PM 12582

June
2017
www.chemengonline.com
Modular Construction
is on the Rise page 44
Severe-Service Valves
Digital Transformation in the CPI
Focus on Heat Exchangers
Facts at Your Fingertips:
Alarm Management
Process Modeling
Energy Efficiency
Motors & Drives
Self-Heating
Solids
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June 2017 Volume 124 | no. 6
Cover Story
44 Practical Solutions to Modular Project Execution
Modularization of industrial construction projects is on the rise. Follow this
guidance to improve results on capital projects
In the News
9 Chementator
Low-cost solar collectors provide renewable process heat; A
hyperstable zeolite catalyst for methanol-to-olefin conversion;
Using sulfur to store solar energy; Harvesting agricultural fertilizer
from wastewater sludge; Plasma oxidation for making carbon
fibers; and more
16 Business News
Dow plans for U.S. growth with five-year investment strategy;
Arkema inaugurates molecular-sieve production lines in France;
Wacker expands its integrated ketene production in Burghausen;
ExxonMobil to acquire aromatics plant in Singapore; and more
18 Newsfront The Digital Transformation in the CPI
An overview of how the chemical process industries are looking to the IIoT to
help form new business models in a competitive environment 44
22 Newsfront A New Mentality in Process Modeling

Predictive process models enable more efficient operations and
higher-value products
26 Newsfront Benefits of Sophisticated Motor & Drive
Technologies New motors and drives provide energy efficiency and
reliability in chemical applications
18
Technical and Practical

42 Facts at your Fingertips Alarm Management This one-
page reference provides information on common alarm-management metrics,
which can foster focused remedial actions and ultimately lead to a safer, better- 22
performing plant
43 Technology Profile Hydrogen Peroxide Production
This process description outlines the manufacture of hydrogen peroxide using
a conventional anthraquinone auto-oxidation (AO) process
52 Feature Report Getting the Most from Severe Service 26
Valves Severe service valves (SSVs) differ from general purpose valves in
important ways. Presented here is guidance on how to increase service life,
reduce costs and improve safety and environmental performance of SSVs
59 Engineering Practice Improve Energy Efficiency

Using Hydraulic Power Recovery Turbines
This mature technology can be used to save energy, generate revenue and
reduce emissions
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM JUNE 2017 1

65 Solids Processing Guarding Against Fires and
Explosions Caused by Self-Heating The two experimental
methods presented here can be used to quantify powder self-heating hazards
in layer and bulk conditions in industrial processes
Equipment and Services

32 Focus on Heating and Cooling Equipment
Guard against gasket wear in plate heat exchangers; This partnership provides
a stronger offering of tubes; This compact heat exchanger has no moving parts;
Reduce chemical condensation in semiconductor operations; Boost safety by
removing coke buildup in furnaces; and more
65 36 New Products
A high-capacity centrifugal pellet dryer; This pressure gage covers an extreme
pressure range; A non-intrusive system for temperature measurement; These
AODD pumps handle high head pressures; This booster increases flows by up
to 500%; A next generation of rotary-screw compressors; Store laboratory acids
safely with these cabinets; and more
32
Departments
5 Editor’s Page Achieving commercialization
The Kirkpatrick Chemical Engineering Achievement Award honors innovative
technologies that have been commercialized in the past two years. Six finalists
for the 2017 award are announced
6 Letters
80 Economic Indicators
36
Advertisers
70 Hot Products
71 Industrial Internet of Things Special Advertising
Section
76 Classified
78 Reader Service
79 Ad Index
Chemical Connections
Follow @ChemEngMag on Twitter
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Webinars, Test your Knowledge Quizzes, Bookshelf
and more
Coming in July
Look for: Feature Reports on Plant & Process Safety; and Adsorbents;
A Focus on Software; A Facts at your Fingertips on Zeolites;
News Articles on Nitric Acid Production; and Packaging; New
Products; and much more
Cover design: Rob Hudgins
Cover photo: Courtesy of Fluor
2 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM JUNE 2017

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Editor s Page
EDITORS ART & DESIGN
Achieving commercialization
DOROTHY LOZOWSKI ROB HUDGINS
M
Editorial Director Graphic Designer uch hard work goes into developing new processes and
rhudgins@accessintel.com
dlozowski@chemengonline.com products, and few of these developments make it to
GERALD ONDREY (FRANKFURT) PRODUCTION commercialization. Those innovative technologies that
Senior Editor
gondrey@chemengonline.com SOPHIE CHAN-WOOD have been commercialized are honored by Chemical En-
Production Manager
schan-wood@accessintel.com gineering through the Kirkpatrick Chemical Engineering Achievement
SCOTT JENKINS
Senior Editor INFORMATION Award, which is bestowed every other year. This year, six finalists
sjenkins@chemengonline.com SERVICES were selected from the many nominations that we received. While
MARY PAGE BAILEY CHARLES SANDS we at Chemical Engineering organize the award, the finalists are not
Associate Editor Director of Digital Development
mbailey@chemengonline.com csands@accessintel.com chosen by our staff, but by heads of chemical engineering depart-
PUBLISHER, SALES & CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
ment at accredited universities. The finalists will have the opportunity
MARKETING
SUZANNE A. SHELLEY
to present their technologies at the Chem Show in New York City on
MATTHEW GRANT sshelley@chemengonline.com November 1. The winner will be announced that evening. Here is a
mattg@powermag.com
CHARLES BUTCHER (U.K.) brief summary of the six technologies that made it to the finals:
AUDIENCE cbutcher@chemengonline.com
DEVELOPMENT
PAUL S. GRAD (AUSTRALIA) CB&I/Albemarle — Solid catalyst alkylation process. The Al-
SARAH GARWOOD pgrad@chemengonline.com
Audience Marketing Director kyClean technology eliminates the use of liquid acids for the produc-
sgarwood@accessintel.com
TETSUO SATOH (JAPAN)
tsatoh@chemengonline.com
tion of motor fuel alkylate, and thus eliminates the hazards and op-
JESSICA GRIER
Marketing Manager
erating issues associated with handling liquid acids. The world’s first
jgrier@accessintel.com JOY LEPREE (NEW JERSEY) solid catalyst alkylation process was commercialized with this new
jlepree@chemengonline.com
GEORGE SEVERINE catalyst and process.
Fulfillment Manager
gseverine@accessintel.com
Chemetry — eShuttle technology. This technology eliminates chlo-
JEN FELLING rine generation from the traditional chlor-alkali process used to syn-
List Sales, Statlistics (203) 778-8700
j.felling@statlistics.com thesize chlorinated organic compounds. In addition to eliminating
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD the safety concerns and costs associated with chlorine handling, the
technology requires less energy to operate.
JOHN CARSON JOHN HOLLMANN
Jenike & Johanson, Inc. Validation Estimating LLC
DAVID DICKEY HENRY KISTER Dow Coating Materials — Canvera, Polyolefin Dispersion Tech-
MixTech, Inc. Fluor Corp. nology. Metal food and beverage containers require an interior coating
HEADQUARTERS
to protect the contents and the container itself. With this innovative
40 Wall Street, 50th floor, New York, NY 10005, U.S. technology, a polyethylene film can be applied to the metal, using an
Tel: 212-621-4900
Fax: 212-621-4694 aqueous dispersion of polyethylene. These coatings address concerns
EUROPEAN EDITORIAL OFFICES
about leaching of other materials that have been used in the past.
Zeilweg 44, D-60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Tel: 49-69-9573-8296
Fax: 49-69-5700-2484 Dow Coating Materials — Paraloid Edge Technology. Paraloid
CIRCULATION REQUESTS: Edge technology produces urethane coatings without isocyanate
Tel: 847-564-9290 or formaldehyde. The polyurethane coating is formed by a reaction
Fax: 847-564-9453
Fullfillment Manager; P.O. Box 3588, between a polycarbamate and a di-aldehyde. In addition to being
Northbrook, IL 60065-3588
email: chemeng@omeda.com safer, the product is said to be superior to conventional urethanes
ADVERTISING REQUESTS: SEE P. 78 in performance.
For reprints, licensing and permissions: Wright's Media, 1-877-652-5295,
sales@wrightsmedia.com
Microvi — Denitrovi Biocatalytic Nitrate Removal. Denitrovi ad-
ACCESS INTELLIGENCE, LLC dresses the challenge of removing nitrates from drinking water. With
DON PAZOUR
Chief Executive Officer
JONATHAN RAY
Vice President, Digital
this technology, organisms housed in biocatalysts degrade nitrate
and convert it into nitrogen gas. One of the key achievements in this
HEATHER FARLEY MICHAEL KRAUS
Chief Operating Officer Vice President, process is that no sludge is formed. The technology is also said to be
Production, Digital Media & Design
more cost efficient than other technologies, such as ion-exchange.
ED PINEDO
Executive Vice President STEVE BARBER
& Chief Financial Officer Vice President,
Financial Planning and Internal Audit Praxair — Oxygen-fired combustion with ther-
MACY L. FECTO
Exec. Vice President, GERALD STASKO
mochemical regenerators. The Optimelt ther-
Human Resources & Administration Vice President/Corporate Controller mochemical regenerator process is said to be the
JENNIFER SCHWARTZ first commercial oxy-fuel glass melting process
Senior Vice President & Group Publisher
Aerospace, Energy, Healthcare that utilizes endothermic chemical reactions for
waste heat recovery. Savings of 15–18% in fuel
ROB PACIOREK
Senior Vice President,
9211 Corporate Blvd., 4th Floor
Rockville, MD 20850-3240
and oxygen along with low NOx emissions have
Chief Information Officer www.accessintel.com
been demonstrated. ■
Dorothy Lozowski, Editorial Director

Letters
Atmospheric storage tanks
This refers to the [Engineering Practice] article “Designing
Atmospheric Storage Tanks” [March 2017, pp. 77–82].
It is interesting and informative. Please convey my con-
gratulations to the author. Some of the suggested meth-
ods may lead to expensive designs and are not needed,
based on my experience in the industry.
The statement “tank heights do not exceed 1.5 times
the tank diameter” may be true only for sites where land
is not at premium… The API codes do not prohibit tank
height versus diameter ratio.
Large diameter, low height (squatter) tanks end up with
much higher dead volume as compared to tall (slim) tanks…
With economics tightening, refiners seek the least dead in-
ventory, as large dead inventories in storage tanks do not
generate revenue. [Also], in the case of blanketed tanks,
the inert gas inventory and consumption increases due to
[a] large gas-space at [the] top for large diameter tanks.....
A tall tank may require heavy foundation. However, the
cost evens out due to smaller footprint. Similarly, tank
weights even out. ....
Gopal Murti, P.E., senior consultant
The Augustus Group, Montgomery, Texas
Author’s response
It feels great that the author [of the above letter] has taken SOME THINK
time to go through my article and share his comments.
The exact statement as given in the article (p. 80) is “In
general, tank heights do not exceed 1.5 times the tank
A 90%
diameter.” The prefix “In general” ....sufficiently points out
that no specific scenario is being spoken about. Also, no DECREASE
prohibitions about L/D [height-to-diameter ratio] nor any
reference to API is suggested in this regard….
It is indeed correct that dead inventories below float- IN ENERGY
ing roof (known as tank heel) do not generate revenue.
However, this [was] a specific example where allowances
for jet mixer and floating roof add to the requirement.
USE WILL
Lowering the minimum operating level of the floating roof
increases the tank net-working capacity and reduces as- COMPROMISE
sociated vapor emissions. The goal is to reduce the roof
landing position for reduced heel operations.
[In a project involving a tank farm of a refinery in the
THROUGHPUT.
Middle East], there was a heel pump (rotary pump) to
drain out the tank with its suction pipe dipped in the tank
sump to empty it out as much as possible… This heel
WE THINK
pump transferred its contents to a re-run tank.
The reference to tank foundations is restricted only to
a single sentence. ... Also it is clearly stated (p. 79) that
DIFFERENT.
“To obtain an economical unit, it is the tank manufacturer
At BEUMER we have a reputation for making things
who will choose the number of courses and plate widths
to obtain the height required for a given diameter. Hence a little different. Take the stretch-film pallet packaging
a process or mechanical design engineer does not nec- system, BEUMER stretch hood®. In a sector where
essarily specify the number of shell plate courses.” energy-intensive shrink hooding is still common, BEUMER
It is considered that the revision status of the datasheet stretch hood® uses a non-thermal stretch-film system.
is preliminary (on p. 80) and will be updated as engineer- The result: better load stability, higher throughput, up to
ing progresses.... 10 times less film consumption and 90% energy savings.
Prasanna Kenkre All this makes a big difference to productivity – and to the
Jacobs Engineering environment.
For more information, visit www.beumergroup.com
Editor’s note: The two letters above are exerpts. The full
letters can be found online at www.chemengonline.com

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Chementator
Low-cost solar collectors provide renewable Edited by:
process heat Gerald Ondrey
T
he first pre-commer- Network
Solar steam
cial demonstration has EFFICIENT DISTILLATION
started for a system that Solar Last month, Toyo Engineer-
can provide steam for boiler
ing Corp. (Toyo; Chiba, www.
industrial process heat using toyo-eng.co.jp) and Koch-
solar energy at prices lower Glitsch, LP (Wichita, Kan.;
than using natural gas. The www.koch-glitsch.com) an-
technology uses solar ther- Fossil steam nounced a new partnership
mal collectors to generate hot to distribute Toyo’s energy-
water, air or steam in the range Fossil saving distillation system,
boiler SuperHIDiC, to new global
of 100–300°C for a host of unit Condensate return
operations, including steam markets in Europe and the
Middle East.
pasteurization, drying, cleaning, Traditional boiler house
Solar condensate SuperHIDiC provides en-
roasting and others. The low- Solar-thermal collectors Sunvapor ergy savings of over 50%
cost solar thermal heat reduces compared to conventional
emissions of greenhouse gases and oxides cess that can compensate for these varia- distillation systems in vari-
of nitrogen (NOx). tions to achieve a true parabola and main- ous industrial applications,
The company Sunvapor Inc. (Livermore, tain its form even in the presence of high says Toyo. With its enhanced
Calif.; www.sunvapor.net) has developed a winds. The company uses highly accurate heat-integrated distillation
new method for assembling and installing metrology to align a template fixture, onto column, SuperHIDiC has
solar thermal collectors that cuts costs by half which each collector module is assembled. been recognized as the ulti-
compared to existing solar thermal systems. The location of each mirror panel making mate energy-saving distilla-
tion system (for more details,
“We have completely re-thought the most up the parabola is located to sub-millimeter
see Chem. Eng., January
critical element of the solar thermal plant — accuracy using the same type of three-di- 2012, p. 10). The first com-
the collectors,” explains Philip Gleckman, mensional laser technology found in mod- mercial application of Super-
president of Sunvapor. “Leveraging existing ern aerospace manufacturing. HIDiC — for the production
building construction techniques, Sunvapor Sunvapor has partnered with California of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)
uses forest products to support the optical pistachio producer Horizon Nut on the ini- at Maruzen Petrochemical
elements of the parabolic trough, rather than tial demonstration of the system, which was Co. — started up recently
the traditional steel,” he says. In this way, the funded with a cooperative award from the in Japan (Chem. Eng. April
manufacturing and assembly of the collector U.S. Dept. of Energy’s SunShot program. 2017, p. 9).
avoids the need for precision fabricated parts The pre-commercial demonstration will in-
and expensive labor for their assembly. clude a single 50-kW solar collector module NEW ADSORBENTS
However, to use lumber rather than steel, the size of two buses side-by-side. Using Last month, Clariant’s Busi-
the company had to overcome the difficult a heat-purchase model that does not re- ness Unit Catalysts (Munich,
engineering challenge of achieving high lev- quire companies to outlay capital upfront, Germany; www.clariant.
com) introduced two new
els of precision and durability for the collec- Sunvapor seeks to move beyond the food
additions to its ActiSorb GP
tors, which are composed of components production industry into chemical and petro- Series of adsorbent prod-
that have significant variability in mechani- leum manufacturing, where the process heat ucts. ActiSorb GP 108, for
cal and geometric properties. Sunvapor could be used in distillation and other unit
has developed a proprietary alignment pro- operations involving steam. (Continues on p. 10)
A hyperstable zeolite catalyst for methanol-to-olefin conversion
T
he New Energy and Industrial demonstrated the methanol-to-olefin ity, even after high-temperature steam
Technology Development Or- (MTO) process using a compact, fixed- treatment. The new catalyst was shown
ganization (NEDO, Kawasaki bed pilot facility installed at Mitsubishi to have a lifetime of 1,500 h at 500°C,
City; Japan; www.nedo.go.jp), Chemical. With the new MTO process, which is nearly twice that of existing
in partnership with Japan Technologi- the researchers were also able to pre- MTO catalyst systems, and it can en-
cal Research Assn. of Artificial Pho- vent a reduction in catalytic activity, dure de-coking treatment, NEDO says.
tosynthetic Chemical Process (ARP- even after steam processing at tem- Researchers from the Tokyo Institute
Chem) members, Mitsubishi Chemical peratures higher than 500°C. of Technology confirmed that the cata-
Corp. and the Tokyo Institute of Tech- In the new zeolite catalyst, acid sites lyst life can be prolonged by introduc-
nology, has developed a hyperstable attributable to tetra-coordinated alumi- ing aluminum atoms into specific sites,
zeolite catalyst that provides high-yield num within the zeolite framework are and that metal doping enhances the
productivity for lower olefins (C2–C4) catalytically active for the MTO reaction. selectivity of the MTO reaction. They
from methanol. Using methanol syn- It was confirmed that these active sites observed a 83% yield for C2–C4 ole-
thesized from CO2, the researchers are stable and maintain catalytic activ- fins at a reaction temperature of 550°C.

