800-772-3350 or info@copyright.com on the climate models should not be part of the discussion, either. I strongly
For reprints: Wrights Media, 1-877-652-5295, sales@wrightsmedia.com
believe that its the responsibility of chemical engineers the masters of
ACCESS INTELLIGENCE, LLC mass-and-energy balance and risk management to contribute to, rather
DON PAZOUR ROBERT PACIOREK than hinder, the advancement of our understanding of the impact the rise
Chief Executive Officer Senior Vice President,
ED PINEDO
Chief Information Officer in CO2 emissions will have on our planet.
Executive Vice President SYLVIA SIERRA In his resignation letter to employees last month, U.S.
& Chief Financial Officer Senior Vice President,
MACY L. FECTO
Corporate Audience Development Dept. of Energy Secretary Steven Chu wrote the over-
Exec. Vice President, MICHAEL KRAUS whelming scientific consensus is that human activity
Human Resources & Administration Vice President,
HEATHER FARLEY
Production and Manufacturing has had a significant and likely dominant role in climate
Divisional President, STEVE BARBER change, and that ultimately, we have a moral respon-
Access Intelligence Vice President,
DANIEL MCKINNON
Financial Planning and Internal Audit sibility to the most innocent victims of adverse climate
Vice President, GERALD STASKO change. Because this page allows me to express my opin-
Energy and Engineering Events Vice President/Corporate Controller
ion, I will simply say, I agree, professor Chu.
Gerald Ondrey

4 Choke Cherry Road, Second Floor


Rockville, MD 20850 www.accessintel.com CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 5
Give Cyclones
Letters
a Hard-Core Edge.
ABRESIST abrasion resistant basalt
KALOCER alumina tiles
CE scholarship applications open
linings reduce costly maintenance
protect areas of extreme Chemical Engineering is pleased to announce that appli-
repairs and production downtime. abrasion.
Documented cases show cations are now being accepted for its annual Nicholas P.
Abresist linings performing at Chopey scholarship program.
optimum levels more than Bringing recognition to the value of the chemical engineer-
25-30 years after installation.
ing profession, and striving to continually advance it, have
Abresist Kalenborn offers 75
years of experience and: been goals for this magazine since its founding in 1902. In
late 2007, Chemical Engineering established the scholarship
full range of cost- in memory of the magazines former Editor In Chief.
effective linings Cyclones up
Applicant qualifications. Applicants to the program must
including basalt, to 10 feet in
alumina, zirconium diameter built be current third-year students who are enrolled in a full-
at Abresist time undergraduate course of study in chemical engineering
corundum and Kalenborn
wear compound plant. Larger at one of the following four-year colleges or universities:
linings custom units installed
ABRESIST tiles resist sliding Columbia University
on-site.
designed for any abrasion and help reduce Rutgers University
industrial application periodic cyclone maintenance.
SUNY Buffalo
University of Kansas
University of Virginia
kalenborn If selected as a recipient, the student will receive a one-
time only award that may be used for undergraduate study.
The Wear Protection People Application details. Qualified and interested students
Abresist Kalenborn Corporation must complete the application and mail it along with a
current, complete transcript of grades to the following ad-
5541 North State Road 13, Urbana, IN 46990
Toll Free: 800-348-0717 Fax: 888-348-0717 dress, postmarked no later than April 15.
www.abresist.com E-mail:
Chemical Eng.1-4pgKrytox info@abresist.com
Ad 2012:Layout 2 12/11/12 5:08 PM Page 1
Nicholas Chopey Scholarship Program
Circle 3 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-03 Scholarship Management Services
One Scholarship Way, P.O. Box 297
Saint Peter, MN 56082
Telephone: (507) 931-1682
Application forms will be sent directly to the chemical
engineering departments of the qualified schools and can
also be found at www.che.com/npcscholarship/
Selection of recipients. Scholarship recipients are
selected on the basis of academic record, demonstrated
leadership and participation in school and community
activities, honors, work experience, statement of goals and
aspirations, unusual personal or family circumstances, and
an outside appraisal. Financial need is not considered.
Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship Manage-
ment Services, a division of Scholarship America. In no
Krytox Fluorinated Lubricants

instance does any officer or employee of Chemical Engi-
Greases and Oils are: Chemically Inert. Insoluble in common neering magazine play a part in the selection. Recipients
solvents. Thermally stable (-103F to 800F). Nonflammable.
Nontoxic. Oxygen Compatible, Low Vapor Pressure. Low will be notified in early June.
Outgassing. No Migration - no silicones or hydrocarbons. Donations. Checks should be made out to Scholarship
Krytox offers Extreme Pressure, Anticorrosion and Anti-wear America, with Nicholas Chopey Scholarship Program in
properties. Mil-spec, Aerospace and Food Grades (H-1 and
H-2) available! Widely used in Vacuum and Cleanroom the memo area, and sent to the following address prior
environments. to June 1, 2013:
We also offer a complete line of inert fluorinated Dry Lubricants Nicholas P. Chopey Scholarship Fund
and Release Agents.
Jennifer Brady
For technical information, call 800.992.2424 or 203.743.4447
(8AM - 4PM ET). Chemical Engineering
Authorized Dupont Krytox Distributor Since 1991 11000 Richmond Avenue, Suite 690
m Do you have Ideas to air? Feedback about our articles?
s Comments about todays engineering practice or education?
miller-stephenson chemical company, inc. Job-related problems or gripes to share?
California - Illinois - Connecticut - Canada If so Send them, for our Letters column, to
e-mail: support@miller-stephenson.com Dorothy Lozowski, Chemical Engineering, Access Intelligence,
www.miller-stephenson.com 88 Pine St., 5th floor, New York, NY 10005;
Circle 28 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-28 letters@che.com
6 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
Minimize Your
and
Heat Rate
drive
down
fuel
costs

A 1% improvement in heat rate can


save up to $500K annually in fuel costs!*
With fuel accounting for as much as 80% of production costs,
Get Magnetrols
Get Magnetrols Heat
Heat Rate
Rate power companies are on the hot seat to identify energy
Reduction Kit
Reduction Kit to
to learn
learn efficiency solutions. Managing controllable energy losses
how we
how we can
can help reduce
help reduce through effective, accurate feedwater heater level control
your fuel
your fuel costs.
costs. may save you significant fuel costs. Magnetrols Heat Rate
Reduction Kit can show you how.
* Analysis based on a 500MW plant with $1.25/million Btu fuel cost,
Visit heatrate.magnetrol.com
Visit heatrate.magnetrol.com today
today 85% capacity factor, and 88% boiler efficiency.

heatrate.magnetrol.com1-800-624-8765info@magnetrol.com
Circle 25 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-25
Chemical Engineering e 1.6 Messe 86x123 2013

t o x i c
Bookshelf
POWTECH Nuremberg

Transferring potent or
from 23/04 to 25/04/2012
Hall 1 / Stand 345 Machinery Failure Analysis
and Troubleshooting: Practical
Machinery Management for
Process Plants. 4th ed. By Fred

substances?
Geitner and Heinz Bloch. Elsevier
Ltd., The Boulevard, Langford Lane,
Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, U.K..
Web: elsevier.com. 2012. 743 pages.
$139.95.

Thermal Methods of Polymer


Processing. By T.R. Crompton.
Mller Containment Valve MCV
Suitable for EEB )5 (OEL <
1 g/m
3
iSmithers Rapra Publishing, Shaw-
Available sizes: DN 100, DN 150,
bury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4
DN 200 and DN 250
Explosion pressure shock
4NR, U.K. Web: smithersrapra.com.
resistant
up to +10 bar
2013. 242 pages. $200.00.
Vacuum-tight version down to 1 bar
Explosion-proof to ATEX for Histories
Case Zone 0/20 in Vibration
Easy-to-wipe flat surfaces
AISI 316 L stainless steel, Hastelloy
Analysis and Metal Fatigue for
available on request
the Practicing Engineer. By An-
GMP-compliant design thony Sofronas. John Wiley & Sons
Mller GmbH - 79 618 Rheinfelden (Germany)
Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ
Industrieweg 5 - Phone: +49 (0) 76 23 / 9 69 - 0 - Fax: +49 (0) 76 23 / 9 69 - 69 07030. Web: wiley.com. 2012. 288
A company of the Mller group pages. $74.95.
info@mueller-gmbh.com - www.mueller-gmbh.com

Circle 30 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-30 Practical Guide to Latex Tech-


nology. By Rani Joseph. iSmith-
ers Rapra Publishing, Shawbury,
Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 4NR,
U.K. Web: smithersrapra.com. 2013.
110 pages. $90.00.

Industrial Organic Chemicals.


3rd ed. By Harold A. Wittcoff, Bryan
G. Reuben and Jeffrey S. Plotkin.
John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River
St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. Web: wiley.
com. 2012. 808 pages. $149.95.

Fundamentals of Automatic
Process Control. By Uttam R. and
Utpal R. Chaudhuri. CRC Press,
6000 Broken Sound Parkway, Suite
300, Boca Raton, FL 33487. Web:
crcpress.com. 2012. 303 pages.
$139.95.

Chemical Reactor Analysis and


Applications for the Practicing
Engineer. By Louis Theodore. John
Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River St.,
Hoboken, NJ 07030. Web: wiley.com.
2012. 575 pages. $125.00

The Science and Technology of


Rubber. 4th ed. By James Mark,
Burak Erman and Mike Roland. Elsevier Inc., 225 Wyman
Street, Waltham, MA 02144. Web: elsevier.com. 2013. 800
pages. $149.95.
Circle 2 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-02
8 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
Bioremediation of Petroleum
and Petroleum Products. By
James G. Speight and Karuna Ar-
joon. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 Visit us!
River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. Web: IMHX, Birmingham, UK
wiley.com. 2012. 567 pages. $195.00. 19 22 March 2013
Hall 17, Booth 17P60
Membranes on Polyolefins
Plants Vent Recovery. By In-
tratec Solutions LLC. Intratec, 5847 Visit us!
San Felipe St., #1700, Houston, TX Intralogistics, Paris-Nord Villepinte, France
77057, Web: intratec.us. 2012. 48 26 28 March 2013
pages. $439.00. Hall 3, Booth E53

Microstructure Sensitive De-


sign for Performance Optimi-
zation. 1st ed. By Brent Adams,
Surya Kalidindi and David Full-
wood. Butterworth & Heinemann,
Elsevier Inc., 225 Wyman Street,

SOME THINK
Waltham, MA 02144. Web: elsevier.
com. 2012. 424 pages. $129.95.

YOU CAN
Process Intensification for
Green Chemistry: Engineer-
ing Solutions for Sustainable

USE GENERIC
Chemical Processing. Edited
by Kamelia Boodhoo and Adam

INSIGHT FOR
Harvey. John Wiley & Sons Inc.,
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030.
Web: wiley.com. 2012. 432 pages.

SPECIALIST
$149.95.

Laser Heating Applications. 1st

APPLICATIONS.
ed. By Bekir Yilbas. Elsevier Inc.,
225 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA

WE THINK
02144. Web: elsevier.com. 2012. 280
pages. $165.00.

DIFFERENT.
Update on Gold Nanoparticles:
From Cathedral Windows to
Nanomedicine. By Volerio Voliani.
iSmithers Rapra Publishing, Shaw-
bury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4
4NR, U.K. Web: smithersrapra.com.
2013. 148 pages. $130.00. Packaging high-value, sensitive chemicals requires a whole
di erent level of insight and innovation. At BEUMER, hands-on
experience working with chemical producers has let us develop
Handbook of Advanced Ceram-
systems that strongly reect sector need. Our portfolio of
ics: Materials, Applications,
complete warehouse packaging and management systems
Processing and Properties. 2nd
includes some of the highest capacity systems on the market.
ed. Edited by Somiya Shigeyuki. Combined with a profound knowledge of your product and
Elsevier Inc., 225 Wyman Street, process, were able to maximise e ciency while maintaining
Waltham, MA 02144. Web: elsevier. a level of care and safety that makes all the di erence.
com. 2013. 1,296 pages. $525.00. For more information, visit www.beumergroup.com
Scott Jenkins Circle 8 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-08

Editors Note: If you would be interested in authoring a


book review for the CE Bookshelf column, please contact
associate editor Scott Jenkins (sjenkins@che.com).
use of Earths natural resources
Outotec develops, designs and manufactures industrial filters and is a leading technology company in
its field, providing full service solutions. Companies in Mining and Metallurgy, Chemical Processing and
related industries benefit from Outotec's high- efficiency process technologies, products and solutions.

Outotec Larox filtration technologies utilize over-pressure; including automatic vertical pressure filters
(PF), fast and conventional horizontal filter presses and polishing filters. Outotec Larox technologies also
include horizontal vacuum belt filters, ceramic disc filters, conventional vacuum disc filters.

www.outotec.com/iltration

Circle 33 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-33
Edited by Gerald Ondrey March 2013

Fresh air

Replacing a pressurization blower


with a turbocharger reduces energy use VTA Atmosphere

eductions in power consumption by over


R 30% have been observed at a full-scale
formaldehyde production plant by intro- Atmosphere
Turbocharger

ducing a new design in which a pressuriza-


tion blower is replaced by a turbocharger Re-circulation
that is powered by the exhaust gas from ECS blowers
the emission control system (ECS). The Steam
plant using this design was developed by super-heater
Perstorp Formox (Perstorp, Sweden; www. or generator
perstorpformox.com), in cooperation with
MAN Diesel & Turbo (Augsburg, Germany;
www.mandieselturbo.com), and was in- HCHO
process
stalled and started up in mid-2012 at Egger
Technologia Srl.s plant in Romania.
The exhaust-powered turbocharger con- vessels. The turbocharger is driven by the
cept was awarded the Plant Innovation pressure of the gas leaving the formalde- Microelectrode
Award at last years ChemInnovations Con- hyde absorber and the heat generated when Although antimony electrodes
ference and Exhibition. The energy-saving the gas is cleaned by the catalytic combus- have been used for decades
turbocharger concept could be applied to tion within the ECS. As the turbine wheel to measure pH, they only allow
chemical processes other than formaldehyde rotates, it drives the compressor that is for measuring pH changes at
production. Formox now offers the design at mounted on the same shaft. a certain distance from elec-
new plant installations, as well as retrofits The cost of powering the turbocharger is trodes or corroding surfaces.
of existing plants. limited to a 3040C drop in the tempera- Now, researchers from the
Instead of a power-consuming pressur- ture of the gas leaving the ECS reactor, Institute of Physical Chemistry
of the Polish Academy of Sci-
ization blower in the formaldehyde process says Formox engineer Andreas Magnusson.
ences (Warsaw; www.ichf.
(see diagram), the developers used a tur- This translates into a 34% reduction in edu.pl) have developed a way
bocharger that originally was designed to steam production, meaning pressurization to make Sb microelectrodes,
power large diesel engines on ocean-going is achieved more or less for free, he adds. which enable measuring pH
changes just over the surface
A recipe for improved Ti extraction from ilmenite of a metal where chemical
reactions occur. As a result,
xisting metallurgical processes for tita- of the ilmenite samples with HCl was much the electrodes can be used for
E nium production from ilmenite by far
the most sought-after titanium ore are
more effective with high chloride concen-
tration in the feed solution. The presence of
studying electrochemical and
corrosion processes.
To make the microelectrode,
plagued by disadvantages, mainly the gen- CaCl2 was more effective for leaching than
a glass capillary is irst illed
eration of large amounts of waste, and im- that of MgCl2 and NaCl due to its higher sol- with liquid Sb, then stretched to
provements are needed to treat ilmenite for ubility. The leaching efficiencies of Ti and Fe reduce the cross-section. Upon
the production of high-grade TiO2 pigment. reached 96% and 97%, respectively in HCl- cooling, the thin tube is then cut
Now, a group from CSIRO Minerals Down CaCl2 solution, compared with 87% and 93%, lat. This electrode is said to be
Under National Research Flagship and respectively, when only HCl was used. much simpler to use than com-
CSIRO Process Science and Engineering The optimum conditions for leaching il- mercial devices that require
(Karawara, Western Australia; www.csiro. menite were found to be 57.5 M Cl solu- micromanipulators for precise
au) has developed a method for the recov- tion with a total Cl concentration of about placement of the electrodes.
ery of titanium by the combination of direct 500 g/L, 3.3 wt.% pulp density, 7080C and
leaching with solvent-extraction technology 46 h of retention time. Under those con- Hybrid power plant
that overcomes some of the drawbacks of the ditions, the optimum leaching efficiencies A hybrid thermosolar and bio-
traditional sulfate and chloride processes. were 99% Ti and 96% Fe for the first ilme- mass power plant has begun
The group used two types of ilmenite from nite ore sample and 94% Ti and 93% Fe for commercial operation in Les
different locations in Australia with Ti/Fe the second sample. Borges Blanques, Spain. Said
molar ratios of 1.17 and 1.33. The samples The leach residue, containing mainly un- to be the irst of its kind in the
world, the plant is capable of
contained up to 33% Ti (equivalent to up to leached rutile and pseudorutile, can be used
producing 25 MW of power.
55% TiO2), and up to 30% Fe. as a feed for the synthetic rutile production for
The group found that the direct leaching further recovery of titanium in the residue. (Continues on p. 12)
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number
on p. 64, or use the website designation. CHeMICAL eNgINeerINg WWW.CHe.CoM MArCH 2013 11
C HEMENTATO R (Continued from p. 11)
The solar component of the
plant employs parabolic
troughs to focus the suns
energy on heating a thermal
luid that is used to generate
A renewable source for methane steam for power-generation
systems. at night, and in low-
onventional methanation the reac- reactant gas the only impurity, says Bank.
C tion of CO and H2 (synthesis gas) to form
methane has recently become important
The tubular design also means the process
is easily scaleable to any size, says Bank
sunlight weather, the plant
operates by using timber and
agricultural waste to fuel a
as a way to produce substitute natural simply add as many tubes as needed. Efforts boiler and generate steam.
gas (SNG) from gasified coal in regions of to improve the yield have been underway in Thus the hybrid plant is able
the world where natural gas is scarce (see a three-year, BMBF-funded research project, to operate continuously.
Chem. Eng., August 2010, pp. 1417). Now, which aims to optimize the process and im- The plant, built by Span-
an alternative methanation process, which prove the catalyst. Partners in the project ish partners abantia (www.
produces CH4 directly from CO2 and H2, has include the Technical University of Munich, abantia.com) and Comsa
been developed by researchers from MAN Wacker Chemie, Linde, Clariant (former emte (both Barcelona; www.
comsaemte.com), features a
Diesel & Turbo SE (MDT; Oberhausen, Ger- Sd-Chemie) and E-On.
marc-r steam turbine sup-
many; www.mandieselturbo.com). The process offers a way to produce car- plied by man Diesel & Turbo
The process takes place in a tubular fixed- bon-neutral fuel (SNG) from renewable Se (oberhausen, germany;
bed reactor operating at about 260C and electricity, such as solar or wind, and could www.mandieselturbo.com).
68 bars pressure. CO2 and H2 (mole ratio of serve as a way to store energy by convert-
1-to-4) are fed into the reactor and react over ing surplus electricity into fuel. The first in- Collecting fog
a nickel catalyst to form CH4 and H2O. The dustrial-scale demonstration of the process
a treatment for cotton fabric
water can easily be removed by condensation is a cooperative project with the VW Group that allows the cotton to ab-
(and drying, if necessary), says professor Rolf and SolarFuel GmbH (Stuttgart, Germany; sorb large amounts of water
Bank, head of R&D at MDT. www.solar-fuel.net), in which Audi e-gas has been developed by re-
The process has been under development will be produced at Audis Werite site. In the searchers from the Technical
since 2009, and is now being tested at a pilot project, electricity generated from solar or University of eindhoven (The
unit that started up in 2012 at the companys wind will be used to electrolyze water into netherlands; www.tue.nl) and
Deggendorf, Germany site. The single-tube H2 and O2. This H2, and CO2 (from a nearby hong Kong Polytechnic Uni-
pilot plant has a capacity of about 5 m3/h, biogas plant) will be converted into Audi versity (www.polyu.edu.hk).
and has been shown to produce in a single e-gas enough to power 1,500 CNG cars The fabric is coated with the
polymer PniPaam [poly(N-
pass 9095 vol.% CH4, with unreacted over 15,000 km/yr.
isopropylacrylamide)], which
has a sponge-like microscopic
structure. at temperatures
A continuous process to make graphene . . . below 34C, the coating is
highly hydrophobic, allowing
n inexpensive and scalable process that tors, says Honma. An 80% graphene yield
A uses supercritical (SC) liquids to make
large quantities of graphene is being devel-
is achieved after 48 exfoliation cycles of
repeated adiabatic heating (to 400C) and
water to be extracted from fog
and mist. The treated fabric
can absorb up to 340% its
oped by the group of professor Itaru Honma cooling in the loop reactor. own weight, compared to
at the Institute of Multidisciplinary Re- The researchers believe the new process 18% for the untreated fabric.
when warmed to over 34C,
search for Advanced Materials, Tohoku Uni- is promising as a cost-effective method
the absorbed (pure) water is
versity (Sendai; db.tagen.tohoku.ac.jp), in for mass-production of graphene, opening released. and the cycle can
collaboration with Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; the door for next-generation electronics be repeated many times. This
Tokyo, both Japan; www.sdk.co.jp). materials used for large-scale lithium-ion property offers potential ap-
The process features a flow-type loop batteries and high-strength, low-weight plications in recovering water
reactor that enables continuous treat- electronic materials. SDK is now studying from fog or mist in desert or
ment with SC ethanol, which penetrates the possibility of scaling up the process for mountainous regions.
the graphite and causes exfoliation. SC commercializing materials. Honma says
treatment requires just 80 s, which is one first commercial products will require at Accuracy boost
hundredth the time required by batch reac- least three years to develop. Sierra instruments (monterey,
Calif.; www.sierrainstruments.
com) has recently intro-
. . . and graphene oxide is made in a microwave duced its new QuadraTherm
640i/780i Thermal mass Flow-
icrowave irradiation of graphite has twice that obtained by current synthesis meter Series, which is said
M been shown to produce graphene oxide
with 90% yield by the research group of pro-
methods (such as oxidation with hot sulfu-
ric acid), but the reaction time is cut from 9
to have the highest accuracy
ever achieved for thermal-
dispersion mass lowmeters.
fessor Yuta Nishina, Research Core for In- h down to 5 h. Nishina says the microwave The 780i inline version, for
terdisciplinary Sciences, Okayama Univer- synthesis is scalable, and could accelerate example, achieves gas mass
sity (Okayama, www.tt.vbl.okayama-u.ac.jp/ the development of new conductive materi-
archives/809). The yield is not only nearly als without using precious metals. (Continues on p. 14)

12 ChemiCal engineering www.Che.Com marCh 2013


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

Contact Ross today to


arrange a no-charge test
in our laboratory.
Call 1-800-243-ROSS
In the PDDM mixer, planetary and HSD Or visit mixers.com
blades rotate on their own axes as they
orbit the batch.

Scan to learn more.


