Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2013 Heat-Transfer
Fluid
PAGE 48
www.che.com
TWO-PART STORY
STARTS PAGE 38
Focus on
Bins, Silos and Storage
Technology Profile:
Propylene Production
via Metathesis
NEW MAJOR RELEASE!
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
SOME THINK
Waltham, MA 02144. Web: elsevier.
com. 2012. 424 pages. $129.95.
YOU CAN
Process Intensification for
Green Chemistry: Engineer-
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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.
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
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
Circle 39 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-39
C HEMENTATO R
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
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
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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
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,
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
www.mepec.org
Updated 31 January
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
Focus
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
Focus
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.
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stuck in tube.
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Circle 36 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-36
28 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013
KSB
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
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
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
Being # 1 is no coincidence!
www.hytorc.com
Circle 20 on p. 64 or go to adlinks.che.com/45770-20
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
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
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DEADLINE
MARCH 29 TH
NONFERROUS METALS
4th Annual
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Propylene Production
via Metathesis
By Intratec Solutions
Fresh ethylene
Fresh butene
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For
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Feature
Cover Story
Report Part 1
any chemical process indus- cause corrosion. And indeed, dissolved ger treatment was coupled with a feed
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
Corrosion in FIGURE 1.
A cutaway
view shows the
stainless-steel
construction
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-
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
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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,
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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
PRESENTED BY:
Feature Report
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
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
o realize the best possible thermal cons of different operating scenarios. FIGURE 1. Shown here is an example
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.
Workson3phase,xedorvariable 18
frequency,DCandsinglephasepower 16
POWER
SENSOR
14
SENSITIVE
10timesmoresensitivethan 12
0
BATCH 1 BATCH 2 BATCH 3
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
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
Receive full
full access todaybyby
access today visiting
visiting http://store.che.com/product/
www.omeda.com/cbm/facts
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
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MIXERS
For turbulent or laminar flow.
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CRYSTALLIZATION &
HEAT EXCHANGERS
Liquid Cooled
PRECIPITATION
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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!
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IN THE
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NOISE MEASUREMENT, ASSESSMENT, AND CONTROL COMPUTER NOISE MODELING
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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
AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG 21 MEPEC 2013 24 Ross, Charles & Son Company 13
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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
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
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More and more, business in the Chemical Process Industries (CPI) is not
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FOR MORE ECONOMIC INDICATORS, SEE NEXT PAGE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MARCH 2013 67
Economic Indicators 2010 2011 2012 2013
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
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).
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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
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