the removal of sulfur from gas Using sulfur to store solar energy DLR
streams, is said to offer high
A
capacity that lowers operat- n international Concentrated
group of re- solar-thermal Baseload electric
ing costs and extends cycle 2H2O + 3SO2 ➞ 2H2SO4 + S power generation
lengths. The product is suit- searchers, co- power <200°C (liquid phase)
able for the purification of dry ordinated by the
and wet gas streams that con- Institute of Solar Research SO2 + H2O SO2
tain hydrogen sulfide, traces of the German Aerospace
of mercaptans and carbonyl Sulfuric acid SO2
Center e.V. (DLR; Co- decomposition disproportionation
Sulfur combustion
sulfide. ActiSorb GP 418 is
logne, Germany; www.dlr.
an adsorbent for the removal
of all forms of mercury from
de), is developing a sulfur- H2SO4 S
dry gas streams, and is said based storage system for 2H2SO4 ➞ 2H2O + S + O2 ➞ SO2
2SO2 + O2 Sulfuric acid Elemental sulfur >1,000°C
to offer 2–3 times better per- solar power. Large-scale >800°C storage storage
formance than conventional, chemical storage of solar
commercially-available mer- power and its overnight
cury adsorbents. use as a fuel are to be achieved by means the H2SO4 is concentrated and decomposed
of a closed sulfur-sulfuric acid cycle. The using heat produced by a concentrated solar-
‘UP-CYCLING’ four-year, €4.7-million Pegasus project is thermal tower. The technology will be tested
Last month, SGL Group (Wi- being funded under the E.U.’s Horizon 2020 under real conditions at the Jülich Solar
esbaden, Germany; www. Framework Program. The partners are DLR, Power Tower Facility (STJ) in Germany.
sglgroup.com) became an the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; The partners will demonstrate the feasibility
official up-cycling partner of Germany) the Center for Research and Tech- of the overall process. A detailed flowsheet
Dyneon GmbH (Burgkirchen, nology CERTH (Greece), Brightsource Indus- will be drafted and the optimized integrated
Germany), a subsidiary of 3M
tries Israel Ltd., Processi Innovativi S.r.l. (Italy) process scaled to the 5-MW thermal-power
Deutschland GmbH (www.3m.
com), and was awarded the
and Baltic Ceramics S.A. (Poland). level shall be analyzed. Prototypes of the key
up-cycling signet 2017. In the process under development (dia- components, such as the solar absorber,
Dyneon, in collaboration with gram), elemental sulfur is burned as fuel for sulfuric acid evaporator, sulfur trioxide de-
the University of Bayreuth a power plant, producing electricity and SO2 composer, and sulfur burner will be devel-
and the InVerTec research gas. The SO2 is mixed with water and con- oped and tested. In addition, the materials
institute, has developed an verted to fresh sulfur and dilute sulfuric acid in required for heat absorption, transfer and
innovative process for the a disproportionation reactor. Both products (S storage and for the catalysts of the chemi-
up-cycling of perfluorinated and H2SO4) can be easily stored using con- cal reactions will be tested for efficiency and
polymer residues as part of a ventional technology. To complete the cycle, long-term stability.
project funded by the German
Federal Foundation for the En-
vironment (Chem. Eng., May
2015, p. 16). This new waste
Harvesting agricultural fertilizers from
treatment technology en- wastewater sludge
ables environmentally friendly
R
and sustainable recovery of ecovery of the essential plant nutri- centrifuged and separated.
raw materials, which are then ent phosphorus from wastewater “For the process to work, we need to
used for the production of new can be an effective way to reduce separate the acidogenic portion of the pro-
materials. The award means runoff into waterways while avoid- cess from methanogenesis portion, in which
that fluoropolymers from SGL ing the need to obtain the element from methanogens convert organic acids to
Group are now approved for
mined minerals. While phosphorus recovery methane and CO2,” says Menachem Taban-
use in this recycling plant.
The industry’s first high-tem-
from wastewater effluent performs well, it is pour, NRU president.
perature up-cycling facility is much more difficult to harvest phosphorus The separation of the processes allows
located in the Gendorf Indus- efficiently from sewage sludge. A new pro- NRU to manipulate the pH of the P-contain-
trial Park in Burgkirchen, and cess can harvest 1.5-times the amount of ing solution by adding calcium hydroxide
is based on a multi-phase py- phosphorus from sewage sludge than pos- to raise the pH and precipitate the brushite
rolysis process. Via pyrolysis, sible with conventional technologies, while (CaHPO4.2H2O) from solution. In addition to
the perfluorinated “end-of-life” producing a valuable P-containing mineral, obtaining the solid fertilizer product, the pro-
waste material is split back into known as brushite, for agricultural fertilizer. cess also benefits downstream processing
monomers with a very high re- In May 2017, Nutrient Recovery and Up- by preventing buildup of P-containing stru-
covery rate of more than 90%.
cycling LLC (NRU; Madison, Wis.; www. vite species on pipes.
Monomers are fed into the ex-
isting distillation plant and can
nrutech.com) started up an optimized ver- The pilot, located at a municipal water
be reused in normal production. sion of its pilot plant in a new partnership treatment plant, processes 10 gal/min, and
with CNP/Centirsys, a municipal waste- the company envisions eventually scaling up
FOUR-IN-ONE CATALYST water treatment company. In the patented the process to work with plants larger than
Chemists at Brown Univer-
process, sewage sludge first enters a short- 10 million gal/d wastewater, as well as farms.
sity (Providence, R.I.; www. retention anaerobic acidogenic digester, NRU is also set to pilot a membrane-
brown.edu) have developed where bacteria break down the biopolymers based, nitrogen-recovery process that
a new composite catalyst that into organic acids and release phosphorus works by using electric fields to separate
into solution. The low-phosphorus solids are ammonium compounds.
(Continues on p. 12)
can perform four separate, sequential Plasma oxidation for making carbon fibers
reactions in a single reactor to pro-
C
duce pharmaceutical precursors. The arbon fibers, an increasingly in the carbon-fiber manufacturing pro-
new catalyst — described in a recent
essential component for light- cess. The plasma electrodes also gener-
issue of JACS — is made by grow-
ing silver-palladium nanoparticles
weight materials, are typically ate heat more efficiently than traditional
on the surface of nanorods made of made from polyacrylonitrile heaters and contribute to better heat
oxygen-deficient tungsten-oxide. The (PAN) in a three-step process consist- distribution and cooling inside the oven,
researchers showed that it could cata- ing of oxidation/stabilization, carbon- so significantly less airflow is required.
lyze the series of reactions needed to ization and surface treatment/sizing. Additionally, 4M is currently working to
convert formic acid, nitrobenzene and 4M Industrial Oxidation, LLC (Knoxville, optimize its plasma oxidation process for
an aldehyde into a benzoxazole, which Tenn.; www.4mio.com) intends to com- textile-grade PAN. The goal is to produce
can be used to make antibacterials, mercialize a technology to produce car- an industrial-grade carbon fiber from this
antifungals and NSAID painkillers. The bon fibers that accelerates the oxidation low-cost material, which would further
catalyst could also be used to make
step and uses significantly less energy lower manufacturing costs to levels of in-
quinazoline, which is used in a variety
of anti-cancer drugs.
than traditional techniques by replacing terest to the automotive industry.
Experiments showed that the cata- massive convection ovens with smaller 4M, along with oven manufacturer
lyst could perform the four reactions plasma-oxidation ovens. C.A. Litzler Co. (Cleveland, Ohio; www.
with a nearly quantitative yield, a lower “Our proprietary plasma technology is calitzler.com), is building the world’s
temperature, in a shorter amount of the cornerstone of the process,” explains first commercial-scale plasma-oxidation
time and using solvents that are more Truman Bonds, chief technology officer oven, and is in discussions with several
environmentally friendly than those of 4M. “Plasma oxidation only requires air carbon fiber manufacturers about build-
normally used for these reactions, and electricity, the same as conventional ing additional production lines over the
says Brown. The new catalyst could oxidation. Our plasma technology cre- next several years. “We are designing
be used up to five times with little drop-
ates special chemistry from air that oxi- and building a 175-ton oven now, which
off in reaction yield.
dizes the fiber three times faster on av- is a typical pilot line scale for the indus-
BIOBUTADIENE erage than conventional oxidation,” says try,” says Bonds. This design will be the
Bonds. 4M anticipates that the faster basis for larger-scale units — typical
A team of researchers from the Uni-
processing speed will allow for three carbon-fiber production scale is 1,500
versities of Delaware (www.udel.edu),
Minnesota (www.twin-cities.umn.edu)
times as much material to be produced tons, but 4M believes this technology
and Massachusetts (www.umass. in the same plant footprint as traditional can eventually enable production lines of
edu) has found a new route for mak- oxidation. This is the rate-limiting factor 4,000 tons and larger.
ing butadiene from sugars derived
from biomass, such as wood, grass or
corn. The authors of the study — de-
scribed in a recent issue of Sustainable Scaleup for cellulose nanofiber production
Chemistry and Engineering — are all
N
affiliated with the Catalysis Center for ippon Paper Industries Co. transparent, and can easily be chemi-
Energy Innovation (CCEI) based at the
(NPI; Tokyo, Japan; www. cally modified into functional materials.
University of Delaware. CCEI is an En-
ergy Frontier Research Center funded
nipponpapergroup.com) has in- For example, in 2015, NPI succeeded
by the U.S. Dept. of Energy (Washing- stalled the world’s largest facility in producing CNF sheets with a large
ton, D.C.; www.energy.gov). of its kind for the commercial production amount of metal ions on the surface,
Using technology developed within of cellulose nanofiber (CNF). Located at which render antimicrobial and deodor-
CCEI, the team first converted sugars its Ishinomaki Works in Miyagi Prefecture, izing effects. NPI’s subsidiary, Nippon
to a ring compound called furfural, the $16-million investment has a produc- Paper Crecia Co., became the first com-
which is then transformed into tetrahy- tion capacity of 500 ton/yr — significantly pany to commercialize health-care prod-
drofuran (THF). In the third step, THF is higher than the company’s 30-ton/yr ucts (for instance, adult diapers) utilizing
directly converted into butadiene with demonstration facility at the Iwakuni Mill such functionalized CNF.
better than 95% yield, via a “dehydra-
that started up in October 2013. NPI has since been developing a wide
decyclization” reaction using a new
catalyst called “phosphorus all-silica
At Ishinomaki, NPI is producing ho- range of other applications for CNF,
zeolite,” developed within the center. mogeneous and “perfectly” dispersed such as functionalized sheets with a
“Our team combined a catalyst we CNF from wood pulp, using a tech- thermal dimensional stability equal to
recently discovered with new and ex- nique developed in 2011 by the re- that of glass fibers and high gas-barrier
citing chemistry to find the first high- search group of professor Akira Isogai properties that do not allow oxygen to
yield, low-cost method of manufac- at the University of Tokyo. The process penetrate. Nanocomposite materials
turing butadiene,” says CCEI director involves the TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetra- made of CNF, resin and rubber have
Dionisios Vlachos, the Allan and Myra methylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical)-medi- also been developed for applications re-
Ferguson Professor of Chemical and ated oxidation of pulp, followed by mild quiring low weight and added strength.
Biomolecular Engineering at the Uni-
disintegration in water. The TEMPO- This work is being supported by New
versity of Delaware.
Butadiene is used for making rub-
oxidized CNF made from wood fiber Energy and Industrial Technology Devel-
bers (styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile is finely defibrated to the nano-scale opment Organization (NEDO) under the
butadiene rubber) and plastics (acrylo- and completely nano-dispersed, to authority of Japan’s Ministry of Econ-
nitrile-butadiene-styrene). give uniform fiber widths (3–4 nm) and omy, Trade and Industry (METI; Tokyo;
high crystallinity. The crystalline CNF is www.meti.go.jp).
(Continues on p. 14)

Silk-based batteries for
medical implants
R
esearchers from the University of Wollongong
(Australia; www.uow.edu.au), led by professor
Gordon Wallace and Caiyun Wang, built a battery
with electrodes and a solid electrolyte out of silk.
Previous attempts at making such biodegradable, dis- Steel Belts for the
solvable batteries used natural, biocompatible materials
for the electrodes and electrolytes. The electrolytes were Chemical Industry
usually solutions of various salts in water. However, liquid
electrolytes can leak out and degrade battery electrodes,
and they make batteries relatively bulky.
The solid electrolyte enables thinner, flatter and more
flexible and robust batteries. Among other applications,
the silk battery is ideal for temporary medical implants
because it can be made into thin films, is biocompatible
and is designed to harmlessly dissolve in the body in a We are your reliable partner for steel
few weeks, once its work has been done.
Thin films are made by dissolving fibroin (a fibrous belts when it comes to continuous
silk protein derived from silkworm cocoons) in water. production in the chemical industry.
The solution is then spread in a mold. After the water
evaporates, ultrathin films of silk can be peeled off. The We can provide you with complete
electrolyte is made by infusing a piece of silk membrane solutions, no matter if you need steel
with an ionic liquid (choline nitrate). The anode is made
by depositing a biocompatible magnesium alloy onto belts, machines or machine parts.
a piece of the silk film, and the cathode is made by
depositing gold onto another piece of silk film. The elec-
trolyte is then sandwiched between the two electrode Your advantages:
films, and the assembly fused together at the uncoated
edges with a sticky, amorphous silk film. The postage-  High corrosion resistance
stamp-sized, 170-µm-thick device generates 0.87 V  Tailor made products
with a power density of 8.7 µW/cm2, which is enough
to power an implantable medical sensor.  Excellent mechanical, physical
The device decomposed almost completely after 45
days in a saline buffer solution, leaving behind inert gold
and geometrical properties
nanoparticles, which would be cleared by the body.
Enhanced perovskites
R
esearchers from the Ulsan National Institute
of Science and Technology (Ulsan; www.
unist.ac.kr) have found a new way to increase
the energy efficiency of metal-air batteries — Austrian quality
which are next-generation energy devices — by adding
the conducting polymer polypyrrole (pPy). According to
the researchers, when either a perovskite or pPy are
used alone, their catalytic activity cannot match that of
platinum, but when used together, however, their cata-
lytic effect matched that of platinum.
Nitrogen-containing electrocatalysts, such as metal-ni-
trogen-carbon composites and nitrogen-doped carbons,
are known to exhibit high activity for an oxygen-reduction
reaction. However, a strong electronic interaction be-
tween nitrogen and active sites has been found in these T: +43 2672 800 0
composites. The researchers demonstrated a case in b a n d @ b e r n d o r f. c o . a t
which nitrogen improves the electroactivity, but in the
absence of a strong interaction with other components.
The researchers thus found a way of increasing the cat-
alytic activity of perovskite oxide catalysts for the oxygen- www.berndorf-band.at
reduction reaction (ORR) or oxygen-evolution reaction
(OER) in rechargeable metal-air batteries and fuel cells. www.berndorfband-group.com
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM 13
ANIMAL FEED Nanorod arrays as photocatalysts
Last month, The Perstorp Group (Malmö,
M
Sweden; www.perstorp.com) introduced any ZnO@TiO2 core-shell composition of methylene blue revealed
ProPhorce Valerins — a new organic acid nanorod arrays (the nota- that the arrays have excellent photo-
for animal feed. ProPhorce Valerins are glyc- tion means ZnO is the core catalytic activity compared with the per-
erol esters of valeric acid, and have been inside the TiO2 shell) with formance of the ZnO nanorod arrays.
shown to reduce the negative impact of good photocatalytic activity have been According to the team, the superior
Clostridium perfringens, says the company. designed and synthesized. There has photocatalytic performance could be at-
Since 2010, Perstorp has been working been an increasing interest in the design tributed to the fact that the large binding
on ways to reduce the usage of antibiot-
and synthesis of those arrays to improve energy of ZnO and the high reactivity of
ics in animal husbandry, focusing on how
short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) drive gut
the quantum efficiency of dye-sensitized TiO2 can significantly increase the pro-
health and performance. Research has solar cells, to produce highly transparent cess of electron and hole transfer be-
been conducted by specialists in Per- self-cleaning coatings for LEDs, and to tween the corresponding conduction and
storp’s innovation laboratories together use as photocatalysts for the decompo- valence bands. Thus, compared with
with the Universities of Ghent and Lund sition of organic pollutants in wastewater. photoanode materials or single metal-
and the Southern Poultry Research Group However, it is still necessary to de- oxide catalysts, a better separation of
(Athens, Ga.). The research conducted velop a low-temperature, low-cost and photogenerated carriers can be obtained
included an extensive screening of all environmentally friendly way to prepare in ZnO@TiO2 core-shell structures.
the SCFAs available. ProPhorce Valerins those arrays over a large area for future Also, the team says, it is very easy to
showed remarkable results, especially in
device applications. separate or recover ZnO@TiO2-array
broiler chicken diets in the presence of a
Clostridium perfringens challenge.
Now a team from Huaibei Normal Uni- catalysts when they are used in water
The commercial introduction of Pro- versity (Huaibei, China; www.hbcnc.edu. purification processes.
Phorce Valerins will commence immedi- cn), has reported a facile, green and ef- Recycling of a photocatalyst in nano-
ately in selected markets. Perstorp says ficient route for the preparation of ZnO@ meter scale is important in practical ap-
this is the first new organic acid to be in- TiO2 nanorod arrays with a highly uniform plications, the team says. “Thus, our
troduced into animal feed in decades, and core-shell structure over a large area on a proposed route to prepare ZnO@TiO2
that it is now producing both the product Zn wafer. The team uses a vapor-thermal core-shell structure catalysts represents
ProPhorce Valerins, and its main precur- method at relatively low temperature. a very important advance for environ-
sors, valeric acid and glycerol. ❑ The team said the photocatalytic de- mental remediation applications.” n
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Business News
LINEUP Plant Watch Arkema inaugurates molecular sieve
production lines in France
Dow plans for significant U.S. growth
AKZONOBEL April 27, 2017 — Arkema (Colombes, France;
with five-year investment strategy
ARKEMA May 11, 2017 — The Dow Chemical Co. www.arkema.com), inaugurated new specialty
(Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) announced molecular sieve capacity at its plant in Honfleur,
BIOSYNTHETIC
a five-year investment plan that includes France. Representing an investment of around
TECHNOLOGIES
expansion of Dow’s new TX-9 ethylene €60 million, this capacity expansion marks the
BP cracker through the addition of two furnaces, doubling of capacity for Arkema’s specialty
bringing the facility’s total ethylene capacity to molecular sieves dedicated to aromatics
CB&I
2 million metric tons per year (m.t./yr). Dow separation, in particular xylenes separation.
CHEVRON also plans to construct a 600,000-m.t./yr
CHROMALLOY polyethylene unit on the U.S. Gulf Coast and Wacker expands its integrated ketene
conduct global debottleneck projects to deliver production in Burghausen
DOW 350,000 m.t. of additional polyethylene. April 25, 2017 — Wacker Group (Munich,
EXXONMOBIL Germany; www.wacker.com) is expanding
Kraton opens new the integrated ketene production capacity
FORMOSA at its Burghausen, Germany site by building
HSBC plant in Taiwan
HUNTSMAN May 10, 2017 — Kraton Corp. (Houston; www. an additional reactor for the manufacture of
kraton.com) announced the opening of its isopropenyl acetate (IPA). The new unit will
INEOS STYROLUTION produce 2,500 m.t./yr of IPA, an important
new hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer
KRATON (HSBC) plant in Mailiao, Taiwan. The plant has starting material for acetylacetone. Capital
capacity to produce 30,000 m.t./yr of HSBC. expenditures of almost €2 million are budgeted
MESSER
The new plant is owned and operated by Kraton for the capacity increase.
PENTAIR Formosa Polymers Co., a joint venture (JV)
SHOWA DENKO between Kraton and Formosa Petrochemical Messer to build the largest
Corp. (Mailiao; www.fpcc.com) industrial-gas facility in Vietnam
SIEMENS April 21, 2017 — Messer (Bad Soden/Frankfurt,
SINOPEC Showa Denko to increase production Germany; www.messergroup.com) will construct
of high-purity aluminum two plants in Dung Quat, Vietnam for the supply
WACKER
May 10, 2017 — Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; of industrial gases to Hoa Phat Steel. Both plants
WORLEYPARSONS Tokyo, Japan; www.sdk.co.jp) will increase are expected to start operation in November
its capacity in China to produce high-purity 2018. Total production capacity amounts to
3 3
aluminum foil, which is a major material for 80,000 Nm /h of oxygen and 160,000 Nm /h
aluminum electrolytic capacitors. SDK’s of nitrogen, making it the largest production
subsidiary Showa Denko Aluminum (Nantong) facility for industrial gases in Vietnam. Messer
Ltd. (SDAN) will extend capacity to produce is investing over $90 million in the project.
high-purity aluminum foil from 600 to 800
m.t./ month, and start operation of the expanded WorleyParsons wins FEED
plant in November 2017. contract from Biosynthetic Technologies
April 20, 2017 — WorleyParsons Ltd. (North
Formosa awards contract to CB&I for Sydney, Australia; www.worleyparsons.
Ningbo phenol and cumene plant com) won a contract to perform front-end
May 8, 2017 — CB&I (The Woodlands, Tex.; engineering design (FEED) services for a new
www.cbi.com) was awarded a contract by synthetic base-oil facility that will commercialize
Formosa for the license and engineering design Biosynthetic Technologies’ process technology
of a cumene and phenol plant expansion in to convert natural oils into performance base
Ningbo, China. The original plant was licensed stocks. The plant will be constructed on the
in 2010 by CB&I, and will now be re-engineered Texas Gulf Coast.
to achieve higher capacity.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Ineos Styrolution to boost capacities for ExxonMobil to acquire aromatics
ASA and ABS in Mexico and the U.S. plant in Singapore
April 28, 2017 — Ineos Styrolution (Frankfurt, May 11, 2017 — ExxonMobil Chemical Co.
Germany; www.ineos-styrolution.com) plans to (Houston; www.exxonmobilchemical.com)
expand capacity for ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene announced that its Singapore affiliate has
styrene) and ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate) reached an agreement with Jurong Aromatics
in the Americas. The plans include constructing Corp. to acquire its plant located on Jurong
a new ASA plant in Bayport, Tex. with a capacity Island in Singapore. With a production capacity
of 100,000 m.t./yr and increasing the ABS of 1.4 million m.t./yr, the plant is said to be
Look for more capacity at Ineos’ plant in Altamira, Mexico. one of the largest in the world. The company
latest news on The new ASA plant in Bayport is expected to expects to complete the transaction in the
chemengonline.com be operational by the end of 2020. second half of 2017.
Pentair to split into
two companies
May 10, 2017 — The Board of Directors of Pentair plc (London;
www.pentair.com) has approved a plan to separate into two
independent, publicly traded companies focused on the
water and electrical sectors, respectively. Pentair expects
to complete the separation in the second quarter of 2018.
The water-focused business will retain the Pentair name,
and the electrical business will be named at a later date. RECE
IVE FU
Siemens and Chromalloy form
turbine-blade joint venture ACCELL
May 10, 2017 — Siemens AG (Munich, Germany; www.
siemens.com) and Chromalloy Gas Turbine LLC (Palm
Beach Gardens, Fla.; www.chromalloy.com) have entered
a partnership to form a new JV called Advanced Airfoil
to ALL
at Yo
SS
Facts of Chemic
al Eng
one cour Fingertip ineering’s
Components. The primary scope of the company will be nvenie s
turbine blade and vane cast components. Both partners nt locaarticles in
are investing approximately $130 million to create a new tion.
production facility in the U.S., which is scheduled for EACH INFORMATION
completion in the fall of 2018. PACKED PDF ARTICLE includes
Huntsman announces separation of graphs, charts, tables, equations and
Venator Materials subsidiary columns on the full chemical engineer-
May 8, 2017 — Huntsman Corp. (The Woodlands, Tex.; www. ing processes you deal with on a daily
huntsman.com) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary
Venator Materials has publicly filed a registration statement basis. This is the tool you will come to
for a proposed initial public offering. Once separated from rely on, referring back to the information
Huntsman, Venator will own Huntsman’s Titanium Dioxide again and again with just the click of a
and Performance Additives businesses. The offering is
expected to commence in 2017. mouse.
BP to sell interest in Facts at Your Fingertips

SECCO to Sinopec
April 27, 2017 — BP plc (London; www.bp.com) has agreed Topics Include:
to sell its 50% stake in the Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical
Co. (SECCO) to Gaoqiao Petrochemical Co., a wholly • Conservation Economics: Carbon
owned subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. Pricing Impacts
(Sinopec), BP’s JV partner, for $1.68 billion. SECCO is • Distillation Tray Design
currently owned by BP (50%), Sinopec (30%) and Sinopec
Shanghai Petrochemical Co. (20%). • Burner Operating Characteristics
• Measurement Guide for Replacement
AkzoNobel plans to separate Seals
Specialty Chemicals business unit
April 19, 2017 — AkzoNobel N.V. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; • Steam Tracer Lines and Traps
www.akzonobel.com) outlined a new strategy to create two • Positive Displacement Pumps
separate companies — Paints and Coatings and Specialty • Low-Pressure Measurement for
Chemicals. The separation of Specialty Chemicals is to take
place within 12 months. AkzoNobel anticipates €50 million Control Valves
in cost savings related to the separation of the Specialty • Creating Installed Gain Graphs
Chemicals business. • Aboveground and Underground
Chevron to sell Canadian Storage Tanks
downstream assets to Parkland
April 19, 2017 — Parkland Fuel Corp. (Calgary, Alta., Canada;
www.parkland.ca) announced that it has entered into an Receive full access today
agreement with Chevron Canada Ltd. (CCL) to acquire all of by visiting
the shares of Chevron Canada R&M ULC, which operates
its Canadian integrated downstream fuel business. The www.chemengonline.com/
acquisition includes a petroleum refinery in Burnaby that magazine/facts-at-your-fingertips
produces 55,000 bbl/d. Parkland will pay approximately
$1.1 billion for the acquired business. ■ 24670
Mary Page Bailey
Newsfront
The Digital Transformation in

the CPI
An overview of how the chemical process industries are looking to the IIoT to help form new
business models in a competitive environment
T
IN BRIEF oday, technological advances are senior director Chemical and Refining Solu-
being made and implemented at tions, Emerson Automation Solutions (St.
WHAT IS THE DIGITAL an accelerated pace that is quickly Louis, Mo.; www.emerson.com) states, “IIoT
TRANSFORMATION?
changing the way we live and work. is partly about how we make data accessible
INSIGHTS FROM In our day-to-day environments we encoun- and then get the right data to the right person,
INDUSTRY LEADERS ter “smart” objects, including our phones, in the right format, at the right time — to make
TECHNOLOGICAL
cars and devices throughout our homes. a decision. It’s about transferring digital data
ADVANCES And, these devices are being connected to into digital intelligence by using the thousands
each other. This trend is also taking place in of touch and sensing points in your plant and
CONVERGENCE OF IT, OT industry, and while perhaps not as rapidly as advanced analytics to help you recognize
AND ET with our personal devices, changes are oc- patterns and make decisions based on pat-
curring quickly. terns instead of individual measurements.”
Industry 4.0 is another familiar term, per-
What is the digital transformation? haps more so in Europe than elsewhere, be-
More and more, smart sensors and equip- cause it has its origins in Germany. The term
ment that contain smart diagnostic features refers to this interconnectedness and related
are being used in industry to generate large concepts in the digital transformation as a
volumes of data. Advanced computing tech- fourth industrial revolution, with the first three
nologies are allowing these devices to be including mechanization, mass production
connected to each other, and to use the data and automation. Digitization, digitalization
in a variety of ways. This growing intercon- and “smart industry” are additional terms as-
nectedness of industrial operations is what is sociated with the current movement toward
meant by the now familiar term, the Industrial the implementation of IIoT and the newest
Internet of Things (IIoT). As Marcelo Carugo, digital technologies. These terms are used
Honeywell Connected Plant