Free Tag Reader: http://gettag.mobi

Circle 39 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-39
C HEMENTATO R

Making cork-like monoliths


from graphene
team from Monash University (Mel-
A bourne, Australia; www.monash.edu.au)
has prepared graphene monoliths with a
cork-like hierarchical structure, exhibit-
ing ultra-low density, superelasticity, good
electrical conductivity and high efficiency
of energy absorption. The ability to main-
tain structural integrity upon large defor- could deliver similar properties if they could (Continued from p. 12)
mation is important for many emerging be similarly structured. flowrate measurement ac-
applications, such as flexible electronic The researchers showed that graphene curacy of 0.5% of reading
devices, carbon-based biological tissue scaf- monoliths with a cork-like hierarchical above 50% of full scale (air).
folds, and ultralight cellular materials for structure can be fabricated by freeze cast- The series features a pat-
mechanical damping and thermal/acoustic ing of partially reduced graphene oxide. ented QuadraTherm sensor
insulation. The porous structure (photo) obtained by and proprietary iTherm algo-
rithm set. Unlike traditional
Previously, several methods have been freeze-casting is governed by complex liq-
thermal devices that have two
employed for constructing highly porous uid-particle and particle-particle interac-
sensors, one for measuring
graphene cellular monoliths, such as chemi- tions. The team found that the amount of temperature and another for
cal vapor deposition, but the resulting ma- oxygen-containing groups of graphene oxide velocity, the QuadraTherm
terial is generally brittle and exhibits small has a significant effect on such interactions. uses four sensors three Pt
recoverable deformation before failure. By carefully controlling both the amount of temperature sensors and one
Professor Dan Li says the team was par- oxygen-containing groups of graphene oxide patented no-drift DrySense
ticularly impressed by the high mechani- and freezing conditions, the team found mass-velocity sensor. The
cal efficiency of natural corks hierarchical that a cork-like graphene cellular structure QuadraTherm sensor isolates
structure. In cork, as well as in wood, cel- (photo) could be obtained when the carbon- forced convection by calcu-
lating, and then eliminating,
lulose nanofibers in the cell walls are closely oxygen atomic ratio in partially reduced
unwanted heat-transfer com-
packed in a highly ordered manner to maxi- graphene oxide was tuned to about 1.93.
ponents, such as sensor-stem
mize strength. Individual cells of tens of mi- The graphene blocks produced are lighter conduction a major cause
crometers are intimately connected to form than air, able to support more than 50,000 of false flow readings, says
a honeycomb-like structure maximizing times their own weight, good conductors of the company. This proprietary,
the bulk-specific elastic modulus. The team electricity and highly elastic able to re- fundamentally different gas
therefore decided that graphene monoliths cover from more than 80% deformation. mass-flowrate calculation
leads to more precise, stable
and accurate thermal mass-
flow measurement, the com-
A bi-metallic nanocluster catalyst for pany adds.
highly selective asymmetric CC formation First field demo
hu Kobayashi and his research group at while Ag suppresses coagulation of Rh. The Next month (April 30), the
S the University of Tokyo (Japan; www.
chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/users/synorg/index_e.
catalyst is less prone to leaching of met-
als (below detection limits) than predeces-
Fieldbus Foundation (Austin,
Tex.; www.fieldbus.org) plans
to conduct a series of live field
html) have developed a ruthenium-silver sors, and can be recycled several times
demonstrations of its Founda-
nanocluster catalyst for the highly selec- while maintaining high yields and excellent
tion for Remote Operations
tive 1,4-addition reaction for the formation enantioselectivities, says Kobayashi. Management (ROM) technol-
of asymmetric carbon-carbon bonds. Pre- In laboratory trials, asymmetric CC ogy. This demonstration will
viously, the group had used its polymeric bond-formation products were obtained from be conducted at the Petrobras
incarceration (PI) method to form metal- the reaction of cyclohexenone and phenyl R&D facility (Cenpes; Rio de
lic nanoclusters supported on a polysty- boronic acid, using a toluene-water solvent. Janeiro, Brazil).
rene-based polymeric matrix. Now, a very A 99% yield with enantioselectivity of 98% Said to be the first develop-
robust, highly selective catalyst has been was achieved using PI/CB Rh/Ag after 6 h at ment of its kind integrating
developed with Rh-Ag nanoclusters sup- 100C. The versatility of the catalysts was remote I/O, ISA 100.11a,
WirelessHART, wiredHART
ported on PI and carbon black (PI/CB Rh/ also demonstrated by combining PI/CB Rh/
and H1 fieldbus protocols into
Ag), which has been shown to be effective Ag with the aerobic oxidation catalyst PI/CB
a single data management
for the asymmetric 1,4-addition of arylbo- Au for the one-pot, asymmetric 1,4-addition environment, Foundation for
ronic acids to enones. of an allyl alcohol and arylboronic acid. In ROM extends the capabili-
The use of carbon black as a secondary this case, an 88% yield with enantioselectiv-
support enhances the specific surface area, ity of 94% was achieved after 18 h at 100C. (Continues on p. 16)

14 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013


Partner with
the Best
A cheaper way to destroy
organic contaminants?
n ultraviolet oxidation process for the destruction of
A water-borne organic contaminants that combines UV
with chlorine, rather than hydrogen peroxide, is being
developed by MIOX Corp. (Albuquerque, N.M.; www.
miox.com). The companys Advanced Oxidation Process
(AOP) promises to be less expensive than traditional
AOP treatment methods, says Susan Rivera, manager of
research and development.
AOP combines UV oxidation with MIOXs main busi-
ness systems for the onsite generation of chlorine
for water disinfection. In that process, food-grade salt
is added to water, then the sodium chloride solution is
passed through an electrolytic cell to convert the chloride
ions to hypochlorite. In the new process, the hypochlorite
solution is added to the water to be treated, prior to UV
irradiation. The UV light produces highly reactive hy-
droxyl radicals that destroy small organic molecules in
the feedstream.
In pilot tests at industrial and municipal water treat-
ment facilities, the process has achieved complete re-
moval of trichloroethylene (TCE) from a starting con-
centration of 15 ppb [parts per billion], says Rivera.
The process has also attained a 65% removal of 1,4-di-
oxane from contaminated groundwater (from an initial
8 ppb), and complete removal of 2-methylisoborneol
(MIB) from surface water, with an initial concentration
of 96 ppt (parts per thousand).
The process promises to be less expensive than those
that use H2O2 for various reasons, says Rivera. One
reason is that chlorine is produced onsite. Moreover,
only 510% of the H2O2 added in a conventional AOP
is consumed, leaving 9095% of the chemical unused
at the end of the treatment process. Residual H2O2 has
to be neutralized, often by the addition of hypochlorite.
Using a grant from the National Science Foundation
(Arlington, Va.; www.nsf.gov), MIOX plans to build a
deployable pilot system, with an industrial partner, With over 50 independent subsidiar-
The purpose is to demonstrate the technology for in- ies and more than 220 engineering
Circle 42 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-42

dustrial water reuse. and sales offices spread across the


world, SAMSON ensures the safety
and environmental compatibility of
your plants on any continent.
A step toward mineralizing To offer the full range of high-quality
CO2 captured from fluegas control equipment used in industrial
esearchers from Newcastle University (U.K.; www. processes, SAMSON has brought
R ncl.ac.uk) have discovered that, in the presence of together highly specialized compa-
a nickel catalyst, CO2 can be rapidly and cheaply con- nies to form the SAMSON GROUP.
verted into solid carbonate salts. The discovery could
lead to a simpler and less-expensive alternative for car-
bon capture and storage (CCS).
Led by Lidija iller, a physicist and Reader in Nano-
scale Technology, the researchers were investigating SAMSON AG MESS- UND REGELTECHNIK
the detailed mechanism of the carbonic acid reaction Weismllerstrae 3
(whereby CO2 first dissolves in water, then reacts with 60314 Frankfurt am Main Germany
(Continues on p. 16) Phone: +49 69 4009-0 Fax: +49 69 4009-1507
E-mail: samson@samson.de www.samson.de
SAMSON GROUP www.samsongroup.net
A01120EN
(Continued from p. 14)
C HEMENTATO R ties of Foundation Fieldbus
to numerous wired and
wireless devices installed in
harsh, remote locations. This
open, non-proprietary solu-
tion provides a uniied digital
infrastructure for asset man-
MINERALIZING CO2 (Continued from p. 15) tude cheaper, operate at any pH and are agement applications ranging
also magnetic, enabling easy recovery for from tank farms and terminals
H2O to form H2CO3), as well as how or- reuse, she says. to pipelines, offshore plat-
ganisms particularly the sea urchin The group is now optimizing the miner- forms and original equipment
absorb CO2 into their skeletons. When alization reaction, focusing on two unit op- manufacturer (oem) skids,
we analyzed the surface of the sea urchin erations: the absorption column, in which says Fieldbus Foundation.
larvae, we found a high concentration of CO2 is removed from a gas stream by the
nickel on their exoskeleton, she says. Ni-catalyzed conversion to H2CO3; and the Graphene flagship
Armed with this clue, doctoral student mineralization tank, in which H2CO3 is The european Commission
Gaurav Bhaduri added nanoparticles of Ni neutralized into a solid salt using silicates (Brussels, Belgium) has
to the carbonic acid test and found com- of calcium or magnesium. chosen graphene as one of
plete removal of CO2. The researchers As a CCS option, mineralization into sta- europes irst ten-year, 1-bil-
lion, FeT (future and emerg-
have subsequently analyzed the phenom- ble, innocuous CaCO3 or MgCO3 is much
ing technologies) lagships.
enon and worked out the reaction mecha- simpler than injecting high-pressure CO2 The graphene Flagship will
nism, which was published in the January into underground aquifers (or depleted wells coordinate 126 academic and
issue of Catalysis Science & Technology. for enhanced-oil recovery), and also has none industrial research groups in
Up to now, the most promising cata- of the potential risks associated with inject- 17 european countries with an
lyst for the hydration of CO2 to H2CO3 ing CO2 into the ground. iller estimates initial 30-month budget of 54
has been the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, the cost for Ni-catalyst-based CO2 removal million. The lagship is being
says iller, but biocatalysts are not only from fluegas at $8 per ton of CO2 captured coordinated by professor Jari
expensive, they are also pH- and temper- (excluding the cost of silicates) well below Kinaret, at Chalmers University
ature-sensitive. On the other hand, nickel the $2050/ton of CO2 for conventional of Technology (gothenburg,
nanoparticles are three orders of magni- amine-based absorption. Sweden; www.chalmers.se).

Circle 1 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-01
16 ChemiCal engineering www.Che.Com marCh 2013
Newsfront

PROFESSIONAL
BUREAUCRACY
Californias PE Act continues to hinder chemical
engineers from practicing their profession
ob Katin, chairman of the Cali- neer), but anyone can practice chemi- low state law. For a start he has sent

B fornia Government Relations


Committee of the American
Institute of Chemical Engi-
neers (AIChE) and president of the
California Legislative Council of
cal engineering.
In other states, says Katin, licensed
engineers are able to provide all engi-
neering services within their area of
competence, and 40 states do not in-
letters to Karen Hedlund, deputy ad-
ministrator of the Federal Railroad Ad-
ministration (FRA, Washington, D.C.),
California Governor Jerry Brown, and
Mark Paxson, general counsel in the
Professional Engineers (CLCPE), is dicate the discipline of the engineer State Treasurers Office.
a persistent man. For more than 20 on the license. No other state in the In his letters, he says that Califor-
years he has fought to change the nation has this crazy law that gives nia law requires that anyone provid-
California Professional Engineers civil engineers a monopoly over all en- ing professional expertise needed for
Act (PE Act) so that chemical engi- gineering and science, he says. a railroad project must be a civil engi-
neers would have parity with civil Katin got the idea for his new cam- neer, but HSR will require a number
engineers. In the course of that time, paign from a fresh interpretation of of engineering disciplines. Therefore,
he has helped sponsor about a dozen the law by Californias Legislative says Katin, the HSR project will en-
bills, none of which was approved by Counsel Bureau (Sacramento). The tail the need to violate the PE Act and
the state legislature. bureaus report concluded that only require a breach of contract in order
Katin, the owner of an engineering a licensed civil engineer can do engi- to be constructed. He received an ac-
firm in Antioch, Calif. (www.katinen- neering work on fixed sites, such as knowledgement from Paxson, who said
gineering.com) is now taking a new chemical plants and petroleum refin- he would keep the letter in my file for
tack. Frustrated by the legislatures eries. Only civil engineers may be in consideration by disclosure counsel
unwillingness to change the law, he responsible charge of designs, plans when the State decides to issue bonds
has embarked on a new campaign of and specifications and engineering for the High Speed Rail project.
informing high-level state and federal reports for fixed works. Professional As for the bills rejected by the Cali-
officials that they may not be able to engineers who sign engineering docu- fornia State Legislature, Katin says
carry out federally sponsored projects ments should be capable of answering the bills failed because of strong oppo-
in California without breaking the PE questions on those documents. sition from Professional Engineers in
law. This is because the Act gives civil The significance of the report, says California Government (PECG; Sac-
engineers a virtual monopoly over in- Katin, is that a civil engineer has to ramento), a union of engineers and
frastructure projects, he says, even in do all the engineering work, not just other professionals employed by the
cases where they dont have the nec- oversee it. This interpretation also state. PECG has more than 10,000
essary expertise. On the other hand, eliminates the industrial exemption, members, and the majority of them
hiring engineers that do have the ex- under which chemical and other en- are civil engineers.
pertise would break the law. gineers employed by engineering and Bruce Blanning, executive director of
The basic issue is that civil engi- other companies do the work on a proj- PECG, says, it is not the case that the
neers who pass the PE examination ect, but the final documents are signed bills died because PECG killed them.
earn the exclusive right to practice by a licensed civil engineer. PECG is not opposed to amending the
their profession, which is broadly de- As a first step in his new strategy, Act and we want to find a solution
fined under the law. Mechanical and Katin has settled on a planned mul- The difficulty in making chemical
electrical engineers also get a license tibillion-dollar high-speed rail (HSR) engineering a practice act, says Blan-
to practice their professions, but that will connect Los Angeles with ning, is in defining specifically what
the definitions are much narrower. San Francisco. The idea, says Katin, is chemical engineers do for the purpose
Chemical engineers and nine other to use federal pressure to change the of protecting public health, safety, wel-
disciplines simply get the right to use law. If you are taking money from the fare and property.
a title (for example, chemical engi- Federal Government you have to fol- So far, most of Californias chemi-
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 17
Newsfront

cal engineers are not affected by the it wasnt signed by a PE civil engineer. Eric Anderson, a chemical engineer
law because they work for corpora- I told him our previous reports and engineering consultant in Pasa-
tions and have industrial exemption. had not been signed by a PE civil en- dena, Calif., has a PE license in me-
Those most vulnerable are generally gineer, says England, but then his chanical engineering, but not chemical
employed by small companies or work supervisor said we needed to have a engineering. I didn't want to spend
as independent consultants. PE civil engineer overseeing the work. the time and money on a chemical
For example, E2 environmental, a I told the supervisor we have a class A engineering PE, which is essentially
small company located in Irvine, Calif., engineering contractors license with worthless, he says. The mechanical
worked for more than 14 years clean- hazardous certification, but he still engineers license, on the other hand,
ing up the site of a former solvent- and said the report was unacceptable. authorizes him to do more extensive
oil-recycling facility before running The company has not worked on the work in his projects on industrial ex-
afoul of the PE law. Under a contract project for about 18 months, although hausts and air pollution control. A
with the California Dept. of Toxic Sub- its contract runs until the end of this mechanical engineer is a second-class
stances Control (DTSC, Sacramento) year, says England. The project has citizen, he says, but PE chemical en-
the company drilled a number of va- been lying idle for about 18 months, gineers are third class and have no
por-extraction wells and laid down an although E2s contract runs until the protection under the law.
asphalt cap to prevent the vapors from end of this year, says England. On the other hand, another consul-
getting into the atmosphere. To avoid such problems, E2 and other tant, specializing in environmental
Over the years E2 worked with a companies sometimes hire a token PE engineering, health and safety, has
DTSC project manager and submit- civil engineer or a civil engineering been using his PE chemical engineer-
ted several reports to him, says Dennis contractor to help with a project. The ing license for years to stamp the oc-
England, the companys CEO. How- civil engineer may not understand the casional document. Ive never been
ever, the man retired about two years details of what we are doing, but our challenged, he says, but maybe Im
ago and the new project manager re- people do the work and he signs off on just plain lucky.
fused to accept the next report because it, says one company manager. Gerald Parkinson

Chemical
Safe Havens
Suitable for a range of CPI applications

MineARC Chemical Safe Havens offer a safe, eficient and cost effective muster point alternative
in cases of emergency, such as a ires, explosions or hazardous chemical releases. MineARC
Chemical Safe Haven
Fully custom engineered to site requirements
Solid steel structure with optional blast resistance
Self sustaining for up to 100hrs
Fully transportable by crane or fork-lift
Guaranteed 100% sealed environment (zero external ACH)
A cost effective muster point alternative to site building modiication

May 14th-15th, 2013


The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel &
Convention Center The Woodlands, TX

For more info, call or visit the website +1 (214) 337 5100 www.minearc.com/chemsolutions

Circle 29 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-29
18 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
Circle 34 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-34
LIST USA

Newsfront

TRENDS FIGURE 1.
LIST Kneader Reactor

IN POLYMER technology provides key ad-


vantages to polymer manufacturers, such
as process simplification, raw material costs
reduction and energy savings, says the company

PROCESSING The polymer mass can also be directly


devolatilized to 500 to 1,000 ppm or
lower solvent content. The technology
is also suitable for solvent-free living
and free-radical polymerization.
Todays polymer and plastic processors face special By incorporating devolatilization
into the Kneader Reactors, processors
challenges, but new turnkey systems can help are able to increase residence times
and significantly reduce shear, which
ecause many of their products go challenges. In the past, processors helps maximize polymer quality and

B directly to the ultimate end user,


polymer and plastic processors
are being asked to make their
final products safer. Both consumers
and governments alike are demand-
heated up product in a single machine
and were able to achieve low-enough
levels. However, equipment manufac-
turers have had to devise new meth-
ods, systems and equipment to achieve
yield while minimizing residual vola-
tiles and operating costs.
In addition, Safrit says LIST expects
to make some announcements in the fu-
ture regarding its devolatilization tech-
ing that plastics, especially those that even lower solvent levels. nology. We expect to have two different
are destined for food contact, contain For instance, LIST offers the processes; one for temperature-sensitive
lower residual solvent and monomer Kneader Reactor (Figure 1) for bulk plastics, polymers and elastomers and
levels. At the same time, the biopoly- polymerization. LIST encourages bulk one for non-sensitive. He says the tech-
mer industry is exploding and proces- polymerization because it not only nology will use less water, and is a closed
sors want to get in on the ground floor. offers an effective method of devola- system, which allows all the solvents to
However, because of the lower thermal tilization, but also because its a cost be recovered. Because its a closed sys-
stability, standard equipment isnt effective and streamlined process. The tem that uses less water, it provides bet-
always the best choice for these ap- Kneader Reactor offers an advanced ter environmental characteristics along
plications. Also, a growing interest in shaft geometry that provides gentle with better product quality.
recycled plastics is another new trend, kneading for minimal shear and Philip Nising, director of polymer
requiring new technologies. In addi- maximum heat transfer. It enables op- production technology with Sulzer
tion, polymer processors are asking erators to process high-viscosity and (Winterthur, Switzerland; www.sulzer.
equipment manufacturers to provide other hard-to-handle materials. The com) agrees that improved devolatil-
turnkey systems and better controls to reactors allow producers to combine ization methods are needed, especially
assist in the production of better prod- the separate steps of solution, emul- ones that reduce energy consumption.
ucts in a more time- and cost-efficient sion and suspension polymerization This trend is growing in the rubber in-
way, using less energy. As a result, old- into a single bulk-polymerization pro- dustry where there is a huge potential
school machinery is getting a make- cess, simplifying the manufacturing for energy savings, in particular in the
over that will help it better meet the process, cutting raw material costs concentration of the very dilute rub-
needs of these new applications. and saving energy. ber/solvent solutions, he says. Rub-
The reactor also offers solvent-free bers, due to their very high viscosity
Solvents and devolatilization bulk polymerization. During this pro- and elastic behavior, are produced in a
Many of our customers come to us cess, conventional stirred-tank reac- very dilute solution, typically contain-
with a request to help them achieve tors require solvents to transfer heat ing around 90% low-boiling solvents.
final products that have lower resid- and facilitate mixing of viscous mass. Replacing steam stripping with dry
ual solvent levels or monomer levels, The solvents must later be removed, processing, making use of Sulzers
says Boyd Safrit, manager of R&D for which decreases the final conversion static devolatilization technology in
North America with LIST USA, Inc. rate to as low as 10%, while increas- combination with dynamic mixers like
(Charlotte, N.C.; www.list.ch). Proces- ing recovery and purification costs. extruders or kneaders, saves tremen-
sors are more frequently coming to us However, the Kneader Reactors are dous amounts of steam and thus, sig-
asking for higher conversions in reac- able to operate solvent-free or solvent- nificantly reduces costs, he says.
tors or methods that will remove more lean, even with highly concentrated Between 20 and 50% of the solvents
solvents at the end of the process. masses. As a result, end polymer con- can be removed using static flash tech-
Solvent removal is not without its version rates range from 90 to 99%. nology developed by Sulzer, in which
20 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
Sulzer

FIGURE 2. The SMX plus


static mixer is suitable for
homogenization and dis-
persing tasks in laminar
flow. Even challenging mix-
ing applications, such as
dosing a small amount of
low-viscosity additive into a
high-viscosity mainstream,
can be performed efficiently

the solution is heated up in a heat ex- for PLA production and other high-
changer equipped with Sulzers static viscosity applications. The Sulzer SMX
mixers and then flashed into a pres- plus (Figure 2) and the Sulzer SMR
sure-controlled devolatilization cham- mixer-heat exchangers (Figure 3) fea-
ber under pressure, says Nising. The ture newly designed mixing elements.
concentrated rubber solution can then While the SMX plus exhibits a signifi- Defining the limit as standard
be transferred into screw-type ma- cantly lower pressure drop at similar
chines for final degassing. The Sulzer mixing and dispersion performance,
rubber pre-concentration technology the SMR has an improved plug-flow Actuators for the
helps save significant amounts of en- behavior and is even less prone to wall
oil and gas industry
ergy and reduce the required size of effects than the first generation of SMR
dynamic degassing machinery. It can mixer-heat exchangers. AUMA offer a comprehensive range of
also be used to revamp existing plants Both products are components used
for rubber and other polymer-produc- in our PLA production technology. The explosion-proof actuator and gearbox types
tion plants. Sulzer PLA process is a further devel- combined with suitable actuator controls for
opment of known ring-opening polym- the oil and gas industry.
Biopolymer growth erization processes for lactides, notes
Everyone is trying to get into the bio- Nising. With a significantly lower resi- AUMAs modular concept ensures perfect
polymer industry while its still new, dence time, a higher productivity and
integration
notes LISTs Safrit. The challenge much less racemization than conven-
here is that it is more difficult to pro- tional processes, our technology aims Reliable corrosion protection
duce these materials using traditional at the production of crystalline PLA
equipment because they dont have grades for high-performance applica- Suitable for all conventional eldbus
the same thermal characteristics. tions like fibers and injection molding. systems
Nising from Sulzer, agrees. While Approved worldwide
some biopolymers can be used as true Recycling plastics technology
drop-in products for existing polymers Theres a huge interest in recycled www.auma.com
(for example, bio-polyethylene), most do product, says Greg Kimball, chief
actually have different properties than technology officer with Bepex (Min-
their oil-based predecessors, he says. neapolis, Minn.; www.bepex.com).
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a good ex- Most of the work were doing on the
ample of this behavior. Our PLA is not polyolefins and polyester side is in
only seen as a simple drop-in material recycle, but there are a lot of chal-
for polystyrene (PS) or polyethylene lenges here associated with contami-
terephthalate (PET), says Nising. In nants picked up during the recycle
fact, some of its properties are unique process, so we are working with pro-
and give access to completely new cessors to develop systems that can
product features. At the same time, due convert those recycled plastics into
to the often different crystallization be- materials that can then be recycled
havior, thermal stability or potentially back into food product containers
acid degradation products, it might be and other applications.
necessary for processors to adapt or up- Because Bepexs main focus is on
grade their equipment if they plan to the final treatment (which follows
switch product lines to PLA. mechanical separation and size re- AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG
For this reason, Sulzer recently in- duction, but comes before downstream P.O. Box 1362 79373 Muellheim, Germany
troduced a new generation of mixer- processes like pelletizing or final prod- Tel. +49 7631 809-0 riester@auma.com

heat exchangers, particularly suitable uct manufacture), much attention has AUMA Actuators Inc.
100 Southpointe Blvd. Canonsburg, PA 15317, USA
Tel. +1 724-743-AUMA (2862) mailbox@auma-usa.com
Circle 7 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-07
Sulzer

Newsfront
Do you follow
best practices been given to heating materials and
gas contact to strip off the volatiles.
for nitrogen The gas composition has to be tightly
controlled, so along with the system,

blanketing? we developed a new gas system that


enables us to produce a homogenous
blend of gas with other volatiles that
are required to produce the molecular
weight and level of decontamination
thats required, says Kimball.
What has resulted is Bepexs BePET
Process (for the recycling of PET plas-
tics; Figure 4), which consists of preheat-
ing of the washed recycled PET (RPET)
flakes to temperature, integrated de-
Nitrogen blanketing is widely contamination and solid state polymer-
used to prevent ires, explosion, or ization (SSP), a gas purification system,
product cooling and product pack out.
degradation of products during their
The RPET flakes from the washing FIGURE 3. The Sulzer Mixer Reactor
production, storage, and transport. line are homogenized in a blending (SMR) is a tube-bundle heat exchanger
By implementing best practices in silo to create a uniform free distribu- that allows high-effective cooling or
tion. The flakes are transferred to the heating of viscous media. The SMR is a
your blanketing system, you may ind suitable choice to combine effective mix-
top of the SSP train and are then fed ing with controlled heat transfer
opportunities to reduce costs and by gravity into the BePET flake pre-
improve safety. heater. Here, the material is heated to flakes and byproducts of the SSP reac-
reaction temperature by conduction tion out to the gas-purification system.
from the hot multiple-disc rotor. The Following decontamination, the flakes
Visit our website below to watch rotor also provides the required agita- are sent out via mechanical discharge to
a video on best practices featuring tion and conveyance for efficient heat go through the flake cooling process and
industry specialists at Air Products, transfer and discharge. A portion of the then onto their next destination.
nitrogen gas leaving the decontamina- The modular component design of
Cashco, Inc., and Neutronics Inc. Also tion and SSP reactor sweeps the agi- the system allows for easy integration
download a technical article with tated bed surface and removes some with existing upstream and down-
more detail. dust, moisture and VOCs released dur- stream operations, says Kimball. A
ing preheating. The heated flakes are complete control system provides full
tell me more discharged through an overflow weir
to the reactor through a rotary valve.
automation for seamless flake process-
ing and reduced labor costs. The system
airproducts.com/N2blanketing
The balance of the gas leaving the re- also provides continuous monitoring.
actor, along with the gas exiting the
preheater is passed through a scrubber Improved controls
where the entrained fines and chemi- And, its not just recycled plastics that
cal contaminant are collected. The gas demand tighter controls, according to
is dehumidified before being returned Bill Barker, marketing manager with
Visit us at back to the inlet of the reactor. Littleford Day (Florence, Ky.; www.lit-
The preheated flakes are discharged tleford.com). Plastic and polymer pro-
INTERPHEX 2013,
from the preheater into the reactor. The cessors greatest challenges are keep-
Booth 1372, solids form a plug-flow, moving bed with ing their costs low, maintaining the
April 2325, New York, NY sufficient residence time of four or more quality of their products and repeat-
hours to remove the volatile contami- ability, he says. In addition, they have
nant within the RPET flakes and allow to maintain high productivity to keep
the system to control the products in- their costs low and reduce rework.
trinsic viscosity by the solid-phase po- For this reason, Littleford Day is of-
lymerization reaction. Heated pure ni- fering a lot of new and improved con-
trogen with a low level of moisture and trols with their equipment so that pro-
oxygen is fed through the bottom of the cessors can closely monitor every step
reactor, forming a counter-current flow of the process and maintain a history
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., 2013 (35582) to the downward moving bed of RPET of each process.
flakes. The nitrogen removes any vola- This not only gives them better
tile contaminant residing the RPET control over the whole process, but
Circle 5 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-05
22 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
PoWtECh 2013
Bepex 23.-25. April, hall 6.0
Stand 328

Environmental
cally fluidized suspended state, thus
permitting the reacting mediums, gas- Applications
solid, or liquid-solid, to achieve inti-
mate contact with each other and the
heat-transfer surfaces. This results in
a better-controlled reaction through
effective heat transfer, improved reac-
tion rates, increased efficiencies of re-
action and the ability to complete the
entire process in a single unit.