How does IIoT work?
Visualization
Connect process intelligence Across entire enterprise
to business KPIs KPIs mgmt Alarm mgmt
Supply chain Predictive mtnce
Smart and secure Driven via instant notifications
collaboration Apply powerful analytics Collaboration
to detect and predict issues Across entire ecosystem System
integrators
Finance & Plant mgr
planning
Predictive
analytics Organize and visualize Operations Maintenance mgr
data in asset context Plant
OEMs leader Central
Operator
Enterprise engineering
SMEs Enterprise
Data management
and onsite control Capture realtime process Ecosystem
and event data Process Consultants
licensors
Actions
Smart & connected
assets and devices
FIGURE 1. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can connect assets across a company to create a powerful interconnected
enterprise as depicted in this graphic

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Photographer: Frank Preuss/Evonik
reality, big data, the digital twins and
other aspects of Industry 4.0 to help
achieve Dow’s 2025 sustainability
goals and to continue to improve our
safety performance. Safety, as well
as cybersecurity, remain paramount
as our industry continues to evolve.”
Earlier this year, Evonik Industries
AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.
com) confirmed its commitment to
the digital transformation by estab-
lishing a digitalization subsidiary,
Evonik Digital GmbH (Figure 2). The
group is building digital expertise and
developing digital business models
FIGURE 2. Rainer Gimbel (left) and Jeff Landau (right) are digital strategists in Evonik’s newly formed under the guidance of Henrik Hahn,
digitalization subsidiary, Evonik Digital GmbH
who holds the newly created position
interchangeably by some, and de- an environment where businesses of chief digital officer (CDO). Evonik
fined more rigorously by others, but need to respond with increasing is also the first chemical company to
in general they all refer to the same speed. Aligning production and busi- join the Industrial Internet Consortium
trend that goes beyond connecting ness through the tools available with (IIC; www.iiconsortium.com), which is
things, and often refers, in a broader digitalization offers new possibilities a global organization formed to pro-
sense, to connecting the process to for business models. mote the growth of the IIoT. Hahn
the business as well (Figure 1). John Cate, commercial director for says that it will become more and
Advances in sensors, data ana- Surface Chemistry at Akzo Nobel N.V. more common to realize truly person-
lytics, computing networks (the (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www. alized customer experiences, and in
“cloud”), software, additive manu- akzonobel.com) says, “We’ve been the future, there may be more com-
facturing, unmanned aerial vehicles driving digitalization across our en- petition between business models
(UAVs or drones) and more, are entire business. It’s all about efficiency rather than between products or pro-
abling this fourth industrial revolution. and optimization. The digital world cess technology. “Therefore we be-
While the chemical process indus- delivers more comprehensible and lieve strategy, not technology, drives
tries (CPI) may be slower to adopt actionable data than we have ever digital transformation,” he says.
some of these technologies than the had before. By replacing gut-feeling
consumer market, the CPI are very with comprehensive, realtime data, Technological advances
familiar with the use of sensors and we are able to make better decisions. Technology, however, is an enabler for
automation and are well poised to Whether this is about plant utiliza- digital transformation. There is much
take advantage of the newer tech- tion, selecting R&D projects to fund, going on in this area, and new devel-
nologies. As Billy Bardin, Global Op- or sales accounts to focus on, we opments are occurring quickly. Several
erations Technology Center director now have data work for us instead key developing areas are the following:
for The Dow Chemical Company of the other way around.” He further Sensors have been ubiquitous in
(Midland, Michigan; www.dow.com) explains that IIoT can help combine the CPI for decades. In recent years,
states, “In general, the process indus- supply and demand intelligence and however, advances in smart sen-
tries have been slower to adopt these that it is essential in today’s environ- sor technology and implementation
new technologies than the consumer ment, “Forget about getting ahead have helped to make sensors one
and service sectors, but the process — just to ensure survival in today’s of the powerful enablers of the IIoT.
industries do have an advantage with chemical industry, this [IIoT] should Automation vendors, such as Sie-
the installed instrumentation base be high up on top management’s mens AG (Munich, Germany; www.
that has been a mainstay of our tech- agenda. And the earlier you start un- siemens.com), Endress+Hauser
nology for decades. We have signifi- derstanding the IIoT and implement- (Greenwood, Ind.; www.us.endress.
cant amounts of data from our instru- ing digitalization, the more effective com), Honeywell Process Solutions
mentation and process sensors to you’ll be in execution over time.” (HPS; Houston; www.honeywell
use with the new analytics and deep- Dow’s Bardin also expects digita- process.com), Emerson and many
learning technologies.” lization to affect all aspects of busi- others offer a wide variety of sensors.
ness and production. “We are con- Regarding sensors, Jeroen Pul, mar-
Insights from industry leaders necting data streams from R&D, keting manager and digital lead for
A key driver for the digital transfor- marketing, supply chain and manu- AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry says,
mation in the CPI is maintaining a facturing to better serve our mar- “More sensors equals more data.
competitive edge. Global competi- kets,” he says. And he also sees ap- More data equals better decisions.
tion, immediate communications and plications in safety and sustainability, In general, and at AkzoNobel, we’re
technological advances are creating “We can use robotics, augmented employing more creative use of sen-
Reproduced by permission of the DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory
sors to measure all aspects that im-
pact our business.”
In addition to developing new sen-
sors, research is also going on to op-
timize placement of sensors — where
do you best locate them in a plant?
Stephen E. Zitney, at the Research
& Innovation Center, U.S. Dept. of
Energy, National Energy Technology
Laboratory (NETL; www.netl.doe.gov)
is studying underlying technologies
for optimal sensor network design in
FIGURE 3. This virtual reality environment for an IGCC plant offers realistic training opportunities
a digitalization framework. Four key
applications for optimization-based can combine photos taken from the ‘digitalized’ business processes and
sensor placement technology in- ground, from drones and from laser exploit the increasing convergence
clude: better disturbance rejection in scans to create 3-D reconstructions between OT and IT on the plant floor,
plants; better state estimation (using of facilities. These reality models can to connect the enterprise as a whole
data from other sensors to estimate be used for planning maintenance, to the extended supply chain and
process variables that are not directly construction, training and more. throughout the ecosystem.”
measurable, perhaps due to harsh Process modeling and simulation One of the areas where this conver-
operating environments); condition capabilities are increasing as soft- gence is most needed is in cyberse-
monitoring (the “health” of equip- ware becomes more advanced and curity. While cybersecurity on enter-
ment); and fault diagnosis. more readily available (see A New prise IT has been well defined with
Augmented and virtual reality are Mentality in Process Modeling, pp. firewalls, routers, anti-virus software
familiar to some from the gaming 22–25). One of the areas gaining and more, the needs on the OT side
industry. Advances in virtual real- momentum is in moving from steady- are less well defined. Eddie Habibi,
ity software and more readily avail- state process optimization that is run CEO and founder of PAS Inc. (Hous-
able hardware are enabling the use periodically, to continuous dynamics ton, www.pas.com) says ”Operational
of these techniques in the CPI. Two optimization and control. So called technology used to be thought of as
of the targeted application areas are “digital twins” are realtime dynamic ‘cyber-immune,’ but we’ve come
training and asset management. models that run alongside a function- to know that OT is also vulnerable.”
One example of a dynamic simula- ing plant. These dynamic models can Because “we cannot know what the
tor enhanced by a 3-D virtual plant use data from sensors installed in cyber hackers are thinking or will be
is one that was developed and de- the plant to match its realtime status doing next,” Habibi sees cybersecu-
ployed at the Advanced Virtual En- and condition, and to carry out off- rity as a compelling need for IIoT. On
ergy Simulation Training and Re- line dynamic studies to help optimize the OT side, he says that there are a
search (AVESTAR) Center at West its performance. These digital twins tremendous number of assets that
Virginia University (Morgantown; can also be used to train operators. are unprotected, and part of the prob-
www.wvu.edu) in collaboration with Vendors such as Honeywell Process lem is that owners are often not aware
the NETL. The simulator is for an Solutions and others offer digital twin of what cyber assets they have. Tak-
IGCC (integrated gasification com- technology (also see Refineries Ex- ing an inventory is a first step that he
bined cycle) system with carbon di- plore IIoT Tools to Maximize Profits, recommends. And on the cultural
oxide capture (Figure 3). NETL’s Zit- Chem. Eng. May, pp. 16–20). side, training employees in cyberse-
ney, who led the project, explains that curity — even the most basic steps
it provides a very realistic, immersive Convergence of IT, OT and ET — is much needed.
training system for operators, en- To draw the full benefits of the digital The new technologies and ad-
gineers and students. It is currently transformation, cultural changes are vanced computing that are now avail-
being used at the university to edu- needed in addition to technologi- able with the dawn of the digital trans-
cate chemical engineering students cal ones. A better working relation- formation offer amazing possibilities.
in process dynamics, operations and ship between operational technol- To put it into perspective, Dow’s Bar-
control. Vendors, such as Schneider ogy (OT), information technology din offers the following insight: “A key
Electric (Rueil-Malmaison, France; (IT) and engineering technology (ET) in this environment is to determine
www.schneider-electric.com) and has been cited as an important step. what makes sense for your business,
others, offer software for augmented Greg Gorbach, vice president of develop a concise strategy that will
and virtual reality simulations. the ARC Advisory Group (Dedham, achieve the desired objectives, and
Another application where 3-D real- Mass.; www.arcweb.com) says, stick to the principles of that strategy
ity modeling has great potential is in “Chemical companies are revisiting to screen out the hype in order to find
asset management. Bentley Systems, their own business processes and the nuggets of technology that can
Inc. (Exton, Pa.; www.bentley.com), technology approaches as com- provide true, long-term benefit.” ■
for example, offers software that petitors and partners start to employ Dorothy Lozowski

Newsfront
A New Mentality in
Process Modeling
Predictive process models enable more efficient operations and higher-value products
Solenis
IN BRIEF
W
hen they hear the words “pro-
cess modeling,” some may envi-
MODELING PRODUCT
PERFORMANCE
sion an engineer sitting in front of
a laptop waiting for a distillation
VISUALIZING COMPLEX column flowsheet to converge. While flow-
SCENARIOS sheet simulations are still an invaluable step for
LOOKING TO THE NEXT engineering design, process modeling is be-
GENERATION coming an overarching part of operations as
a whole, serving various purposes throughout
the entire operational chain — from concep-
tual design to continuous process improve-
ments to end-use product applications. FIGURE 1. Engineers run water-quality models using a
cooling-tower pilot plant to determine the effectiveness of
Modeling product performance treatment chemicals
At Optimize 2017, the users’ conference for
Aspen Technology, Inc. (Bedford, Mass.; plication properties being evaluated for these
www.aspentech.com), David Kolesar, senior polymers. Kolesar highlighted model-guided
engineering leader from the Dow Chemical Co. experimentation — completing modeling ac-
(Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) presented an tivities prior to plant trials and pilot work — as
example where process modeling at the mo- a major driver in expediting process advance-
lecular level allowed Dow to fine-tune polymer ment and reducing the time to market for
products to meet the requirements of various new products.
application tests while also decreasing batch With its Bonfire property predictor tool,
cycle times. When certain products began NOVA Chemicals Corp. (Calgary, Canada;
failing application tests, and a root-cause www.novachem.com) brings the ability to
analysis indicated no issues with raw-material model product applications straight to its
quality, the team turned to process modeling customers. Bonfire was developed to help
to evaluate the polymers’ intrinsic properties, NOVA’s resin customers evaluate different
focusing on the molecular weight. However, it structures of multilayer films by modeling key
was determined that the batches were indeed properties, such as secant modulus, moisture
achieving the target molecular weight, so an- barrier and bending stiffness. For instance,
other factor had to be the culprit. users can predict how employing a new poly-
Through extensive modeling using Aspen ethylene resin will impact film properties be-
Polymers and Aspen Dynamics, the team de- fore conducting physical trials. “Running these
termined that the polymers were rearranging simulations can eliminate some film structure
and branching, impacting the structure and designs that would not be expected to meet
ultimate application properties of the polymer. property targets and identify structures that
These structural changes were deemed to be are more promising,” says Dan Ward, senior
the source of the failures. The team was able technical service specialist and developer of
to model the relationship between the poly- the Bonfire tool. A new release of the tool in-
mers’ intrinsic properties, structure and ap- troduced a larger resin database, and work is
plication requirements to “reverse engineer” currently underway to incorporate machine di-
the best polymer structure for the application rection tear and penetration energy, as well as
tests. This modeling capability allowed Dow a blown film calculator, into the model. “Longer
to “work backwards from customer needs,” term, we are also evaluating new calculations
explained Kolesar, listing adhesive stickiness for film creep, tensile and impact strength and
and noise creation among the important ap- optical properties, as well as accounting for
end-use environmental factors, such chemicals. Furthermore, the cooling- (Dallas, Tex.; www.breeze-software.
as storage temperature and relative tower models have accelerated the com). Incident Analyst, a program of-
humidity,” explains Ward. “We be- development of new cooling-water fered by Breeze Software, models the
lieve that Bonfire is the only integrated treatment chemistries, according to consequences of accidental chemi-
model that calculates many film prop- Carone. Among the important param- cal releases (Figure 2), and provides
erties simultaneously and allows the eters simulated in the cooling-tower practical information for emergency
user to estimate property tradeoffs models are water temperature, skin response planning, facility design, re-
when developing a multilayer film or temperature, pH, oxidation-reduction altime assessment of hazards and
making a change,” he says. potential (ORP), conductivity and reconstruction of past incidents. The
At a recently opened technology scale, and well as information from on- software is also set up so that users
center in São Paulo, Brazil, scientists line corrosion monitoring. can conduct U.S. Environmental Pro-
from Solenis (Wilmington, Del.; www. tection Agency (EPA; www.epa.gov)
solenis.com) develop models for a Visualizing complex scenarios Risk Management Program Offsite
cooling-tower pilot plant (Figure 1) to An incident involving the acciden- analyses, adds Stefanescu.
simulate various treatment processes tal release of chemicals, whether via With numerous mathematical mod-
for water samples from customers’ explosion, fire or toxic dispersion, els included and a database consisting
cooling towers. “Simulating customer is an extremely complex situation of over 180 chemicals and mixtures,
processes in a laboratory setting al- that holds a number of potentially Incident Analyst can assess the poten-
lows us to investigate a wide variety dire consequences. “Conducting a tial consequences for a release event,
of problem-solving scenarios in a modeling analysis to determine the taking into account site meteorologi-
controlled environment,” says Edmir potential impacts from a hazardous cal conditions and levels of concern
Carone Jr., technology and develop- toxic release is important in order to (LOC), the threshold values above
ment manager at Solenis. These efforts understand the effects it could have which a hazard might exist. “For each
have not only aided in the selection of on personnel, nearby communities LOC modeled, Incident Analyst will es-
appropriate cooling-water treatment and equipment,” says Tiffany Ste- timate a hazard zone where the chem-
options for specific processes, but fanescu, senior product specialist ical concentration, overpressure and
have also allowed users to reduce their and meteorologist for Breeze Soft- thermal radiation values are predicted
consumption of water and treatment ware, a division of Trinity Consultants to exceed that LOC at some time after

Breeze Software
and that is why using multiple plat-
forms like CFD and FEA is necessary
to ensure a robust model of both the
process system and the mechanical
structure. He has also used co-simula-
tion for selecting materials of construc-
tion for piping and equipment that may
experience very low temperatures due
to Joule-Thompson cooling.
Underlining the importance of inte-
grating multiple simulation and model-
ing pillars, Siemens Product Lifecycle
Management Software (PLM; www.
siemens.com/plm) launched its Sim-
Center platform in 2016, which brings
together a number of software and
analysis tools. “Essentially what is de-
FIGURE 2. Many factors go into accurately modeling an accidental chemical release incident, including signed using process simulation can
the local climate and geography be analyzed using CFD and DEM [dis-
crete element modeling]. That analy-
a release begins,” says Stefanescu. tions, explains Matt Straw, managing sis tells how you can actually employ
The modeling capabilities in Incident director of Norton Straw Consultants your design before it is implemented,”
Analyst also allow Breeze to develop (Derby, U.K.; www.nortonstraw.com). says Ravi Aglave, director of Siemens
custom realtime modeling systems This is where the detailed analysis facil- PLM Software’s Chemical & Process
that read onsite meteorological and itated by co-simulation becomes criti- Industry division.
monitored process data, and then cal. If these initial evaluations indicate A key facet of SimCenter is the abil-
automatically run the models within the presence of a problem, a rigorous ity to produce digital twins — virtual,
Incident Analyst using predetermined model that couples computational fluid sensor-enabled representations of an
scenarios to produce realtime concen- dynamics (CFD) and structural analysis individual equipment component or
trations. “This realtime modeling capa- tools (Figure 3), and ultimately, fatigue process that allow engineers to predict
bility is becoming increasingly popular analysis, is required, says Straw. This the effect of process changes or up-
and even mandatory for certain facili- allows operators to ascertain the time- sets. “If you can know how equipment
ties, since it allows companies to make line for making modifications and also will perform under different conditions
better operational decisions and ad- how the vibration may impact process by using a digital twin, then you have
dress public concerns based on realis- integrity. “The work that we’ve done a predictive ability that can be used
tic conditions,” comments Stefanescu. has often involved assessing the fluid to control that equipment,” explains
For some extremely complex or dynamics of the system to see if the Aglave. Modeling with a digital twin may
sensitive process anomalies, combin- energy content of the system or the pinpoint specific process variables that
ing several pillars of modeling, such as turbulence generated by the flow could should be measured to better predict
fluid dynamics and structural stress cause any resonance in the structure. process behavior. “Based on those ex-
analysis, can be helpful in gaining a full Then you can couple that with analysis pectations, you can modify the control
evaluation of the process. One such of the structure itself to see how it re- algorithm to achieve the optimum for
example of a complicated scenario sponds,” says Straw.
Siemens
that requires “co-simulation” is the Site survey data can be used to
investigation of the acoustics of flow- recreate the geometry of the system,
induced pipeline vibrations. Acous- and if damaged, this will show any pip-
tic data are useful for evaluating the ing irregularity, which is input into the
extent that a damaged pipeline will model. From there, simulation is used
affect fluid flow, and also to estimate to produce the time history of the pres-
the damaged pipe’s suitability for sure generated inside the pipe from the
continued operation. Typically, these fluid flow and translate that into the ef-
types of assessments are first ap- fects on the structural behavior using
proached using industry design codes finite element analysis (FEA). Finally, the
and empirical data. For instance, the modelling data are used in a fatigue
U.K.’s Energy Institute (London; www. assessment that will determine if the
energyinst.org) provides guidelines design life is threatened or if mitigation
and calculations to determine the like- is required.
lihood of failure due to vibration, but Straw emphasizes that traditional FIGURE 3. Anomalies in pipelines, such as dents
and bends, can affect fluid flow and cause acoustic
doesn’t necessarily provide methods process simulator software is not de- excitations that may result in pipe damage or loss
for assessing or mitigating the vibra- signed to do these sorts of analyses, of production integrity

that new condition,” he continues. This gence of predictive, rather than reac- the panelists was that big data is not
enables a quicker response to changes tive, analytics. “The process simulator only changing how facilities operate,
in operating conditions or product has graduated from the design system but also how engineers think. The
distribution demands. of the past to the operations system of panelists agreed that this shift in mind-
the future,” says Howell. He suggests set should begin with undergraduate
Looking to the next generation that a marriage of thermodynamic chemical engineering education, as
Because modeling and monitoring simulation with equipment degrada- data science and statistics become
capabilities have matured in recent tion modeling (considering erosion, more intertwined with traditional engi-
years, engineers have unprecedented corrosion or other types of damage) neering tasks. “A wide spectrum of ex-
amounts of data at their disposal, is essential for predictive analytics to pertise is required from engineers. Sta-
but the best ways to utilize so-called become the CPI norm. Furthermore, tistics and data analysis courses are
big data are not always clear. “Many energy management is another sphere crucial in chemical engineering educa-
engineers do not understand what where process modeling is helping CPI tion,” emphasized John MacGregor,
the meaning of ‘big data’ is, let alone facilities maximize production. “Recent distinguished professor emeritus at
the application of it to the chemical innovations in process simulation now McMaster University (Hamilton, Ont.,
process industries [CPI]. Ask ten en- model the gas turbines and power- Canada; www.mcmaster.ca).
gineers and you would be at risk of generating equipment within the flow- Kai Dadhe, head of the Computer
getting ten or more different versions,” sheet, including the fuel and air quality Aided Process Engineering and Au-
comments Andy Howell, chief execu- from the process. This means an op- tomation division of Evonik Indus-
tive officer of KBC Advanced Technol- erator can optimize production versus tries (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.
ogies Ltd. (Surrey, U.K.; www.kbcat. power and can reduce energy costs,” com), commented: “Digitalization and
com). In short, says Howell, big data explains Howell. big data are about breaking silos,
and the availability of smart devices At AspenTech’s Optimize 2017 with respect to both data and disci-
and mature process models — ones event, a panel of experts discussed plines.” Ultimately, this holistic mental-
that go beyond traditional engineer- some trends in modeling that are mov- ity will ensure that engineers are well
ing design to incorporate operations, ing the industry forward, including big equipped for the most demanding
planning and logistics via cloud-based data and the push toward predictive process modeling tasks in the CPI. ■
infrastructures — are driving the emer- analytics. A common thread among Mary Page Bailey
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24688