Turnkey systems
Many of the technologies discussed
in this article are systems versus key
pieces of equipment. Like most indus-
tries, plastic and polymer processors
are losing their engineering staff due
to budget cuts and downsizing, so they
are asking technology providers to cre-
ate turnkey systems for specific ap-
plications, says Safrit. Processors are
asking us to do it all, he says. They
want our reactor, vacuum system, con-
densation and pelletizing systems and
then ask us to add controls and deliver
it as a skid-mounted system that can
be dropped in and started up. This re-
quires us to take our technologies, put

Wasnteey
FIGURE 4. The BePET process is said other know-how around it and provide
to be stable, efficient and reliable with no
high-maintenance vacuum or extrusion a turnkey system.
decontamination required. The design
promotes uniform plug flow and mini-
Nising agrees. While Sulzer pro-
vided key equipment in the past,
o
to m
mizes the potential for short-circuiting we have recognized and responded
to the need for a complete solution
also allows them to remotely moni- around our components. For example
tor the process and provides a history we might provide gear pumps with for example:
that they can examine for trends when our mixers or condensation systems
there is a problem or loss of productiv- for our devolatilization equipment, Sludge drying
ity, explains Barker. he says. Concerning PLA and EPS
Glycol recovery
In addition, says Barker, providing technologies, we supply almost a com-
multiple steps in one vessel also pro- plete turnkey plant. The customer Used oil recovery
vides better control over the process still needs to plan and construct the Lubricant recycling
and improves heat transfer to help building and utility systems, but
shorten cycle times, tightening up the Sulzer delivers preassembled plant
process and increasing throughput. modules around the key equipment,
To help processors achieve all these in combination with control systems
goals, Littleford Day introduced the and instrumentation.
DVT Polyphase Reactor, which is a The result, according to Safrit, is
single apparatus designed to handle that some of these turnkey systems
materials of varying composition, are allowing customers to improve
which may pass through phases from their efficiency and reduce costs, as system solutions
liquid to doughy, to granular, to pow- well as make new products. This is for evaporation and biopharma

der, and has the combined operational opening the door to pharmaceutical
Processing Partners:
features of pressure, vacuum and ef- polymers and biopolymers that were
fective heat transfer. not previously cost-effective enough www.gigkarasek.at
The reactor operates according to to make, as well as different polymers www.incontech.com
the proven fluidized-bed mixing prin- that havent even been dreamed of,
ciple, whereby the materials being he says.
reacted are maintained in a mechani- Joy LePree Circle 18 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-18

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 23


The 2nd Middle East
Process Engineering
Conference & Exhibition

29 Sept 02 Oct 2013


Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre
Kingdom of Bahrain

Online Call for Abstract


is Now Open
Deadline 06 May 2013

www.mepec.org

Updated 31 January

Prime Sponsor Diamond Sponsors Platinum Sponsors

Supporting Organizations Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors

Circle 26 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-26
Dickow Pump Wilden

FOCUS ON

Pumps
No cooling water needed for
these hot-water pumps
This company offers a wide range of
hot-water pumps for temperatures
up to 530F and design pressures up
to 1,160 psi. Due to high vapor pres-
sures, standard mechanical seals can-
not be used for higher temperatures.
Although cooled mechanical seals are
the easiest solution, the required cool-
ing water adds additional costs. An
alternative is a standard mechanical
seal with a pumping device and an
external air cooler (photo). The cooler
is a new development for this appli-
cation. It needs no cooling water and Moyno
is self-venting. Dickow Pump Co.,
Marietta, Ga.
www.dickow.com

These pumps deliver


non-pulsating, metered flow
The L-Frame Progressing Cavity
Pumps (photo) are said to be ideal for
handling clean, thin, shear-sensitive
products to viscous, corrosive, abra- Blackmer Neptune Chemical Pump

sive slurries and sludges in many


sectors of the chemical process in-
dustries (CPI). Standard flange mod- cartridge mechanical seal, lip seal or with Efficiency Management System,
els feature a modular design with a triple-lip cartridge seal over the stan- which allows the operator to dial in
simple pin-type universal joint for dard shaft packing; 4-in. weld, 4-in. the actual operating parameters, re-
easy maintenance. Open-throat mod- ANSI 150# RF compatible or 4-in. gardless of the application demands or
els are also available. All models are NPT flanges. Options for jacketed pump size. Wilden, part of Pump So-
available with a wide variety of drive heads are also available. The pump lutions Group, Grand Terrace, Calif.
options, sealing configurations, mo- delivers maximum speeds of 500 www.wildenpump.com
tors and controls. Other features in- rpm with differential pressures up
clude non-pulsating, metered flow; to 200 psi. Blackmer, part of Pump A solar-powered injection pump
quiet, vibration-free operation; ca- Solutions Group, Grand Rapids, Mich. for remote applications
pacities to 450 gal/min and pressures www.blackmer.com The Solar D Series Chemical Injection
to 2,100 psi; and handling entrained Pump (photo) provides maximum con-
air and gases without vapor locking. Handle corrosives with tainment, precise and consistent chem-
Moyno, Inc., a unit of Robbins & these AODD pumps ical-injection rates at pressures up to
Myers, Inc., Springfield, Ohio Available in polypropylene (PP) and 1,200 psi (83 bars), and reduced field
www.moyno.com polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), the service and downtime. The accurate
Advanced Series AODD (air-operated dosing rates (from 0 to 40 gal/d) trans-
This sliding vane pump has 180- double-diaphragm) pumps (photo) are late into increased production with a
deg ports, and more said to provide superior containment corresponding reduction in chemical
The NPH4F Sliding Vane Pump of dangerous chemicals (including expenses. The unit is equipped with
(photo) is a positive-displacement acids, solvents and caustics) because brushless motors; standard corrosion-
pump featuring 180-deg ports a the pumps do not have a mechani- resistant 316 stainless steel and PTFE
distinction from the 90-deg ports of its cal seal or packing that can fail. The chemical ends; hydraulically balanced
NP4F predecessor. Like the NP4F, the pumps also feature a bolted design and diaphragm designed for reduced wear;
NPH4F has ductile-iron construction single-piece integral piston diaphragm, and no dynamic seals for reduced leak
with an internal relief valve that pro- which eliminates a potential leak point. points. Neptune Chemical Pump
tects against excessive pressures. Ad- These ATEX-rated pumps also feature Co., North Wales, Pa.
ditional features include an optional the Pro-Flo X Air Distribution System www.neptune1.com
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 25
on p. 64, or use the website designation.
Vanton Pump & Equipment

Focus

Only two non-metallic parts has no seals to leak or valves to clog,


contact fluid in this pump and can run dry for extended periods
The portable, non-metallic Flex-I- without damage, says the company.
Liner rotary peristaltic pump (photo) Only two non-metallic parts contact
evacuates drums and totes contain- fluid: a thermoplastic body block and
ing acids, caustics, salts, chlorides and an elastomeric flexible liner that can
reagent-grade chemicals, without cor- be replaced in the field without special
rosion of the pump or contamination tools. The pump is suitable for flows
of the fluid. The self-priming design from 0.33 to 40 gal/min (1.25151 L/h)

Meet the Most


Powerful Pump
in Dangerous Watson-Marlow Bredel Pumps

Chemical-Handling and pressures to 45 psig (310 kPa)


at temperatures to 250F (121C).
Vanton Pump & Equipment Corp.,
Hillside, N.J.
www.vanton.com

This peristaltic pump handles


ws sludge and slurry with ease
Flo This hose pump (photo) reliably han-
tion dles a variety of harsh materials, in-
va
In no cluding abrasive sewage and slurry,
re making it suitable for the feeding of
e
Wh primary or thickened sewage to di-
gesters or filter pressers. Advanced
hose technology enables this pump
to handle grit-filled sludge for ex-
tended periods of time. Peristaltic
hose pumps are said to be virtually
maintenance-free, with no seals to
replace, no check valves to clog and
no rotors and stators to wear out.
Watson-Marlow Bredel Pumps, part
of the Watson-Marlow Pump Groups,
Wilmington, Mass.
www.wmpg.com

Dont let the strain of containing your Self-priming trash pump handles
dangerous chemicals weigh you down. Invest solids of up to three-inch size
in Wildens Advanced AODD Series Pump, TSC portable pumps (photo, p. 27)
the proven powerhouse in chemical safety.
are a multi-purpose, automatic-prim-
Bolted design improves leak resistance
ing trash-pump series that provides
Full Stroke PTFE Integral Piston Diaphragms for
flows up to 1,460 gal/min and heads
superior product containment up to 15 ft. Available as 4- and 6-in.
ATEX-certified for use in the most dangerous models, they handle solids with sizes
chemical-handling applications up to 3 in. The pump end is self-
priming, and capable of re-priming
Contact your authorized Wilden distributor: 22069 Van Buren Street should the add-on automatic prim-
www.wildendistributor.com Grand Terrace, CA 92313-5607
USA
ing system fail. The pump case offers
O: +1 (909) 422-1730 a large clean out that can be used
F: +1 (909) 783-3440
www.wildenpump.com
to remove debris from the impeller
or repair common wear components
without having to disconnect the suc-
Circle 46 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-46
26 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
KNF Neuberger Enerpac Griswold Pump

tion and remains flow-tight in both to overall reliability and high per-
directions with pressures of 14.5 psig formance, says the company. KNF
at rest. The pumps diaphragm and Neuberger, Inc., Trenton, N.J.
patented valve system contributes www.knfoem.com

Thompson Pump

tion hose or pipe. Thompson Pump,


Port Orange, Fla.
www.thompsonpump.com

Consider this cordless hydraulic


pump for remote applications
The new XC-Series cordless hydrau-
lic pump (photo) delivers oil flow
of 125 in.3/min at its low-pressure
setting, and 15 in.3/min when oper-
ating at full pressure, up to 10,000
psi. The lithium-ion battery ensures
the XC-Series pumps provide users
with runtimes necessary to accom-
modate demanding application re-
quirements. The pump offers the
performance capabilities of an elec-
tric- or pneumatic-powered pump
with the convenient portability of a
hand pump, making it suitable for
use in remote locations. Enerpac,
Menomonee Falls, Wisc. Get more out of your coal.
www.enerpac.com Only too often do we fail to see the treasures that are right in front of us.
With our solids gasification technology you can make more out of any
feedstock. Why not contact us: you might just be surprised!
Metering pumps for precise,
As a leading EPC contractor, we also have a proprietary portfolio of
small dosing technologies. And we network intelligently within the ThyssenKrupp Uhde
The new FMM80 solenoid-driven dia- group based on our business philosophy Engineering with ideas.
phragm metering pump (photo) can
be driven with single impulses to de-
liver discrete micro-volumes, or can
be operated with a pulsed signal at a
frequency up to 10 Hz to provide con-
tinuous flowrates up to 48 mL/min.
With a long service life (more than
500 million strokes), the pump exhib-
its stability against varying pressure
and sustains high repeatability over ThyssenKrupp Uhde
the pumps entire lifecycle. It also www.uhde.eu

integrates a patented noise-suppres-


sion system for quiet-running opera-
Circle 43 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-43
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 27
Pfeiffer Vacuum

Focus

Centrifugal pumps for


LACT applications
The 811 Series ANSI cen-
trifugal pumps (photo, p. 27)
meet the challenges that can
be associated with leased asset-
custody transfer (LACT) opera- all ATEX categories are available.
tions because they are capable Gardner Denver Nash, Charleroi, Pa.
of completely transferring oil from www.gdnash.com
a tanker to a users storage tank, as
well as transloading product from a Gardner Denver Nash A dry Roots pump slashes
tanker to a railcar, even under a va- energy consumption in half
riety of extreme operating conditions, An enhanced mag-drive pump Introduced last month, the A 100 L ES
says the company. These pumps have covers a wide flowrate range dry multi-stage Roots pump (photo) is
two times the wear area between the The 2BM1 magnetic drive pump Series said to cut energy consumption by 50%
case and impeller, compared to closed- (photo) is an enhancement to the 2BE1 compared to its predecessor, and its
impeller designs. The casing of the 811 Series, and is capable of achieving flow- pumping speed is significantly higher
Series can be constructed of ductile rates of 55013,870 gal/min (1253,150 in the low-pressure range. The fully
iron, CDM4Cu, Alloy 20 or stainless m3/h) and vacuum of 1 in. Hg, absolute integrated ES module reduces energy
steel. Pumps are available for flow- (33 mbar, a). They can also be used as use to a minimum in the low-pressure
rates to 4,000 gal/min with the abil- low-pressure compressors. Non-contact range, which can lead to annual sav-
ity to operate at temperatures up to torque transmission is achieved via a ings per pump up to 7,900 kWh, says
500F. Griswold Pump Co., Grand permanent-magnet drive system. The the company. In addition to energy
Terrace, Calif. 2BM1 pump is hermetically sealed, savings, the final pressure of the A
www.griswoldpump.com and certificates of compliance with 100 L ES is reduced to 7104 mbar,

One tough test. One clear winner. CALFLO AF. TM

Results from A specialty heat transfer A world leader in industrial lubricants CALFLO AF
fluid competitor Flows, but severe build-up of deposits Flows easily, stays cleaner longer.
Severe Oxidative No flow, remains completely remains in tube.
stuck in tube.
Stability Test.

CALFLO AF delivers longer fluid life and better equipment protection. And more savings to you.
We put CALFLO AF and leading competitors to the test in a challenging Severe Oxidative Stability Test and the results are clear. CALFLO AF
provides better oxidative stability for longer fluid life and enhanced equipment protection. That means more savings in operations
and maintenance costs. And less worry. Test CALFLO AF, or another product in our line of CALFLO heat transfer fluids, in your operation.
And see the results for yourself.
Visit www.calflo.com for the clear facts.

Petro-Canada is a Suncor Energy business


TM
Trademark of Suncor Energy Inc. Used under licence.

Circle 36 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-36
28 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
KSB

mon shaft. Driven by the dia- conventional energy-recovery systems


phragm return flow, the axial with pressure exchangers or Pelton tur-
piston motor transfers its power bines, the Salino design saves up to 50%
directly to the pump shaft. This in energy costs, says the manufacturer.
single unit performs three func- The system is designed for RO systems
tions: creating high pressure, with capacities up to 480 m3/d. KSB
compensating pressure losses AG, Frankenthal, Germany
and recovering energy. No separate www.ksb.com
booster pump is required. Compared to Gerald Ondrey

Help is here...
non-aromatic,
Quattroflow foodgrade, runs at lower
which opens up new potential applica-
temperatures, Paratherm

tions requiring an enhanced pumping MR heat transfer fluid
capacity combined with low pressure.
The noise level has also been reduced will make your system
from 58 dB(A) to 55 dB(A). Pfeiffer
Vacuum GmbH, Asslar, Germany safe and more productive.
www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com
Easy and safe to handle, a
Consider these pumps for great alternative to synthetic
high-purity, single-use systems aromatic fluids.
Quattroflow positive-displacement
pumps (photo) are said to be ideal Make your
for single-use systems in biologics system more
handling applications because they profitable, more
incorporate a four-piston diaphragm sustainable.
technology (with no mechanical seals)
that is driven by an eccentric shaft
and motor. The pumps are used in
pharmaceutical and biotech industries
in applications that require high con- For single-fluid heating and cooling from 36 F to 550 F, this is a
tainment, purity and cleanability, and non-aromatic / low odor (not noxious) inherently biodegradable
are well known for transferring shear-
composition that reduces worker exposure and environmental issues.
sensitive media of aqueous solutions
and biological products without dam- Designed for a variety of applications including batch reactors, laminating
age. Four sizes are available covering lines and plastics mold temperature
capacities of 1 to 20,000 L/h. Quat- control this fluid is tough and durable.
troflow, a brand of Almatec Maschinen-
You may want to check/test your
bau GmbH, Kamp-Linfort, Germany
www.quatroflow.com system with a Fluid Analysis. Great HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS

for eliminating any downside risk. 31 Portland Road


RO energy costs are slashed West Conshohocken PA 19428 USA
Or call and talk with one of our
with this pressure controller
technical specialists/engineers 800-222-3611
Scheduled for launch early this year is 610-941-4900 Fax: 610-941-9191
the Salino Pressure Center (photo), a over the phone about your particular info@paratherm.com
compact unit for reverse osmosis (RO) application. Contact us today for www.paratherm.com
seawater desalination. The Salino con- real help right away.

sists of an axial piston pump and an


axial piston motor, arranged on a com-
Circle 35 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-35
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 29
IT HAPPENS AT

ARE YOU IN?

APRIL 23-25, 2013 | JAVITS CENTER | NEW YORK, NEW YORK

BRINGING TOGETHER KEY PHARMA AND BIOTECH PROFESSIONALS


WITH SUPPLIERS TO CREATE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS.

REGISTER TO ATTEND AT WWW.INTERPHEX.COM/AD15

INTERESTED IN EXHIBITING? CONTACT


PETE ZEZIMA AT 203-840-5447

SCAN HERE FOR


MORE INFORMATION

CORPORATE SPONSORED BY: INDUSTRY


PARTNERS: PARTNERS:

Circle 21 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-21
Morse Manufacturing

FOCUS ON

Bins, silos
and storage
Lift and pour drums
with this machine
The Pilot (photo) is a powered appa-
ratus for lifting, rotating and dump-
ing chemical-containing drums. The
walk-behind drum handler has a floor-
travel speed of 3.0 mph, a drum-lifting DHL
Global Forwarding
speed of 5 cm/s, and can dump drums
up to 10.5 ft high and up to 11 in. be-
yond its straddle-type legs. The Pilot
can handle drum weights up to 1,500
lb. The machine can maneuver with
precision in tight areas, and lift and
pour with high accuracy, the company Sample Credit

says. Morse Manufacturing Co.,


East Syracuse, N.Y.
www.morsedrum.com

This bulk-liquid shipping vessel


is recyclable
The Flexitank (photo) is a multi-layer
bladder designed to fit inside a stan-
dard, 20-ft ocean container, and can
be used for shipping non-hazardous
bulk liquids in the chemical and bev-
erage sectors. Users can ship up to
31% more cargo than with intermedi-
ate bulk containers (IBCs) and drums.
The Flexitank holds up to 24,000 L
and is recyclable, which enables users The IFH Group Air Science USA
to reduce shipping costs, because only
one-way freight costs are required, uct version has a glass sight gage in net. Fumes are pulled via a flexible
says the company. Further, the re- place of the standard PVC sight gage, hose connected to the cabinet, and
cyclability allows users to avoid the and flexible steel hose underneath the clean, filtered air is returned to the
cleaning required to avoid cross-con- tank in place of PVC hose. The IFH laboratory, so external ducting is not
tamination. DHL Global Forward- Group, Rock Falls, Ill. necessary. The Vent-Box is available
ing, Bonn, Germany www.ifhgroup.com in a variety of configurations to match
www.dhl.com vapor and particulate requirements.
Eliminate vapors inside Air Science USA, Fort Myers, Fla.
Handle corrosive chemicals with chemical storage cabinets www.airscience.com
this storage system The Vent-Box ductless filtration sys-
This company offers what it calls a Spe- tem (photo) is designed to protect These storage cabinets
cial Product Package (photo) of its fluid personnel from chemical vapors found can be wall-mounted
storage-and-dispensing system. The inside standalone chemical storage TiltView bins (photo) offer a space-
special version is designed for applica- cabinets. The Vent-Box is equipped saving way to store supplies, and
tions involving corrosive chemicals and with this companys multiplex filtra- can be used on a benchtop, attached
other abrasive fluids that require spe- tion system, which includes both a to steel rails or mounted on the wall.
cial handling for safety. The companys pre-filter and main filter that adsorbs, The cabinets are made of high-impact
original storage system handles oils, neutralizes or traps the target chemi- polystyrene and the bins are clear
lubricants and industrial fluids, and of- cals or particulate matter. At the same polystyrene. The cabinets are avail-
fers an alternative to 55-gal drums that time, constant negative pressure re- able with optional locking rods and
the company says is safer, cleaner and moves vapors and particulate matter dividers. All six sizes of TiltView bins
more cost-efficient. The Special Prod- from the interior of the storage cabi- can be used individually or configured
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 31
on p. 64, or use the website designation.
Focus

into systems using any of the three


optional hanging accessories. Akro-
Mils, Akron, Ohio
www.akro-mils.com
Akro-Mils
Dry bulk solids storage tanks
that are made to order

RS PM dry ad
bulk 013012_Layout 1 1/31/12 8:52 AMminerals
Page and1
BulkTec tank systems are designed food and grain products, chemicals,
to store materials, such as aggregates, plastics and
others. Each tank is manufactured ac-
cording to the requirements of the spe-
cific application. The tanks are coated
with this companys proprietary coat-
ing process that provides maximum
abrasion resistance and encourages
smooth material flow. CST Indus-
tries Inc., Lenexa, Kan.
www.cstindustries.com

Minimize product hang-up with


these dry material silos
Storage silos for dry bulk materials
from this company are available with
the companys smoothwall steel
sidewall panels. The smoothwall pan-
1970 Dodge Super Bee
els are heavier than light-gauge cor-
rugated panels and minimize prod-
uct hang-up with materials such as
crushed rock dust, kiln dust, wood,
coal and grains and seeds. The tanks

Do you have flows up to


are available in both welded and
1,400 US GPM /hr),(320 m
3
bolted versions in sizes up to 25,000
RS Series
heads up to 3,400 feet
m3. They come with abrasion-resis-
(1,000 m), pressures up to
tant coatings that are factory-applied
1,500 psig (100 bar), and baked, as well as a host of gas-
temperatures from (-30C
20Ftoto149C),
300F and speeds
keting and accompanying hardware
up to 3,500 RPM? Then you need Carver options.Pump
ForemostRS Series
Machine Build- mus
Designed for moderate to high pressure ers pumping
Inc., Fairfield,applications,
N.J. the
available in five basic sizes with overall performance
www.foremostmachine.com to 1,000HP. A
standard, with a product lubricated radial sleeve bearing and two
angular contact ball bearings for thrust, These
it only takes a have
mechanica
the low pressure, suction side to seal the pump. doors Optional features
storage cabinets
ball bearings on both ends with an outboard mechanical seal, vari
thicker
flushing arrange ments and bearing frame cooling. These features
PIG Flammable Safety Cabinets have
the RS ideally suited for Industrial and Process applications includ
14-gauge steel doors that are 56%
Pressure Boost Systems, Boiler Feed, Reverse
thicker thanOsmosis, Desalinati
alternative cabinets, ac-
and Mine Dewatering. Whatever your application,
cording to the company. Also, the cabi-
let us build the muscle you need! nets are equipped with a three-point
zinc latch for non-sparking door clo-
sure, and a recessed handle design that
wont catch on passing traffic. Available
in a number of sizes and sump capabil-
Creating Value. ities, PIG Safety Cabinets meet NFPA
Carver Pump Company and OSHA specifications. They feature
2415 Park Avenue
Muscatine, IA 52761
a leakproof sump to contain leaks drips
563.263.3410 and spills, as well as flame-arrestor
Fax: 563.262.0510
www.carverpump.com
vents to help prevent flashback igni-
tion. New Pig Corp., Tipton, Pa.
www.newpig.com
Scott Jenkins
Circle 10 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-10
32 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
Severn Trent Services

Camfil Farr APC Mettler Toledo

These filters resist


pulse cleaning
The HemiPleat eXtreme nano- ogy, the company adds.
fiber filter (photo) offers higher Severn Trent Services, Fort
filtration efficiencies, greater Washington, Pa.
durability and better resistance w w w. s e r v e r n t r e n t
to pulse cleaning than competitive services.com
products, the company says. The
standard HemiPleat filter delivers A weigh module that handles
MERV (minimum efficiency report- up to 100 tons
ing value) 15 efficiency higher than This new PinMount weigh mod-
the MERV 10 and MERV 13 ratings ule (photo) offers manufacturers a
of alternative nano-fiber products. The chance to convert large tanks, vessels
ASCO Numatics
product is also available in a high-effi- and silos into high-capacity scales,
ciency model that delivers a tested ef- even in harsh environments and clas-
ficiency of 99.999% on 0.5-micron and sified hazardous areas. The PinMount
larger products by weight, the com- channel ultraviolet (UV) system for weigh-module family of instruments
pany says. Its proprietary, tri-layered water disinfection in municipal waste- weigh from 7.5 to 100 tons. Easily in-
technology is used to apply two lay- water and water reuse applications. tegrated into existing structures, the
ers of fine-pored nanoscale fibers that The device uses microwaves to energize module also provides SafeLock safety
act as a pre-filter to the base media, low-pressure, high-output, electrode- features that make installation fool-
capturing most dust at the surface less lamps to generate a UV wave- proof. The PinMounts dual anti-lift
before it imbeds in the filter. The du- length output of 254 nm, according to devices and vertical downstops pre-
rable and thick HemiPleat technology the company, an optimal wavelength vent damage due to environmental
is said to increase the filters cleaning for bacterial disinfection. The product and component failure. Mettler
ability and allows the base material to offers operating-cost savings, the com- Toledo, Columbus, Ohio
have larger pore sizes than standard pany says, with lower whole-life cost www.mt.com
cellulose media. Camfil Farr APC, and longer UV lamp life. The system
Torrance, Calif. is validated for water reuse by the Na- Direct-acting solenoid valves for
www.farrapc.com tional Water Research Institute, and use in harsh environments
features a flow-pacing technology that Introduced last month, these two in-
A UV disinfection system with can match UV dose. Since microwave- trinsically safe solenoid valves (photo)
longer lamp life powered lamps are electrode-less, they have Ex ia IIC T6 certification. The so-
The Microdynamics Series OCS721 remove a major failure mechanism lenoid operators are designed for use
(photo) is a microwave-powered, open- found in traditional UV lamp technol- on the 327 range of direct-operated
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 33
on p. 64, or use the website designation.
New Products

solenoid valves, and are available in


epoxy-coated aluminum or stainless
steel. The solenoids are certified to
ATEX, Category 1G/2D and Equip-
ment Protection Level (EPL) Ga/Db.
Both operators are IEC Ex approved
and certified to IEC 61508 Functional
Safety (SIL 3 capable). The 327 Series
feature a brass, stainless-steel or alu-
minum body, and have a large flowrate
(Kv = 0.45 m3/h), operate from 0 to 10
bars and require no minimum operat-
ing pressure. ASCO Numatics Ltd.,
Skelmersdale, U.K.
www.asconumatics.co.uk
GEA Refrigeration Technologies
Freeze food faster with this new
impingement freezer
The HVF-Freezer (high-velocity
freezer; photo) is said to be an im-
proved freezer concept based on exist-
ing impingement-freezer technology.
The new HVF uses high-velocity air
jets to quickly reduce the outer layer
temperature of food by breaking the
insulating boundary layer, allowing the
surface to be frozen very quickly. This
effect allows the product to freeze faster
than in conventional freezers and thus
minimizing dehydration losses, says
the company. For food processors, the
Schubert & Salzer Control Systems Witt-Gasetechnik
benefits include: less cellular damage,
thus better product quality; improved
capacity (more than 1015% over ex- and supply voltage too
isting impingement freezers); higher low. Schubert & Salzer
yield; longer shelf life for foods; and Control Systems GmbH,
faster freezing time, says the company. Ingolstadt, Germany
GEA Refrigeration Technologies www.schubert-salzer.
GmbH, Bochum, Germany com
www.gea.com
A new alarm module
Valve position indicators that for gas mixers
tell more than just on or off The NXT+ (photo) is a
The 2040 digital position indicator new alarm module that
(photo) uses a colored light signal, vis- monitors the gas pres-
ible from a distance, to show the open sures at the inlets of the
or closed position of a valve. Four dif- gas mixer and in the mix-
ferent color signals are used: open and ing gas vessel to ensure a
Presto Lifts
closed by yellow and green. At the push constant process quality.
of a button, these colored signals can These mixers work with a high pres- says the company. Witt-Gasetechnik
represent the end stops. In addition, sure-fluctuation tolerance and provide GmbH & Co. KG, Witten, Germany
when the end stop is reached, the digi- precise gas mixtures even at different www.wittgas.com
tal position indicator outputs this as a input pressures. In the event of an ir-
switching signal to the contacts on the regularity, the alarm module protects Load pallets and lower injury risk
connector plug. The position indicator against unwanted gas mixtures to with this machine
also signals maintenance information avoid expensive production failures. The new P3 All-Around level loader
and issues error messages, which can By monitoring both the input pressure (photo) is designed to keep pallets at
be: stuck valve, wear in seals, temper- and that inside the vessel, the entire a convenient height for loading and
ature outside the permissible range mixing process remains under control, unloading. The P3 has a pneumatic
34 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
When you own a Since 1968

and take the recommendation of ASME, DIN, ISO and


EN into consideration to place a washer underneath the
nut to eliminate galling and great frictional variation