Newsfront
Benefits of Sophisticated
Motor & Drive Technologies
New motors and drives provide energy efficiency and reliability in chemical applications
IN BRIEF Leeson Electric
DESIGNED FOR
RELIABILITY AND
EFFICIENCY
IMPROVING THROUGH
INTEGRATION
A
lways on the lookout for ways to re- FIGURE 1. The Extreme Duck Ultra offers a motor design
that ensures that liquids don’t penetrate the motor in any
duce downtime and energy costs, mounting position via a new encapsulation process with
chemical processors are turning better materials to ensure complete filling of the motors and
to advanced motors and drives to curing of the epoxy encapsulation
help achieve these goals. Sometimes as inte-
grated systems, sometimes not, new motors of the ABB Group (Fort Smith, Ark.; www.
designed for premium efficiency and reliability baldor.com) agrees that these are priorities.
and more sophisticated drives are helping pro- “When it comes to motors, processors are
cessors increase availability and lower cost of beginning to look at the total cost of own-
ownership. Fortunately, motor and drive sup- ership, which includes reliability and effi-
pliers are working hard to provide top-notch ciency,” Weihrauch says. “Selecting motors
equipment with modern features that can based upon the lowest price is not some-
withstand the demanding applications found thing chemical processors do anymore. In-
in the chemical processing environment. stead, they look for proven technologies, so
“Producers are very aware of energy con- as manufacturers, we look at how to make
sumption and seek ways to minimize en- designs more reliable and efficient. We study
ergy consumption through new information- modes of failure that affect motor life, such as
enabled technologies,” says Sergio Gama, operating temperatures, vibration and things
market development director for power that affect motors like power supply and in-
control business with Rockwell Automation verter operation, and look for new materials,
(Milwaukee, Wis.; www.rockwellautomation. design improvements and features that can
com). “Reliability and plant availability are reduce the modes of failure so the motor will
also important to them. They want to keep last longer and run more efficiently.”
the plant running 24/7 and maximize asset Drives, too, are being improved to increase
utilization, so they want to minimize un- reliability and efficiency. “There are typically
planned downtime by reducing mean time to two reasons to purchase a drive: to reduce
repair, allowing a quick return to full capacity.” energy consumption or improve process
George Weihrauch, product manager for control,” says Matti Paaso, Chemical, Oil
LV NEMA Motors with Baldor, a member and Gas segment manager with ABB Group
The ABB Group
STATE-OF-THE-ART
MIXING TECHNOLOGY
Technologically optimized
for your application
Cost effective
mixing technology
Available in 4 weeks
FIGURE 2. The ABB Ability Smart Sensor provides remote condition monitoring for low-voltage motors.
It attaches to the frame of the motor, without wires, and picks up data on vibration, temperature and
other parameters
(Cary, N.C.; www.abb.com). “So, Because the chemical industry
processors are starting to realize the presents many challenging appli-
value of more efficient motor control cations, motor manufacturers are
methods like vector control over tra- working to design motors that can
ditional volts-per-hertz control.” better withstand the environment,
He continues: “And, because says Chris Medinger, product mar-
chemical plants are typically a high- keting specialist with Leeson Electric
dollar-value investment, which need (Grafton, Wis.; www.leeson.com).
to operate 24/7, reliability is impor- “Reliability of motors is a great need,
tant, as a failed drive can shut down for the downtime costs in chemi-
a plant’s essential processes and re- cal applications are very expensive.
start time can be days. Availability of Because processors can’t afford to
the drive system has become a more have downtime in their applications,
prominent concern, as are reduced they need a motor that can stand up
maintenance intervals and quick and to chemicals and washdowns,” he
safe recovery from failure situations.” says. So, Leeson went to work and
re-engineered their design to provide
Designed for reliability & efficiency a liquid-proof motor, called the Ex-
As such, providers of equipment treme Duck Ultra (Figure 1). The mo-
wish to incorporate improvements, tor’s design ensures that liquids don’t
such as more cost-efficient com- penetrate the motor in any mounting
putational power to improve motor position via a new encapsulation pro-
control methods, additional process with better materials to ensure
gramming features and more intel- complete filling of the motors and
Your fast lane to
ligence in the drives. Motor designs curing of the epoxy encapsulation.
advanced mixing technology:
have also improved to include new Another way motor manufactur-
materials and encapsulation meth- ers are adding reliability is by adding
ods. Further, motor types that were more sophistication. For example, Phone: +1 201 825 4684
not previously cost effective, such ABB offers an add-on device, the Ext.: 222
as permanent-magnet motors and ABB Ability Smart Sensor, says Wei-
synchronous-reluctance motors, hrauch. The device provides remote usa@ekato.com
are being redesigned and gaining condition monitoring for low-voltage
more acceptance in the chemical motors. It attaches to the frame of
process industries (CPI) due to en- the motor, without wires, and picks www.ekato.com
ergy efficiency benefits and reduced up data on vibration, temperature
cost of ownership. and other parameters (Figure 2). It

Rockwell Automation
uses on-board algorithms and relays he says. “This enables users to plan
information about the motor’s health maintenance according to actual
via a smartphone or over the Internet needs rather than on the basis of
to a secure server. Weihrauch says time intervals or operating hours and
this can help reduce motor down- allows them to see changes in motor
time by up to 70%, extend lifetime performance that indicate a problem
by as much as 30% and lower en- and address it before shut down,
ergy use by up to 10%. thus enhancing reliability.”
“The device has the ability to Drives, too, are receiving updates.
look at how the motor is used and For example, ABB’s ACS880 drive is
provide meaningful information on an all-compatible, low-voltage drive
motor condition and performance,” that uses Direct Torque Control,
FIGURE 4. PowerFlex 755T drives provide har-

monic mitigation, regeneration and common bus
solutions to reduce energy costs, add flexibility
and increase productivity. The drives feature pre-
dictive diagnostics and maintenance settings that
monitor drive and motor operating conditions to
help analyze system health
Chemical Engineering’s which is capable of controlling induc-

tion, synchronous and synchronous
reluctance motors, and helps simplify
premium product operation, provide better control of

the process and optimize energy ef-
ficiency. Its “common drives architec-
showcase for the ture” features the same control panel,
parameter menu structure, universal
accessories and engineering tools.
latest products The control panel is equipped with an
intuitive control display, enabling easy
navigation. Flexible data visualizations
and technologies including bar charts, histograms and
trend graphs help users analyze pro-
cesses, says Paaso. “This drive al-
in the chemical lows operators to learn one drive and
use it multiple times, while controlling
processing industries. motors more accurately to reduce

energy consumption, and it is com-
patible with higher efficiency motor
technologies such as synchronized
and synchronous reluctance motors.”
Improving through integration

to subscribe to the e-letter, Offerings of integrated systems are
please visit: another way equipment providers
are helping processors increase ef-
www.chemengonline.com/eletter-signup ficiency and reliability. “Since proces-
sors are looking to minimize down-
time and maximize system efficiency,
26033 one of the big pushes right now is
integrating motors and drives,” says
Patrick Hogg, application engineer-
Nidec Motor
FIGURE 3. This 3–10 hp electronically commutated motor with an IE4 rating integrated with a tuned vari-
able frequency drive is part of the ACCU-Series line of variable speed products. The brushless permanent
FOR ALL
magnet motor and drive have an integrated user interface that allows for easy setup
ing manager for industrial horse-

power applications with Nidec Motor
earths for more consistent pricing
and cost structure. The brushless
VALVES
Corp. (St. Louis, Mo.; www.nidec- permanent-magnet motor and drive
motor.com). “Instead of having a have an integrated user interface that Electric actuators for industrial valve
separate motor and drive, you have allows for easy setup. The product automation in all market segments
a motor with a drive that’s integrated is simpler than a modular approach, Reliable and long-term service.
and the drive is characterized to run and it reduces costs and lead-time
AUMA offers a comprehensive actuator
specifically with that motor.” by eliminating cabling between motor
The benefits of this type of inte- and separate control. It also reduces portfolio.
gration, he says, are that the motor electromagnetic interference and co- ■ Customised solutions thanks to the
and drive are tested and tuned to- rona, which can result in power loss modular scheme
gether, which saves steps during in- and interfere with performance. ■ Integration into all conventional control
stallation and ensures compatibility. Similarly, Rich Mintz, low voltage systems
For example, Nidec offers its ACCU- motors and drives marketing manager
■ Variable speed for high precision
Series product line, which allows with Siemens (Alpharetta, Ga.; www.
users to match a U.S. Motors brand siemens.com), says Siemens uses control
inverter duty motor with a Nidec advanced manufacturing and design ■ Wide ambient temperature range
drive. These products are solution to provide a synchronous reluctance ■ High corrosion protection
driven and are designed to be used motor that uses less material, provides ■ Service worldwide
together as a system. better efficiencies and was designed
Often, these systems are available to be integrated with a drive. “Syn-
with advanced motor technologies chronous reluctance technology al-
to provide further efficiencies, says lows the motor to be lighter and have
Hogg. For instance, a 3–10 hp elec- better efficiency, and combining it with Discover our comprehen-
tronically commutated motor with an a VFD makes it more efficient than the
sive automation solutions
IE4 (Super Premium efficiency) rat- advanced design alone,” says Mintz.
www.auma.com
ing integrated with a tuned variable- The company’s Simotics reluc-
frequency drive (VFD) is part of the tance motors are precisely harmo-
ACCU-Series line of variable speed nized and coordinated with Sinamics
products (Figure 3). The integrated converters to create a Siemens inte-
motor and drive was designed with grated synchronous-reluctance drive
ferrite magnets rather than rare system. It offers the advantages of

well-proven standard platforms and what’s not and then using that infor- can reduce energy costs, add flex-
links these with energy-efficient syn- mation to achieve better overall per- ibility and increase productivity. The
chronous-reluctance motor technol- formance throughout the enterprise,” drives feature predictive diagnos-
ogy, he says. “The transition from an he says. “We call this the ‘Connected tics and maintenance settings that
induction motor with converter to a Enterprise Approach’.” monitor drive and motor operating
synchronous-reluctance drive sys- Gordon Bordelon, chemical indus- conditions to help analyze system
tem represents a small step, how- try leader with Rockwell Automation, health. Gama says they also offer
ever, the impact is enormous: The continues: “Processors increase reli- adaptive control to accommodate
high efficiency ensures minimum op- ability by being able to get data and changes in load and to compensate
erating costs and high productivity.” do predictive maintenance before for those changes so there’s no im-
Taking it a step further, Rockwell there’s a potential process upset, so pact on availability. “When there’s
Automation’s Gama says the abil- it comes down to getting enabled an issue, the drive is sophisticated
ity to integrate not just the motor devices — the smarts on the motor enough to adjust to the unfavor-
and drive, but all the motor control control centers, the smarts of the able conditions, but it also provides
and sensing devices into the con- drives — and sharing that data, along communication that it is working
trol system, allows users to collect with process data, to infer knowledge under stressful conditions so that
and use diagnostic information from about the process and make deci- something can be done to avoid
all of these devices. “We are com- sions in the most efficient manner.” plant downtime. Users can make
ing to the point where processors One of the ways to begin deploy- decisions based upon this intelli-
realize there is a lot of data they ing this type of holistic approach, gence and information.”
haven’t been using. So, many are he says, is to bring smart devices, Clearly motors and drives are
interested in taking a holistic ap- particularly those centered around adapting to the demands of the
proach and using analytical tools to drives and motor controls, back chemical industry via improved de-
look at the data from the process, to the distributed control system signs and more sophistication, which
the plant and even data from other (DCS). Rockwell’s PowerFlex 755T will help increase reliability and effi-
plants within the enterprise to draw drives were designed to help with ciency, ultimately providing lower
correlations between performance in this (Figure 4). The drives, which lifetime equipment costs and better
one plant and another in an effort to provide harmonic mitigation, regen- bottom lines. n
understand what’s working well and eration and common bus solutions, Joy LePree
THE 10 ANNIVERSARY
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Industrial Solutions for the Fertilizer Industry
Leading fertilizer technologies

In order to secure global food supplies, our engineers have been developing large-scale plants
for the fertilizer industry for 90 years now. As a leading general contractor we offer our customers
throughout the world a wide range of cutting-edge Uhde technologies.
www.thyssenkrupp-industrial-solutions.com
Focus
Heating and Cooling Systems

Alfa Laval Guard against gasket wear in vapors to condense and deposit in
plate heat exchangers exhaust lines. The system maintains
Gaskets used in plate heat exchang- desired gas temperatures in vacuum
ers (photo) wear over time, due pump inlet and exhaust lines. Un-
to natural aging, and the effect of heated lines are susceptible to both
temperature, pressure and stress clogging by condensed process ma-
that results from natural operating terials and byproducts and potential
conditions. Getting the best perfor- corrosion resulting from such un-
mance from a plate heat exchanger wanted deposition. The Smart TMS
and minimizing the risk of unplanned includes temperature monitoring
downtime requires regular preven- within the heating elements, enabling
tive maintenance, especially when feedback control to accurately main-
the unit is used for hygienic ap- tain exhaust temperature at a speci-
plications within the food, bever- fied setpoint. This is said to reduce
age, pharmaceutical and personal downtime and risks to service per-
care industries. Particular focus is sonnel, who are tasked with clean-
needed to ensure the integrity and ing out these often hazardous mate-
performance of the heat transfer and rials, says the company. — Edwards,
sealing efficiencies of the plates and Burgess Hill, U.K.
gaskets. This company’s HX Advisor www.edwardsvacuum.com
is an easy-to-use tool that provides
advice and support during selection This partnership provides a
of heat exchangers and auxiliaries. stronger offering of tubes
— Alfa Laval, Richmond, Va. This company manufactures semi-
www.alfalaval.us finished products in copper and
copper alloys, such as strip, sheet,
This compact heat exchanger tubes, rods, wires and sections, in-
has no moving parts cluding finned tubes and heat ex-
The ACT-HP-AAXH heat pipe air- changers, slide bearings and com-
to-air heat exchangers can be fitted ponents (photo). It recently acquired
to new or existing HVAC systems. Wolverine Tube (Decatur, Ill.), which
Edwards
The AAXH is a counterflow heat ex- produces integrally finned and en-
changer and energy-recovery sys- hanced surface tubes from copper,
tem that is based on the company’s copper alloys and steel alloys. —
high-performance heat pipes. The The Wieland Group, Ulm, Germany
system is used to pre-cool or pre- www.wieland.de
heat incoming building supply air,
and is designed to ensure indoor Heat transfer fluids target solar
air quality while preventing cross- and geothermal applications
contamination between isolated air- Three new heat-transfer liquids,
streams. The system provides sav- which are part of the company’s An-
ings related to heating and cooling tifrogen and Protectogen product
costs that typically allow for a pay- family, are specially developed for
back period of one to two years, says use in solar thermal energy systems
the company. — Advanced Cooling and geothermal systems, espe-
Technologies, Lancaster, Pa. cially flat-plate collectors and heat-
www.1-act.com pipe systems. Antifrogen Solar is a
propylene-glycol-based aqueous
Reduce chemical condensation product that is designed to protect
in semiconductor operations metal components against corro-
The Smart Thermal Management sion. It maintains its fluidity at low
The Wieland Group System (TMS) is designed for pro- temperatures, virtually eliminating
cess operators carrying out chemi- the risk of bursts, says the manu-
cal vapor deposition (CVD), epitaxy, facturer. It has a frost resistance
oxide etch and poly etch processes, of –28°C and a maximum perma-
which have the potential for chemical nent use temperature of 150°C.
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number on p. 78, or use the website designation.
The Quiet Work-Horse!
Antifrogen Solar is also available as a concentrate.
Antifrogen Geo (monoethylene glycol) is specifi-
cally designed to meet the requirements of heat
transfer fluids in shallow geothermal energy applica-
tions, where fluid choice is critical to safe operation.
ProtectogenN Eco is a multi-purpose heat transfer fluid
based on monoethylene glycol containing an effective
combination of inhibitors for long-lasting protection
against frost and corrosion in many different systems.
Permanent usage temperatures range from –50 to
100°C. — Clariant, Muttenz, Switzerland
www.clariant.com
Boost safety by removing coke

buildup in furnaces
The efficiency and reliability of furnaces and process
heaters depends on keeping the inner walls of furnace
coils free of excessive coke deposits that can accumu-
late during normal operation. Without regular cleaning s at
Visit u ricas 2017
A m e
and maintenance, coke buildup inside the tubes con- World th – 21st
Valve 20 enter
tinually increases in thickness, reducing the flow of pro- June n Convention C
Brow A
cess fluid and raising pressure within the unit to danger- Georg
e R .
on / U S
Houst 29
ous levels. The coke layer also makes heat-exchange No. 14
Booth
less efficient and more costly for the customer. This
company offers advanced, in-situ pigging and decoking
services that increase flow, restore heat exchange ef-
ficiency and reduce differential pressure. This mechani- ECOTROL® control valve
cal cleaning service removes hydrocarbon coke and Advantages,
inorganic contamination without degrading tube walls. that should not be kept quiet!
Optional inspection services to assess the condition of
tube also is also available. Every project is custom-engi- l High reliability guaranteed by
neered, says the company. — DeBusk Services Group, precision manufacturing processes
LLC, Pasadena, Tex. and quality control
www.debusksg.com l Emission control and leakage
conforming to the highest international
This immersion heat exchanger is standards
designed to resist hot spots l Minimal life cycle cost Also
This Immersion Coil Heat Exchangers have been proven l A range of awarded ble in
availa
600 !
worldwide in a vast range of applications. These heat patents ANSI
exchangers have corrosion resistance that is second Take advantage of the
only to diamond, says the company, and benefit from most technically innovative control valve
the inherently non-stick characteristics of the fluoropoly- in a generation, up to DN700 (28")!
mer materials of construction that are used. These in-
clude polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethyl- For further
ene propylene (FEP), perfluoroakoxy (PFA) and others, product
which help to resist fouling, scale buildup and clogging. information
These heat exchangers do not have a single tubing weld
joint (which can be susceptible to failure over time). This
helps to maintain optimal heat transfer efficiency over
the entire lifecycle of the system and ensure uniform
heat transfer between steam and acid, according to the ARCA Regler GmbH, Tönisvorst/Germany
manufacturer. — Fluorotherm, Parsippany, N.J. with US Subsidiary: ARCA Flow Controls, LLC
1900 West Loop South, Suite 1550, Houston, Texas 77027, USA
www.fluorotherm.com Phone +1 713 574 9382, Sales.Americas@arca-valve.com
Stainless-steel heat exchangers www.arca-valve.com

offer several design options ARCA • Competence in valves, pumps & cryogenics
Flow Group • Subsidiaries and partners in Switzerland, the Netherlands,
The ability to minimize waste heat emitted to the environ- worldwide: India, P.R. China, South Korea, Mexico and USA!
ment has a direct impact on the energy efficiency of a
manufacturing or industrial process. By implementing the
Kelvion Air-to-Air stainless steel heat exchanger, in con-
junction with smart energy-management practices, oper-
ating companies can significantly reduce operating costs, Circle 02 on p. 78 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-02

Xchanger says the company. This manufacturer Carry out slurry heating with
offers many models, designed for ap- greater energy efficiency
plication ranges from –20° to 180°C. The Komax Klean-Wall Heat Ex-
The glued tube-to-tubesheet design changer (photo) is designed to en-
(using a silicone-free glue) assures hance energy efficiency, producing
relatively low weight and costs. For as much as a300% increase over
higher-temperature applications (up standard slurry heaters and tube-
to 1,000°C), the tubes are welded to and-shell exchangers, according to
the tubesheets, providing greater me- the company. This heat exchanger
chanical strength. — Kelvion Holding is typically installed in a circulation
GmbH (formerly GEA Heat Exchang- loop for large digester heaters, help-
ers), Bochum, Germany ing to reduce retention time by up
www.kelvion.com to 50%. This system is designed to
minimize clogging, by allowing de-
Computer modeling optimizes bris that measures up to 50% of the
exchangers for condensation diameter of the pipe — even stringy
The TV Series heat exchangers debris — to flow without plugging.
(photo) are available to condense va- Meanwhile, the system is designed
pors from low-pressure gas streams to provide a high level of turbulence
and can prevent discharge to the at- at the boundary walls. This is said
mosphere of up to 85% of vapors from to provide constant scavenging of
vents on storage tanks and reactors, the wall surface to eliminate buildup.
and can help operators to reclaim — Komax Systems, Inc., Huntington
condensate. Models are available for Beach, Calif.
flows to 5,000 std. ft3/min or more www.komax.com
and for pressure to 15 psig. Fluids
can be water, refrigerants, glycol or Cart- and trailer-mounted
cryogenic fluids. The fins on the fin- cooling systems do the job
tube core are rectangular plates with For outdoor industrial sites that lack
a matrix of die-extruded tube col- foundational infrastructure, and high-
lars. A sheet-metal casing provides temperature hazardous locations,
Kobe Steel rigidity to the fin-tube assembly prior staying cool is a top priority. This
to tube expansion. This allows for company’s industrial air chiller carts
a gap-free connection, maximizing are portable, and can be deployed
heat transfer and structural integrity. anywhere without supporting HVAC
The fluid circuit consists of parallel systems. Several air chiller tower
tubes that are joined at the inlet and units on carts are available to cool
outlet headers. — Xchanger, Hop- hard-to-reach outdoor locations, up
kins, Minn. to 12 ft high. The systems are scal-
www.xchanger.com able, with larger-scale units mounted
on trailers. — Larson Electronics
Novel heat exchanger supports LLC, Kemp, Tex.
hydrogen-refueling stations www.larsonelectronics.com
The HyAC mini-A is a compact, all-
in-one compressor package that Cleaning system protects
is designed for hydrogen refueling finned exchangers and coolers
stations in the U.S. (photo). The unit The automated JetMaster cleaning
Komax Systems
combines a high-pressure hydrogen system provides gentle intensive
compressor and a refrigerator that cleaning of sensitive fin surfaces that
are packaged with a high-pressure can become coated with industrial
storage tank and dispenser. The sys- and atmospheric particulate buildup
tem includes compact micro-chan- during operation. Such buildup on
nel, diffusion-bonded heat exchang- fins and other surfaces can reduce
ers. To meet the U.S. fueling protocol energy efficiency and increase the
(a U.S. standard for temperature and cost of power, maintenance and ser-
pressure when fueling fuel-cell vehi- vice, and potential corrosion can re-
cles), the filling pressure of the HyAC duce the service life of such systems.
mini-A was recently raised to 87.5 The JetMaster uses high-power noz-
MPa. The system is also equipped zles that bring compressed air and
with a remote monitoring system. — small quantities of pretreated water
Kobe Steel Ltd., Tokyo, Japan (but no chemicals) to supersonic
Sondex A/S www.kobelco.com speeds at low pressure, dislodging
buildup without damaging fragile fins to reduce process downtime, which
and other sensitive surfaces (such as can translate to increased yield,
graphite, soft coatings, glass films says the company. — Klaren In-
and more). — Mycon GmbH, Biele- ternational B.V., Barneveld, The
feld, Germany Netherlands
www.mycon.info www.klarenbv.com
Self-cleaning heat exchangers Compact spiral heat

provide improved reliability exchangers ease maintenance
This company has teamed up with This company's Spiral Heat Ex-
Bronswerk Heat Transfer B.V. (Ni- changers are circular heat exchang-
jkerk, The Netherlands) to offer ers with two spiral channels, each
heat exchangers based on its self- in one closed chamber. The flow of
cleaning heat exchanger technology. the two products is countercurrent,
Bronswerk’s particular expertise is in which makes it possible to have a
the design and thermodynamic, me- close temperature approach be-
chanical and economic optimization tween the two medias being treated
of heat-transfer and fluid-flow sys- in the heat exchanger. They are de-
tems. When equipped with this self- signed for demanding fluids with
cleaning heat-exchanger technology, very high viscosity. Welded spacer
a fluidized bed of solid particles pro- studs to increase the turbulence and
vides a scouring effect at the tube heat transmission. They are said to
side, where the fouling liquid flows offer an alternative to plate and tu-
through. This design enables heat bular heat exchangers for handling
exchangers to have zero-fouling op- dirty media. — Sondex A/S, Sondex,
eration, according to these manufac- Denmark
turers. The ability to carry out con- www.sondex.dk ■
tinuous cleaning in place can help Suzanne Shelley
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Circle 25 on p. 78 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-25 Circle 24 on p. 78 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-24

New Products
Hoyer This tank-container fleet is pressure version of the digital pres-
becoming smarter sure gage works with an accuracy of
This logistics company has begun fit- 0.5% full scale. The measured value
ting a new telematic system to its tank registration has been adapted in a
container fleet (photo), enabling seam- rupture-proof way for this version —
less monitoring of goods transported the thin-film cell is not welded, but
in tank containers at any defined point rather it is inserted solidly into a coni-
in time. This includes monitoring not cal pressure channel. Versions of the
only position, as in the general cargo new app (iOS and Android operating
sector, but also the status of the trans- systems) can be downloaded for free.
ported goods with regard to their The app enables a mobile parameter-
pressure, temperature, filling level and ization of the instrument and also the
density parameters. A non-invasive reading and evaluation of the informa-
filling-level measuring system solves a tion from the data logger, which can
large number of technical challenges. record up to 50 measured values per
Full ATEX certification for all the com- second. — WIKA Alexander Wiegand
ponents completes the range of ser- SE & Co. KG, Klingenberg, Germany
vices offered. Users have access to www.wika.com
these data, together with the transport
order data, on a web platform that in- A material handling system
cludes automatic monitoring and an for additive manufacturing
alert if there are any discrepancies. The Additive Manufacturing Material
Of the 37,000 tank containers in the Handling System (photo) is designed
company’s fleet, 5,000 have already specifically to enhance additive man-
been upgraded, and around 8,000 ufacturing (3-D printing) technology
Gala Industries tank containers per year will follow in when handling metal powders or toxic
each of the next few years. — Hoyer materials. The system consists of
GmbH, Hamburg, Germany three elements to recover any unused
www.hoyer-group.com material, screen it and finally return
the material to the machine or a con-
A high-capacity tainer for future use. It is available as
centrifugal pellet dryer a mobile unit or a fixed floor-mounted
This company has engineered a cen- assembly. Developed with the com-
trifugal dryer with the highest known pany’s pneumatic vacuum technology,
capacity for drying polyolefin pellets. it offers contained transfer of material
High-capacity resin producers, engi- from pick-up locations to the manu-
neering companies and equipment facturing unit, and then through the
WIKA Alexander Wiegand manufacturers require a single dryer capture, integrated screening and
for virgin resins. This company has return-to-use stations. It has been
successfully increased the drying caused in operations with a variety of
pacity of its Model 100 dryer (photo) materials, including tungsten, cobalt,
to 150 ton/h, processing high-density silver powder, iron, stainless steel, alu-
polyethylene (HDPE) with lentoid pel- mina, nickel chrome, copper and car-
let geometry and melt flow index of bide dust, with bulk densities ranging
0.35, with moisture below 500 parts from 93 to 341 lb/ft3. The unit works
per million (ppm). Future plans include in both a normal air environment and
a number of new concepts that will under an inert gas. — Volkmann, Inc.,
be evolving over the next 12 months, Bristol, Pa.
says the company. — Gala Industries, www.volkmannusa.com
a Maag company, Eagle Rock, Va.
www.gala-industries.com A non-intrusive system for
temperature measurement
This pressure gage covers an Last month, this company introduced
extreme pressure range a new platform for its Rosemount
The CPG1500 precision digital pres- X-well Technology surface-sensing
sure gage (photo) can measure temperature measurement solution
pressures up to 10,000 bars. Fur- (photo, p. 37). The new offering ex-
thermore, a new smartphone app is tends this non-intrusive temperature
Volkmann available for the CPG1500. The high- sensing technology to users in con-
ventional wired I/O environments for signals can be transmitted to industrial Emerson Automation Solutions
potential applications in facilities where networks without error on less than
wired networks are already installed, or 50-mm overall width. Signal-specific
where WirelessHART has not yet been input cards are no longer required.
deployed. Other users have found X- The highly compact modules (6.2-
well to be a useful replacement for dif- mm width) provide all conventional
ficult thermowell installations, which signal-transmission functions: analog,
often have a wired connection already temperature, frequency or switch sig-
available and can be reused with the nals are processed safely and trans-
wired version of X-well, says the man- mitted to output signals. The new
ufacturer. X-well Technology works by plug-in gateways digitize this output
measuring the pipe surface tempera- data and send it directly from the in-
ture and ambient temperature, and terface level to the control system or
combining this information with the PLC via a serial communication pro-
thermal conductivity properties of the tocol, such as Modbus or Profibus.
installation and process piping to pro- — Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG,
duce a process temperature measure- Blomberg, Germany
ment. This measurement technique www.phoenixcontact.com
requires no intrusions or penetrations
into the process, allowing for simpler This booster increases
installation and maintenance. Users flows by up to 500%
do not have to design, size or maintain This patented volume and filter booster
thermowells. Wake frequency calcu- range in 316L stainless steel provides
lations are eliminated, as well as time up to 500% higher flow than the mar-
spent determining material compat- ket equivalents, says the manufacturer.
ibility, the right insertion length and the By removing all elements from the main
necessary profile. — Emerson Auto- flow line, including regulators and filters,
mation Solutions, St. Louis, Mo. the effective Cv of the booster is mul- Iwaki America
www.emerson.com tiplied, resulting in significantly reduced

tubing sizes. Where safety is critical, the
These AODD pumps range of boosters is SIL 3 third-party
handle high head pressures certified to IEC 61508 Parts 1 & 2. In
The TC-X800 Series air-operated dou- applications where a fast response time
ble-diaphragm (AODD) pump (photo) on modulating service, in combination
features a heavy-duty body design with a fast shutdown time, is required,
and can operate at variable air pres- the device also eliminates the need for
sures. The pumps can also handle an additional poppet or quick exhaust
high head pressures and long dis- valve to achieve the required closing
charge lines. With a maximum flow- speeds. This results in reduced mate-
rate of 800 L/min and a maximum dis- rial and labor costs and simplifies po-
charge head of 280 ft (85 m), the 3-in. sitioned setup and control. The range
AODD pumps are suitable for the safe functions with a working pressure
transfer of a broad variety of liquids, range of 2 to 10 barg, with maximum
Phoenix Contact
including corrosive chemicals, liquid inlet pressure of 20 barg, and oper-
slurries, abrasive particle slurries, vis- ates at a working temperature of –55 to
cous liquids, fuel, oils, glues, inks and 180°C. — Bifold Fluidpower Ltd., Man-
flammable liquids. TC-X800 pumps chester, U.K.
are available in stainless steel, alumi- www.bifold.co.uk
num, polypropylene and cast iron. —
Iwaki America Inc., Holliston, Mass. This feeder simplifies the
www.iwakiair.com addition of activated carbon
The new VMF-28/CP feeder with car-
Reliable insulation from bon package (photo) is a precision loss-
the field to the network in-weight measurement system de-
The Mini Analog Pro signal condition- signed specifically to provide accuracy
ers (photo), featuring bus and network in adding activated carbon (AC) in wa-
connection, combine the benefits of ter-treatment operations. The new unit
safe electrical isolation with those of features an integrated scale for accu-
digital communication. Up to eight field rate feeding plus a bag-loading box that Scaletron Industries

Kaeser Kompressoren simplifies the addition of carbon to the of corrosive chemicals, and is avail-
system, and also enhances employee able in widths of 12, 18, 24, 30, 36,
safety by containing carbon dust. De- 42 and 48 in. The standard size is 35-
signed to accept 50-lb carbon bags, in. high and 22-in. deep. The molded
a bag-loading box is positioned above one-piece fiberglass liner inserts di-
the VMF-28/CP hopper. To add AC, rectly into the cabinet and is sealed
or other materials, the operator places on all edges for ease of cleaning.
the bag in the loading box and closes The interior features a containment
the door, which is equipped with a lip, on the front bottom edge to hold
scratch-resistant plexiglass window spills. The front access doors have air
with static control. Below the window inlet vents, are lined and the edges
are through-door glove ports. With are sealed. No metal is exposed to
the door closed, using the gloves, corrosive vapors. The shelf is remov-
the operator opens the bag using the able for smaller container storage. —
built-in bag break in the loading box. Hemco Corp., Independence, Mo.
This releases the carbon material into www.hemcocorp.com
the system and all dust is contained
inside the machine. Hopper capacity Recent updates to this
is to 5.0 ft3. The VMF-28/CP Feeder open-network control system
uses a heavy-duty, gear-driven auger This company has released an up-
to continually feed material into the dated version of the Stardom net-
built-in, stainless-steel hopper at rates work-based control system (photo).
from 0.2 to 35.4 ft3/h. — Scaletron With the addition of Windows 10
Industries Ltd., Plumsteadville, Pa. support and other new features, this
www.scaletronscales.com release includes functionality for the
Hemco
onsite management of data that re-
These rotary screw compressors duces the amount of communica-
provide energy savings tions traffic between central monitor-
The new DSD series of rotary screw ing rooms and facilities distributed
compressors (photo) is now available over a wide area. The Stardom high-
for flowrates from 14 to 25 m³/min. Fea- speed central processing unit mod-
turing new airends with high-efficiency ule comes with a new function that
Sigma Profile rotors and IE4 motors, enables Java applications to run on
they deliver improved specific power of a Stardom controller. Thanks to this
up to 9%, as well as up to 6% higher function, the controller can be used
flowrates than previous models, says to manage files and transmit data.
the company. These improvements, This simplifies the overall system
Yokogawa
together with other enhancements, configuration by eliminating the need
result in significantly reduced energy for a PC. In addition, an oil flowrate
costs. For example, the new IE4 motor calculation function based on Ameri-
is said to be the most efficient currently can Petroleum Institute (API) guide-
available, which enables peripheral lines has been added. — Yokogawa
losses in compressed-air production Corp. of America, Sugar Land, Tex.
to be reduced even further. Moreover, www.yokogawa.com/us
the Electronic Thermo Management
(ETM) system regulates oil temperature A digital ultrasonic flow
to ensure a safe and consistent differ- system with low noise
ential from the dewpoint temperature. The new Sitrans FS230 clamp-on
This strategy also prevents unneces- ultrasonic flow system (photo) is a
sarily high airend discharge tempera- combination of the Sitrans FST030
tures and provides additional energy transmitter and Sitrans FSS200
savings. — Kaeser Kompressoren SE, clamp-on sensors. The Sitrans
Siemens Process Indsutries and Drives Coburg, Germany FST030 transmitter includes a digital
www.kaeser.com sensor link that digitizes the signal at
the earliest stage of measurement,
Store laboratory acids safely resulting in an optimal signal-to-noise
with these cabinets ratio. Due to its 100-Hz data update
The Acid Storage Cabinet (photo) is rate and integrated PerformanceP-
specifically designed for the storage lus algorithm, the transmitter detects
even the smallest changes in flow for trough to charge material entering American Control Electronics (ACE)
consistently high accuracy of 0.5 to the hopper at any point. The rugged
1% of flowrate and a very stable zero inner screw is the only moving part
point, says the company. Its patented that contacts material, and is offered
pipe configuration menu allows the in numerous designs to handle both
user to select various upstream pipe free- and non-free-flowing media. As it
anomalies and automatically adjusts rotates, the flexible screw self-centers
for flow-profile disorders stemming within the tube, providing ample clear-
from unfavorable upstream condi- ance between the screw and tube
tions. The Sitrans FST030 also of- wall to eliminate or minimize degra-
fers comprehensive diagnostics that dation. Material exits the conveyor
detect changes in aeration, signal below the drive point, precluding con-
quality, sonic speed, temperature and tact with bearings or seals. The hop-
fluid type, providing a valuable win- per is equipped with a stainless-steel
dow into the process and facilitating grate for worker safety, and to pre-
preventative maintenance. Common vent oversized particles from enter-
architecture between digital platforms ing the conveyor. — Flexicon Corp.,
reduces training and spare part re- Bethlehem, Pa.
quirements. — Siemens Process In- www.flexicon.com
dustries and Drives, Spring House, Pa.
usa.siemens.com/industry Realtime level measurements
in dusty conditions
Onboard microprocessing for RadarRight is a non-contact continu-
custom-configured controllers ous level sensor (photo) that provides Flexicon
The MGC Series (photo) is a new mi- realtime level measurement of pow-
croprocessor-based, fully regenerative ders, bulk solids and liquids, even in
SCR (silicon-controlled rectifier) con- dusty conditions. The instrument uses
trol. An onboard microprocessor allows proven microwave-pulse technology
the MCG to be preconfigured for a us- and has a small beam angle to con-
er’s specific application. Furthermore, centrate energy for high accuracy and
users can select various modes of op- reliability. The sensor has no moving
eration out of the box, including torque, parts to wear, which leads to longer
linear torque, independent speed/ operational life and lower maintenance
torque, cycling via limit switches, cy- requirements. Analog or RS-485/
cling via feedback, and positioning. Modbus versions are offered. Radar-
The MGC eliminates the need for ad- Right devices are suitable for various
ditional items, such as relays, switches metal or nonmetal storage vessels. —
and PLCs, thereby reducing setup and Monitor Technologies LLC, Elburn, Ill.
installation time. A new current-limiting www.monitortech.com
algorithm prevents overshoot, extend-
ing brush life and reducing demag- PFA resins with numerous
netization, which extends motor life. processing options
The controller is rated for a maximum Fluon perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) resins
current of 11 A and a maximum tem- can be used over a wide range of
perature of 50°C. — American Control temperatures (–200 to 260°C) and
Electronics (ACE), South Beloit, Ill. exhibit resistance to heat, chemicals,
www.americancontrolelectronics.com weather and aging. With an oxygen Monitor Technologies
index of 95% or better, the noncom-
Accommodate bulk material bustible resins’ dielectric properties
from multiple sources and nonstick characteristics make
This company’s new flexible screw them suitable for numerous applica-
conveyor comes with a trough hopper tions, including: valves, fittings and
(photo), and can receive material from housings (photo); tubing and pipes;
multiple outlets of feeders, grinders, film and sheets; wire and cable; and
blenders and other process equip- blow-molded bottles. Fluon PFA is a
ment. The hopper features an ex- melt-processible copolymer of tetra-
tended-length charging adapter that fluoroethylene and a perfluorinated
exposes 45 in. of the flexible screw vinyl ether. Fluon PFA has chemical,
rotating within an inclined U-shaped electrical and thermal properties al- AGC Chemicals Americas

SW Safety Solutions most identical to polytetrafluoroethyl- which has a maximum flowrate of
ene (PTFE). However, Fluon PFA can 246 L/min and a maximum discharge
be processed by conventional extru- pressure of 3,500 psi. The patented
sion, injection molding, blow mold- sealless pumps employ hydraulically
ing, compression molding, transfer balanced diaphragms that enable
molding and rotolining or molding the pump to handle high pressures
techniques, says the manufacturer. with low stress and pump hot, abra-
— AGC Chemicals Americas Inc., sive fluids. The sealless design elimi-
Exton, Pa. nates the environmental concerns
www.agcchem.com of packed plunger pumps, and the
multiple-diaphragm design provides
Heavy-duty single-use gloves virtually pulse-free, linear flow, says
with a robust grip design the company. — Wanner Engineer-
Powerform S8+ single-use nitrile ing, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.
workplace gloves (photo) feature the www.hydra-cell.com
patent-pending TracTek high density-
grip pattern for 200% more tactile grip High-throughput filter mesh
on wet and oily surfaces to significantly with minimal pressure loss
reduce slippage-related damage and New developments to this compa-
injury, according to the manufacturer. ny’s Optimized Dutch Weave (ODW)
The product offers improved safety meshes allow for improved through-
and chemical protection due to its lon- put rate, better retention rate and
ger cuff and an irritant-free manufac- longer filter-media life in water or
turing process. TracTek grip technol- wastewater filtration facilities. The
ogy is the result of extensive research flow-optimized ODW meshes com-
into how a gloved hand interacts with bine reliable filtration rates in the mi-
slippery surfaces, resulting in a CAD- crofiltration range with almost three-
engineered traction pattern that priori- times higher throughput rates than
tizes fluid evacuation while sustaining other recently available products,
the largest surface-to-surface contact says the manufacturer. Other perfor-
area via an embossed micro-pyramid mance factors include high perme-
grip pattern. This maximizes points of ability, low pressure-loss coefficient,
Wanner Engineering
contact and maintains multidirectional low clogging tendency and simplified
flow channels to expel liquid in wet and cleaning. The special weave of the
oily conditions. The Powerform S8+ is ODW mesh creates a slot-shaped
designed with two layers of polymer in pore geometry on the mesh surface,
contrasting exterior and interior colors, where the openings are smaller than
boosting glove durability to ANSI Level the pores inside the mesh. With this
2 puncture resistance and making po- design, particles above the specified
tential glove damage and breaches separation limit are retained on the
immediately visually detectable.— SW mesh surface. — GKD-USA, Inc.,
Safety Solutions, Inc., Union City, Calif. Cambridge, Md.
www.swsafety.com www.gkdusa.com
Two new models of medium- Mercury-free handheld UV