HERE IS WHAT YOUR HYTORC WILL DO FOR YOU:

* Supreme Safety: You inally operate your HYTORC


without a hazardous reaction arm and backup wrench
and without holding the tool on vertical or inverted
applications
* Top Joint Reliability: You avoid joint-failure and
leakage with precise and even, circumferential joint
compression, which we guaranty
* Top Tool Reliability: You drastically improve your
HYTORCs longevity and warranty
* Always on Time: You cut the number of passes in half
to avoid delayed startups
* Better Handling: You simplify tool handling to reduce
human error

Being # 1 is no coincidence!

www.hytorc.com
Circle 20 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-20

Linn High Therm

airbag that automatically raises and A furnace system for processing ture up to 1,600C, or 1,8002,000C
lowers pallet as material is added or carbon fibers optional) and dwell times. The nec-
removed. It also features a turntable The carbon-fiber pilot line (photo) essary gas supply is in between.
ring or platform to allow users to re- consists of an oxidation furnace, car- Linn High Therm GmbH, Eschen-
main in the same spot while loading bonization furnace and a graphitiza- felden, Germany
or unloading. Requiring no electrical tion furnace, The four-zone oxidation www.linn.de
power, the P3 can accommodate loads furnace operates at 325C for sta-
from 400 to 4,500 lb, depending on the bilizing precursor fibers, and has a New coolant connections for
spring package chosen, and can be connecting two-step system for car- high-flowrate applications
moved easily with a forklift. Presto bonization and graphitization at the Coolant circuits must dissipate heat
Lifts Inc., Attleboro, Mass. required temperatures (low temper- from applications such as welding
www.prestolifts.com ature up to 1,050C, high tempera- or power-electronics installations.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 35
Eisele Pheumatics

New Products

This requires high flowrates within offers a connection in


a compact space. This company has which the threads are
extended its Liquidline by design- connected to the release
ing two energy-optimized coolant by means of a 45- or 90-
connections (photo) that exceed the deg angle piece made of
flowrates of previous Liquidline con- copper. Eisele Pheu-
nections by an additional 15%. In ad- matics GmbH & Co. KG,
dition to the existing 45- and 90-deg Waiblingen, Germany
angle connections, the company now www.eisele.eu

Vanton solid thermoplastic pumps to


stainless, high alloy, plastic-lined and
fiberglass pumps for water, wastewater
and corrosive treatment chemicals:
ZERO CORROSION
(unlike stainless and alloys)
ZERO CONTAMINATION
(unlike stainless and alloys)
Flexicon
ZERO CHEMICAL ABSORPTION All wet end components
OR WICKING of Vanton centrifugal This system fills
pumps are molded of
(unlike fiberglass reinforced plastics) solid PVC, PP or PVDF, boxes, bags and drums
ZERO TEARING, CRACKING, and handle flows to The Multipurpose Filler (photo) dis-
1450 gpm (330 m3/h),
OR PEELING heads to 400 ft (122 m) penses bulk solid materials into boxes,
(unlike plastic linings) and temperatures to
drums and bulk bags by weight. The
275F (135C).
ZERO OR NEAR-ZERO unit features a fill head that seals
ABRASION
(unlike stainless, alloys,
dust-tight against the inlet spout of
and fiberglass) bulk bags, or connects to transition
adapters that seal against open boxes
or drums. The filler uses the compa-
nys patented Twin-Centerpost frame,
Vanton molds all wet end components SUMP-GARD which is said to maximize strength
of solid, homogeneous thermoplastics Vertical and improve accessibility to the fill
that are 100% inert to the caustic Centrifugal Pumps
Standard, bearing- head, while simplifying construction
and acidic treatment chemicals you
handle, such as alum, ferric chloride,
less, low headroom, and reducing operating costs. Flexi-
wash down, integral
hydrofluosilicic acid, polymer, sodium motor/shaft and con (Europe) Ltd., Kent, U.K.
hydroxide, sodium hypochloride, vortex www.flexicon.co.uk
sulfuric acid and others. CHEM-GARD
Horizontal
It means you can say good-bye Centrifugal Pumps A portable device that tests
to pumping problems you now Standard, ANSI, for fuel fraud
DIN, mag drive,
experience with chemical transfer, close coupled Nemesis is said to be the only ana-
disinfection, dosing, effluent and self priming
collection, lift stations, odor lyzer of its kind the first fully por-
control, recirculation and other FLEX-I-LINER table system to test for tampering in
process applications. Rotary Peristaltic fuel. The device provides rapid sample
Pumps
Dosing/feeding analysis with marker detection down
liquids and to extremely low levels. Results are
viscous fluids
to 6000 SSU available at the touch of a button and
.com presented in a clear and precise quan-
Non-metallic
Pump/Tank Systems titative format that eliminates the
Tanks from 60 to risk of ambiguous interpretation. Col-
5000 gal (227 to
18,900 liter) with lected data can be transmitted using
pumps and auto- 3G or 4G technology to a central con-
Z-0419

1-908-688-4216 mated controls


mkt@vanton.com trol. Tracerco Ltd., London, U.K.
www.tracerco.com
Gerald Ondrey and Scott Jenkins
Circle 44 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-44
36 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
Thermowell
Installation
Department Editor: Scott Jenkins

emperature is among the most critical

T measurements in the chemical process


industries (CPI) for operating safe and
efficient processes. Because even a small
FIGURE 2.
Top View

Vortices
error in temperature can lead to expensive
consequences, accurate and reliable moni- Pipe clamp sen-
sors are useful in
toring of temperature is required.
applications where
process intrusions
Thermowells
The most accurate temperature measure-
are impractical or fw
unreliable
ments occur when the sensor is in direct
contact with the process fluid being Side View
measured. Since fluids in the CPI can often
be corrosive or erosive, and can destroy a
bare sensor quickly, the most common way
of making temperature measurements is to fn
use a thermowell. A thermowell is a hollow
tube, often tapered, that projects into the standard-sized bore diameter will allow
process fluid to protect an immersed sen- the necessary flexibility.
sor. Because it is immersed in the fluid, the Tapered or straight. Thermowells are avail-
thermowell reaches the same temperature able with either straight walls or a tapered
as the fluid. shape. Tapered-shank wells can provide
Once a thermowell is installed, an immer- greater stiffness with the same sensitivity
sion probe containing a temperature sensor compared to straight-shank thermowells.
is inserted into the thermowell from the Tapered wells have a higher strength-to-
outside so that the sensor fits flush against weight than straight ones, which gives rise
the end of the thermowell. Because the to a higher natural frequency. This can
FIGURE 1. Incorrectly designed and in-
thermowell is immersed in the process fluid, come into play when considering the vibra- stalled thermowells may fail at high flowrates.
it transfers the temperature of the fluid to the tional effects experienced by the process. Once the wake vortex-induced force (at
sensor. Thermowells can also be mounted Fluid flowing around a thermowell forms a frequency fw) approaches the thermowells
onto the side of a tank. turbulent wake that has a definite frequency natural frequency (fn) catastrophic failure can
based on the diameter of the thermowell. occur unless correct thermowell calculations
Any thermowell should have enough stiff- are performed
Installing thermowells
The following are some general guidelines ness to ensure that the wake frequency
and tips for installing thermowells: never equals the natural frequency of the the American Society of Mechanical
Material of construction. A thermow- thermowell itself. If the two frequencies Engineers (ASME) Performance Test Code
ells material of construction should be match, the thermowell could vibrate enough (PTC) 19.3 can be helpful. ASME PTC
determined largely by the characteristics to break off inside a pipe. 19.3, which was rewritten in 2010, is a
of the process fluid that flows past the thermowell stress calculation that provides
thermowell, especially with regard to Further tips a mathematical indication that the mate-
its corrosion properties, as well as its Thermowells can be used with pipes rial of construction and mechanical design
mechanical strength. The temperature and larger than 1.25-in. dia. In small pipe of the thermowell will withstand the
pressure ratings of all thermowells should sizes, be sure the thermowell does not process conditions
be considered carefully when selecting to become an obstruction to flow
meet process demands. Common materials Install the thermowell three to ve pipe Immersed versus non-intrusive
for thermowells include various grades of diameters away from elbows, flowmeters In situations where thermowells are not fea-
stainless steel, chrome-molybdenum steel, or other devices sible, engineers must consider non-intrusive
silicone bronze, Monel, Hastelloy B and C, Follow the thermowell manufacturers rec- temperature measurements (Figure 2).
nickel, titanium and others. ommendations on pressure, temperature While non-intrusive measurements
Type of connection. Thermowells are and fluid velocity. Thermowells can fail are relatively easier to make than with
available generally with three types of under certain conditions, including when a thermowell, and the apparatus is less
connections threaded, flanged and under stress from wake-vortex-induced expensive, surface measurements are not as
socket-welded. forces. These shedding vortices can lead accurate as immersion methods. Generally
Length of insertion. For best-possible ac- to excessive vibration and potentially cata- a surface measurement is accurate to within
curacy, thermowells should be inserted strophic failure when the vortex frequency 1%, while immersion measurements can be
into the pipe or vessel such that the entire approaches the thermowells natural accurate to within 0.1%.
temperature-sensitive part of the measuring frequency (Figure 1) Surface-based temperature-measurement
element is projected into the medium being Incorrectly designed and installed devices should be insulated from the ambi-
measured. For liquid measurement, the ther- thermowells may fail at high flowrates. ent temperature by wrapping the sensor
mowell should allow the element to project Once the wake vortex-induced force (at connection and pipe with insulation. This
into the medium at least one inch past the frequency fw) approaches the thermowells helps avoid potentially false measurements.
length of its temperature-sensitive area. For natural frequency (fn), catastrophic failure
gases, the thermowell should allow the ele- can occur unless correct thermowell calcu- References:
ment to be immersed three or more inches lations are performed 1. Omega Engineering, Introduction to Thermow-
beyond its sensitive length. For partially lled pipes, ensure that the ells. Accessed from www.omega.com, Feb. 1,
Bore size. For processes that are likely bottom of the thermowell extends suf- 2013.
to use multiple types of temperature- ficiently into the process fluid 2. Nguyen, K., Applying CPI Temperature Sen-
measuring devices, the selection of a For sizing and selecting thermowells, sors, Chem. Eng., Sept. 2010, pp. 2831.
CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
Submission information
can be found at
www.cpievent.com
DEADLINE
MARCH 29 TH

STONE, CLAY, GLASS & CERAMICS

RUBBER & ELASTOMERS


PETROLEUM REFINING

NONFERROUS METALS

FOOD & BEVERAGES


PULP & PAPER

4th Annual

September 25 26, 2013


GALVESTON, TX | MOODY GARDENS CONVENTION CENTER

Interested in Exhibiting/Sponsoring? Interested in Speaking?


Contact Carley Ziober, 713.343.1884 Contact Cassie Davie, 713.343.1891
or CarleyZ@tradefairgroup.com or CassieD@tradefairgroup.com

www.cpievent.com
Propylene Production
via Metathesis
By Intratec Solutions

P ropylene is typically considered a co-product in steam


crackers and fluid-catalytic-cracking (FCC) processes,
which are primarily driven by ethylene and motor gaso-
line production, respectively.
Recently, most U.S. ethylene producers have shifted to
FIGURE 1.

Fresh ethylene

Fresh butene
1
2
3 3'
For
disposal

lighter feedstocks due to the availability of low-cost natural FU


gas and natural-gas liquids (NGLs) from shale. This shift
drastically decreases propylene byproduct output. Since
propylene demand is growing faster than that of ethylene,
and is expected to continue increasing, a gap between pro- (1) Reactor feed treater 4
FU
pylene supply and demand is arising. This brings about the
possibility of establishing chemical processes for on-purpose (2) Reactor feed heater
Lights to fuel
propylene production, and one of the processes depends on (3) Metathesis reactor
metathesis chemistry. RF CW
(4) Regeneration gas heater
The metathesis process (5) Deethylenizer column PG
Metathesis, also known as disproportionation, is a reversible
(6) Depropylenizer column propylene
reaction between ethylene and butenes in which carbon-
carbon double bonds are broken and then rearranged to form 5 6
propylene. Both ethylene and 2-butenes are mainly supplied
from steam-cracker units, but can also be obtained from FCC FU: fuel
units. The metathesis process depicted in Figure 1 is similar to CW: cooling water
ST ST
the OCT (olefins conversion technology) process developed by RF: refrigeration fluid
Lummus Technology (part of Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. N.V.; ST: steam
the Hague, The Netherlands; www.cbi.com) and makes use Heavies to fuel
of a tungsten oxide catalyst, along with a magnesium oxide
co-catalyst. The OCT process typically achieves a propylene yield of lion, the lowest among the regions compared. Germany presented a
about 90%. higher capital investment $295 million but the lowest operating
The process is divided into two main areas: purification and reaction; cost, at about $1,320/ton, compared to $1,480/ton in the U.S. In
and separation. Brazil, both the initial capital investment for a metathesis plant and the
Puriication and reaction section. Fresh and recycled ethylene and operating costs were the highest.
butene are mixed and fed to treatment equipment that removes potential
catalyst poisons, such as oxygenates and sulfur. After treatment, the Global perspective
stream is vaporized and heated to the reaction temperature, between Despite the higher operating costs, metathesis plants in the U.S. have
280 and 320C. The metathesis reaction occurs in a fixed-bed catalytic exhibited the highest EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, deprecia-
reactor, and butene is commonly employed in excess to minimize even- tion and amortization) margins, since the propylene product prices in
tual side reactions that produce mostly five- to eight-carbon olefins. Coke, North America were higher than those in Europe.
another byproduct of the reaction, is deposited on the catalyst throughout The higher EBITDA, coupled with the lowest total capital investment,
the process. Each reactor can run for about 30 days before requiring makes the U.S. the most promising region for new metathesis projects.
regeneration, where coke is burned off in a controlled atmosphere. However, the current number of metathesis units worldwide shows that
Separation section. Propylene purification is carried out in two col- such units can also be profitable outside the U.S., as shown in the world
umns. The stream leaving the reactor is cooled and sent to the deethylen- map (Figure 2).
izer column, the overhead stream is recycled back to the reactor and Edited by Scott Jenkins
the bottom stream is fed to the depropylenizer column, which produces
polymer-grade propylene in the overhead, as well as a heavies product Editors Note: The content for this column is supplied by Intratec Solutions LLC
stream (four-carbon compounds and greater) that is also recycled. (Houston; www.intratec.us) and edited by Chemical Engineering. The analyses and
models presented herein are prepared on the basis of publicly available and non-
Economic performance confidential information. The information and analysis are the opinions of Intratec
and do not represent the point of view of any third parties. More information about
An economic evaluation of the process was conducted for three distinct the methodology for preparing this type of analysis can be found, along with terms
locations the U.S. Gulf Coast region, Germany and Brazil and of use, at www.intratec.us/che.
is based on data from the third quarter of
2011. The following assumptions were taken FIGURE 2.
into consideration: Each mark in the
A 350,000 ton/yr metathesis unit erected map corresponds
inside a petrochemical complex (all equip- to an existing
ment is represented in the simplified metathesis plant.
The nominal
flowsheet in Figure 1) capacity of each
Storage cost of the main product is equal plant follows the
to 20 days of operation, and storage cost legend below:
for feedstocks was not considered
The excess fuel gas generated in the pro-
cess is considered to be sold to a nearby Up to 149,000 ton/yr
chemical plant at natural gas prices
From 150,000 to 199,000 ton/yr
The estimated capital investment (including From 200,000 to 249,000 ton/yr
total fixed investment, other capital expenses
and working capital) and for such a plant At least 250,000 ton/yr
on the U.S. Gulf Coast is about $245 mil-
Dave Johnson, ChemTreat

Feature
Cover Story
Report Part 1

Beware of Flow- FIGURE 1.

Accelerated Corrosion Single-phase FAC


shows a distinc-
tive orange-peel
texture on the pipe
surface

Operators of steam-generating systems

Dave Johnson, ChemTreat


should understand flow-accelerated
corrosion and the potential
problems it can cause
Brad Buecker FIGURE 2. Tubewall thinning is
Kiewit Engineering Group caused by single-phase FAC

any chemical process indus- cause corrosion. And indeed, dissolved ger treatment was coupled with a feed

M tries (CPI) facilities utilize


high-pressure steam genera-
tors to produce both electric-
ity and process steam. This technique
is commonly known as combined
oxygen can be very problematic in un-
controlled environments. Therefore,
virtually all feedwater systems for
high-pressure steam generators were
equipped with a deaerator for dis-
of ammonia or an amine to maintain
feedwater pH within a mildly alkaline
range 8.8 to 9.1 for mixed-metal-
lurgy feedwater systems and slightly
higher for all-ferrous systems.
heat and power (CHP). A popular ap- solved gas removal. A properly operat-
NH3 + H2O NH4+ + OH (4)
proach in recent years has been to ing deaerator can lower DO concentra-
select a combined-cycle power and tions to 7 parts per billion (ppb). This program became known as all-
steam-generation unit to utilize the However, even this residual DO volatile treatment [AVT(R)].
combination of a combustion turbine concentration was still considered Due to the suspected carcinogenic
and a heat-recovery steam generator harmful, so chemical deaeration was nature of hydrazine, alternative chem-
(HRSG) for process-steam generation also the convention at most plants. icals, such as carbohydrazide, methyl
and perhaps additional power genera- The workhorse for chemical deaera- ethyl ketoxime and others gained
tion. Owners and operators of these tion was hydrazine (N2H4), a reducing popularity, but the intent remained
combined-cycle units, as well as other agent that reacts with oxygen accord- the same to establish a reducing
steam generators, need to be aware ing to the following reaction: environment in the feedwater circuit,
of the phenomenon known as flow- thus inhibiting oxidation of metal. The
N2H4 + O2 2H2O + N2(g) (1)
accelerate corrosion (FAC), which, if AVT technique became a standard in
ignored, can lead to corrosion-induced Hydrazine proved advantageous be- the industry.
failures of steam systems. cause it does not add any dissolved A condensate-system failure on
solids to the feedwater, it reacts with Dec. 9, 1986 changed the situation. A
Dissolved oxygen treatment oxygen in a one-to-one weight ratio, pipe elbow in the condensate system
Three decades ago, at the beginning and it is supplied in liquid form in of the Surry Nuclear Power Station
of the authors career in the utility in- solutions with concentrations of 35%. (near Rushmere, Va.) ruptured, and
dustry, conventional wisdom said that Also, a primary benefit of hydrazine is the failure caused four fatalities and
any dissolved oxygen that entered the that it will passivate oxidized areas of tens of millions of dollars in repair
condensate and feedwater system of piping and tube materials as follows: costs and lost revenues [1]. As a re-
a high-pressure steam generator was sult of this accident and others simi-
N2H4 + 6Fe2O3
harmful. At that time, over 50% of the lar to it, researchers learned that the
4Fe3O4 + N2 (g) + 2H2O (2)
power produced in the U.S. came from reducing environment produced by
coal. Coal-fired steam-generation the oxygen-scavenger feed results in
N2H4 + 4CuO
units typically have complex conden- single-phase FAC.
2Cu2O + N2(g) + 2H2O (3)
sate/feedwater networks with numer- The corrosive attack occurs at flow
ous feedwater heaters. The prevalent Hydrazine residuals were typically disturbances, such as elbows in feed-
thinking at the time was that any maintained at relatively low levels of water piping, and economizers, feed-
trace of dissolved oxygen (DO) would perhaps 20 to 100 ppb. Oxygen scaven- water-heater drains, locations down-
38 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
Temperature, F

0 122 212 302 382 482 572 652


100
NH3 pH
0.1 ppm 8.75

reaches a maximum at
0.2 ppm 8.90 single-phase FAC. Currently, OT is
80 300F. Thus, feedwater
0.3 ppm 9.05
the preferred feedwater treatment for
systems and HRSG low- most once-through utility steam gen-
0.5 ppm 9.10 pressure evaporators erators around the world. In the U.S.,
1.0 ppm 9.40 are particularly suscep- an oxygen residual range of 30 to 150
60 tible locations. Also note ppb is common, with a recommended
2.0 ppm 9.50
the influence of pH as pH range of between 8.0 and 8.5. OT
ppb Fe

reflected by ammonia has been applied to a few drum units,


concentration on the where EPRI guidelines call for a feed-
40 corrosion characteris- water pH range of 9.0 to 9.4, with a
tics. This factor becomes dissolved oxygen concentration of 30
quite important with re- to 50 ppb.[1]
gard to controlling FAC. Although OT has been successfully
20 In large measure, applied to drum boilers, another pro-
coal-plant personnel gram has evolved that is very popu-
have recognized the lar for condensate/feedwater in these
problem of single-phase steam generators. It is known as all-
0 FAC, and have adopted volatile treatment, oxygen [AVT(O)].
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 alternative feedwater- With AVT(O), oxygen is not deliber-
Temperature, C treatment methods to ately injected into the condensate, but
mitigate the issue. Else- rather the amount that enters from
FIGURE 3. The dissolution of the carbon-steel matrix where however, such as condenser air in-leakage, according to
is a function of pH and temperature [1] in CHP projects within normal conditions (we will examine
the CPI, proposals for normal conditions shortly) is allowed
stream of valves and reducing fittings, combined-cycle steam and power to remain without any oxygen-scaven-
attemperator piping, and, most nota- units often specify an oxygen-scaven- ger or metal-passivator treatment. It
bly for the combined-cycle industry, in ger feed system. should be noted at this point that nei-
low-pressure evaporators. ther OT nor AVT(O) are permissible
Solutions to single-phase FAC for feedwater systems containing cop-
Single-phase FAC HRSGs, by their nature, typically per alloys, as the oxygen would sim-
The chemistry of single-phase FAC have many waterwall tubes with ply be too corrosive to the metal. The
and its potentially catastrophic effects short-radius elbows. Thus, the HRSG following text therefore focuses upon
are outlined here. With single-phase unit contains many locations where AVT(O) for all-ferrous systems.
FAC, wall-thinning occurs gradually single-phase FAC could be a concern. When researchers developed
until the remaining material at the A primary method to mitigate this at- AVT(O), they took into account the
affected location can no longer with- tack is to select the proper feedwater pH effect on carbon-steel dissolution,
stand the process pressure, where- treatment scheme. as previously illustrated in Figure 3.
upon catastrophic failure occurs. Approximately 40 years ago, re- AVT(O) guidelines evolved to the fol-
When a steam generator is placed searchers and chemists in Germany lowing parameters:
into service, carbon-steel feedwater and Russia began using a program Recommended pH range: 9.29.6
piping and waterwall tubes form a known as oxygenated treatment (OT) Feedwater dissolved oxygen concen-
layer of protective iron oxide known as to minimize carbon-steel corrosion tration: 10 ppb
magnetite (Fe3O4). Magnetite is actu- and iron dissolution in supercritical As with OT, the condensate must be
ally a composition of FeO (with iron in steam generators. The key component quite pure to allow oxygen to generate
a +2 oxidation state) and Fe2O3 (with of the program was, and still is, delib- the FeOOH protective layer rather than
iron in a +3 oxidation state). erate injection of pure oxygen into the cause pitting. However, the cation-con-
The combination of a reducing envi- condensate/feedwater network to es- ductivity upper limit with AVT(O) is a
ronment (caused by the oxygen scav- tablish oxygen residuals of up to 300 bit more relaxed at 0.2 S/cm.
enging species) and localized fluid-flow ppb. What chemists discovered is that A relatively new twist has emerged
disturbances causes the dissolution in very pure feedwater (cation con- regarding AVT(O) philosophy. Chem-
of ferrous ions (Fe+2) from the metal ductivity 0.15 S/cm (microsiemens ists have discovered that the hereto-
and from the metal-oxide matrix. Well per cm), the oxygen will intersperse fore established limit of 10 ppb DO in
known data from the Electric Power and overlay magnetite to generate the feedwater may allow single-phase
Research Institute (EPRI; Palo Alto, a tenacious and very insoluble film FAC at some isolated locations in
Calif.; www.epri.com) show that iron of ferric oxide hydrate (FeOOH). The feedwater systems where eddy effects
dissolution is greatly influenced by OT approach typically lowered feed- appear to prevent the dissolved oxy-
not only reducing conditions, but also water iron concentrations to 1 ppb or gen from reaching the metal surface.
by solution pH and temperature. less, and, as researchers have subse- It is the authors understanding that
As Figure 3 illustrates, corrosion quently confirmed, greatly minimized guidelines may be modified to raise
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 39
Tom Gilchrist (ret.) Tri-State Generation and Transmission
Cover Story

the upper DO limit to 20 ppb. LP pH must be controlled


The amount of air in-leakage that via ammonia or amine in-
establishes the normal condition of jected into the feedwater.
10-ppb dissolved oxygen in the con- If the condenser uses tubes
densate is not a hard and fast value. made from ferrous materi-
The old rule of thumb for proper con- als, the pH may be taken
denser conditions is a limit of 1 scfm higher than the 9.2 to 9.6
(standard cubic feet per minute) of air range listed above without
in-leakage per 100 MW of capacity. ill effects. However, copper-
However, the author has worked alloy tubes would suffer
with units in which the air in-leakage from extensive corrosion at
ratio was significantly higher, but the higher concentrations of
where the condenser vacuum pumps ammonia. FIGURE 4. The effects of two-phase FAC are shown
had sufficient capacity to remove the For new HRSGs, single- here in a deaerator
gases. Quite often, a failure at the phase FAC control can also
condenser shell or within auxiliary be addressed in large measure by be noted that ammonia hydrolysis, as
equipment may cause a sudden spike materials selection. The addition of a previously outlined in Equation 4, de-
in dissolved oxygen concentration. As small amount of chromium to FAC- creases with increasing temperature.
contrasted to pure oxygen feed, such susceptible spots virtually eliminates As with single-phase FAC, a method
as with OT, air in-leakage also allows the corrosion. A primary example to combat two-phase FAC is fabrica-
carbon dioxide to be drawn into the is LP waterwall elbows. Fabrication tion of susceptible locations with chro-
condensate, which raises the conduc- of the elbows from 1 or 2 chrome mium-containing steel.
tivity. In such cases, plant personnel alloy can provide great benefit. While This article outlines the primary is-
need to search for the leak or leaks this alloy addition adds some cost to sues behind the recommended non-use
and repair them promptly. Much more the project, the materials are quite re- of oxygen scavengers in all-ferrous,
problematic is a condenser tube leak, sistant to FAC. high-pressure steam generators. Cer-
which not only raises the condensate tainly for lower-pressure industrial
dissolved solids concentration, but Two-phase FAC and auxiliary boilers, treatment pro-
introduces impurities to the steam Many steam generators, regardless grams may be more flexible. Methods
generator. These effects can be quite of type, are susceptible to two-phase and programs to detect FAC in exist-
dramatic [2]. FAC. As the name implies, this corro- ing plants can be found in [1].
sion mechanism occurs where water Edited by Scott Jenkins
Chemical and material select flashes to steam, resulting in a mixed-
Elevated pH also has a beneficial ef- phase fluid. References
fect in mitigating FAC. Thus, the For conventional units, feedwater 1. Cycle Chemistry Guidelines for Combined-
Cycle/Heat Recovery Steam Generators
guidelines for feedwater pH now rec- heater shells and heater drains are (HRSGs), EPRI, Palo Alto, Calif., 2006.
ommend a range of 9.2 to 9.6. With common locations for two-phase FAC, 2. Buecker, B. Condenser Chemistry and Per-
EPRIs phosphate continuum program but this equipment is not common for formance Monitoring: A Critical Necessity
for Reliable Steam Plant Operation; from
or with caustic treatment alone, the HRSGs. However, de-aerators also the Proceedings of the 60th Annual Meeting,
International Water Conference, Pittsburgh,
drum pH can be controlled within a experience two-phase fluid flow. As Pa., October 1820, 1999.
range of 9 to 10 quite readily. fluid flashes upon entering a de-aer-
A complication sometimes arises ator, oxygen departs with the steam.
with HRSGs. Most HRSGs are of the Thus, the water that impinges upon Author
multipressure, drum, vertical tube metal surfaces does not maintain an Brad Buecker is a process
specialist with Kiewit Power
style. In some cases, the feedwater oxidizing environment. Also, the pH of Engineers (9401 Renner Bou-
levard, Lenexa, KS 66219;
circuit is designed such that the feed- entrained water droplets within the Phone: 913-928-7000; Fax:
water enters each pressure circuit steam is usually lower than the bulk 913-689-4000; Email: brad.
buecker@kiewit.com). He has
separately. In many others, however, water pH. The combination of these 30 years of experience in, or
the entire feedwater stream is routed factors often initiates FAC. affiliated with, the power in-
dustry, much of it in steam
to the low-pressure (LP) evaporator for As has been noted, elevated pH will generation chemistry, water
additional heating before being distrib- help to mitigate FAC, but the HRSG and results engineering. treatment, air-quality control
He has held positions
uted to the intermediate-pressure (IP) configuration dictates the maximum with City Water, Light & Power (Springfield, Il-
linois) and Kansas City Power & Light Co.s La
and high-pressure (HP) steam genera- treatment allowed. If the LP system Cygne, Kansas station. He also spent two years at
tors. In these situations, phosphate or is utilized for heating of feedwater a CPI manufacturing plant. Buecker has an A.A.
in pre-engineering from Springfield College in Illi-
caustic feed to the LP circuit is not per- to the IP and HP circuits, solid alkali nois and a B.S. in chemistry from Iowa State Uni-
missible due to the downstream effects treatment (trisodium phosphate or versity. He is a member of the ACS, AIChE, ASME,
NACE and CTI (Cooling Technology Institute). He
on attemperator (steam-temperature caustic) of the LP circuit is not per- is also a member of the ASME Research Commit-
controller) chemistry, and IP and HP missible. Control of pH can only be ac- tee on Power Plant & Environmental Chemistry,
the Electric Utility Workshop planning committee
economizers. For these situations, the complished by ammonia, but it should and the Coal-Gen planning committee.
40 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
Feature
Cover Story
Report Part 2

Corrosion in FIGURE 1.
A cutaway
view shows the
stainless-steel
construction

Flexible Burner Hoses TABLE 1. SPECIFICATIONS OF FLEXIBLE HOSE


of core bellows
tube with wire
braid outside

Special care must be taken AND BURNER TIP


Material Specification Remarks
to avoid corrosion in flexible hoses Flexible hose AISI Type Size 0.5 in., 0.26-mm See Fig. 1
with AISI Type 304 thickness, AISI Type
for burners. This failure analysis 304 wire braid 304 strip annularly
corrugated tube
illustrates the mechanism
and provides recommendations Burner tip 300 se-
ries stain-
Casting (1,800F
resistant)
See Fig. 2

less steel

Hyunjin Yoon are generally used for the purpose of which provides the necessary protec-
SK Innovation burner-gun positional adjustment. tion from abrasion (Figure 1).
Flexible hoses permit a more economi- The burners in the cases descrbed
iping leakage due to corrosion cal installation compared to rigid pip- here are combination oil- and gas-

P has the potential to cause cata-


strophic fires and damage to
process equipment in petroleum
refining and other chemical process
industries (CPI) facilities. When such
ing in difficult locations when con-
nected to flexible hose, it is relatively
easy to adjust the elevation or orien-
tation of a burner gun without any
mechanical modifications in burner
firing, which are designed to operate
with both liquid and gas fuels. Fuel-gas
burner tips (Figure 2) are made from
high-temperature metal alloy casting,
because they are typically exposed di-
incidents occur, a large amount of piping. Flexible hose for burner piping rectly to the heat source (flame) in the
damage and a long downtime results. is common in the petrochemical in- radiant box of fired heaters. The burner
Despite the risks, mistakes are often dustry, because it allows easy fit-up of components, including the burner tip,
repeated in the way burner piping is burner piping during installation, and are designed in accordance with the
designed and used. allows for the minor misalignment of minimum requirements as shown in
Using the failure-analysis inves- components. Also, flexible hoses allow API standard 560 (Fired Heaters for
tigation of a specific refinery fire to more convenient maintenance. In- General Refinery Service).
illustrate, this article describes the formation on the size, thickness and The use of flexible hoses in burner
problem of corrosion-related leakage flange characteristics of flexible hose systems also carries some limitations.
in flexible burner hoses, and provides are found within the design specifica- Compared to rigid piping, flexible
recommendations on burner-piping tion, ANSI LC1-2005, CSA 6.26-2006 hoses (corrugated tube) are formed
design criteria. It also discusses reme- (Fuel Gas Piping Systems Using Cor- out of thin-walled tubing. One of the
dial measures, as learned from the in- rugated Stainless Steel Tubing). most serious drawbacks of flexible
vestigation, that can be taken to help Made from stainless-steel strips, hose is that their thickness (0.26-mm)
avoid future accidents. the inside tube of a flexible hose is is not sufficient to withstand corro-
annularly corrugated tube manufac- sion in cases where the hose is not
Flexible hoses in burner systems tured by continuously processing the completely chemically resistant to the
Flexible hoses have several specific material on a high-speed, automatic- media to which it will be exposed. Cor-
advantages when used in the design forming machine. The geometry of the rosion then becomes a serious concern,
of pipe work. Among the advantages corrugations gives the flexible metal and engineers need to account for non-
are the hoses ability to absorb vibra- hose excellent hoop strength, provid- obvious sources of corrosive materials
tion and operate effectively under ing superior resistance to collapse and various corrosion mechanisms.
high pressure. However, the most im- when exposed to high pressure. After Once corrosion is initiated, the life of
portant advantage to the present dis- the initial processing, the flexible corrugated flexible tube becomes very
cussion is the ability of flexible hoses hose is annealed in a furnace without short. The use of corrosion-resistance
to be adjusted easily. When employed oxidation to completely eliminate re- charts published by manufacturers of
in burner piping for fuel oil, atomiz- sidual stresses. The outer covering is piping components, such as pipe fit-
ing steam or fuel gas, flexible hoses made from a stainless-steel wire braid tings, flanges and others, is not recom-
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 41
Cover Story

FIGURE 2. A new burner tip


needs to have the proper size and
orientation, as specified on the
burner drawing
FIGURE 3. This failed flexible hose shows corrosion-induced pinholes

mended for flexible metal hose because forated the tube initiating from the
these other regular piping compo- inside surface. The perforation made
nents generally have much heavier holes approx. 12 mm that were sur-
wall thicknesses than corrugated metal rounded by thin pits, as depicted in
hose, and therefore may have allowable Figure 3
corrosion rates that would be unaccept- The top part of the gas tip was
able for the flexible hose. melted out, and there was severe
Regarding cost comparisons be- coke built-up inside of the gas tip as
tween flexible hose and rigid piping depicted in Figure 4
especially for 1-in. burner pip- Gas tip holes were melted, plugged
ing the price of stainless-steel and eroded
flexible hose is about twice that of FIGURE 4. Regarding the melted fuel-gas tip and
carbon-steel rigid piping. However, Plugged tips will lead to severely plugged gas-tip holes (Fig-
the installation cost of the rigid piping unstable flames, flame impingement ure 4), investigators found that, upon
and pollution problems
is about three times higher than what reviewing the maintenance history,
is required for flexible hose, since the the fuel-gas burner tips had been fre-
rigid piping requires special fit-up The process details were as follows: quently replaced during operation due
and welding. So although flexible hose operating fuel-gas pressure of 1.21.5 to severe damage. In general, because
may seem economically advantageous kg/cm2; operating fuel-gas tempera- burner tips are custom-designed in
at the installation stage, the longer- ture of between 3060C; fuel-gas number, size and in the angle of the
term costs of maintenance and safety composition of 69% H2, 10% ethane, tip holes for specific applications (Fig-
must be taken into account, especially 8% C3H8, and 13% other components, ure 2), the damaged burner tip will
if there is a possibility of corrosion. but no critical toxic components. The result in undesired flame characteris-
system was designed to operate with tics, including length and size, as well
Piping leaks cause a fire either oil or gas, but could not use both as low performance in operation, such
The following is an account of a fire fuels simultaneously. as higher NOx emissions.
around the burner piping at a petro- When investigators visually ob-
leum refinery, and of the subsequent served the flexible hose bellows (cor- Failure analysis
investigation and failure analysis that rugated stainless-steel tube) for initial Engineering failure analysis has two
identified dew-point corrosion as the clues, they found many small pinholes, major objectives: to determine the fail-
major factor in the pipes failure and the especially at the bottom section of the ure mechanism and to determine the
resulting fire. The situation described tube, as depicted in Figure 3. The failure root cause. The failure mode is
here has parallels to other facilities pinholes are characteristic of pitting- the basic material behavior that re-
using flexible hoses as burner piping. type corrosion, where localized metal- sults in the failure, for example, pit-
During the start-up of a fired heater, thickness loss occurs, leaving pits. ting corrosion. The root cause is the
right after a turnaround in a petrol- Detailed specifications of flexible hose fundamental condition or event that
uem refinery, there was a severe fire and burner tips are described in Table caused the failure, such as material
around the burner piping that heav- 1. In addition to the pinholes on the defects, design problems and improper
ily damaged neighboring equipment bottom outside surface of the flexible use. The present investigation of the
and caused unscheduled downtime for tubes, other initial visual observations failed flexible hoses considered sev-
a long period, mainly due to the fire included the following: eral possible reasons for the tube fail-
damage of instrument cables. After Liquid stagnation marks were noticed ure. They include the following:
putting out the fire, further investi- at the bottom of the corrugated tube The wrong material of construction
gation showed that the flexible hoses Severe thinning and pitting were no- was selected, or had an abnormal
used for fuel gas were leaking. Simi- ticed at the bottom area on the inter- composition
lar to many refinery fires, the incident nal surface of the corrugated tube The flexible tube was installed im-
started with a single problem of piping The region near the pits, which is properly
leakage. Without an intermediate step, thinned due to corrosion, showed The corrugated flexible tube was
the pipe exploded and the fire spread layers of deposits over the surface damaged due to kinking or excessive
to the rest of the main equipment, in- The failed portion of the tubes con- bending
cluding the instrument cables. tained pitting holes, which had per- A process upset occurred, where
42 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
Fe

Cr

Dew-point corrosion
Given the evidence of sulfur from the
EDX, the question becomes, what is
the source of the sulfur? In approach-
ing the corrosion issue, we must look
Cl Fe into the fluegas side, as well as fuel gas
Al Cr
Fe itself, to find the source of the sulfur. It
Ni is crucial to understand the mechanism
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 of fluegas acid dew-point corrosion. It is
0.000 Range = 10 . 2 3 0 keV Integral 0 = 10 . 0 3 0 very important not to cool the fluegas
14 2 7 0 9
below its acid dew point because the
FIGURE 5. EDX analysis can help identify the chemical species in the deposits resulting liquid acid condensed from
inside the failed tube the fluegas can cause serious corrosion
problems for the equipment. During oil
temperature or pressure were higher and chromium in very high concentra- firing, the gas burner is not in opera-
than the design conditions tions. The results of EDX studies indi- tion, however the gas guns are placed
Corrosion due to a corrosive chemi- cate that there was substantial incor- in the burner and the gas tips are ex-
cal species not related to the mate- poration of sulfur compounds in the posed to the hot fluegas in the radiant
rial of construction corrugated tube inside during opera- box. One of the most striking features
The chemical composition of the cor- tion. Sulfur and chloride helped cause of this combustion process is that the
rugated tube was reviewed, and a the corrosion, while Cr, Fe, Ni resulted fluegas penetrates through the idling
metallurgical analysis conducted. The from the corrosion. The pitting corro- fuel-gas tip holes, and collects inside of
chemical analysis confirmed that the sion is caused by the effects of sulfur the corrugated tube.
material of construction (MOC) of and chloride, especially when they are To explain the fluegas flow mecha-
the flexible hose tube was Type 304 present in hydrous solutions. Attack nism, and why fluegas enters the
stainless steel, which is the correct on the material is affected by chemical burner gun, it is helpful to use Charles
MOC for the design fuel gas composi- concentration, temperature and the Law of gas volume at constant pres-
tion, and the failed tube satisfied the type of material from which the cor- sure, the volume of a given mass of an
ASTM International specification for rugated tube is manufactured. ideal gas increases or decreases by the
AISI Type 304 stainless steel. Also, Stagnation of fuel gas condensate same factor as its temperature on the
no abnormalities were noticed in the during heater operation may increase absolute temperature scale. The hot
tube metallurgy, so tube failure due the corrosivity of the environment, fluegas continuously flows into the
to the wrong material of construction and reduce stability of the protective burner gun and into the corrugated
was ruled out. Similarly, there was no surface films and increase suscep- tube due to the gas-volume difference
evidence of incorrect installation, such tibility to metal loss. Most stainless between the hot burner-tip area and
as kinking or twisting of the flexible steels form a protective film of stable cold flexible-hose area. Once the flu-
hoses. In accordance with API RP535 oxides on the surface when exposed egas stays inside the corrugated tube,
(Burners for Fired Heaters in General to oxygen gas. The rate of oxidation is then the fluegas becomes condensate
Refinery Services), the flexible hoses dependent on temperature. At ambi- when the temperature drops below the
were installed within their designed ent temperatures, a thin film of oxide dew point. The fuel oil contains sulfur
radius of curvature. is formed on the stainless steel sur- at a concentration of 0.3 wt.%, and the
face. In accordance with the corrosion combustion of fluegases may also con-
EDX and corrosion resistance charts published by NACE tain small amounts of sulfur oxides in
Attention then turned to corrosion as (National Association of Corrosion the form of gaseous sulfur dioxide (SO2)
ultimate cause of the accident. Because Engineers), it is not recommended for and gaseous sulfur trioxide (SO3). The
the corroded pits were found on the cor- Type 304 to be used with sulfuric acid gas-phase SO3 then combines the vapor
rugate tube, it was necessary to carry and sulfurous acid. phase H2O to form gas-phase sulfuric
out EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray A number of key findings arose from acid (H2SO4), and some of the SO2 in
spectroscopy) in an effort to identify the EDX analysis, including a rela- the fluegases will also combine with
the component of corrosion from the tively large amount of sulfur, despite water vapor in the fluegases and form
deposit scale on the inside of the tube. the fact that the fuel gas contains gas-phase sulfurous acid (H2SO3) :
EDX is an analytical technique used virtually no sulfur at all. This implies
H2O + SO3 H2SO4 (sulfuric acid)
for the elemental analysis or chemical that the main cause of the corrosion
characterization of a sample. The EDX may not be related to the fuel gas it-
studies were carried out to determine self. The sulfur content in fuel gas is H2O + SO2 H2SO3 (sulfurous acid)
the elemental compositions of the ma- only 10 ppm, so the fuel-gas conden-
trix and the deposits and scales on the sate is not likely to have caused the The collected fluegas (gaseous acid)
failed tubes. The EDX profile (Figure corrosion. Tube failure due to fuel gas in the flexible hose between the gas
5) of the failed tube shows iron, sulfur was ruled out. tip and the isolation valve will con-
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 43
Cover Story

tinuously condense into liquid acid, be- FIGURE 6. The


cause the burner piping located outside fluegas condensate
remains in the flexible
the furnace cools down to atmospheric hose, allowing cor-
temperature, which is far below the sul- rosive sulfur from the
furic acid dew point of fluegas (about fluegas to make corro-
120C at 0.3 wt.% fuel oil, depending sive sulfuric acid
upon the concentration of sulfur tri-
oxide and sulfur dioxide). Eventually,
the liquid-phase sulfurous and sulfuric
acids lead to severe corrosion.
This explanation may be somewhat
confusing, because it is generally
thought that the amount of fluegas
flowing through the small gas-tip
holes is negligible. However, in ac-
tual field operation, especially during
cold weather, we have observed more Burner tip plugging carried out. However, there were no
than 50 mL of condensate inside the Liquids, particulate matter, unsatu- out-of-specification instances in the
1-in. flexible hose when the flexible rated hydrocarbons and H2S in fuel above-listed items. Nonetheless, the
hose is dismantled after one week of gas can cause most plugging prob- focus needed to be on the condensate
operation with fuel-oil firing only (no lems. In order to identify the mate- from fluegas. It is important to rec-
fuel-gas firing). Therefore, there is no rial causing the tip plugging, the ognize that the collected condensate
doubt that the failure was the result of fuel-gas analysis and the design will be carried over to the gas tip as
corrosion by fluegas condensation (see review of the knockout drum that soon as fuel gas is pressurized and
Figure 6 Detail A for illustration). removes liquids from the fuel was serviced. Under continuous fuel-gas-

Never lose
YOUR COOL.
Aggreko Cooling Tower Services (ACTS) can
help you achieve ideal process temperatures
so productivity stays just right.

From reineries to food and beverage production


facilities, no one brings you cooling tower assurance
like ACTS. Whatever your process cooling needs,
were ready to install, maintain and manage every
project. And that means greater eficiency and
productivity, every time.

24/7/365 SERVICE ACROSS With options for both quick installation and custom
NORTH AMERICA designs, ACTS is standing by with the right it for
Modular Applications your facilitys needsso you never lose your cool.
Custom Installations
Planned or Emergency
888.869.2108 | coolingtower.com

Circle 4 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-04
44 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
FIGURE 7. An Recommendations
alternative design Considering the above, it is highly rec-
for burner piping
uses rigid piping
ommended that the fuel-gas piping for
combination-type burners that could
possibly have fluegas condensation
be designed with rigid piping (size 1
in. Schedule 40: 3.4-mm thickness) in-
stead of flexible hose. The rigid piping
is about 13 times thicker than flexible
bellows tubes, as depicted in Figure 7.
In real-world industrial practice, little
is known about corrosion failure of
rigid burner piping that may experi-
ence dew-point corrosion from fluegas
condensation. It is possible that the
thicker-walled piping could prolong
firing operating conditions, this may ration of liquid inside of the hot gas pipe lifetime.
not be a problem because the tips are tip, and then result in plugging due For gas-firing burners, the use of
cooled enough by the high-velocity to hydrocarbon coke build up, and fi- rigid piping is also recommended in
fuel gases flowing through gas tips. nally to melting of the gas tip. Over- the case of intermittent gas-firing
Upon switching from oil firing to gas heating the burner tips can cause burners that use high-sulfur fuel gas.
firing, the condensate, which stays the carbon in the fuel to thermally If the use of flexible hose is not avoid-
inside of the flexible hose, will auto- crack, giving rise to severe coking in- able, then the material of the bellows
matically be delivered to the hot gas side the tips, which leads to plugging tube should be Inconel 625, which is
tip. This will lead to abrupt evapo- of the holes. properly resistant to sulfur corrosion,

HEXOLOYSILICONCARBIDE

The Name No other company in the world has more expertise with silicon carbide than

That Makes Saint-Gobain Ceramics. Our Hexoloy sintered alpha silicon carbide is the
material of choice for high performance applications in a variety of chemical
A World processing industries throughout the worldwide market. Hexoloy compo-
Of Difference nents are custom made and offer excellent performance at temperatures
up to 1650C (3000F), universal corrosion resistance, excellent wear
resistance, high strength, and high thermal conductivity. Wherever
youre located in the global market, specify Hexoloy silicon carbide, the
name that delivers performance you can count on.

Saint-Gobain Ceramics Telephone: 716-278-6233


23 Acheson Drive Fax: 716-278-2373
Niagara Falls, New York 14303 scd.sales@saint-gobain.com www.hexoloy.com

Circle 41 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-41
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 45
TABLE 2. RECOMMENDATIONS IN BURNER PIPING OF OIL-AND-GAS
COMBINATION BURNER
Recommendations
Cover Story
Burner pip- Rigid piping is preferred rather than flexible hose in order to pre-
ing specifi- vent fuel gas leak due to acid dew point corrosion of fluegas.
cation Low point drain with slope is preferred in order to prevent
or stainless steel lined with PTFE burner tip plugging due to liquid carryover.
(polytetrafluoroethylene) and flared- Code The requirement for preventing fluegas acid dew-point corro-
end fittings. (API RP535) sion in burner piping should be clearly specified.
Periodic soap-bubble tests on the
surface of the flexible hoses can elimi- flexible corrugated metal hose can be discolored from chemical attack and
nate the potential for accidental fires. spotted by looking for signs of chemi- begin to fracture.
Also, close visual monitoring can allow cal residue on the exterior of the as- In order to prevent fuel-gas tip dam-
earlier identification of possible fail- sembly, or by pitting of the metal hose age due to liquid carryover, a drain
ures. During inspection, corrosion of a wall. The braid wires may become system at the nearest point from the
burner gun should be provided at the
lowest point of fuel-gas piping be-
tween the first block valve and burner

What Are You Risking? tip (see Figure 7). Also, it is necessary
that the activity of the liquid drain be-
fore gas firing should be strictly speci-
fied in the burner operation manual.
Considering the huge risk of damage

RISK MANAGEMENT by fire due to burner piping leakage,


more consideration needs to be given
to the revision of the code or specifica-
of Corrodible Systems tion. In case of the API RP535 2nd ed.
(Burners for Fired Heater in General
June 18-20, 2013 Refinery Services), it is highly recom-
mended that the detail requirement
Washington D.C.
for preventing fluegas acid dew-point
corrosion should be clearly specified,
in addition to the current mechanical
Risk management has become an This event features presentations by requirement for flexible hoses (flex-
important requirement in many industry and academia leaders from ible hoses require special attention to
industries and is an indispensable around the world on corrosion risk avoid failure due to kinking).
management for energy, pipelines, Edited by Scott Jenkins
tool for todays corrosion and
oil and gas, refining, processing and
materials engineers. References
other industries.
1. American Petroleum Institute, Standard
560, Fired Heaters for General Refinery Ser-
vice, 3rd ed., American Petroleum Institute,
Keynote Presentations: Washington, D.C.
2. Industrial Heating Equipment Assn., IHEA
A General Theory of Quantitative Risk Combustion Technology Manual, 4th ed.,
Taylor Mill, Ky., 1988.
AssessmentDr. B. John Garrick
3. Marcus, Philippe, Corrosion Mechanisms in
Theory and Practices, 3rd ed., CRC Press,
Failure Modeling and Risk Assessment Boca Raton, Fla., 2012.
of Corroding Post-Tensioning Tendons
4. Craig, Bruce D., Handbook of Corrosion
of Reinforced ConcreteDr. William Hart Data, 2nd ed., ASM International, Materi-
Register Today Decisive Questions for Corrosion Risk
als Park, Ohio, 2002.
5. Young, John, Corrosion by Sulfur, Chapter
ManagementDr. Joe Payer 8, of High-temperature Oxidation and Cor-
rosion of Metals, Elsevier Corrosion Series,
Register by April 16 Elsevier, Burlington, Mass., 2008.

to save $125 Author


Hyunjin Yoon is a team
leader for reliability engineer-
ing of stationary equipment
at SK Innovation (110 Kosa-
For more information and to register visit Dong, Nam-Ku, Ulsan, South
Korea 680-130, Phone: 82-52-
208-5340, Email: hj.yoon@
www.nace.org/risk2013 sk.com). He received a B.S. in
mechanical engineering from
the Hanyang University in
Korea, and an M.S. in mate-
Official Publication:
rials science and engineering
from Stanford University. He has over 25 years
of petrochemical industry experience, including
wide experience in fired-heater design, trouble-
shooting and maintenance. He has played sig-
nificant roles with major companies in the devel-
opment of maintenance procedures for various
pieces of stationary equipment.
Circle 31 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-31
46 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
Do you have
what it takes?
2013 Chemical Engineering &
ChemInnovations Awards WINNERS
WILL
RECOGNIZBE
ED
Nominations are now being accepted
for the 2013 Chemical Engineering and
ChemInnovations Awards. Winners will
be announced during the 2013 Chemical
Engineering & ChemInnovations Awards
Banquet on Tuesday, September 24,
2013 at the Moody Gardens Hotel and
Convention Center.
Company awarDs
Unit Operations Awards
submission DeaDline - Innovative Energy Use Award
July 22, 2013 Best Process Plant Facility
Improvement Award
Join the list of prestigious companies to The Safety Investment Award
have previously won: BASF, Braskem S.A, Community Service Award
Formox AB, LyondellBasell, JR Johanson, Early Adopter Award
Inc. The Dow Chemical Company, UOP LLC, Process Control and Automation Award
A Honeywell Company
inDiviDual awarDs
Jack of all trades Award
For additional information and/or to submit Next Generation Award
a nomination for consideration visit (fewer than 15 years experience)
Plant Manager of the Year
www.cpievent.com/award_nomination.