pressure sealless pumps transmittance monitors
The new medium-pressure Q155 The UVT-LED-H handheld ultraviolet
Series Quintuplex sealless pumps (UV) transmittance monitor (photo)
Sensorex
(photo) are designed for a variety of delivers UV transmittance readings
applications, including reverse os- in applications employing UV disin-
mosis in water and wastewater treat- fection, and its compact size makes
ment, mine dewatering, saltwater it also well-suited for field measure-
disposal or injection, bulk transfer, ments, laboratory use and calibra-
hydraulic lift and steam generation. tion verification of online analyzers.
The Q155 medium-pressure prod- The UVT-LED-H is said to be the only
uct line includes two models: Q155K, handheld, portable UV-transmittance
which has a maximum flowrate of monitor that is currently available. The
295 L/min and a maximum discharge device verifies UV dosing and efficient
pressure of 3,000 psi; and Q155M, operation of UV disinfection systems
in municipal drinking water, waste- for clear resolution in all lighting con- This process gas
water and other industrial water- ditions. The workstation can operate chromatograph is fast
quality applications, such as food- in harsh environments in tempera- A relatively small shift in the cut point
and-beverage process water, as tures ranging from –40 to 65°C. Vi- (the threshold temperature for good
well as in quality-testing laboratories suNet XT features North American product) for any petroleum-refinery
associated with those applications. Class I, Division 2, Class I, Zone 2, product can cost refiners millions
The instrument’s highly efficient UV-C ATEX and IEC-Ex Zone 2 certifica- of dollars in profits. In the absence
LED lamps are more stable, improv- tions from third-party agencies, with of fast, accurate and reproducible
ing accuracy when compared to in- additional certifications and approv- boiling point data, refinery product
struments with traditional mercury als underway, says the company. yields are not optimized and profits
light sources, says the manufacturer. With a polyester-powder-coated, are lost. The PGC5009 “Fast” pro-
Furthermore, the mercury-free light lightweight, cast aluminum housing, cess gas chromatograph, which
source also significantly lowers oper- the IP66-rated VisuNet XT features was launched last month, provides
ating expenses related to UV trans- a front panel with user-configurable process analytics for simulated dis-
mittance monitoring by eliminating function keys, brightness control tillation analysis using fast tempera-
field-serviceable parts and disposal down to zero illumination, monitor- ture-programmed process chroma-
of lamps containing mercury. — off button and a touchscreen-disable tography. With a patented resistively
Sensorex, Garden Grove, Calif. button to enable the touchscreen to heated column design and rapid
www.sensorex.com be cleaned without unintentionally cooling system, the PGC5009 pro-
activating random control functions. vides the retention times and weight
An operator-friendly workstation Users will also benefit from flexible percentage measurements required
for use in harsh environments networking options that include re- for boiling-point curves, enabling op-
The VisuNet XT operator workstation dundant LAN ports, a multi-mode timized process controls, says the
features a high-bright LED-backlit fiber-optic LAN connection and wire- company. — ABB Measurement &
LCD panel display with an optically less Ethernet. — Pepperl+Fuchs Analytics, Lewisburg, W.V.
bonded, glove-friendly and sunlight- GmbH, Mannheim, Germany www.abb.com/measurement ■
readable 15- or 19-in. touchscreen www.pepperl-fuchs.com Mary Page Bailey and Gerald Ondrey
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Facts At Your Fingertips
New alarm activation rate distribution
Alarm Management
Department Editor: Scott Jenkins 6.6%
n Acceptable
10.1% (0–1 per 10
M
odern control systems for period that exceed 250. During flood min.)
chemical processes can gen- periods, operators are likely to miss n Manageable
erate frequent alarms. This important alarms. (2–4 per 10
min.)
one-page reference provides informa- 20.0% 63.4%
tion on common alarm-management Average alarm rate n Demanding
(5–9 per 10
metrics, which can foster focused re- Average alarm rate is a straightfor- min.)
medial actions and ultimately lead to a ward measure of the frequency with
n Unacceptable
safer, better-performing plant. which new alarms are presented to (≥10 per10
the operator, expressed as an aver- min.)
Alarm frequency age count per day, per hour or per FIGURE 2. Pie charts can give information on how
As alarm frequency increases, an op- 10-minute interval. Averages can be much time is spent in the acceptable range
erator’s ability to respond correctly misleading, however, because they
and in time to avoid the ultimate con- provide no sense of the peaks in the Causes of high alarm rates
sequence of inaction decreases. If the alarm rate, making it difficult to distin- Common contributors to excessively
rate is excessively high, some alarms guish alarm floods from steady-state high alarm rates include the following:
will likely be missed altogether or be “normal” operation. Consequently, • The alarm system is used to notify
ignored by the operators. Alarm rates it becomes valuable to supplement the operator of events that do not
that exceed thousands per day are this basic value with a timeline view or constitute actual alarms, such as
common in the chemical process in- separate calculation of alarm rates for communicating informational mes-
dustries (CPI), a level that is far greater both the times when operation is nor- sages, reminders or alerts, rather
than humans can handle successfully. mal and for times of an alarm flood. than an equipment malfunction or
Response to alarm rates of 10 An example of the timeline view is process deviation
alarms per 10 minutes can pos- shown in Figure 1. If the overall aver- • Chattering or frequently occur-
sibly be achieved for short periods age alarm rate (16.5 alarms/h in the ring nuisance alarms are present.
of time — but only if the alarms example) is lower than the action limit These often originate from non-
are simple ones. And this does not of 18/h, it may not appear to be a process alarm sources of marginal
mean such a rate can be sustained point of immediate concern. Howev- interest. Chattering alarms can
for many 10-minute periods in a row. er, the timeline view shows that there also indicate an incorrect alarm
An alarm flood can be defined as are significant periods of time where limit or deadband
a 10-minute period with more than the performance is unacceptable. • Redundant alarms, where multiple
10 new alarms, continuing through Two metrics — the percentage of alarms occur for a single abnormal
subsequent 10-minute intervals un- 10-minute periods with more than 10 situation. For example, when a
til reaching a 10-minute interval with alarms, and the percentage of time pump is shut down unexpectedly,
fewer than five new alarms. spent in an “alarm flood” state — are it can generate a pump fail alarm
The peak number of alarms within often used to help quantify how much in addition to alarms for low outlet
a 10-minute period is a straightfor- of an operator’s time is spent within flow and discharge pressure
ward measure of the degree of dif- the situation where more alarms oc- • A problem with the metric calcula-
ficulty of the worst-case alarm flood cur than can be managed effectively. tion is occurring. A correct calcula-
for the operator. In poorly performing Pie charts like the one in Figure 2 illus- tion only counts new alarms pre-
alarm systems, it is common to see trate how much time is spent within sented to the particular operator
peak alarm counts in a 10-minute certain alarm-rate ranges. or operating position for which the
1,400 metric is intended
n Critical Alarm rates on a per-hour basis • Cascading alarms happen when
1,200
Average alarm rate per hour
n Warning • Overall: 16.5 sudden equipment shutdowns

n Advisory • During alarm floods: 100.7
1,000 trigger automated actions of the
• Excluding alarm floods: 7.9 control system, which in turn, trig-
800
600
gers more alarms
• When routine transitions between
400 process states occur, the alarm
200 system can therefore falsely indi-
0
cate abnormal conditions n
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5/7/2009
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5/20/2009
5/21/2009
5/22/2009
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5/24/2009
5/25/2009
5/26/2009
5/27/2009
5/28/2009
5/29/2009
5/30/2009
5/31/2009
References
1. VanCamp, K., Alarm Management By the Numbers,
Date Chem. Eng., March 2016, pp. 50–55.
2.Hollifield, B., Understand and Cure High Alarm Rates,
FIGURE 1. Timeline views of the data can reveal periods where alarm performance is not acceptable Chem. Eng., March 2016, pp. 56–60.
Technology Profile
Hydrogen Peroxide Production
By Intratec Solutions Hydrogen
Anthraquinone
Electrolysis Sulfuric acid
autoxidation
H
ydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is
the simplest peroxide (de- Barium peroxide, Wet chemical Hydrogen Hydrogen,
Direct synthesis
fined as molecules with two nitric acid process peroxide oxygen
oxygen atoms covalently
bonded to one another). It is mainly 2-Propanol Oxidation Oxidation Methylbenzyl
used as a bleaching agent and as an alcohol
oxidizing agent in the pulp-and-paper, n Raw material n Pathway n Main product

cosmetic, pharmaceutical, chemical,
FIGURE 2. Several production pathways exist for hydrogen peroxide
electronics, and textile industries. The
use of H2O2 as a raw material in the Concentration and purification. The the autoxidation of 2-alkylanthrahy-
production of propylene oxide has hydrogen peroxide is separated from droquinones. Other pathways include:
significantly increased in recent years. the working solution effluent (from oxidation of alcohols; electrochemical
the oxidation reaction) by means of process; and direct synthesis from ox-
The process countercurrent extraction with demin- ygen and hydrogen. Figure 2 shows
The process described in the following eralized water. The aqueous-phase different pathways by which H2O2
paragraphs is a conventional anthra- product from the extraction, which is produced (in some of them, other
quinone autoxidation (AO) process. In contains entrained organic com- chemicals are also produced, but are
this process, 2-ethyl anthraquinone pounds from the working solution, is not shown in the diagram).
(EAQ) is sequentially hydrogenated then treated by contacting it with an
and oxidized, generating hydrogen adsorbent resin. After purification, the Economic performance
peroxide (Figure 1). hydrogen peroxide solution is fed to a The total operating cost (raw materi-
Hydrogenation. Initially, EAQ is dis- vacuum distillation column, where it is als, utilities, fixed costs and depre-
solved in a polar/non-polar solvent concentrated to 70 wt.%. ciation costs) estimated to produce
mix to form a solution (known as the Working solution recovery. The H2O2 is about $630 per ton of H2O2
working solution). The working solu- working solution leaving the extraction (on a 100%-H2O2 basis). The analy-
tion feeds the hydrogenation reactor, area is passed through a drying step sis is based on data from the second
where the EAQ is reduced to 2-ethyl to adjust the water content before be- quarter of 2013 and applies to a plant
anthrahydroquinone (EAHQ) by hy- ing recycled back to the hydrogenation with the capacity to produce 100,000
drogen gas in the presence of a cata- unit. Subsequently, part of the working metric ton per year of H2O2 (on a
lyst. The product from the hydrogena- solution is passed over an activated 100%-H2O2 basis).
tion passes through a filtration step to alumina bed for reverting unwanted This column is based on “Hydro-
recover the hydrogenation catalyst, quinone-related species to active qui- gen Peroxide Production Process
which is returned to the hydrogena- nones and removing the irreversibly Cost Analysis,” a report published
tion reactor (not show in the diagram). degraded products. These degraded by Intratec. It can be found at: www.
Oxidation. During the oxidation, EAHQ products are formed in side reactions intratec.us/analysis/hydrogen-perox-
is oxidized back to EAQ, while simulta- in the hydrogenation/oxidation cycle. ide-production-cost. n
neously producing H2O2. Oxygen from Edited by Scott Jenkins
ambient air is used in the oxidation, H2O2 production pathways
and the reaction is not catalyzed (that Hydrogen peroxide was first produced Editor’s note: The content for this column is supplied by In-
tratec Solutions LLC (Houston; www.intratec.us) and edited by
is, autoxidation). The working solution on an industrial scale using the reac- Chemical Engineering. The analyses and models presented
obtained from the oxidation is directed tion of barium peroxide with nitric acid. are prepared on the basis of publicly available and non-
to the concentration and purification Since the 1950s, the largest portion of confidential information. The content represents the opinions
of Intratec only. More information about the methodology for
area located downstream. H2O2 production has been based on preparing analysis can be found, along with terms of use, at
www.intratec.us/che.
7 1. Working solution tank

Wastewater 2. Hydrogenation reactor
Hydrogen Demineralized 3. Catalyst recovery
EAQ Wastewater water 4. Air compressor
make-up 5. Oxidation reactor
Offgas 6. Extraction tower
8
Solvent 2 7. Working solution recovery
make-up 8. Purificartion tower
6 9. Steam boiler
1 10. Cooling tower
Hydrogen
peroxide
3 (70 wt. %) CW Cooling water
5 ST Steam
Air ST 9
4
CW 10
FIGURE 1. The diagram shows a conventional anthraquinone autoxidation process for hydrogen peroxide production

Cover Story
Practical Solutions
to Modular Project
Execution
Follow this guidance to improve results on capital projects
T
Susan Halford he opportunities for
and modularizing indus-
Tony Kretzschmar trial and chemical
Fluor Corp. projects are growing
at an amazing pace. Once
considered a mitigation strat-
IN BRIEF egy only for projects in remote
MODULAR ENGINEERING areas with harsh climatic
conditions or a shortage of
MODULE DESIGNS
skilled labor, modular execu-
PROCUREMENT AND tion is now prevalent across
FABRICATION the chemical process indus-
LOGISTICS tries (CPI). Even developing
countries that have ample
ASSEMBLY AND local labor, good site access
INSTALLATION
and have previously executed FIGURE 1. Modularization, the pre-assembly of structures away from the primary
PRE-COMMISSIONING “stick-built” execution are construction site, has many benefits, including improved labor productivity and
reduced HSE risks
AND SITE moving toward modular ex-
COMMISSIONING ecution. Why? Because of the opportunity to are required between various organizations
yield improved overall project results. raise the potential for more disconnects, with
Modularization, which involves the pre- no single organization having overall end-to-
assembly of structures away from the primary end accountability for the project. Integrated,
construction site (Figure 1), has been popu- innovative solutions are key for a modular ex-
lar since the 1970s. Modules come in various ecution outcome to be sucessful.
sizes and shapes, from very large modules
that are transported by barge, to smaller, Modular engineering
truckable modules that may fit in a sea freight Engineering efforts associated with modu-
container. Modular execution provides many larization can simplistically be separated into
benefits, including improved labor productivity two main aspects. First, engineering must be
and quality, due to better controlled working technically sound and achieve the require-
conditions, and reduced health, safety and ments that are expected for a facility to oper-
environmental (HSE) risks that arise when the ate safely, deliver the specified product and
need to work at elevation is reduced. achieve the target production. Second, en-
Modular projects, executed appropriately, gineering must support the project’s down-
can save time and money. A well-developed stream execution aspects, and engineering
modular-execution strategy should create must consider the construction phase as its
an integrated solution — as opposed to client; that is, to design a facility in a way that
a hodgepodge of project scopes that are makes it easy for the construction group to
broadly planned but broken into separate en- build that design in the field.
gineering, procurement, fabrication and con- This approach entails clearly identify-
struction packages. Often, project managers ing and procuring the right materials to be
do not consider that the additional interfaces delivered at the right time to the right loca-
tion, and providing timely responses to all
queries. This latter aspect is typically not
emphasized, but is a prime opportunity
to enhance and influence a project’s suc-
cessful outcome.
One key aspect of successful modulariza-
tion is to adhere to the concept that modu-
larization drives layout — rather than layout
driving modularization. Technically, this con-
cept creates huge challenges and often dis-
suades clients and project managers from
embracing modularization, but it can deliver
significant project benefits.
Some of the radically different design ap-
proaches are not well known. These design
approaches include plug-and-play technol- installation, pre-commissioning and FIGURE 2. Input from opera-
ogy (where modules go through significant testing prior to shipment of completed tions and maintenance teams
is required early on in the
pre-commissioning and testing at a fabrication modules to the jobsite (using a plug-and- design process to ensure that
yard and are then nearly ready for operations play approach) modularized facilities can be
after being set into place) and elimination of • A construction sequence that is defined easily maintained
pipe racks between process areas of a facility. early and does not change
While some projects claim success with
piperack modularization, they miss the recent Module designs
step-change improvement in modularization Module designs can vary extensively and
where elimination of pipe racks is the goal many factors come into play. The module-
(rather than just modularizing pipe racks). design team needs to be fully aligned to the
Such radical plot-plan reorganization by pro- execution strategy, to finish the design and
cess blocks requires all engineering disci- provide inputs to other disciplines early in
plines to be re-focused and aligned to support the process. The design effort can only be
this goal. Some key considerations include successful if every discipline supports the
the following: execution schedule.
• The establishment of a proper work- Important design aspects include efforts
breakdown structure (WBS), which has all to ensure the following:
designs and materials coded for correct • Appropriate safety distances and spacing
destination and installation scope. The between equipment and process blocks
WBS delineates the module assembly • Unobstructed emergency-escape routes
yard versus the jobsite. It avoids the use • Efforts to address permanent mainte-
of the term “field,” which can be mis- nance requirements (monorails, lifting
leading or unclear as to whether work is beams and more)
taking place at a module-assembly yard • Efforts to incorporate ergonomic consid-
or at the ultimate jobsite erations for operation, with consistency
• The use of an accurate, continuously and standardization in design
updated and accessible module index • Establishment of underground utility rout-
and dashboard that provides realtime ings and pile and foundation locations
information on design status and material The use of advanced modular design con-
availability cepts has demonstrated a reduction in facil-
• The ability to obtain early reliable vendor ity footprints of 30%, with associated sav-
data, particularly with respect to instru- ings in some material quantities. However,
mentation and controls advanced modularization also results in an
• Additional management of pre-packaged increase in other areas, such as the need for
equipment and the detailed integration of additional structural steel for the framing and
those components into the overall proj- bracing of modules during transport. Steel,
ect’s material-identification and number- however, is relatively inexpensive and the
ing system additional costs are easily offset through a
• Adherence by all engineering disciplines reduction in installed quantities of more ex-
to an advanced (early) schedule pensive items, such as the following:
• Careful weight management to control • Excavation and piling: 35% reduction is
module size and minimize any shipping typical
and installation surprises • Concrete: 60% reduction
• Modular-fabrication plans that maximize • Piping: 20% reduction

Cover Story
• Electrical: 30% reduction successes (and a few highly publicized fail-
Using a modular approach also requires ures) has fine-tuned the global supply chain
unique considerations when it comes to and created numerous successes on proj-
managing design changes. In particular, late ects. Critical to this success is engineering’s
design changes in engineering adversely af- understanding of the fabricators’ local condi-
fect a module program more than stick-built tions to manage the fabrication and achieve a
projects, because stick-built projects typi- win-win solution.
cally have more work, at more areas, going
on concurrently at a jobsite. Procurement and fabrication
These multiple work fronts enable labor to Procurement used to be fairly straightfor-
be shifted in case of a change in one area. ward on projects. Buyers bought the items
In contrast, modular assembly is similar to that the engineering department requisi-
assembly-line work in manufacturing, where tioned and had the items delivered to the
progress halted in one part of the assembly jobsite. This is no longer the case.
line slows down the whole line. End-to-end materials management has
Modularization can move a significantly become a complex, international endeavor.
high percentage of the total construction Low-cost global supply and fabrication cre-
work to the module assembly yard. Modules ate a capital efficiency that allows many proj-
for a project are assembled at a module- ects to be sanctioned that otherwise would
assembly yard, rather than at the jobsite, not have been able to move forward. If global
thus transferring work that would have taken supply and fabrication are implemented as
place at the construction site to the module part of a project’s execution plan, several key
assembly site. Accordingly, engineering sup- items should be addressed.
port at the yard needs to be greater in num- To mitigate quality concerns, projects
bers than at the site. Answers to requests should have appropriate quality personnel
for information from the module assembler and resources in the module-assembly yard
should be answered the same day, if pos- and at the global supplier locations. While
sible, to prevent delays. this is a good first step, an additional valu-
When it comes to modularization efforts, able step is to implement an advanced qual-
successful engineering is carried out with the ity program at the fabricators, as materials,
end in mind. The construction department’s such as pipe, steel and vessels, are also
early, continuous and unchanging involve- sourced from other global suppliers. Aspects
ment in the design phase eliminates surprises of such a program include training the sup-
when the time comes to build the modules plier’s workers in the quality requirements
and execute the remaining work at the site. and providing a physical sample of pieces of
Construction and operations teams should work, such as welded pipe, to clearly dem-
provide input related to the ability to construct onstrate the level of quality expected.
FIGURE 3. Projects should a design, as well as access and how construc- Modular fabrication and assembly facilities
have a quality presence, tion will progress through the jobsite. These often have space limitations that can impact
as well as a advanced
quality program, in the plans must be diligently followed through ex- the material-delivery aspects of the pro-
fabrication yards ecution, as changes create untimely rework curement plan. With the “module-in-a-box”
and yield unnecessary chal- delivery concept, all materials necessary to
lenges. Items on modules that fabricate a module are shipped to the mod-
are not secured into place are ule-fabrication yard at the same time.
often overlooked during en- This approach is widely considered man-
gineering and planning. The datory when delivering materials and equip-
items not physically secured to ment to a module-assembly yard. Driven by
the module get tricky to man- the assembly-line manufacturing concept,
age and often get lost in the as- having 100% of the materials on hand prior
sembly, completion and ship- to starting a module’s assembly is the norm.
ment work process. If a module is taking up yard space and can-
Many modularization projects not be finished on time, it potentially pre-
also benefit from reduced ma- vents another module from having the space
terial, equipment and fabrica- available to be started. This sequencing is a
tion costs through increased key factor in the procurement, logistics and
use of global sourcing. While fabrication planning effort.
some project teams have been Material delivery to a module assembler can
hesitant to work with overseas either be direct from vendors or via an interme-
vendors, the past decade of diary marshalling yard that is set up to receive
and stage materials and equipment. If a
module assembler has a robust receiv-
ing and warehousing program, a project
can consider having deliveries come di-
rectly from vendors. However, it is more
likely that module assemblers are more
focused on fabrication and thus allocate
the majority of their yard to standing and
building modules, instead of storing and
staging materials.
Delivery using the module-in-a-box
scenario requires an intermediate mar-
shalling yard be set up to receive, sepa-
rate, organize and report upcoming
deliveries. This clear line-of-sight to the
project team enables proper decisions
to be made on when module assembly
starts, and allows a project to change
sequencing when one module is trend- yard also allows for the segregation of FIGURE 4. Transport of modules by ocean
ing late. It serves as a risk-mitigation bulk materials by module, since many or barge requires different design consid-
erations than modules that will be trans-
technique, allowing work to easily be vendors are not set up for (and typically ported via truck
moved from one module assembler to charge extra for) sorting and separating
another, in case of schedule slippage. items prior to shipment.
If a module’s material has already A typical oversight is the integra-
been delivered to one module assem- tion of pre-packaged equipment into
bler, it is very difficult to retrieve it to the overall module-execution program.
give it to someone else. A marshalling Careful cross-referencing of equipment
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Cover Story
be made on the project is the maximum size
of the modules. Often this task is left entirely
to the engineering group to plan, without
due consideration to finished module ship-
ping envelopes and potential road, rail and
sea transport weight limitations.
Developing a route survey from the module
assembler to the final installation location is
critical at the very early stages of the project.
There have been cases where the importance
of these decisions has not been properly un-
derstood, and this has led to unwanted sur-
prises that require drastic changes to mod-
ules far too late in the project.
Ocean-going transport should use the
FIGURE 5. A module is pre- tags and material commodity codes from services of a qualified and experienced ma-
pared for transport to the the pre-packaged equipment vendor, as well rine surveyor early in the project. Specifically,
project site
as proper identification of interfaces with the this input is required at the initial engineering
rest of the design, is imperative. stages to help design temporary (removable)
Some module assemblers may use poor shipment-related bracing and supports.
integration of pre-packaged vendors into the Even land-based module transportation
overall project as an excuse for delays and requires careful coordination. For exam-
schedule extension requests. Rather than ple, ensuring that a module is assembled
forcing the pre-packaged equipment vendor at a proper height above grade for ease of
to comply with a project’s WBS or number- loading may be overlooked. It is best to in-
ing system, instead focus on building a con- tegrate the shipping beams into the mod-
cise and comprehensive cross-referencing ule design, instead of utilizing third-party
system and interface matrix to give the mod- rented shipping beams and trying to recycle
ule assembler the information needed to them in time for the next module shipment.
install the equipment package in the Global sourcing also brings considerations
various modules. related to import and export compliance
Finally, a module-fabrication program re- and anti-dumping laws. Special expertise
quires a robust material-management soft- is needed in this area to avoid surprises re-
ware tool and work processes that will en- lated to the disposition of surplus materials
sure that data are kept up to date and the and moving materials in and out of special
information accessible. Many hours can be economic-exemption zones. An entire article
wasted trying to resolve data inconsistencies can be written just about this one area, but
between systems that report different mate- the best strategy to avoid surprises is to use
rial-availability and forecast-delivery dates. a person with proven expertise.
There are significant advantages to using a
program-wide system that an integrated so- Assembly and installation
lution provider can bring to the table. Module assembly, when performed by a
qualified company, can support critical
Logistics schedules and produce the expected safety,
Logistics is an area often overlooked as a quality and productivity that results when
critical function in modular project execu- such assembly is carried out in a controlled
tion, particularly when sourcing and fabricat- environment. The schedule improvements
ing globally. The logistics functionality plays are significant when parallel construction ac-
a part in both the timely delivery of materials tivities can be conducted in both the module
and equipment to the module assembler, and yard and the construction jobsite. Using ad-
the transport of the completed module to the vanced work packaging, a modular program
final installation location. Even with the ad- is typically broken into smaller, manageable
ditional challenges related to the logistics of and discrete packages with opportunities
transporting goods that are sourced globally to separate this work into multiple locations
and the schedule considerations of buying or companies. Module yards are capable of
items earlier due to increased shipping time- simultaneously working on multiple modules
frames, the net cost savings to a project can at any given time, meeting the needs of small
be surprising. or large projects. The increased work fronts
One of the most critical early decisions to reduce risk to the construction schedule,
increasing access and reducing the accounted for in the schedule to requires that all teams proactively
overall time to market. integrate module delivery and the communicate, as modularization is
Business and project drivers, risks sequence of placing modules at the heavily dependent on proper sched-
and constraints influence the deci- jobsite. Construction should plan for ule and logistics management, and
sion to incorporate modular execu- some staging of modules prior to thus deviations can easily appear. It
tion into a project plan. The decision setting, but avoid excessive storage is critical to identify risks related to
to incorporate modular execution durations in order to minimize the re- possible scenarios in advance and
can stem from possible adverse job- quired extra space for modules to be be prepared to implement contin-
site attributes in the following areas: stored at the jobsite prior to being set gency measures, as needed.
• Site safety into their final places. An integrated As the modules are set into place at
• Site conditions, weather and module and equipment setting plan the jobsite, multiple work fronts start
remoteness
• Availability and cost of labor
• Site location, transportation and
other indirect costs to support
site labor
• Efficiency and productivity at the
site
• Overall quality
Ensuring a safe installation of the
design is paramount. The use of
modularization can help to re-
duce risks in several ways. For in-
stance, it may include minimized
work above grade (which reduces
the potential for fall-related haz-
ards), and it would enable work in When
covered workshops (out of extreme
conditions). Accuracy
Similarly, modularization benefits
from the use of a more consistent
work environment. The benefits of
Counts
transferring construction and labor
costs from a congested jobsite to a
controlled assembly environment at
the module yard can be significant. Companies around the world rely on HTRI
The reduction in jobsite labor hours
also helps to mitigate the risks as- as a leading provider of process heat transfer
sociated with skilled or limited local technology, research, software, and services.
(jobsite) labor required to support
the project schedule. It also reduces Our acclaimed thermal process When you need
peak manpower, which reduces the design and simulation software, accurate heat
overall jobsite indirect requirements, Xchanger Suite, provides nine exchanger
such as support staff and tool rooms, specific modules for accurate
and can reduce the dependency on performance
performance prediction of heat
the adverse qualities of the jobsite. transfer equipment, including
prediction,
The controlled environment that Xist® – the industry standard for you can count
is typical of a fabrication and mod- designing, rating, and simulating on HTRI.
ular assembly yard also enables shell-and-tube heat exchangers.
improved quality control and in-
spection. Teams should focus on Based on more than 50 years of
detecting design, equipment and fit-
applied research, our products
up issues at the shop with adequate
ensure the highest operating
time to carry out repairs before a
confidence in equipment designed
module transfers to the construction
using HTRI technology.
site. Sending incomplete modules to
the site will have follow-on impacts,
resulting in late project completion.
Specific consideration must be Circle 19 on p. 78 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-19