PRESENTED BY:
Feature Report

Five Steps to Replacing


Aged Heat-Transfer Fluid
Follow these guidelines to help ensure
efficient operation of
heat transfer systems, and proper exchange
and disposal of aged fluids
Sarah Douglas and Conrad Gamble In addition, the elevated viscos-
Solutia Inc. ity and solids content will result in
accelerated fluid degradation. This
hanging out used heat-transfer occurs because as the fluid moves

C fluid is critical to the efficiency


of a heat-transfer fluid system. A
well-operated heat-transfer-fluid
system can enable efficient production,
fewer shut-downs, less maintenance
through the heater or user, the tur-
bulence is reduced with increasing
viscosity and solids concentrations.
This results in reduced fluid-side
heat-transfer coefficients, increased
FIGURE 1. Virgin fluid (left) versus
aged fluid (right) are shown here. Resi-
due on the glass slides illustrate the
deteriorated condition of aged fluid
time and lower costs. In order to main- retention time of the fluid within the
tain a sound heat-transfer system, it is coil, along with increasing film thick-
critical that the fluid is well cared for ness adjacent to the heater-coil wall. down dramatically, making it easier
and, when the fluid reaches the end of The increased film thickness at the to pinpoint the problem. In instances
its life, that it is efficiently changed out highest temperatures the fluid will such as these, it is essential that the
for new fluid. As fluid is used and ages, experience leads to increased overall cause of the issue be determined and
it can degrade to a point where it is no thermal stress to the fluid, and ulti- remedied before diluting or replacing
longer providing sufficient heat trans- mately greater rates of thermal deg- the fluid. If the initial problem is not
fer for the process. When this occurs, radation. Generally, the result will corrected, any additional fluid added
the fluid must be evaluated and poten- be overheating of the fluid causing to the system may be vulnerable to
tially changed out to restore the sys- further degradation and potential the same harmful influence. Analysis
tem to maximum efficiency. This article coking. The consequences could be may also show that multiple parame-
presents the general steps involved in increased batch times, poor perfor- ters are elevated, indicating the fluid
determining: when a fluid should be mance of the process and increased is simply reaching the end of its life.
replaced; draining the system; flushing or unplanned maintenance time. Fluid that has become severely de-
and cleaning; complying with regula- If the heat transfer system is not graded through age, or prematurely
tory requirements for disposal of the performing as expected, an initial re- degraded through other factors, such
used fluid; and refilling the system. view should be done to determine the as those listed in Table 1, will most
cause behind the poor performance. likely require replacement to improve
Step 1: Fluid quality This review should include sampling the system performance.
As organic heat-transfer fluids begin and analysis of the heat transfer
to age, they can break down into deg- fluid [1]. The quality of the fluid in Step 2: Draining
radation products, begin to form sol- the system can be telling in deter- Once the fluid quality has been ana-
ids and experience an increase in vis- mining the cause for inadequate per- lyzed and found to be compromised,
cosity as shown in Figure 1. Process formance. For example, analysis may the system will most likely need to
contamination, oxidation and over- indicate that the acidity of the fluid be drained. The initial action is to
heating can also cause deterioration is elevated above the standard range decrease the temperature of the heat-
of fluid quality at an accelerated rate for organic heat-transfer fluids. This transfer system to 200F and shut off
as described in Table 1. As these flu- will most likely indicate that hot fluid the heater. The fluid should be allowed
ids experience higher viscosities and oxidation or process contamination is to continue to circulate in order to dis-
solid begin to form, the overall heat- occurring. This examination of fluid sipate as much heat as possible [2].
transfer performance of the system condition will allow the potential One of the most common injuries sus-
can become less efficient. causes with the system to be narrowed tained when working with heat trans-
48 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
TABLE 1. COMMON CAUSES OF ACCELERATED FLUID DEGRADATION
Cause Description Result
Often occurs through heat-exchanger breach The severity of the damage to the heat-transfer fluid
in the system resulting in the process-side will depend heavily on the type of process fluid.
material being released into the heat-transfer Generally process contamination can cause an
Contamination
fluid. May also occur through accidental addi- increase in acidity resulting in potential corrosion,
tion of incorrect material to the system during formation of solids and sludge, increase in viscosity
top up and overall an increase in fluid degradation
Occurs when organic fluids are exposed to Will cause an increase in the fluids acidity, which
oxygen at elevated temperature. This reaction may result in corrosion of carbon-steel surfaces.
Oxidation
causes weak organic acids and other byprod- Over time it can result in high-viscosity fluid and an
ucts to form increase in solids formation
Normally occurs when the velocity through Will cause the fluid to break down at an acceler-
the heater or user is below the design require- ated rate and form degradation products. Can
Overheating ments, system upsets where the fluid becomes result in coke forming on the heating coils or users.
stagnant, or the temperature of the heater/ May also result in increased solids and sludge
process is elevated above design formation

fer systems is thermal burn. Cooling should always be contacted to confirm be required if the system contained
the system to below 200F can mini- the appropriate type of cartridge. De- a severely degraded fluid that gener-
mize the risk of injury. spite the use of proper PPE, exposure ated a large amount of sludge and sol-
Once the fluid has been cooled to to the heat-transfer fluid may occur. ids. While sample analysis can offer a
below 200F, it can safely be drained In general, most heat-transfer flu- good indication on whether the system
through the use of appropriate pro- ids tend to be moderately irritating needs to be flushed, system indicators
cedures and personal protective when exposed through skin or eye may also be helpful in determining if
equipment (PPE) from the system contact. When contact does occur, it is flushing is necessary. Symptoms such
into drums, bulk containers or stor- important to thoroughly flush the af- as increased batch times, temperature
age tanks for disposal. Seriously de- fected area with water immediately changes across heat exchangers, pro-
graded fluids can have significantly in order to prevent extended exposure gressively longer heat-up times and
elevated viscosities, which can im- and potentially worse irritation. It is higher fuel usage may indicate that
pede effective draining if allowed to also essential to ensure that employ- the system requires flushing or addi-
cool to lower temperatures. It is im- ees working with a fluid are aware of tional cleaning.
portant to remove as much of the used its potential health effects, especially Flushing the system will usually
fluid as possible to ensure minimal in cases of fluids with more harmful include filling the entire system with
contamination of the new charge of characteristics, and know appropriate an organic flushing fluid and circu-
fluid. Blowing the lines with nitrogen actions should they come in contact lating this fluid at elevated tempera-
can assist in moving residual fluid to with the fluid. Fluid suppliers typi- ture for a period of time. This process
low points in the system where it can cally include information on hazards will allow excess residual material to
be safely drained and removed. The and handling in the products Mate- be removed from piping and vessel
fluid manufacturer should always be rial Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). The walls and be swept out of the system
consulted for specific guidance when MSDS should always be consulted by the flushing fluid. The flush fluid
draining a particular fluid. prior to draining the used fluid. should then be thoroughly drained
The proper PPE should be worn During the removal of the fluid and disposed of properly before refill-
whenever exposure to the fluid is pos- from the system, there may also be ing the system with a fresh charge
sible. Suitable PPE for handling most leaks and spills around the system. It of heat-transfer fluid. When utilizing
heat-transfer fluids will be similar to is important to immediately clean up flush fluid, the specific guidance by
what is expected in most plant envi- any spilled heat-transfer fluid to avoid the flush-fluid manufacturer should
ronments. Chemical goggles, splash accidental contact or release into the be followed closely. In addition, the
protective clothing and a face shield environment. If the leak is significant manufacturer should be consulted on
should always be worn when there is enough to cause standing liquid, any material compatibility with the sys-
the potential for splashing of the fluid. free liquid should be pumped into a tem components and the replacement
Clothing that fully covers both arms suitable container. Residual fluid can heat-transfer fluid.
and legs, closed-toed shoes and chemi- then be removed using absorbent ma- In more aggressive cases where
cally resistant gloves are preferable. terial, such as mats or loose media. coking of the fluid has occurred, me-
Depending on the type of fluid being Once any remaining fluid has been chanical or chemical cleaning may be
used, there may be vapor generation. absorbed, this material should be re- necessary. Coking generally occurs in
In cases where the airborne exposure moved for appropriate disposal. Once systems where the fluid has been se-
limit can be exceeded, such as in poorly again, the products MSDS should be verely overheated. Mechanical clean-
ventilated spaces or during excessive consulted to ensure that the fluid is ing involves physically removing coked
vapor generation, the use of a respi- handled properly and safely. material and solids from the system,
rator may be necessary. For most or- by using methods such as hydro-blast-
ganic heat-transfer fluids, an organic Step 3: Flushing and cleaning ing heat exchanger tubes or using a
mist cartridge should be adequate; Flushing the heat-transfer system pipeline inspection gage (PIG) to clear
however, the respirator manufacturer prior to refilling with new fluid may blocked piping. Chemical cleaning
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 49
Feature Report

may also be used instead of flushing TABLE 2. EPA REQUIREMENTS


or mechanical cleaning. This method FOR USED OIL
tends to be more time-consuming, fre- Constituent or Allowable level
quently includes multiple washes or property
treatments, and can generate a sig-
Arsenic 5 ppm maximum
nificant amount of waste that will re-
quire proper disposal. Cadmium 2 ppm maximum
While chemical cleaning can be ef- Chromium 10 ppm maximum
fective in many systems, it is not a Lead 100 ppm maximum
foolproof method of removing coke-like
Flashpoint 100F minimum
deposits. Before considering chemical
cleaning, bench-scale analysis should Total halogens 1,000 ppm maximum
be done with deposit samples from the
specific system. This will help ensure recycled or used for fuel instead of dis-
that the coke material can be effec- posed of [5]. The cost of disposing of a
tively removed, and avoid potentially fluid as a used oil instead of a hazard-
costly procedures that do not suffi- ous waste can be significantly less and,
ciently clean the system. in many cases, the used-oil dealers will
Once the system has been thor- purchase the used oil. Used-oil dealers FIGURE 2:. Used oil should be stored
in clearly labeled drums
oughly cleaned, a visual inspection must comply with the EPA used-oil
should be performed before refill- regulations and ensure that the fluid
ing with fresh fluid. This inspection to be reclaimed meets the used-oil for disposal, the fluid must be trans-
should confirm that residual mate- criteria. The requirements for a fluid ported by an operator that has an EPA
rial especially in low-flow areas, to meet the specification for on-spec Identification Number to transport
such as storage and expansion tanks used oil are listed in Table 2 [6]. used oil [9].
has been thoroughly removed and In addition to meeting these require- If used oil is being stored at a facil-
that the new charge of fluid will not ments, the oil must be synthetic or re- ity, it is also important to follow the
be significantly affected. fined from crude oil and it must have EPA standard for dilution or mixing
been used [7]. A fluid that has been op- of waste material. The EPA prohib-
Step 4: Regulatory requirements erated in a heat-transfer-fluid system its the use of dilution as a means to
Synthetic heat-transfer fluids can will typically qualify by the EPA as lessen the components in a waste that
be categorized as a hazardous waste being used. As indicated above, indi- would characterize it as hazardous. In
under the Resources Conservation vidual states may have more stringent other words, if any amount of a listed
and Recovery Act (RCRA) when sent requirements when it comes to quali- hazardous waste is combined with a
for disposal. A hazardous waste, as fying fluid as used oil. In addition, it non-hazardous waste then the entire
defined by the U.S. Environmental is up to each state whether or not to mixture becomes hazardous. Fortu-
Protection Agency (EPA), is a solid adopt the EPA used-oil regulation. Be- nately, this should not apply to most
waste that has been identified to be fore considering used-oil generation used heat-transfer fluids, as they are
ignitable, corrosive, reactive or has or disposal, it is advisable to consult generally not listed hazardous wastes.
toxicity characteristics [3]. Synthetic a state authority to learn the specific However, if there is a listed hazardous
heat-transfer fluids may be identified state requirements for used-oil gen- waste generated at the manufacturing
as hazardous waste due to the toxic- eration and disposal. site, it is important that it not be dis-
ity characteristics category, unless The disposal of absorbent material posed of in the same container as the
contaminated by another material used during cleanup of small spills or used oil, since this would then clas-
that meets one of the other qualifica- releases of used oil may also qualify sify the entire volume as a hazardous
tions. One compound that could qual- under the used oil regulation. If the waste [5].
ify heat-transfer fluids as hazardous material is to be burned for energy re- The storage of used oil will also fall
is benzene, which the EPA sets at a covery it can be disposed of as used oil. under the Spill Prevention, Control,
regulatory level of 0.5 mg/L [4]. These If the material is not to be disposed of and Countermeasures (SPCC) rule as
regulations are implemented by the as a used oil, it should be completely regulated by the EPA (40 CFR 112).
EPA, however individual states may drained and then undergo a hazard- This rule requires facilities to put in
have more rigid regulations. ous waste evaluation [5]. place appropriate procedures to pre-
Used heat-transfer fluids may If used oil is stored at a facility be- vent oil spills, as well as measures to
qualify under the EPA Standards fore being transported to a used-oil contain and respond to a spill should
for the Management of Used Oil (40 dealer, it must be stored in a structur- one occur [10]. The ultimate goal of
CFR 279). Used oil regulations are an ally sound container and labeled ap- the SPCC is to minimize oil release
amendment to RCRA that allow on- propriately. Each drum or container into the navigable waters or adjoining
spec used oil that could potentially be must be clearly labeled as used oil shorelines of the U.S. If a facility has
characterized as hazardous waste to be as shown in Figure 2 [8]. Once ready the potential to release a significant
50 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
Fluid
analysis

Refill Drain
system system
Fluid
replacement
tank, then the temperature
process can be elevated to operating
conditions. The standard pro-
Inspect Flush cess for replacing aged heat-
system system transfer fluid is illustrated in
If
necessary Figure 3.
Mechanical/ It is important that proper
chemical lean care is taken when remov-
If necessary ing used fluid from a system,
through the disposal process
FIGURE 3. Common steps involved in replacing and when refilling with fresh
aged heat-transfer fluid heat-transfer fluid. Effective
management of heat-transfer-
amount of oil into navigable waters fluid replacement can minimize turn-
it will most likely need a SPCC plan around time, system downtime and the
in place to be in compliance with the occurrence of unexpected incidents.
EPA regulation [11]. Edited by Gerald Ondrey
If used oil is not sent to a used-oil
dealer for recycling, or burned for en- References
ergy recovery, it must be disposed of as 1. Therminol Information Bulletin No. 2: In-Use
Testing of Therminol Heat Transfer Fluids,
a hazardous or nonhazardous waste Pub. No 7239112C, Solutia Inc. (Therminol is
depending on the material. If the used a registered trademark of Solutia Inc.)
fluid meets the definition of a hazard- 2. Cleaning
Therminol Information Bulletin No. 1:
Organic Heat Transfer Fluid Sys-
ous waste under the applicable regu- tems, Pub. No 7239011B, Solutia Inc.
lation, then it must be disposed of as 3. Identification and Listing of Hazardous
Waste, 40 CFR 261.2, 1991.
such. If the used fluid does not meet
4. Identification and Listing of Hazardous
the definition of a hazardous waste, Waste, 40 CFR 261.24, 2006.
then it may be disposed of as a solid 5. Standards for the Management of Used Oil,
40 CFR 279.10, 2006.
waste in accordance with the EPA reg-
6. Standards for the Management of Used Oil,
ulation. Due to the cost of these dis- 40 CFR 279.11, 2006.
posal methods, it is advantageous to 7. Standards for the Management of Used Oil,
dispose of used heat-transfer fluid as 40 CFR 279.1, 2006.
8. Standards for the Management of Used Oil,
on-spec used oil when possible. 40 CFR 279.22, 1998.
9. Standards for the Management of Used Oil,
Step 5: Refilling 40 CFR 279.24, 1993.
Once the used fluid has been removed 10. Oil Pollution Prevention, 40 CFR 112.1,
2011.
from the system, and the system has 11. Oil Pollution Prevention, 40 CFR 112.3,
been cleaned if necessary, the new 2011.
charge of fluid can be added. Before
Author
adding the new fluid, it is important Sarah Douglas is a market-
to ensure that all drain valves have ing technical service engineer
for Therminol heat transfer
been closed, that any maintenance on fluids at Solutia Inc., a sub-
the system has been completed, and sidiary of Eastman Chemical
(702 Clydesdale Ave. Annis-
that the system has been restored to ton, AL 36201; Phone: 256-
normal operational readiness. The 231-8551, Email: sbdoug@
solutia.com). Her current role
fluid can then be added to the system. includes supporting customer
The system should be filled from the inquiries and troubleshoot-
ing, technical presentations,
bottom to effectively expel any air or literature development and in-service fluid sam-
ple analysis. She holds a B.S.Ch.E. from Purdue
gas bubbles and to avoid splashing University and an M.S. in environmental engi-
and aerating the fluid. Once the sys- neering from the University of Illinois.
tem is fully filled, the fluid can begin Conrad Gamble is an en-
gineering associate for Ther-
to be circulated and the heater can be minol heat transfer fluids at
turned on. The system should be slowly Solutia Inc. (same address as
above; Phone: 256-231-8525,
heated and then held at just above Email:cegamb@eastman.com).
Since 1985, he has worked in
100C to dispel any residual moisture roles of manufacturing and
that may have been introduced dur- engineering, and currently
serves in technical service and
ing the system fill. Any excess mois- as product steward for Ther-
ture present in the system should be minol heat transfer fluids. He
holds a B.S.Ch.E. from the University of Alabama,
vented, typically from the expansion and is a licensed professional engineer. Circle 16 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-16

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 51


Feature Report
Engineering Practice

Integrating Gas Turbines


Into CPI Facilities
Capturing hot fluegas from gas turbines
for use in process plants can yield
benefits, but tradeoffs must be considered
Amin Almasi
Worley Parsons Services Pty Ltd

o realize the best possible thermal cons of different operating scenarios. FIGURE 1. Shown here is an example

T efficiency, gas turbines should


be integrated into chemical pro-
cess industries (CPI) plants, but
doing so can be difficult and requires
special consideration. Specifically, in
Efforts to integrate gas turbine(s) into
a downstream CPI unit should con-
sider the performance, lifetime, opera-
tion and safety issues of the entire inte-
grated system. Several options exist to
of a modern aero-derivative gas turbine
installation, which uses a 40-MW gas tur-
bine. The inlet air filter, the accessories,
auxiliaries and the exhaust-gas stack are
shown. The exhaust gas stack is located
behind (right side of the photo), at a
some CPI units, while the turbines make use of the waste heat from a gas higher elevation with sufficient distance
to the air-intake location
shaft is driving an equipment compo- turbine. For instance, the fluegas can
nent (such as a compressor), the hot be used to heat the following: must define both the acceptable flow,
exhaust gas from the gas turbine can The burners of a CPI furnace temperature and pressure ranges of
be connected to furnace burners or A heat-recovery system (typically, the hot gas that is available in the
waste-heat-recovery units. using a waste-heat-recovery steam gas-turbine exhaust, and the re-
The main challenge for such a com- generator, HRSG, to support the quirements of the downstream CPI
plex, integrated configuration is to plants steam requirements) system that will use that stream
maintain overall system operability An afterburning system (such a In an integrated design, the perfor-
for both upstream and downstream system uses burners to reheat the mance of the downstream CPI system
components. One possible configura- turbines fluegas stream for down- depends closely on the turbines work-
tion would involve connecting a gas stream applications that require ing regime, and this level of uncer-
turbine to several furnaces or waste- higher inlet temperatures) tainty can make the CPI plant system
heat-recovery units. Another con- Several important factors must be difficult to control. On the other hand,
figuration may involve several gas considered during any turbineinte- the CPI system operation could also
turbines connected to a large waste- gration effort in a plant setting: affect the exhaust-gas pressures and
heat-recovery module. The gas turbine type and model. Gas parameters, and consequently may
This article discusses how to inte- turbines are not typically custom- impact the upstream gas-turbine op-
grate gas turbines into CPI plants, and designed machines; rather, they are eration. The primary challenge is how
provides tips on how to operate and often selected from existing com- to integrate the gas turbine and the
maintain such integrated systems. mercial models CPI unit in the most appropriate way,
The expected and acceptable load so that each can meets its own opera-
Integration issues changes required by driven equip- tional objectives without compromis-
A considerable amount of heat is gen- ment load (most often a compres- ing its required operational flexibility.
erated when the hot exhaust gas (hot sor, but sometimes a generator).
fluegas) is vented from a gas turbine, Some driven equipment can work Oxygen levels
and unless the stream is captured for with a wide range of loads (such as The oxygen concentration in the ex-
some other purpose, this heat energy is variable-speed centrifugal compres- haust stream produced by most gas
wasted. The goal of any gas-turbine-in- sors), but others are constant-speed, turbines is usually around 1018 vol.%.
tegration effort is to engineer a system constant-load machines However, the combustion process in a
that makes best use of the heat dis- The hot gas requirement range. gas turbine typically consumes only a
charged in the turbines exhaust gas. When a gas turbine is integrated small portion of the oxygen from the
However, a variety of tradeoffs must be with another mechanical system intake air (thereby leaving residual
reconciled when assessing the pros and at the facility, the integration team oxygen in the exhaust stream). This
52 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
makes it possible to use a supple- volume, a bypass system would be
mentary firing system (in the form required for use, when less fluegas
of a CPI furnace burner or after- is required by the furnaces.
burner), to increase the heat-rate As a result, to ensure the needed
of the exhaust stream (in other operational flexibility, steps must
words, to increase the tempera- be taken to control the hot-air
FIGURE 2. In the core of a large aero-derivative
ture of the fluegas). gas turbine shown here, one can see the combus-
flow and the temperature of the
For such a configuration, a sepa- tion system with supporting air compressor and exhaust gas that goes to the down-
rate burner unit (afterburner) can turbine sections stream burners. This is done by
be used to reheat the fluegas, be- implementing a source of ambient
fore it goes to the target downstream (such as the minimum acceptable gas- air after the gas turbine (the trim-air
operation. flow temperature in a heat-recovery system) and a bypass system for the
The use of an interim afterburner steam generator system) should be hot fluegas.
unit can help to increase the overall evaluated based on the different oper- Providing a stream of fresh air for
operational flexibility of the integrated ating modes of the gas turbine and the the downstream to ensure uninter-
configuration, by allowing operators to afterburning system. The complete op- rupted furnace operation when the
adjust the heat value of the exhaust erating range, including the full mini- gas turbine is tripped is a relatively
stream to meet the needs of the down- num and maximum conditions, should easy (and necessary) job. However,
stream system. With such a setup, the be identified. the introduction of fresh air (trim air)
fluegas should be routed from the gas Overall, the use of an afterburner to the fluegas stream itself involves
turbine exhaust to the afterburner unit system is a good option to help com- more complex engineering, because
using proper ducting system (called a pensate for variations in the gas tur- the hot exhaust-gas stream is at el-
hot-gas handling system). bine operation (such as environmental evated pressure and can have other
In addition to the heat value of the conditions or variable load) that could variable conditions.
fluegas flow, another issue to consider impact the operation of downstream, As shown in this case study, the use
is that the fluegas from a gas turbine is integrated CPI systems. of a heavy-frame single-shaft, two-
often turbulent and unevenly distrib- bearing gas turbine will result in an
uted. When designing an integrated Case study 1 integrated system that is inefficient,
configuration, steps should be taken Discussed next is a case study to dem- expensive and potentially risky for
to ensure a more-uniform fluegas dis- onstrate the integration of a gas tur- system operators. As a result, this
tribution (to the maximum extent pos- bine into a CPI plant. In this study, the initially selected integration scenario
sible) in the hot-gas handling system gas turbine exhaust gas is connected was rejected.
particularly in the transverse sec- to the furnace burners to supply hot Scenario 2. Next, the use of an aero-
tion of the hot-gas ducting. inlet air, while the turbine shaft is derivative gas turbine was studied, as
Efforts to reduce this turbulence coupled to a generator to produce elec- this design offers much greater flex-
will bring many operational and tech- tricity for the CPI facility. ibility and improved overall thermal
nical benefits. For example, pollut- Scenario 1. Initially, the gas turbine efficiency. The selected gas turbine is a
ant levels produced in the emissions selected for this application was a multi-spool, aero-derivative machine,
from the separate burner unit will be heavy-frame, single-shaft two-bearing which exhibits a relatively large oper-
impacted by several factors, includ- machine with approximately 33% effi- ating load range and excellent flexibil-
ing the unevenness of the upstream ciency. Simulations show that this gas ity (mainly because of its multi-spool
fluegas flow to that unit, local veloci- turbine can offer limited flexibility in design), with around 43% efficiency. In
ties, and temperature distributions terms of the load/speed variation and this case, the simulations confirmed
(such as the temperature variations the fluegas generation. However, if that the flowrate and temperature of
through the transverse section). this heavy-frame, single-shaft gas tur- the turbines hot exhaust gas will not
Most afterburner systems are de- bine is used for the integration effort, deviate from the minimum and maxi-
signed to work directly with gas tur- a very complex arrangement, includ- mum requirements of the downstream
bine fluegas (and thus to tolerate ing a hot-gas bypass and trim-air sys- furnaces, even under various operat-
some variation in fluegas flow condi- tem, is required. ing scenarios. Choosing a flexible gas
tions). Other afterburner systems are For instance, with this configuration, turbine can help to maximize overall
designed to accept fresh air (instead the gas turbine has a limited capacity CPI plant flexibility and operability.
of fluegas) for instance, when the to increase its own fluegas generation, In several situations that were
gas turbine is tripped to ensure so it would be necessary to introduce studied for this case scenario such
uninterrupted operation of the down- some ambient air (fresh air) when the as a trip of one or two furnaces, maxi-
stream CPI systems. volume of the fluegas required by fur- mum or minimum burner loads and so
For a CPI system (whether a fur- naces exceeds that produced by the on the aero-derivative gas turbine
nace, a heat-recovery system, or other), turbine itself. This is known as the was able to react in a fast and timely
the working regimes and the tempera- trim-air system. And because the gas manner to adjust the required flow of
ture distributions in different sections turbine cannot reduce its own fluegas hot gas. While such an integrated con-
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 53
Engineering Practice

aero-derivative units, ensur-


figuration would cause the electricity
generation in the CPI plant to changeing high efficiencies (above
under different operating conditions,45%). Market pressures for
higher thermal efficiencies
the gas turbines inherent flexibility
have resulted in more wide-
would allow the unit to maintain elec-
spread use of such aero-de-
tricity generation within defined limits
rivative gas turbines today.
(and if necessary, additional electricity
can be exported, or make-up electric- Meanwhile, CPI plant FIGURE 3. The modern aero-derivative gas tur-
bine installation shown here includes a 100-MW
ity can be imported from the grid). availability can be improved gas turbine. The inlet air system, gas turbine and
One of the interesting operating thanks to the flexibility of exhaust gas system are also shown
these gas turbine designs,
cases studied for this scenario is when
two of the total eight furnaces have because the main modules (such as a CPI compressor-drive application,
tripped; the gas turbine should be the combustion module) in most of this ensures predictable startup ca-
unloaded to the minimum electrical todays aero-derivative gas turbines pabilities under settle-out pressure
generation load. Based on the simu- can be completely changed out within conditions)
lations, the gas turbine was shown to48 hours a vast improvement over Relatively easy installation. This re-
manage this load reduction in an ac- the 14 days that are typically required sults from the compact and light de-
for major repairs of heavy-duty indus-
ceptable way (so the generated fluegas sign of todays aero-derivative units
was suitable for use by the remainingtrial-frame gas turbines. Other advan-
six working furnaces). tages include: Operation and maintenance
High starting-torque capacity. Ex- Annual expenditures for maintenance
In general, todays aero-derivative
gas turbines offer a variety of advan- cellent torque-speed characteristics on a gas turbine may average 511%
tages over heavy-duty industrial-frame can allow a large CPI machinery of the initial purchase price. Opera-
models. For instance, extremely high train (driven by the gas turbine) to tion and maintenance programs are
firing temperatures are now possible instart up efficiently (For example, in typically prepared with a special focus
on critical areas, such as the hot-gas-
path, turbine blades, and bearings,
with the goal of avoiding frequent
shutdowns, reliability issues, safety
problems, explosions or hazardous sit-
uations. The key is good planning.
For gas turbines that are integrated
with other CPI systems, the mainte-
nance philosophy should be defined as
early as possible preferably before
or at the basic design stage of the CPI
project, since decisions made at this
point will directly affect the type of
gas turbine and specification details.
Once the gas turbine is purchased, the
Advanced Inspection and Remaining Life Assessment available options for the maintenance
Solutions for Steam Reformer Tubes practice will narrow.
Many CPI operators choose the
aero-derivative gas turbine because of
Watch the LOTIS technology animation on our website: the inherent advantages of its pack-
age approach (that is, the modular
www.QuestIntegrity.com/LOTIS construction that uses the smallest-
possible number of skids). In general,
CPI operators have two primary op-
Accurate, Repeatable Data tions for gas-turbine maintenance:
1. Remove the gas turbines and send
them to the vendors facilities for pe-
riodic overhauls
+1 253 893 7070 2. Operate an in-house maintenance
facility to carry out most of the rou-
tine overhaul activities
If the operator owns many identical
A TEAM Industrial Services Company units, the savings associated with
maintaining an in-house maintenance
Circle 40 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-40
54 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
facility can easily cut the maintenance analysis, performance monitoring and ponents (such as lubrication-wetted
budget to less than 60% of that re- temperature monitoring, and all of components), and get an early warn-
quired using the first approach. these tactics are used extensively for ing of impending distress. Similarly,
The operating philosophy of the CPI gas turbines in CPI plants. when oil analysis and wear-debris
facility will also be important when de- In many CPI plants, the operation analysis are used together with vibra-
ciding which approach to take for gas and maintenance schedule of the gas tion monitoring, bearing condition can
turbine maintenance. For instance, turbine does not mesh very well with be assessed.
sometimes a time-based maintenance the downstream plant-operation plan- With the spectrometric oil-analysis
approach is selected. In this way, the ning. Sometimes, a gas turbine is shut method, metals in the lubrication oil
operator will run the gas turbines down because of a problem in another are measured, with rising levels in-
without a shutdown for a certain pe- part of a CPI plant, and this provides dicating excessive wear. Data can be
riod of time, and then overhaul them an opportunity for some minor inspec- trended over time and compared to
on a regular basis. This tends to be an tion or offline monitoring (such as a baseline values.
old-fashioned, inefficient approach. bore-scope inspection). CPI operators Similarly, magnetic plug analysis is
By contrast, condition-based main- often rely on a plant-specific mix of particularly useful for aero-derivative
tenance is preferred. It is much better condition-monitoring data, fired hours, gas turbines, which are equipped with
to run every gas turbine until it shows and gas-turbine operation-history in- rolling-element bearings.
some sign of distress before carry- formation to determine the most ap- To carry out vibration monitoring,
ing out an overhaul. This reduces the propriate gas-turbine run length. vibration sensors (probes) are installed
number of overhauls required over the Oil analysis and wear-debris analy- at predetermined locations to record
life of the asset. sis programs are useful early-detection vibration data, which should then be
However, the use of condition-based methods, as they reveal the presence compared to the available data (such
monitoring requires more monitoring of small metal particles and oil deteri- as harmonic frequencies) to identify
and routine inspections to avoid cata- oration, which can be used to evaluate incipient problems.
strophic failure. To reduce unneces- the condition of critical turbine com- However, the use of vibration moni-
sary maintenance costs, the key deci-
sion is to avoid shutting down any gas
turbine for an overhaul unless there is
a scientific reason for doing so.
GROUP
Gas turbine monitoring
Condition-monitoring systems for gas LEADING WORLDWIDE
turbines are, without a doubt, the most IN MIXING TECHNOLOGIES
complex of any form of machinery in a Having advanced to world market leader, the
CPI plant, and many competing strat- EKATO GROUP provides their customers with
egies are available. Each condition- the technical excellence and experience for
more than 80 years. The companies within the
monitoring system should be the right EKATO GROUP offer a broad spectrum of mixing
one for a given operator, in a given CPI technologies.
plant, for a given type of gas turbine From modulary designed industrial agitators
(for example, the single-shaft or multi- to turnkey production plants, the EKATO GROUP
provides a wide range of engineering services
shaft models). The extent, timing and and taylor-made solutions for the most chal-
duration of inspections and monitor- lenging customer applications. The synergies
within the EKATO GROUP ensure reliable and
ing will vary by facility, and are deter- cost-effective solutions that meet the highest
mined by factors including: quality standards for every application. This is
The gas turbine model supported by a global service network.
The environmental conditions www.ekato.com
The permissible downtime
The fuel type and quality
The operating mode
Condition monitoring involves the
observation and analysis of observ-
able parameters, and the use of the
resulting data to assess the internal
condition of the gas turbine by esti-
mating the expected run length and Your Contact in:
predicting potential failure. A variety Europe, Tel. +49 7622 29-0, e-mail: info@ekato.com / USA, Tel. +1 201 825 4684, e-mail: usa@ekato.com
of online condition-monitoring meth-
ods are available, including vibration
monitoring, oil analysis, wear-debris
Circle 15 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-15
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 55
RZ_AnzChemEng2013.indd 1 15.02.13 10:23
Engineering Practice

toring for gas turbines can be challeng- turbines or variable-geometry gas tur- causes associated with degraded per-
ing due to high temperatures in and bines. This analysis typically involves formance stem from issues in the com-
around the gas turbine. Specifically, an iterative process of matching the bustor and hot-end section. Typically,
more care in terms of the sensor/hard- performance of the air compressor modern aero-derivative gas turbines
ware installation location and details with the turbine section for a given op- have more than 22 bore-scope ports
should be taken for aero-derivative erating case (such as an output speed that provide access to critical compo-
units because of their very compact and an exhaust-gas temperature) nents in the core of the gas turbine.
design and the high temperatures at Meanwhile, detectors can also be Bore-scope inspections are usually
sensors and hardware locations. used to track particles in the fluegas. scheduled once a year (specifically,
The simplest form of performance Rising levels of entrained particles at 6,500 operating hours for turbines
monitoring involves the trending of provide an indication of rubbing or using a natural gas fuel, or once every
key operating variables (such as pres- other malfunctions, such as disc- or 4,000 operating hours for turbines
sure, pressure ratio, temperature, air- blade-creep fatigue. using a fuel oil). The first bore-scope
compressor speed, turbine speed, fuel Other types of condition-monitoring inspections after around 1,000 operat-
consumption and others) and compar- efforts include the study of transient ing hours serve can help to establish
ing these plots with corresponding characteristics, such as turbine-igni- useful baseline data.
baseline values. For CPI plants, the tion temperature spikes during accel- Similarly, the images should be
aero-derivative gas turbines are usu- erated startups, startup acceleration compared to the pictures from past
ally variable-geometry gas turbines times and coast-down times. Mean- inspections to recognize changes; the
(for example, designs that include while, a possible surge in the air-com- resulting insight can help the team to
variable guide vanes). These gas tur- pressor (the axial air compressor in establish the most appropriate, proac-
bines present greater challenges when the gas turbine) can occur as a result tive maintenance schedule. The deci-
it comes to performance monitoring. of severe degradation or serious prob- sion to open a gas turbine section for
A thermodynamic gas-path analy- lems in an air-inlet system. further inspection is usually based on
sis can be used for aero-derivative gas For many gas turbines, the root the result of bore-scope inspections.

Case study 2
This next case study is for a CPI unit
that uses aero-derivative gas turbines
to drive a compressor, and turbine ex-
haust flows to an afterburning system
and heat-recovery steam generator
to produce high-pressure steam for
downstream use in the CPI facility.
The gas turbine-compressor trains
should operate at the variable opera-
tion modes (such as variable-speed
and variable-load modes).
In general, the fluegas from the
aero-derivative gas turbines has a
relatively low temperature compared
to the exhaust temperature of simi-
larly sized, heavy-duty industrial gas
turbines. Thus, the afterburning sys-
tem is used to increase the fluegas
temperature prior to its downstream
use. This added step helps to boost the
overall efficiency and flexibility of the
integrated system.
The afterburner module is typically
designed using refractory steel, using
an advanced arrangement to ensure
the required temperature and flow
uniformity. The afterburner system
can boost the exhaust gas tempera-
ture to the range of 500750C.
The HRSG is a fire-tube type boiler
with two fluegas lines one horizon-
tal and one vertical comprising dif-
Circle 9 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-09
56 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
ferent sections (including the super- exchange area of the superheater sec- CPI operations to capture the waste
heater section and the saturated steam tion was optimized by replacing the heat contained in the turbine fluegas
section). The superheater section has first two coil pipes with two L-shaped stream can provide benefits, as long as
more stages and tube bundles. pipes. This redesign was successful in optimization efforts are carried out to
Both radiation and convection heat- modifying the temperature distribu- ensure proper upstream and down-
ing can ensure a relatively uniform tion and led to a better temperature stream integration. n
temperature in the generated steam, distribution (without localized tem- Edited by Suzanne Shelley
even for a large range of loads. The perature excursions or hot spots) com-
generated steam temperature will be pared to the initial design case. Author
maintained at relatively constant lev- For this integrated configuration Amin Almasi is lead rotating
els (within acceptable limits) in the involving an aero-derivative gas tur- equipment engineer at Wor-
leyParsons Services Pty Ltd,
wide range of 70100% of the thermal bine plus an afterburning unit plus an Brisbane, Australia (Email:
load of the gas turbine. HRSG the HRSG load can be varied amin.almasi@ymail.com). He
previously worked at Techni-
For the first proposed design in this by adjusting the afterburning param- cas Reunidas (Madrid, Spain)
case study, the simulations at various eters to meet CPI plant requirements. and Fluor (various offices). He
holds chartered professional
working regimes of the HRSG show Such a setup can maintain relatively engineer license from Engi-
neers Australia (MIEAust
high localized temperatures in the su- constant steam generation regardless CPEng Mechanical), char-
perheated steam section (compared to of load changes in the upstream aero- tered engineer certificate from IMechE (CEng
MIMechE), RPEQ (Registered Professional En-
the rated temperature), which could derivative gas-turbine load. gineer in Queensland) and he also holds MS and
lead to some operational problems. CPI plants can benefit greatly from BS in mechanical engineering. He specializes in
rotating machines including centrifugal, screw
Some localized high temperatures and using todays newer aero-derivative gas and reciprocating compressors, gas and steam
extreme hot spots are identified in turbines, as they offer greater flexibility turbines, pumps, condition monitoring and reli-
ability. Almasi is an active member of Engineers
the simulations. and higher efficiency compared to tradi- Australia, IMechE, ASME, Vibration Institute,
SPE, IEEE, and IDGTE. He has authored more
To achieve the optimum steam ve- tional turbine options. Integrating these than 60 papers and articles dealing with rotat-
locity and temperature regime, the newer gas turbines with downstream ing machines.

MONITOR VISCOSITY SIMPLY


SENSE MIXER MOTOR HORSEPOWER
WITH UNIVERSAL POWER CELL
EASY INSTALLATION PROFILING A PROCESS
Noholesintanksorpipes Powerchangesreectviscositychanges
Awayfromsensitiveprocesses Goodbatcheswilltthenormalprolefor
thatproduct
24
VERSATILE
POWER DECREASE
Onesizeadjuststomotors,from 22
SHOWS BATCH
smallupto150hp 20
IS DONE

Workson3phase,xedorvariable 18

frequency,DCandsinglephasepower 16
POWER
SENSOR
14
SENSITIVE
10timesmoresensitivethan 12

justsensingamps 10 DRY MIX ADD LIQUID


HIGH SPEED LOW SPEED MIXER
CONVENIENT OUTPUTS 8 MOTOR

Formeters,controllers,computers 6 BEGIN HIGH


SPEED MIX
4-20milliamps0-10volts 4

0
BATCH 1 BATCH 2 BATCH 3

CALL NOW FOR YOUR FREE 30-DAY TRIAL 888-600-3247


WWW.LOADCONTROLS.COM

Circle 23 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-23
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 57
Environmental Manager

Responding to
Environmental
Inspections
for what should happen when an in-
A regulatory inspection can occur at any time. spector arrives. Companies should
designate an official who is authorized
The best way to successfully handle an inspection to allow an inspector access to a fa-
cility and who will be the inspectors
is to be prepared for it before it happens primary point of contact, as well as
a backup person in case the primary
Margaret M. Witherup the facility, as well as discharges and contact person is not available.
Gordon Feinblatt LLC emissions from the facility. The best way to ensure that an
An inspection may be limited to a environmental inspection goes

O
ne of the most unsettling ex- single issue (such as compliance with smoothly is to be in compliance with
periences in a companys ex- the companys air permit), may be a all applicable environmental laws
istence may be the surprise multi-media inspection intended to and regulations pertaining to your
regulatory inspection by a determine a facilitys compliance with operations. Know your companys
representative of the U.S. Environmen- all applicable environmental laws and operations, keep your permits up-
tal Protection Agency (EPA) or a State regulations, or may be in response to to-date, and understand what your
Environmental Agency. What if you a specific complaint (for example, a responsibilities are. Environmental
refuse to let them in? What are your neighboring property-owners com- compliance documents, such as in-
rights? How can you best ensure that plaint about runoff or dust from your spection records and logbooks, should
the inspection goes smoothly? This facility). The scope of an inspection be organized and physically segre-
article briefly summarizes the gov- will be determined by the purpose of gated from internal or privileged
ernments environmental inspection the particular visit. documents that would not normally
authority and provides some practical If your facility has an environmen- be subject to inspection (for example,
tips on how to prepare for and survive tal permit, the permit likely includes a compliance audits and/or attorney-
an environmental inspection. condition granting the issuing agency client-privileged communications).
Preparing for an environmental the right to inspect your facility for If you do not have the necessary envi-
inspection should be viewed as any the purpose of determining compliance ronmental expertise in-house to deter-
other necessary business activity. A with the permit. If you refuse to let the mine whether your facility is in com-
companys best chance of successfully inspector enter, you may be in violation pliance, consult with an experienced
surviving an environmental inspec- of your permit and the inspector may consultant or environmental counsel.
tion is to be prepared for it before be able to return with a search warrant, Consider conducting an internal envi-
the inspector is knocking at the door. sometimes even on the same day. A po- ronmental audit to identify and correct
This involves both reviewing the com- tential advantage of denying access is any deficiencies before an inspector
panys compliance with applicable that it may provide a brief chance to arrives. Use a checklist to make sure
regulations as well as having a plan correct problems. However, denial of you dont inadvertently overlook some-
in place for handling an inspection access may lead the inspector to be- thing. Once you are satisfied that your
when it occurs. lieve the company is hiding something facility is in compliance, periodically
and you will have lost whatever good- review your operations to make sure
Governmental authority will you may have otherwise had with they remain in compliance with the
Most environmental regulatory agen- the inspector. If there is any doubt as latest regulatory developments.
cies have broad inspection authority to what inspection authority an agency
to determine a companys compliance has in a particular situation, consult What to do during the inspection
with the environmental laws and reg- with legal counsel immediately. When government inspectors show
ulations that the agencies enforce. In up at your facility, consider the fol-
many cases, this includes the author- Preparing for an inspection lowing actions:
ity to inspect processes and monitoring Companies should assume that an en- 1. Immediately notify the appro-
equipment, to copy records, and to take vironmental investigation may occur priate company official. If an en-
samples of materials stored or used at at any time and have a general plan vironmental inspector is on-site, im-
58 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
mediately notify the company official tion of the scope of the investigation. Be responsive and provide the in-
who has been designated to be the If the inspector indicates that it is a spectors with the information they
agencys primary point of contact. Ask criminal investigation, consult with ask for, but also be careful what you
the inspector to wait until the desig- an attorney and ask the inspector to say. You do not have any obligation
nated person arrives to escort him or wait for the attorney to arrive at the to volunteer additional information.
her around the facility. facility. Make sure that the inspection If you do not know or dont have the
2. Review the inspectors creden- is conducted in strict compliance with information they are asking for, do
tials. Only authorized government the search warrant. not speculate or guess at the answer.
officials are allowed to conduct inspec- 5. Be safe. Require all inspectors to Simply indicate that you will find out
tions. Local citizens or environmental take the same types of safety precau- the answer and provide it in a timely
advocacy groups generally do not have tions that employees and visitors are manner. Never misrepresent facts or
the right to enter and inspect private required to take. If this includes the lie to an inspector.
property without the property owners use of hard hats, safety goggles, or 7. Accompany the inspector ev-
knowledge and informed consent. other personal protective equipment, erywhere. No matter how busy you
3. Let them in (or refuse entry in then the inspector should wear the are, do not let the inspector wander
limited circumstances). Although same equipment and take the same around the facility unattended. The
there are a few valid reasons for deny- precautions, just as any employee or designated company representa-
ing a government inspector access to a visitor would. tive should accompany the inspector
facility, entry should be refused only if 6. Be courteous. Treat visiting gov- throughout the facility. Try to avoid
there is a compelling reason to do so, ernment inspectors with respect and taking an inspector anywhere that is
such as if the inspector does not have courtesy. An inspection can provide an not within the scope of the inspection,
the safety equipment required by the opportunity to develop a good relation- but be careful about denying access
facility (see Item 5, below). ship with an inspector with whom the to an area of the facility that the in-

achemaasia_178x124_achemaasia_poster 21.11.12
may lead the 11:04
inspector toSeite 1
4. Determine the scope. Request company may have to deal for many spector specifically asks to see, as that
an initial conference and an explana- years to come. think you

The Gateway to Chinas Process


Industry (13 16 May 2013)
Focus on Chinas National Core
Industries
High Visibility and Internationality
Meet Experts and Decision Makers
Strong Supporting Network
Satellite Symposia on Focal Topics

www.achemasia.de

Circle 11 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-11
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 59
Environmental Manager

have something to hide and they may by the inspector during the inspection responsible business trying its best to
be able to return with a warrant. may be subject to public disclosure comply with all applicable laws and
Take notes on what the inspector under the Federal Freedom of Informa- regulations may minimize the chance
observes and any particular items of tion Act or state equivalent. There are, of enforcement action or fines.
interest. If they take samples of any however, several categories of informa- Edited by Dorothy Lozowski
materials or discharges from the fa- tion that are exempt from public disclo-
cility, take duplicate samples and re- sure, such as confidential commercial Authors note
quest copies of laboratory analytical or financial information, trade secrets This article is intended for general in-
results and any photographs taken by and so on. If any portion of your compa- formational purposes only and is not
the inspector. nys process or documents is confiden- legal advice to any person or entity.
8. Manage document productions. tial, advise the inspector so that he or
Environmental regulations and per- she can take appropriate precautions. Author
mits require many types of documents 10. Request a post-inspection de- Margaret M. Witherup is a
member of the Environmen-
to be kept, and these are all fair briefing. At the end of the investiga- tal and Energy Dept. of the
game in an inspection. This does not tion, request an exit conference with law firm of Gordon Feinblatt
LLC (233 East Redwood St.,
mean that the inspector is entitled to the inspector to learn of any potential Baltimore, MD, 21202; Email:
see every single document at the com- adverse findings. Always request a m w i t h e r u p @ g f r l a w. c o m ;
Phone: 410-576-4145). She
panys facility. Many documents will copy of any written statement of ob- concentrates her practice in
all aspects of environmental
be unrelated to environmental issues servations or final inspection report. law and business litigation.
or may be privileged or confidential. If If the inspector identifies a need for Witherup has assisted clients
with a variety of environmental compliance and
there is any doubt as to whether an in- follow-up action or potential viola- enforcement issues, including air emissions and
spector is entitled to view a particular tions, fix any violations quickly and permitting, water appropriation and discharge
permits and waste disposal. Prior to joining her
document, consult with legal counsel. then send a note to the inspector re- current firm, Witherup was an assistant attorney
9. Protect confidential business in- questing a re-inspection. Demonstrat- general for the Maryland Port Administration.
She received her J.D. with honors from the Amer-
formation. The information obtained ing to the inspector that you are a ican University Washington College of Law.

RECEIVE FULL ACCESS


to ALL of Chemical Engineerings
Facts at Your Fingertips articles in one con
ven

EACH INFORMATION PACKED PDF ARTICLE includes


ient location.

graphs, charts, tables, equations and columns on the full


chemical engineering processes you deal with on a daily basis.
This is the tool you will come to rely on, referring back to the
information again and again with just the click of a mouse.
Facts at Your Fingertips Topics Include:
Conservation Economics: Creating Installed Gain Graphs
Carbon Pricing Impacts Aboveground and
Distillation Tray Design Underground Storage Tanks
Burner Operating Chemical Resistance of
Characteristics Thermoplastics
Measurement Guide for Heat Transfer: System
Replacement Seals Design II
Steam Tracer Lines and Traps Adsorption
Positive Displacement Pumps Flowmeter Selection
Low-Pressure Measurement Specialty Metals
for Control Valves Plus much, much more 17872

Receive
Receive full
full access todaybyby
access today visiting
visiting http://store.che.com/product/
www.omeda.com/cbm/facts

60 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013


EnvironmentalColumn
Fractionation Manager

Ruptured rupture disc


t was Terry Thurbers idea. It was About halfway through

I a bad idea. But Bob Miller and


Nick Urbanski taught me many
years ago that, in the research
and development (R&D) world, bad
ideas are often the best ideas. Install
the warning message, two
of the birds fly away in
a panic. The disc blows
about five seconds later,
when the two birds are a
things upside down or turn them in- safe distance away. They
side out. R&D managers will be sur- heard or felt something be-
prised at what can be learned. There- fore we did, before the disc
after, file what was learned under ruptured! Do birds have
We Learn More From Our Failures instincts, or premonitions?
Than Our Successes. FRI took the 75 minutes Mike Resetarits is the technical director at Fraction-
Terrys bad idea: Blow the FRI of video footage and pared ation Research, Inc. (FRI; Stillwater, Okla.; www.fri.
steam-system rupture disc and video- it down to 12 minutes. org), a distillation research consortium. Each month,
tape it! I was worried that we would Views from all of the cam- Mike shares his first-hand experience with CE readers
be stressing a set of pipes that had eras are included. Audio
not previously seen high pressures. tracks from two of the cameras are in- at the AIChE Spring Meeting (San
I checked with Terrys foreman, Fred cluded. I would not have believed the Antonio, April 28May 2; www.aiche.
Smith. Fred explained that, for sev- birds tweeting out an SOS if I did not org). And more importantly, the next
eral years, FRI would regularly blow see it (and hear it) for myself. Do you time that you hear a bird tweeting out
this particular rupture disc until we believe it? If not, come see the 12-min an SOS, dont look up!
learned that it was occasionally sub- video at the Henry Kister Symposium Mike Resetarits
jected to vacuum operation, which
was weakening the old discs. After
we figured that out, we started using
rupture discs that were rated to with-
stand occasional vacuum excursions.
We decided to blow the disc and
videotape it.
When the big day came, we set up
five video cameras. Three were fo-
Content Licensing for
cused on the rupture disc, which was
about 70 ft up. One was focused on Every Marketing Strategy
the control-room control board. One
was focused on an outdoor pressure
Marketing solutions fit for:
gage. From each camera, we collected
Outdoor
about 15 minutes of footage. The disc
Direct Mail
was rated to blow at 175 psig at 150F.
That day, it ended up blowing at 153 Print Advertising
psig, but at a much higher tempera- Tradeshow/POP Displays
ture. As expected, the event was loud. Social Media
When the disc blew, the long verti-
Radio & Television
cal pipe underneath it lurched back-
ward much too far. Later, mechanical
changes were made to better anchor Logo Licensing | Reprints | Eprints | Plaques
the pipe. That wasnt the fun part.
FRIs video footage includes audio. Leverage branded content from Chemical Engineering to create a more
When listening to the footage, as the powerful and sophisticated statement about your product, service, or
steam systems pressure is being in- company in your next marketing campaign. Contact Wrights Media to
creased, several birds are chirping find out more about how we can customize your acknowledgements and
contentedly and incessantly. At about recognitions to enhance your marketing strategies.
145 psig, the birds go suddenly and
totally silent. At about 148 psig, one For more information, call Wrights Media at 877.652.5295
of the birds starts tweeting out an or visit our website at www.wrightsmedia.com
SOS as if it knows Morse Code: dot-
dot-dot-dash-dash-dash-dot-dot-dot.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 61
PRODUCT SHOWC ASE
Process Advertise in
Protect pressure or vacuum
Technology instruments from clogging, the Buyers' Guide
corrosion and damage.
Grinding Compact and Economical, Plast-O-Matic
Gauge Guards prevent dangerous leaks and
allow dependable instrument readings from
full vacuum to 250 psi.
PTFE or FKM
diaphragms.
PVC, Polypro or
PVDF bodies.
Available with
or without
Buyers'
gauges.
Gauge
Guide 2014
Shields for
harsh environments. Contact:
Diane Hammes
Tel: 512-250-9555
Fax: 512-213-4855
Email: dhammes@ac-
PLAST-O-MATIC VALVES, INC.
CEDAR GROVE, NJ 07009 cessintel.com
www.neuhaus-neotec.de
www.neuhaus-neotec.de (973) 256-3000 Fax: (973) 256-4745
www.plastomatic.com info@plastomatic.com
Circle 201 on p. 64 or go to Circle 202 on p. 64 or go to
adlinks.che.com/45770-201 adlinks.che.com/45770-202

Advertise in the Classified


Interested?
For more information
on classified advertising,
C L AS S I F I E D A DV E RT I S I N G T H AT WO R K S
please contact:

Diane Hammes
Email: dhammes@accessintel.com
Tel: 512.250.9555 Fax: 512.213.4855
62 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
SOFTWARE NEW & USED EQUIPMENT
STATIC
Circle 241 on p. 64 or go to
MIXERS
For turbulent or laminar flow.
adlinks.che.com/45770-241
LPD/LLPD/ISG for ultra-low P &
unlimited viscosity. Most in stock!
Engineering e-material, e-solutions, e-courses
and e-seminars for energy conversion systems: Scan to learn more
Physical Properties Steam Approximations & get a free quote.
Power Cycles Power Cycle Components/Processes
Compressible Flow
ENGINEERING SOFTWARE
Free Tag Reader:
Phone/FAX: (301) 540-3605 http://gettag.mobi
Web Site: http://www.engineering-4e.com
Visit the web site to check out free demos, etc.!
Circle 242 on p. 64 or go to
adlinks.che.com/45770-242
1-800-243-ROSS
www.StaticMixers.com

CONSULTING Circle 246 on p. 64 or go to


adlinks.che.com/45770-246

CRYSTALLIZATION &
HEAT EXCHANGERS
Liquid Cooled
PRECIPITATION

Air Cooled
Dr. Wayne J. Genck

Genck International
3 Somonauk Court, Park Forest, IL. 60466 Circle 245 on p. 64 or go to
Tel (708) 748-7200 Fax (708) 748-7208 FOR GASES & LIQUIDS! adlinks.che.com/45770-245
Talk Directly with Design Engineers!
genckintl@aol.com http://www.genckintl.com

Design/Scale-up Purity
Blower Cooling Vent Condensing
Size Distribution Caking
Laboratory Investigations Drying
Filtration Particle Habit
(952) 933-2559 info@xchanger.com
Troubleshooting Polymorphism
Circle 248 on p. 64 or go to
Product Micro-Analysis Kinetics Studies

Industrial Seminars
adlinks.che.com/45770-248
ADVERTISE
Circle 243 on p. 64 or go to
adlinks.che.com/45770-243
IN THE
WABASH SELLS & RENTS
NOISE MEASUREMENT, ASSESSMENT, AND CONTROL COMPUTER NOISE MODELING
Boilers CLASSIFIED
ACOUSTICAL BUILDING DESIGN COMMISSIONING TESTS
FERC, EUB, OSHA, NEPA PLANT NOISE CONTOURS

20,000 - 400,000 #/Hr.