Cover Story
to open, including the completion of all mod- the turnover strategy, testing and pre-com-
ule interconnections and terminations, and missioning can be completed in the controlled
commencement of construction testing and environment of the module-assembly yard.
pre-commissioning. Advances in module The quality assurance of the work is moni-
lifting and setting technology have enabled tored to ensure all modules are fabricated
the use of advanced rigging systems that in accordance with specifications and stan-
can be adjusted rapidly to accommodate dards prior to loading for transportation to
various module sizes and configurations. the site. The systems-turnover documenta-
Use of these systems increases the setting tion must also be completed for immediate
pace of modules, thus increasing work-front retrieval at the site.
availability. Work fronts encompass available Transporting a tested and pre-commis-
space for construction and work. For exam- sioned component of an overall site mini-
ple, only after a module is set into place can mizes startup timing after module delivery,
further work take place to finish it, connect as well as site installation and commission-
it and test and energize it. With advances in ing costs and schedule.
module lifting and technology, modules can
be set faster and work fronts opened more Closing thoughts
quickly. This provides the onsite construc- The practical solutions discussed here pro-
tion workforce with more available areas vide an overview of modular design and
for work and the ability to finish the project execution fundamentals, and offer some
faster. Investments in this new technology recommendations on how to overcome the
can benefit the schedule immensely. challenges that advanced modular execu-
The construction group will be the re- tion brings. Modular execution is an inte-
cipient of the modules and the modular grated approach to project management,
design. The continued interface with the and affects every aspect of implementa-
construction group during all stages of the tion, including engineering, logistics, supply
project will enable a successful module- chain, construction and commissioning.
delivery plan. The design of a module provides addi-
tional complexities that need to be effec-
Pre- and site commissioning tively addressed. This approach will chal-
Opportunities to improve project value con- lenge many traditional design and execution
tinue into pre-commissioning and site com- methods. Overcoming these challenges will
missioning. At the module yard, modules help all stakeholders to deliver success and
should have, to the maximum extent possi- overall improved project results. ■
ble, completed testing, pre-commissioning Edited by Suzanne Shelley
and preservation prior to shipment to the
site. When testing and pre-commissioning Susan Halford is in project management at
activities are maximized in the module yard, Fluor Corp. (55 Sunpark Plaza SE, Calgary,
Alberta, Canada, T2X 3R4; Email: susan.
the project achieves a reduction in the site halford@fluor.com). A certified project man-
commissioning efforts. This approach re- agement professional, she has been with
quires alignment in the early stages of the Fluor for 10 years, and has 18 years of expe-
rience with engineering, procurement and
project to assist with the planning. The construction (EPC) and construction compa-
stakeholders, including construction, com- nies within the oil-and-gas and mining indus-
tries. Halford’s professional experience fo-
missioning and operations and maintenance cuses on project management, module coordination, offshore
teams, must provide input during the design fabrication management, engineering coordination, project controls,
phase. This input provides an avenue for the materials management, IT project management and infrastructure
design, with a keen focus on project team environments to manage
most efficient design incorporating the expe- projects and lead teams effectively to achieve project objectives.
rience these teams bring to the overall safe Tony Kretzschmar is a project director at
operability of the end product. Fluor Corp. (55 Sunpark Plaza SE, Calgary,
This input must continue to be an itera- Alberta, Canada, T2X 3R4; Email: tony.
kretzschmar@fluor.com). A registered pro-
tive process through formal reviews, or by fessional engineer, he has been with Fluor
identifying and addressing issues during for more than 28 years, with experience in
design development. engineering, operations, materials manage-
ment and project management across Flu-
As module walkdowns are completed, areas or's business lines. For much of his career,
such as pressure testing, electrical and equip- Kretzschmar has led and supported projects
ment testing and pre-commissioning can be implementing modular execution. This work has taken him from
his native Canada to working overseas in India, China and Mongo-
incorporated into the turnover strategy from lia for more than half of his career. He is also a member of Fluor's
the fabrication or assembly company to the Business Transformation & Innovation team leading various inno-
vation initiatives.
jobsite. By incorporating these activities into
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Getting the Most from

Severe Service Valves
Severe service valves (SSVs) differ from general purpose valves in important ways. Presented
here is guidance on how to increase service life, reduce costs and improve safety and
environmental performance of SSVs
Flowserve
S
Ross Waters evere service valves 650 350
Sulfuric acid
CGIS Canada (SSVs) are often 600 isocorrosion chart*
identified by applica- 300
550
tions that challenge
IN BRIEF the valve’s ability to survive, 500
SEVERE SERVICE but the term SSV can mean 450

250
CONTROL VALVES different things to different

400
people. In the past, defining
Degrees, ˚C
Degrees (oF)
200
SEVERE SERVICE
SSVs had little, if any, global 350
CN-7M
ISOLATION VALVES
agreement or common rec- 300
Zr HSI
150
VALVE SELECTION DATA ognition. That is about to
CHALLENGES 250
change as the Manufactur- M
N-7M -6
DIFFERENTIATING GPVS ers Standardization Society 200
CW-6M CW 100
OLEUM
FROM SSVS (MSS; Vienna, Va.; www. 150 CN-7M
CD-4MCu
msshq.org) has accepted CH-6M CN-7M
50
DEFINING SSVS FOR 100 CW-6M DCI
an application to produce a CF-8M WCB
CHEMICALS CF-8M
standard practice document 50
SSVS IN PULP AND to define them. 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
*20 mils/yr lines wt. % H2SO4
PAPER Within these challenging
LESSONS LEARNED applications, the conditions FIGURE 1. This sulfuric acid isocorrosion chart depicts corrosion performance of
that make the service severe several materials
FUTURE OUTLOOK
are being analyzed, quantified
and qualified. From this effort, it is expected general purpose valves (GPVs).
that objective and repeatable definitions will SSVs can be found throughout the CPI.
arise, along with guidance to improve the However, certain industry sectors have many
performance of SSVs, reduce unnecessary more SSV-related challenges than others.
costs, provide longer service life and pro- For example, municipal water treatment will
cess runs, improve safety and reduce envi- have fewer SSV opportunities or needs than
ronmental issues. the mining or chemical industries.
This article provides information about the In general, valves have two basic uses;
selection of SSVs in all chemical process in- they either control a process variable (like
dustries (CPI), but focuses on metallurgical pH), or they isolate the process. No matter
processes and applications, and offers ex- what type of valve — ball, butterfly, check or
amples to illustrate both the successful and globe — all fit somewhere into the basic role
unsuccessful use of this type of valve. The of control or isolation.
intent of the article is to raise the awareness
of SSV considerations for all industry stake- Severe service control valves
holders, including suppliers and manufactur- The dilemma facing all users of SSVs is for
ers, specifiers and users, as well as own- the valves to remain in service providing their
ers. The article also supplies tools to better singular functions while performing at the
understand where and why SSVs shoud be basic level required by the process. Severe
categorized separately from commodity, or services challenge both performance and
life expectancy. SSVs must deliver a TABLE 1. DETERMINING FACTORS FOR SEVERE SERVICE CONTROL VALVES (SSCVS)
minimum performance over a mini- Condition Formula/reference Threshold Notes
mum period of time. The valve indus- Cavitation (P1–Pv) / (P1–P2) Cavitation index per
 > i
try does have a better understand- ISA–RP75.23
ing and agreement of what defines a Choked flow FL Q > Qchoked ISA–RP75.23
severe service control valve (SSCV).
Erosive flow Velocity normal flow >8 m/s inlet Clean liquids
Table 1 provides some reasonable
thresholds that can be applied to any Flashing P2 / Pv ≤1.0 Liquids only
control valve situation and be used High-alloy metallurgy B16.34 >Group 3.1
to make a reasonable determination High energy state dP(Pa) x Q >100 kW Q is volumetric flow
that the application is severe and High noise IEC 60534-8-3&4
therefore requires a SSV.
>85 dB
An example of a situation that
would require an SSV would be High turndown ratio Qmax/Qmin >10
where the fluid will likely be at or Scale precipitation >1 mm/yr
near a cavitating state. Interna- Slurry >10% solids > 5m/s Suspended solids
tional Society of Automation (ISA) Temperature
standard RP75.23 provides basic
High normal operating >425°C Or as per B16.34
formulas that can be used to de-
termine whether or not a fluid will Low normal operating <–50°C Fluid temperatures
cavitate in service. At a state of Most isolation-valve datasheets for isolation-valve performance that
cavitation, fluids are accelerated lack a clear expectation of isola- does not allow some passing (seat
and their vapor pressure is reduced tion performance. For many in the leakage). One can reference a valve
in a proportional relationship. If the CPI, the standard FCI 70.2 from the test standard, such as the American
pressure drops below the media’s American National Standards Insti- Petroleum Institute’s API 598 or ISO
vapor pressure, the fluid will sepa- tute (ANSI; Washington, D.C.; www. 5208 from the International Organi-
rate into two or more phases — an ansi.org) is used blindly as the per- zation for Standardization, and add
effect known as flashing. Flashing formance level. It is common to see a required performance statement,
by itself can and will be erosive to Class V or Class VI listed frequently such as “valve seat testing to API
valves and other equipment, but if as leakage classifications. These 598 resilient seat.” However, doing
the downstream pressure recovery classes offer a measurement for “also eliminates metal-seated valves as
is such that the fluid is above its lowable” leak rate. The anomaly is options for selection, even though
vapor pressure, the resultant col- that the title of the standard is Allow- some metal-seated valves are capa-
lapse of the flashed gas creates the able Leak Rate for Control Valves. ble of the tightest isolation. For now,
damaging condition of cavitation. Control valves can leak because the most common isolation valve per-
they should not be used as isolation formance standard in North America
Severe service isolation valves valves, and SSIVs should not leak. is ANSI FCI 70.2, although it has no
For isolation valves, the valve indus- The valve industry is only now category for zero seat leakage.
try has far less agreement and ac- catching up with the demands of the An example of a severe service
ceptance on definitions of SSVs. highest performance valves and is isolation valve (SSIV) would be a
Table 2 provides some reasonable providing industry users with better situation where the process requires
thresholds, although it is admitted, tools than those that have been avail- a degree of isolation tightness after
the valve community is still debat- able in the past. For instance, cur- two continuous years of installation
ing and discussing these thresholds, rently, there is no industry standard that exceeds the tightness allowed
and it appears that a combination
of these thresholds may need to be TABLE 2. DETERMINING FACTORS FOR SEVERE SERVICE ISOLATION VALVES (SSIVS)
present in order to qualify as severe. Condition Formula/reference Threshold Notes
For example, if we use the tempera- Available on demand IEC 61508 &61511 100%
ture threshold of 260°C — the upper ASME category M fluids ASME B31.3 All
useable limit of fluorocarbons — this
Cryogenic fluids < –150°C
eliminates one of the best available
Fugitive emissions ISO 15848-1 &2 <500 ppm VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
options for seat materials, and users
would be forced into using metal High alloy metallurgy B16.34 >Group 2.4 Also all unlisted high alloys
valve seats, which are far more chal- High dP dP/P1 >0.8
lenging to use and achieve “tight” Solids deposition >1 mm/yr
shut-off isolation performance. Slurry >10% solids >20 barg
“Tight” itself needs further definition
Tightness of closure FCI 70.2 >Class V
and objective measurements and is
in fact also being defined by MSS. Temperature >260°C >260°C

TABLE 3. VALVE POSITION AND IN SITU HEALTH a higher negative impact on the
process within which it is operat-
Type Position Phase Severity Determining factor(s)
ing than GPVs. It may be a surprise
Isolation Open fully Steady dynamic Medium Pipeline flow variation
to most that not all isolation valves
Isolation Cycling closed Accelerating High Number and duration of isolate to the same ability or tight-
dynamic cycles
ness, nor do all types of isolation
Isolation Cycling open Decelerating High Number and duration of valves have similar or even close
dynamic cycles
performance abilities. Tightness is
Isolation Closed fully Steady static Low Tightness of closure relative and often misunderstood. In
general, the valve industry has done
in FCI 70.2 Class V. A typical ap- most vulnerable. a poor job of being sufficiently trans-
plication for this example could be When isolation valves leak, pass- parent and objective.
a high-pressure steam boiler drain. ing energy in the form of differential It is important to understand that
This is because a drain valve con- pressure can produce a velocity in- not all isolation valves need to be
tains the energy inside the boiler crease and the media can become perfect in the duty; the application
until it is time to empty the valve, a destructive agent, removing mass will always dictate what is actually
and while isolating the steam, any from the seating areas. This makes required and there will be applica-
passing (leakage) will lead to loss of the leak worse, and eventually the tions where some through-leakage is
efficiency, wasted resources (fuel, isolation valve is incapable of operat- unimportant, while for others, it will
demineralized water), and that leak- ing in its intended form. be critical. This article will shed some
age will lead to increased seat wear Determining the minimum level of light on both ends of the spectrum.
and even more leakage. isolation that is required at the end of As stated earlier, SSVs can be
the service life of an SSIV is critical. used in nearly every process and in-
Valve selection data challenges That demands understanding what dustry, but they are essential in a few.
The focus on SSVs has uncovered a the lifecycle of the valve will be and The chemical industry uses a large
lack of data that has been respon- all of the conditions that will be expe- number of SSVs and some will be
sible for making the proper selection rienced during the valve’s life. With- examined here. While in a technical
of SSVs more challenging and there- out this full knowledge, it is extremely sense, all substances are chemicals,
fore more prone to failures. When the difficult to select the valve type, the for the purpose of this article, the
datasheet of a control valve is com- sealing system, materials of con- examples discussed involve chemi-
pared to one for an isolation valve, struction and the valve bore, in addi- cals that, if their containment is lost,
observers will commonly discover tion to the operation, whether manual can cause great damage to personal
that a fundamentally important ele- or automated, and special options health, property and equipment. A
ment is missing from the isolation demanded by the application. good example of such a chemical is
valve datasheet. The static condi- hydrochloric acid (HCl).
tions will be presented in the data- Differentiating SSVs from GPVs HCl is corrosive; it will literally dis-
sheet, along with maximum design A simple definition of a SSV is a valve solve metals into solution, and if the
temperature, pressure, pipe size, that survives in a given application for integrity of the containment of the
media, class, material of construction a defined duration while performing hydrochloric acid is lost, then the
and often flowrates from minimum to a basic function (isolation or control) acid may present multiple hazards
maximum. For a control valve, this is up to and until the agreed duration to unprepared people, equipment
all that is really needed because the is reached. Those valves that cannot and ancillary processes. Corrosion
control valve operates 100% of the demonstrate this performance level is one of the key elements in the
time within the dynamic conditions are classified as general purpose determination of SSVs — an SSV’s
that can be calculated from the data valves (GPVs). resistance to corrosion is often of
between minimum and maximum As indicated earlier, isolation valves paramount importance.
flowrates. But for an isolation valve, have a more challenging definition
which is typically static for most of than control valves. Severe services Defining SSVs for chemicals
its service life, without knowing the are identified by applications. If the While there are many benign chemi-
number of cycles and normal oper- process is such that the temperature, cals (water is a chemical), many
ating position (normally either open pressure, velocity, abrasiveness, chemical manufacturing processes
or closed) engineers cannot properly corrosiveness or some combination and the chemicals that are used and
consider the effects of the dynamic of these parameters challenges the produced are dangerous. They can
conditions that occur when transi- valve’s ability to maintain a basic per- be toxic, explosive, aggressively re-
tioning between open and closed or formance level, then a valve that suc- active or corrosive. These types of
vice versa (Tables 3 and 4). It is this ceeds in that application is an SSV. chemicals need containment and
transitional state that exposes the SSVs are important because the management so that they are not re-
valve to very different conditions than consequence of a failure or deg- leased in areas where their properties
those when it is at rest and when it is radation of performance will have can result in damage or where they
can be lost to the downstream pro- thickness during the time the piping where chemicals for bleaching the
cess for which they are designated. is examined. Some applications re- pulp have evolved from chlorine (Cl2)
For containment of hazardous quiring SSVs would demand a lower into less dangerous chlorine dioxide
chemicals, if the purpose of the valve corrosion allowance, based on the (ClO2), sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)
is isolation, then resistance to cor- severity of an upset, the time period or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). For the
rosion from the process fluid needs between maintenance turnarounds kraft pulp process, cost efficiencies
to be considered carefully. Design or minimum process runs. have encouraged the mills to create
codes like the American Society of the necessary chemicals required
Mechanical Engineering standard SSVs in pulp and paper on-site in a plant within a plant,
ASME B16.34 provide operating An example application of SSVs known as Chem Prep. One process
pressure and temperature limits for is in the pulp-and-paper industry, within this sub-plant can produce the
each pressure class at various op-
erating temperatures for categories
of materials. For example, valves of
ASME Standard Class 300 for Group
2.2 materials, consisting of several
grades of stainless steels including
Dependable seals
the common forged and wrought
316 and cast CF8M steels, have a
working pressure by Class (in psig) at
start with DeWAL
a range of temperatures. A Class 300 Seals, gaskets and diaphragms can all leak, so DeWAL
valve of this material operating be- Industries has developed a broad range of durable,
tween –29 to 38°C, has a 720-psig bondable PTFE and UHMW ilm and tape compositions
pressure limit, the valve’s maximum that create dependable seals despite abrasion, harsh
allowable working pressure (MAWP).
chemicals, high temperatures or irregular surfaces.
In order to meet that working pres-
sure, the manufacturer will produce
a valve body with a minimum body-
wall thickness. This wall thickness
will be thicker than necessary to
provide an additional safety margin.
In factory testing, this extra safety is
proved by pressurizing the body to
50% beyond the MAWP during its
factory hydro-test.
If the corrosion begins to reduce
More than a dozen DeWAL PTFE and UHMW ilms and
the wall thickness either evenly or
tapes are designed speciically for gaskets, expansion
in discrete pockets or sections, the
valve becomes vulnerable to loss of joints, valve seals and diaphragms.
containment. When referring to the
sulfuric acid isocorrosion chart (Figure
1), lines depicting less than or equal
to 20 mpy (milli-inches, or mils, per
year) corrosion. Note how alloy CF8M
is only suitable for very weak or very
strong acid at low temperatures and
alloy CD4MCu disappears from suit-
ability, while two others that were in
the same suitable category remain for
a range of higher temperatures.
Respecting the overall piping sys- Let DeWAL engineering
tem’s corrosion allowance, often ex- help you with your most
pressed as x mpy, engineers should dificult challenges.
generally select valves with a trim (the
Quality of Product...First
sealing parts) that have a corrosion
Narragansett, RI 02882
rating of less than 1 mpy, while the www.dewal.com • usa1@dewal.com
800-366-8356 • 001-401-789-9736
valve body would have a corrosion
rating of less than 20 mpy. This prac-
tice leads to examining the body-wall Circle 10 on p. 78 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-10