HFP ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANTS Diesel & Turbine Generators


50 - 25,000 KW
Gears & Turbines
NOISE CONTROL ENGINEERING 25 - 4000 HP Contact Diane Hammes
HOUSTON, TEXAS CALGARY, AB
We stock large inventories of:
(713) 789-9400 (403) 259-6600
Air Pre-Heaters Economizers Deaerators
Pumps Motors Fuel Oil Heating and Pump Sets
Tel: 512-250-9555
Valves Tubes Controls Compressors
www.HFPacoustical.com/CE
INDUSTRIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOUND LEVEL SURVEYS REGULATORY COMPLIANCE STUDIES
Pulverizers Rental Boilers & Generators
24/7 Fast Emergency Service
Fax: 512-213-4855
Circle 244 on p. 64 or go to 800-704-2002
adlinks.che.com/45770-244 Phone: 847-541-5600 Fax: 847-541-1279
Email:
www.wabashpower.com
dhammes@accessintel.com
wabash
GET CONNECTED TODAY POWER EQUIPMENT CO.
444 Carpenter Ave., Wheeling, IL 60090
Circle 247 on p. 64 or go to
www.che.com adlinks.che.com/45770-247

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 63


New Product Information March 2013

JustFAXit! or go to www.che.com/adlinks
Fill out the form and circle or write in the number(s) go on the web and ill out the


below, cut it out, and fax it to 800-571-7730. online reader service card.
name Title

Company
address
City State/Province Zip/Postal Code
Country\ Telephone Fax
email | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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
15 engineering/environmental Ser- 31 100 to 249 employees 48 Pumps
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
04 Plastics, Synthetic resins
JOB FUNCTION SPECIFY, PURCHASE 52 Tanks, Vessels, reactors
05 Drugs & Cosmetics (please circle all that apply)
20 Corporate management 53 Valves
06 Soaps & Detergents 40 Drying equipment
21 Plant operations incl. mainte- 54 engineering Computers/Soft-
07 Paints & allied Products 41 Filtration/Separation equipment
nance ware/Peripherals
08 organic Chemicals 42 heat Transfer/energy Conserva-
22 engineering 55 water Treatment Chemicals
09 agricultural Chemicals tion equipment
23 research & Development & equipment
10 Petroleum reining, 43 instrumentation & Control Sys-
24 Safety & environmental 56 hazardous waste management
Coal Products tems
26 other Systems
11 rubber & misc. Plastics 44 mixing, Blending equipment 57 Chemicals & raw materials
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

if number(s) do not appear above,


please write them here and circle: Fax this page back to 800-571-7730
ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES
North America Jason Bullock, Dan Gentile Diane Hammes
Eric Freer, District Sales Manager District Sales Manager District Sales Manager Inside Sales Manager
Chemical Engineering Chemical Engineering Tel: 512-918-8075 Chemical Engineering;
11000 richmond ave, Suite 690, houston, TX 77042 8325 Broadway, Ste. 202/PmB 261 E-mail: dgentile@che.com 11000 richmond ave, Suite 690,
Tel: 713-343-1904 E-mail: efreer@che.com Pearland, TX 77581 Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, houston, TX 77042
Alabama, Alaska, Canada, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Tel: 281-485-4077; Fax: 281-485-1285 Minnesota, Wisconsin Tel: 713-444-9939
Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, E-mail: jbullock@che.com; E-mail: dhammes@che.com
Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Product Showcase,
New Jersey, New York, North & South Carolina, North & South Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Literature Reviews,
Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Classiied Display
Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Advertising
Wyoming, Latin America Washington

International Dipali Dhar Ferruccio Silvera Rudy Teng


Chemical Engineering Chemical Engineering Sales Represntative
Petra Trautes
88 Pine Street, 5th loor, new York, nY 10005 Silvera Pubblicita Chemical Engineering;
Chemical Engineering
Tel: 718-263-1162 Viale monza, 24 milano 20127, italy room 1102 #20 aly 199 Baiyang road
Zeilweg 44
E-mail: ddhar@accessintel.com Tel: 39-02-284-6716; Pudong Shanghai 201204
D-60439 Frankfurt am main
India Fax: 39-02-289-3849 China
germany
E-mail: ferruccio@silvera.it/www. Tel: +86 21 50592439
Phone: +49-69-58604760 Katshuhiro Ishii
silvera.it Fax: +86 21 50592442
Fax: +49-69-5700-2484 Chemical Engineering
Andorra, France, Gibraltar, Greece, mP: +86 13818181202
email: ptrautes@che.com ace media Service inc., 12-6, 4-chome
Israel, Italy, Portugal, Spain E-mail: rudy.teng@gmail.com
Austria, Czech Republic, Benelux, nishiiko, adachi-ku, Tokyo 121, Japan
Asia-Paciic, Hong Kong, Peoples
Eastern Europe, Germany, Scandinavia, Tel: 81-3-5691-3335; Fax: 81-3-5691-3336
Republic of China, Taiwan
Switzerland, United Kingdom e-mail: amskatsu@dream.com
Japan

64 ChemiCal engineering www.Che.Com marCh 2013


Advertisers Index

Advertiser Page number Advertiser Page number Advertiser Page number


Phone number Reader Service # Phone number Reader Service # Phone number Reader Service #

A Box 4 U 16 Heat Transfer SECOND Paharpur Cooling Towers 19


1-877-522-6948 adlinks.che.com/45770-01 Research, Inc. COVER 91-33-4013-3000 adlinks.che.com/45770-34
adlinks.che.com/45770-19
Abbe, Paul O. 8 Paratherm Corp. 29
1-800-524-2188 adlinks.che.com/45770-02 Hytorc 35 1-800-222-3611 adlinks.che.com/45770-35
adlinks.che.com/45770-20
Abresist Kelenborn Corporation 6 Petro Canada 28
1-800-348-0717 adlinks.che.com/45770-03
Interphex 2013 30 adlinks.che.com/45770-36
1-203-840-5447 adlinks.che.com/45770-21
Aggreko 44 * Phoenix Contact GmbH
* Italvacuum 32I-1 & Co. KG 32I-3
1-888-869-2108 adlinks.che.com/45770-04 39 011 470 4651 adlinks.che.com/45770-22 49 52 35 3-00 adlinks.che.com/45770-37
Air Products 22 Load Controls 57 * Pompetravaini 32I-5
adlinks.che.com/45770-05 1-888-600-3247 adlinks.che.com/45770-23 41 61 338 18 18 adlinks.che.com/45770-38

* Arca-Regler GmbH 32I-11 Magnetrol 7 Quest Integrity Group 54


49-2156-7709-0 adlinks.che.com/45770-06 1-800-624-8765 adlinks.che.com/45770-25 1-253-893-7070 adlinks.che.com/45770-40

AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG 21 MEPEC 2013 24 Ross, Charles & Son Company 13
49 7631 809-0 adlinks.che.com/45770-07 adlinks.che.com/45770-26 1-800-243-ROSS adlinks.che.com/45770-39
* Microdyn-Nadir 32I-13 Saint Gobain Structural Ceramics 45
Beumer Group GmbH & Co. KG 9 49 611 962 6001 adlinks.che.com/45770-27
adlinks.che.com/45770-08 1-716-278-6233 adlinks.che.com/45770-41
Miller-Stephenson
Brookield Engineering 56 Chemical Co., Inc. 6 Samson AG 15
1-800-628-8139 adlinks.che.com/45770-09 49 69 4009-0 adlinks.che.com/45770-42
1-800-992-2424 adlinks.che.com/45770-28

Carver Pump 32 MineARC Systems 18 Therminol 3


1-563-263-3410 adlinks.che.com/45770-10 1-214-337-5100 adlinks.che.com/45770-29 1-800-426-2463 adlinks.che.com/45770-14

Corzan HP Piping Systems 4 Mller GmbH 8 ThyssenKrupp Uhde GmbH 27


49 (0) 7623/969-0 adlinks.che.com/45770-30 adlinks.che.com/45770-43
1-855-735-1431 adlinks.che.com/45770-24
NACE International 46 Vanton Pump & Equipment Corp. 36
Dechema E.V. 59 1-908-688-4216 adlinks.che.com/45770-44
adlinks.che.com/45770-31
adlinks.che.com/45770-11
* Nrnberg Messe GmbH 32I-6 Wika Instrument 36c-36f
* Dietrich Engineering adlinks.che.com/45770-32 1-855-651-FAST adlinks.che.com/45770-45
Consultants SA 32I-10
adlinks.che.com/45770-12 Outotec Oyj 10 Wilden Pumps 26
adlinks.che.com/45770-33 1-909-422-1730 adlinks.che.com/45770-46
* Donadon SDD 32I-7
39 02 90111001 adlinks.che.com/45770-13

Ekato Rhr- und Classiied Index March 2013


Mischtechnik GmbH 55 Advertiser Page number
49 7622 29-0 adlinks.che.com/45770-15 Phone number Reader Service # Advertisers
Product Showcase . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Emerson Process FOURTH Applied e-Simulators Software 63
Management COVER adlinks.che.com/45770-241 Computer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Fluid Line Products 51 Engineering Software 63 Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
1-440-946-9470 adlinks.che.com/45770-16 1-301-540-3605 adlinks.che.com/45770-242
Equipment, New & Used . . . . . . . 63
* GEA Wiegand GmbH 32I-9 Genck International 63
49 7243 705-0 adlinks.che.com/45770-17 1-708-748-7200 adlinks.che.com/45770-243

GIG Karasek GmbH 23 HFP Acoustical Consultants 63 Advertiser Page number


1-713-789-9400 adlinks.che.com/45770-244 Phone number Reader Service #
adlinks.che.com/45770-18
Indeck Power Equipment Co. 63 Ross, Charles & Son Company 63
1-847-541-8300 adlinks.che.com/45770-245 1-800-243-ROSS adlinks.che.com/45770-246
* International Edition
Neuhaus Neotec 62 Wabash Power Equipment Co. 63
adlinks.che.com/45770-201 1-800-704-2002 adlinks.che.com/45770-247

Plast-O-Matic Valves, Inc. 62 Xchanger, Inc. 63


See bottom of oposite 1-973-256-3000 adlinks.che.com/45770-202 1-952-933-2559 adlinks.che.com/45770-248

page for advertising


Send Advertisements and Box replies to: Diane Hammes
sales representatives' Chemical Engineering, 11000 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77042
contact information E-mail: dhammes@che.com Tel: 512-250-9555

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 65


People

MARCH WHOS WHO

Boyens Lain Distaso Duncan Siegel

Helmuth Mhwald is elected as a Samsung Engineering (Seoul, South director of engineering and
member of the Academia Europaea, a Korea) appoints Michel Lain chief Greg Duncan senior director of
European non-governmental associa- operating officer of its newly formed business development.
tion whose memberships includes ex- Offshore Div.
perts in technology, medicine, math- Wolfgang Siegel becomes CEO
ematics, economics, the law and more. Martin Pugh becomes senior vice of Ter Hell Plastic GmbH
He is director of the department of in- president and plastics business (Herne, Germany).
terfaces at the Max Planck Institute president for Styron (Berwyn, Pa.).
of Colloids and Interfaces He will be located at the companys Rainer Beaujean becomes CFO of
(Potsdam, Germany). European Regional Operating Center Gerresheimer AG (Dsseldorf, Ger-
in Hogen, Switzerland. many), a producer of specialty glass
Kerri Boyens becomes product man- and plastic products for pharmaceuti-
ager for the Torayfan Polypropylene Pump Solutions Group (PSG; Oak- cal applications, and he joins the com-
Film Div. of Toray Plastics America brook Terrace, Ill.), a business unit of panys Management Board.
(North Kingstown, R.I.). Dover Corp., names Chris Destaso Suzanne Shelley

SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE


SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
July
2008 Incorp

SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE


B S C SUBSCRIBE
R I B E SUBSCRIBE
T O SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
oratin
www. So g
Into lids
6
che.c Liquid

S U
om s

Focus
on Ga
New s De
Engine tection
ering
Closed Mater
Liquid ials
Dispen
Findin sing
g the
To Fit Right
the Ap Gloves
Facts plicatio
at You n
r Fin
Vacuum gertips:
Pump
Flowm s
eter
News

Augu
st
2008
www. Sterili
8
che.c zation

Written for engineers, by engineers


om PAG
E 34
r

More and more, business in the Chemical Process Industries (CPI) is not
Rever
se
PAG Osmo
E 34 sis
Heat
Transf
er
Fluids
Hydro
car

local, its global. To keep up with this rapidly evolving marketplace, you
Proper bon
ties

Focus
Filtrat
on
need a magazine that covers it all, not just one country or region, not just
ion

one vertical market, but the whole CPI.


Facts
at You
r Lesson Finger
tips:
r
System s-Learned Valve
s s
Preven
ting
Cakin
g

With editorial offices in Europe, Asia, and North America, CHEMICAL


ENGINEERING is well-positioned to keep abreast of all the latest innovations
in the equipment, technology, materials, and services used by process
plants worldwide. No other publication even comes close.
The #1 choice
of worldwide To subscribe, please call 1-847-564-9290
CPI organizations or visit clientservices@che.com
www.che.com

66 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013


Economic Indicators
BUSINESS NEWS
Petronas and Evonik sign LoI for Teijin Chemicals to establish JV
PLANT WATCH
projects in Rapid Project with SK Chemicals
KBR to provide technology package for January 23, 2013 Petronas (Kuala Lumpur, February 5, 2013 Teijin Chemicals Ltd.
ammonia/urea plant in Indonesia Malaysia; www.petronas.com.my) and (Tokyo, Japan; www.teijin.co.jp) and SK
February 7, 2013 KBR (Houston; www. Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www. Chemicals, a South Korean chemical pro-
kbr.com) has announced that it was se- evonik.com) have signed a letter of intent ducer, plan to establish a JV to develop,
lected by PT Pupuk Sriwidjaja Palembang, (LoI) to jointly embark on the development produce and distribute polyphenylene
to provide licensing, engineering services of production facilities of specialty chemi- sulfide (PPS) resins and compounds.The
and proprietary equipment for a new 2,000 cals within Petronas Refinery & Petrochemi- JV, in which Teijin Chemicals will hold a 34%
metric tons (m.t.) per day ammonia and cal Integrated Development (Rapid) project share and SK Chemicals the remaining
2,750-m.t./d urea plant located in Palem- in Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia. Under the 66%, will construct a PPS resin plant in Ulsan,
bang, South Sumatra, Indonesia.The plant LoI, the two parties will form a partnership to South Korea.The plant will begin operations
will be designed using KBRs Purifier technol- jointly own, develop, construct and operate with a PPS resin production capacity of
ogy. Construction of the grassroots facility facilities for the production of hydrogen per- 12,000 tons/yr starting in April 2015. As de-
is part of a consortium between Rekayasa oxide, C4 co-monomer and oxo-products mand grows, capacity is expected to reach
and Toyo Engineering Corp. Rekayasa will within Rapid.The plants are expected to 20,000 tons.
be responsible for the ammonia and Toyo have the capacity to produce 250,000 m.t./
Engineering will be responsible for urea. yr of hydrogen peroxide, 220,000 m.t./yr of MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
isononanol and 110,000 m.t./yr of 1-butene.
Lanxess to build new pigment Praxair to acquire beverage-carbonation
The hydrogen peroxide will be used onsite
plant in China solutions provider, NuCO2
to produce propylene oxide by the licensed,
January 28, 2013 Lanxess AG (Leverkusen, February 5, 2013 Praxair, Inc. (Danbury,
HPPO process Evonik had jointly developed
Germany; www.lanxess.com) is investing Conn.; www.praxair.com) has entered into
with ThyssenKrupp Uhde (Dortmund, Ger-
about 55 million to build a facility for iron- an agreement to acquire NuCO2 Inc. from
many; www.uhde.eu).These projects are
oxide red pigments at the Ningbo Chemical Aurora Capital Group, a Los Angeles, Calif.-
expected to come onstream in 2016.
Park on the Chinese East Coast. Production based private equity firm, for $1.1 billion in
capacity is scheduled for the 1st Q of 2015 cash.The transaction is subject to custom-
BASF and Sinopec move toward a world-
with an initial capacity of 25,000 m.t./yr. ary conditions to closing, including regula-
scale isononanol plant in Maoming
tory approval, and is expected to close by
January 22, 2013 BASF SE (Ludwigshafen,
Butyric acid debottleneck project the end of the 1st Q of 2013.
Germany; www.basf.com) and China
will add capacity Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec;
January 25, 2013 Eastman Chemical Co. Bechtel acquires Chevrons water
Beijing) have completed a joint feasibility
(Kingsport,Tenn.; www.eastman.com) is treatment process
study and taken the next steps toward es-
planning to debottleneck the butyric acid January 28, 2013 Bechtel (Houston; www.
tablishing a world-scale isononanol (INA)
production capacity at its Kingsport,Tenn. bechtel.com) has purchased Chevrons
plant in Maoming, Guangdong, China.
facility.The debottleneck, scheduled for Waste Water Treatment (WWT) Process.The
Under the terms of the feasibility study, a
completion in the 4th Q of 2013, will add an WWT Process is a proprietary, two-stage sour-
new 50-50 joint venture (JV) will be formed,
additional 11 million pounds of capacity to water-stripping process that separates am-
BASF MPCC Co. Ltd. Pre-approval has been
support growing internal and external de- monia and hydrogen sulfide streams from
received from the Maoming Administration
mand for the acid. sour waters generated by a petroleum refin-
of Industry and Commerce for the name of
erys process units.The WWT Process technol-
the venture.The partners expect to begin
Linde and Forest BtL sign licensing ogy is managed by Bechtel Hydrocarbon
production at the new plant around the
agreement for Carbo-V technology Technology Solutions, Inc., a wholly owned
middle of 2015.
January 24, 2013 Linde Engineering Dres- subsidiary of Bechtel.
den GmbH, a subsidiary of The Linde Group Evonik expands its market position for
(Munich, Germany; www.linde.com) has JV formed to produce pure carbon
C4-based products
signed an agreement with the Finnish For- dioxide from waste gas in China
January 11, 2013 Evonik Industries AG
est BtL Oy for the licensing of the biomass January 26, 2013 The industrial gas spe-
is further expanding its market lead in C4-
gasification technology Carbo-V, which will cialist, Messer Group GmbH (Bad Soden,
based products and investing in the expan-
be implemented in a new biomassto-liquid Germany; www.messergroup.de) and Sich-
sion of its production facilities.The Groups
(BtL) plant in Kemi, Northern Finland.The uan Meifeng, a Chinese chemicals com-
1-butene capacity in Marl (Germany)
commercial operation for the production of pany, have signed a JV agreement to found
Chemical Park will be expanded by 75,000
biodiesel and naphtha is expected to start Sichuan Meifeng Messer Gas Products.The
tons. In Antwerp, Belgium, the production
at the end of 2016.The BtL plant will have JV will invest some 7.24 million to produce
of butadiene will be expanded by 100,000
a gasification capacity of 480 MW and an around 100,000 ton/yr of liquid carbon di-
tons, while in Marl and Antwerp, the capac-
output of about 130,000 tons/yr of biodiesel oxide from industrial CO2 waste gases. Sich-
ity of MTBE will be increased by 150,000 tons
and naphtha, using about 1.5 million tons of uan Meifeng Messer plans to supply liquid
in total.The investment will run into hundreds
wood (For more details about Carbo-V, see CO2 starting in mid-2014.
of millions of euros.The expansions are
Chem. Eng., August 2003, p. 16). Dorothy Lozowski
scheduled to go onstream in 2015.

FOR ADDITIONAL NEWS AS IT DEVELOPS, PLEASE VISIT WWW.CHE.COM


March 2013; VOL. 120; NO. 3
Chemical Engineering copyright @ 2013 (ISSN 0009-2460) is published monthly, with an additional issue in October, by Access Intelligence, LLC, 4 Choke Cherry Road, 2nd
Floor, Rockville, MD, 20850. Chemical Engineering Executive, Editorial, Advertising and Publication Offices: 88 Pine Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10005; Phone: 212-621-4674, Fax:
212-621-4694. Subscription rates: $149.97 U.S. and U.S. possessions, $166.97 Canada, and $269 International. $20.00 Back issue & Single copy sales. Periodicals postage paid
at Rockville, MD and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Chemical Engineering, Fulfillment Manager, P.O. Box 3588, Northbrook, IL 60065-3588.
Phone: 847-564-9290, Fax: 847-564-9453, email: clientservices@che.com. Change of address, two to eight week notice requested. For information regarding article reprints,
please contact Wrights Media, 1-877-652-5295, sales@wrightsmedia.com. Contents may not be reproduced in any form without written permission. Canada Post 40612608.
Return undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: PitneyBowes, P.O. BOX 25542, LONDON, ON N6C 6B2

FOR MORE ECONOMIC INDICATORS, SEE NEXT PAGE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 67
Economic Indicators 2010 2011 2012 2013

DOWNLOAD THE CEPCI TWO WEEKS SOONER AT WWW.CHE.COM/PCI

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PLANT COST INDEX (CEPCI) 650

Annual
Dec. 12 Nov. 12 Dec. 11
(1957-59 = 100) Index:
Prelim. Final Final 600
CE Index 572.7 570.6 590.1 2004 = 444.2
Equipment 694.5 691.7 718.7
2005 = 468.2
Heat exchangers & tanks 634.8 634.0 681.6 550
Process machinery 657.9 656.7 670.9 2006 = 499.6
Pipe, valves & fittings 895.8 890.4 902.1 2007 = 525.4
Process instruments 422.5 420.7 428.0 500
Pumps & compressors 899.6 895.8 910.1
2008 = 575.4
Electrical equipment 511.4 511.2 511.5 2009 = 521.9
Structural supports & misc 734.5 726.0 762.4 450
2010 = 550.8
Construction labor 321.8 321.6 331.4
Buildings 527.2 525.0 519.1 2011 = 585.7
Engineering & supervision 327.7 327.3 329.6 400
J F M A M J J A S O N D

CURRENT BUSINESS INDICATORS LATEST PREVIOUS YEAR AGO

CPI output index (2007 = 100) Jan. 13 = 89.3 Dec. 12 = 89.9 Nov. 12 = 88.3 Jan. 12 = 89.3
CPI value of output, $ billions Dec. 12 = 2,173.0 Nov. 12 = 2,176.8 Oct. 12 = 2,208.7 Dec. 11 = 2,139.8
CPI operating rate, % Jan. 13 = 76.9 Dec. 12 = 77.6 Nov. 12 = 76.2 Jan. 12 = 77.2
Producer prices, industrial chemicals (1982 = 100) Dec. 12 = 300.2 Nov. 12 = 297.3 Oct. 12 = 299.7 Dec. 11 = 304.4
Industrial Production in Manufacturing (2007=100) Jan. 13 = 95.4 Dec. 12 = 95.8 Nov. 12 = 94.8 Jan. 12 = 93.8
Hourly earnings index, chemical & allied products (1992 = 100) Jan. 13 = 154.4 Dec. 12 = 153.5 Nov. 12 = 153.9 Jan. 12 = 158.7
Productivity index, chemicals & allied products (1992 = 100) Jan. 13 = 107.0 Dec. 12 = 107.5 Nov. 12 = 105.8 Jan. 12 = 109.0

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 from the CE
Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; top)
for December 2012 (the most re-

Exclusively from Marshall & Swift cent available) indicate that capital
equipment prices rose 0.37% from
November to December, reversing
the dip from the previous month.
Even after the rise, the current-year
plant cost index stands at 2.95%
lower than it was in December of
the previous year (2011). Within
the CEPCI, the preliminary De-
cember numbers indicate that all
equipment-class subgroups, as
well as construction labor, build-
ings and engineering and supervi-
sion edged upward in December
of last year. Meanwhile, the Cur-
Quarterly updates of our industry-leading Equipment Cost Index rent Business Indicators from IHS
Global Insight (middle), show a
are now available at www.equipment-cost-index.com. slight decrease in the latest CPI
output index value (Jan. 2013).

68 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013


Learn valuable information
relevant to your daily work
without having to leave your desk!
ChemInnovations and Chemical Engineering Magazine are excited to present eLearning
On Demand. This new feature allows you the convenience of watching online courses
anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace. 2 hour courses start at $49. Receiving
educational training has never been easier!
Visit www.cpievent.com/elearning and use promo codeTRIALto view a free trial of
ChemInnovations 2011 Keynote Presentation U.S. Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas
Liquids (NGL) Outlook and its Impact on the Chemical Industry by 2020.

OUR INDUSTRY EXPERTS COVER


DOZENS OF TOPICS INCLUDING:
Global Energy Outlook
Regulatory Issues
Process, Design and Operations
EH & S
Equipment Maintenance
Equipment Reliability
Instrumentation
Controls
Automation
And more

Visit the BRAND NEW eLearning On Demand site and enjoy the luxury
of receiving training without leaving the office!

www.cpievent.com/elearning
Theres no way I can get all the I/O
change orders done before start-up.
But we cant start-up until the
change orders are done.

YOU CAN DO THAT

Get the flexibility you needwhere and when you need itwith Electronic Marshalling.
Tight project schedules and changing requirements are the norm, not the exception, so
Emerson makes handling them easy by eliminating re-wiring altogether. Only with DeltaV Electronic Marshalling
can you land field cabling wherever and whenever you want, regardless of signal type or control strategies. Its the
flexibility to add I/O today, tomorrow or ten years from now. See how DeltaV Electronic Marshalling makes it easy,
scan the code below or visit: IOonDemandCalculator.com

The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. 2011 Emerson Electric Co.

You might also like