CGIS Flowserve Flowserve
FIGURE 2. The iron disc of this seated butterfly FIGURES 3 AND 4. Proper heat-treatment of metal valve components can have a crucial effect on valve
valve was dissolved by sulfuric acid after the PVDF performance. The micrograph on the left shows a non-heat-treated metal structure at 200-times magifi-
coating was removed by flowing acid cation, while the right image shows the metal after heat-treatment (same magnification)
bleaching agent — chlorine dioxide. selected titanium as their corrosion- major global chemical company. The
Chlorine dioxide can be made resistant material of construction for QA manager identified a significant
by reducing sodium chlorate in a the valves used to direct and isolate number (more than 35%) of the ma-
strong acid (sulfuric or hydrochloric the weak acid. These 24-in. valves terial test reports (MTRs) for valves
acid) solution and a reducing agent cost upwards of $60,000 each origi- and fittings purchased by his com-
like methanol, hydrogen peroxide or nally. When a small brownfield proj- pany during the year were incorrect,
sulfur dioxide. The basic production ect later arose, the local project team missing, contained obvious errors
route is: chlorate + acid + reducing balked at the price and decided and, in some cases, were fraudu-
agent ➞ chlorine dioxide + byprod- to investigate alternatives. They lent. If this is a common occurrence,
ucts. A commercially important pro- checked the corrosion charts and then the confidence in the valves
duction route uses methanol as the saw that a Buna-N (nitrile rubber) used in severe service applications
reducing agent and sulfuric acid for resilient seated ductile iron butterfly is surely mistaken.
the acidity. Advantages of not using valve with a PVDF (polyvinylidene The information in the presenta-
chloride-based processes are two- fluoride)-coated ductile iron disc was tion was reminiscent of a situation
fold; the formation of elemental chlo- rated “A” for the temperature and the the author experienced at a plant in
rine is eliminated, and sodium sul- 85 g/L concentration of sulfuric acid. Australia in 2006. A distraught client
fate, a valuable chemical for the pulp These valves cost under $6,000 reported a number of valve issues re-
mill, is a side-product. each, far lower and much more at- lated to the leakage of sulfuric acid in
tractive for the buyer. the plant.
Lessons learned The problem with this type of valve An investigation of the situation
Decades worth of experience work- is that they only lasted a few months focused attention on the knife gate
ing with SSVs in the CPI have al- because they were not used only as valves that had been provided by
lowed the author and other industry full open-or-closed isolation valves. the author’s company. The manu-
experts to glean many important les- Besides being used to isolate the facturer used castings to make the
sons. The following are three that are centrifugal pumps for maintenance, valve bodies and wrought plate to
helpful to consider when selecting the valves were also used on the make the blade. For the casting
your next valve. discharge of the pumps to assist material, the material selected had
Lesson 1: Consider the whole ap- the pump during startup to develop been ASTM A890 Gr 5a, a super-
plication. The photograph in Figure head pressure. That required them duplex stainless steel well suited for
2 is a testament to the idiom that to be placed in the near closed posi- the 70–80°F temperatures of the 40
“you get what you pay for,” and it tion. Unfortunately, the velocity of the wt.% sulfuric acid in the countercur-
shows the importance of consid- acid that was developed while nearly rent decantation circuit of this hy-
ering the application holistically to closed was so high that it physi- drometallurgical facility.
avoid adverse outcomes. In 1995, a cally removed the thin PVDF coating For several years, these valves
new copper mine was built in Chile. covering and protecting the ductile worked flawlessly. The client became
It was designed to use 85 g/L of iron disc. This exposed the iron disc very comfortable and decided to try
weak sulfuric acid to irrigate a heap and the acid simply dissolved it. Of them in an upstream, more challeng-
of copper oxide ore. The acid was note, the originally supplied titanium ing process — one in which the tem-
sprayed over a huge pile of crushed valves are still in service 22 years peratures reached 200°F. The higher
ore, which leached the copper into later. Sometimes buying cheap costs temperatures resulted in a significant
solution, where it was later electro- more in the longterm. problem. From the isocorrosion chart
won out into pure copper cathodes. Lesson 2: Use properly processed for sulfuric acid, it can be observed
This type of mine and process plant materials. At a recent valve confer- that this acid creates some interest-
is known as a heap leach-SXEW ence in Düsseldorf, the global audi- ing variations based upon the weight
(solvent extraction, electro-winning). ence heard a presentation from the percent and temperature. At the
The original process designers quality assurance (QA) manager of a higher temperature, the material had
a lower corrosion resistance. to preventing damage and failure of metal-body valves are available
The investigation also exposed the the less-noble and generally non- fully rated to ASME Class 150 and
potential for issues using the A890 corrosion-resistant valve bodies that up to and including Class 300,
ASTM method. The non-destructive provide the application’s pressure 720 psig at ambient temperatures.
testing is a little weaker than the containment and retention. These alternatives to solid metal-
more popular ASTM A995 method Very few solid plastic valves have lic valves often offer significantly
used today. Metallurgical testing the strength to withstand the needs reduced acquisition costs over
showed that the castings were im- of even the lowest ASME B16.34 high-alloy valves and can provide
properly heat-treated (Figures 3 and Class 150 pressure-retaining re- equivalent long-lasting service lives
4). While at the lower temperatures, quirements and are typically rated if selected and operated correctly.
the acid was not as aggressive at ex- to a maximum of 225 psig or lower Of course, the maxim “the appli-
posing the poor manufacturing, but at ambient temperatures. Lined cation dictates the valve” applies,
at the higher temperature, the flaws
were exposed and the valve failed to
contain the acidic solution.
This situation is another case of
“you don’t know what you don’t
know” and the experience with this
issue caused the author’s company
to re-evaluate its own QA systems,
including purchasing. Key vendors
were requested to provide better
control of the vendor data to elimi-
nate, or at least greatly reduce, errors
that could lead to future valve issues. Written for engineers, by engineers
Of particular interest, the gate ma-
terial, which was made from plate More and more, business in the
(wrought UNS S32750 alloy) was
Chemical Process Industries
Febr
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2015 ry
minimally affected by either tempera- 02
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Funda
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m
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re Repo
ture. This is not to imply that wrought (CPI) is not local, it’s global.
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Hear
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only that properly processed materi- To keep up with this rapidly

Facts
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Dimen Your Finge
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Valve
Extreme s for
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Servic
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Funda e
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Sheartals of
evolving marketplace, you need
Lesson 3: Don’t ignore the impor- page
Dispe40
rsers
a magazine that covers it all,
VOL.
122 NO.
2
tance of plastics. Metals are not the

FEBRU
ARY 2015
only material of construction used to not just one country or region,

fight against corrosion. Plastics and
elastomers are also effective allies not just one vertical market, but
in the effort to protect against cor- the entire CPI. With editorial offices around the
rosion from a particular chemical or
chemical process. The invention of
world, Chemical Engineering is well-positioned
fluorocarbons like Teflon (polytetra- to keep abreast of all the latest innovations in the
fluoroethylene) and its variants has equipment, technology, materials, and services
given the valve industry a wonderful
family of extremely corrosion-resis- used by process plants worldwide. No other
tant materials. publication even comes close.
Valves for corrosive services are
often lined with one of the fluoro-
carbons, normally Teflon PFA, a To subscribe or learn more about
perfluoroalkoxy copolymer which
can fully isolate the valve body from membership, please visit
the process medium. These plastic www.chemengonline.com/subscribe
materials do not corrode like met-
als, but can and do allow fluids to
permeate them. Thus, the quality of
their manufacturing to reduce the
permeability, the type of liner used,
how the plastic components are an-
chored into the body, as well as the
thickness of the lining, are all keys

Gemu Flowserve
TABLE 4. CORROSION ALLOWANCE DATA
FOR VALVE HEALTH (MIL PER YEAR)
Corrosion allowance Valve health
< 1 mpy (0.025 mm/yr) Excellent
<20 mpy (0.50 mm/yr) Good
<50 mpy (1.27 mm/yr) Satisfactory
>50 mpy (1.27 mm/yr) Poor
and it is incumbent upon the valve

selectors to consider all aspects of FIGURE 6. This ball valve uses quarter-turn rotary
the valve requirements. action to open and close, rather than multiturn
linear force
A significant challenge for plastic-
lined valves has been that there are cost valve solutions. In the coming
no industry standards that provide months, the industry will see better
guidance on what the minimum FIGURE 5. Plastic-lined metal diaphragm valves tools for identifying SSVs, including
thickness should be or on any of the can offer effective solutions in severe-service new standards for SSV testing, de-
other key manufacturing details that applications fining SSVs, standard practices for
make the valve a successful piece of corrosion-resistant-lined valves and
process equipment. ing valve design can be the obvious deeper knowledge that will assist in
For a Teflon PFA-lined, weir-style solution. One approach is to convert providing better valves for the most
diaphragm valve, a typical 3-mm- multi-turn linear force into quarter- challenging applications.
thick body liner is the norm and is turn rotary action, as shown in the Our exposure over the last five
generally sufficient to provide pro- lined ball valve (Figure 6). decades to a wide range of indus-
tection for the ductile iron body. This Thankfully, MSS will shortly publish trial applications in all of the regions
rigid liner is formed over the weir, “Plastic-Lined Ferrous Metal Valves” of the world has provided us with an
which serves as the base seat for as a Standard Practice. The scope appreciation that communication is a
the moving diaphragm seal (Figure covers plastic-lined ferrous metal key aspect of success and without
5). Together, the combination pro- valves intended primarily for convey- it, of failure. Industry’s acceptance of
vides the isolation. Due to Teflon's ing corrosive fluids. This new tool terms like “high-performance” and
relatively inflexible and non-resilient will recommend minimum liner thick- “tight shut-off” gave false confidence
properties, the diaphragm consists nesses, grades and formulations of and assurance that valves will work in
of a thinner layer cushioned by an plastic liners including PFA, PTFE, difficult applications. We have begun
elastic resilient material, such as PVDF, PP and UHMWPe, liner an- to rid ourselves of subjective terminol-
EPDM (ethylene propylene diene choring, inspection and testing ogy and have started to bring objec-
monomer) or Viton. tive and measureable performance to
This combination diaphragm seal Summary and future outlook the task. This greatly enhances every-
must be able to flex multiple times The valve industry is working to pro- one’s chances of success. n
without distortion or damage. Yet vide better information to ensure the Edited by Scott Jenkins
there is a line between how thin the correct selection of SSVs and the
corrosion-resistant liner should be proper language to nominate the Author
to allow multiple flexing and how valve so that it can function in service Ross Waters, president of CGIS
immune it is to the stress caused and meet or exceed expectations. (558 East Kent Ave. South, Van-
couver, B.C., Canada; Phone: 604-
by the closure of the handwheel We have discovered the need for 263-1671; Email: ross@cgis.ca;
and that rotary-to-linear torque-to- more details on the actual process website: www.cgis.ca). CGIS par-
thrust ratio. Too much torque will dynamics, including the percent- layed an early focus on chemical
processes and exposure to several
cause the PTFE to cold flow and age of time spent during different corrosive chemicals into an even-
weaken, perhaps to a point where dynamic conditions, as well as up- tual specialization in SSVs. The
company has expertise in valves
the protective liner is compromised sets, and to consider what those dy- using a range of materials, including titanium, Inconels,
and the liner is torn, exposing the namic situations are doing that could Hastelloys and fluorocarbons such as PVDF and PTFE.
less resistant elastomer cushion to damage the function of the valves, Waters has been involved with industrial valves for over
fifty years. Initially working in the bleached kraft pulp-
the process media, as well as to whether immediately or over time as and-paper industry and learning from Canadian chemi-
an uneven sealing surface that al- the sum of the damage adds up. cal-plant-engineering company Chemetics, Waters grew
lows leakage even when the valve There are many applications re- his passion for supplying the highest performance valves
into a life-long pursuit. Today, Waters serves on the
is fully closed. quiring SSVs, just as there many ASTM Gaseous Oxygen Committee and the Manufac-
When it is impractical or impos- for GPVs, and knowing where to turer’s Standardization Society as a task force member
sible to limit the closing torque’s draw that line is essential in obtain- on C-114 Steel Valves and C-409 Knife Gates. He also
chairs the task force committed to publishing a new
potential for damage, simply changing the best, safest and lowest- standard on severe service valves.

Engineering Practice
Improve Energy Efficiency using

Hydraulic Power Recovery Turbines
This mature technology can be used to save energy, generate revenue and reduce emissions
Sebastiano Giardinella, Katherine Even with low elec-

Horizontal
Chung and Martín Ávila tricity prices, HPRT and Flexible coupled
Ecotek group of companies expander technologies Vertical inline
David López have advanced to a bearing bracket
Ambitek Services, Inc. point where they repre- Overhung Rigidly coupled Vertical inline
sent reliable, economi-
W
ith the Paris Agreement cally feasible solutions Vertical inline
entering into force last to reduce power con- Close coupled
November, the Parties sumption and emis- High-speed
integrally geared
to the Convention es- sions from the CPI.
tablished their goals to implement This article focuses Axially split
One- and
measures to reduce the amount of on HPRTs — describ- two-stage
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ing their main types Type
Radially split
in order to combat climate change. and components, and Between-bearings
The application of these measures summarizing how an Axially split
Multistage
in the chemical process industries operations manager,
(CPI) involves the study and employ- consultant or energy Radially split
ment of alternatives to improve en- auditor in the CPI can Discharge through
ergy efficiency and reduce emissions assess the economic column
Single casing
in an energy intensive sector. and environmental
Separate discharge
Often in the CPI, a considerable benefits of a potential Vertically
amount of energy is wasted in pres- HPRT installation. suspended
Diffuser
sure control valves, where high-pres- Double casing
sure fluids must undergo a pressure HPRT characteristics Volute
reduction. Examples of this abound, An HPRT is a machine
such as gas sweetening (where the that transforms an in- FIGURE 1. This chart shows the classification of different types of hy-
high-pressure rich amine stream is compressible fluid’s draulic power-recovery turbines (HPRTs)
expanded to enter the low-pressure hydraulic energy to mechanical en- their couplings, number of stages,
amine regenerator, and the lean ergy, by reducing its pressure. The number of casings and geometry, as
amine is pumped back to the high- rotational mechanical energy can shown in Figure 1.
pressure absorber); gas dehydration then be used to drive another rotat- Performance-wise, an HPRT
(where the high-pressure rich glycol ing machine, or an electric generator. compares with a pump as shown
is expanded to enter the regenera- In essence, an HPRT is very simi- in Figure 2. The HPRT efficiency
tor, and the lean glycol is pumped lar to a centrifugal pump working in curve typically follows the same be-
back); pipeline pressure-regulation reverse flow (that is, with fluid enter- havior of a centrifugal pump, with a
stations; and others. ing from the high-pressure nozzle, maximum efficiency that is similar, or
In these processes, a significant and being discharged from the low- slightly higher than that of the equip-
amount of energy can be recovered pressure nozzle), and so is its me- ment being used as a pump. HPRTs
by employing hydraulic power-re- chanical design, with a runner being typically have a minimum flowrate re-
covery turbines (HPRTs) where the used instead of an impeller. In this quirement that is slightly higher than
fluid is incompressible (liquids), or regard, American Petroleum Institute that of a centrifugal pump, below
expanders where the fluid is com- standard API STD 610 [1] includes which the HPRT begins to consume
pressible (gases). an appendix dedicated to those power, rather than generate it.
In these devices, the energy re- features for HPRTs that are different The HPRT efficiency curve can also
covered in pressure reduction, which from those of a centrifugal pump. vary depending on its internal geome-
would otherwise be lost in throttling, HPRTs can be classified based on try, as shown in Figure 3. For instance,
is transformed to rotational mechani- the configuration of their runners: by having a variable geometry, with
cal energy, which can then be used overhung, between bearings or ver- guide vanes adjusting their angle de-
to directly drive another rotating ma- tically suspended. Each type can pending on the flowrate, the efficiency
chine, or an electrical generator. be further classified depending on of the HPRT is improved over the en-

Eficiency, %
Efficiency
BEP = Best efficiency point
Head, ft
BEP BEP
)
(%
mp cy
Pu ficien
e f
)
y (%
cie e
nc
effi rbin ft)
Pump head (ft) d(
Tu
hea
rbine
(3)
Tu
(2)
Brake horsepower, bhp

ke hp)
p bra
Pum epower (b (1) Fixed guide vanes
hors (2) Adjustable guide vanes
(3) HPRT with multiple inlet nozzles and flow
distribution control
Minimum Capacity (gal/min)
(1)
flowrate
FIGURE 2. This graph shows the comparison of head, efficiency and horse- Capacity
power curves between a pump and an HRPT
FIGURE 3. Shown here is the efficiency curve for three different HPRT
constructions
tire capacity range when compared An asynchronous generator has stalled to allow for operational flex-
with a fixed-geometry HPRT. One significant advantages when used ibility, if there is a contingency with
HPRT manufacturer also offers mul- in HPRT applications. These in- the HPRT, and when the HPRT is
tiple inlet nozzles with flow distribution clude relatively low cost; slip and taken out of service (for instance, for
control, which, apart from widening overload capacities; and can more maintenance). Normally, the con-
the operating range of the HPRT, also easily accommodate process varia- trol between the turbine flow valve
“flattens” its efficiency curve, creating tions, such as changes in flowrate, and the bypass valve is split range.
a “best efficiency range,” instead of a inlet and outlet pressure and fluid When the HPRT is installed to re-
best efficiency point. properties. place an existing throttling valve,
Fluid properties affect HPRT effi- From a process point of view, a the latter can be left as a bypass,
ciency in the same manner as in cen- complete HPRT installation typically by making the necessary control
trifugal pumps, with higher-viscosity includes the components shown in adjustments.
fluids reducing the efficiency. Some Figure 6. This simplified scheme de- Relief valve. A pressure safety valve
HPRTs tolerate flashing at their dis- picts an HPRT coupled to an asyn- (PSV) is also typically installed down-
charge, which greatly increases the chronous generator, with a variable- stream of the HPRT to protect the
power output. frequency drive (VFD) adjusting the low-pressure line and equipment.
output power characteristics to Seal flushing system. A seal flush-
HPRT process arrangement match those of the grid. Important ing system based on API STD 682
The main HPRT equipment assem- components to ensure the oper- [2] is generally recommended for an
bly includes the HPRT coupled to a ability and protection of the system HPRT. Some manufacturers pres-
generator or a pump. include the following: ent alternative assemblies, such as
When used to drive a pump, the Over-speed trip. This protects seal-less HPRTs.
HPRT is typically not used as stand- the equipment from an excessive Utilities. A typical HPRT arrangement
alone driver, but rather in a train ar- speed derived from unexpected also requires a lubricant-oil system, in-
rangement where the HPRT and a process conditions that could dam- strument air for pneumatic equipment,
motor act as dual drivers, with the age the equipment. instrumentation and controls. It may
pump drive rotating at the motor Throttle valve. The inlet flowrate is also require inert gas, such as nitro-
speed, or at a greater than motor typically controlled by a throttle valve gen, when handling flammable fluids.
speed, as shown in Figures 4 and placed upstream, near the HPRT Instruments and controls. Impor-
5, respectively. inlet, especially where gas evolu- tant variables to measure include inlet
When used to drive a generation is expected, to allow for a larger and discharge pressure, flowrate, ro-
tor, the mechanical assembly var- power output. Some manufacturers tational speed and power output.
ies when coupled to a synchronous prefer to locate the throttling valve
generator (which requires a gover- downstream of the HPRT. Other HPRT process design
nor to maintain a continuous rota- manufacturers also offer multiple tur- When preparing a request for quo-
tion speed, synchronizing directly to bine inlet valves, where the flowrate tation (RFQ) for an HPRT, the first
the output voltage frequency), or an added to each nozzle is controlled in step is to define and specify the ser-
asynchronous generator (where the order to maximize efficiency through vice conditions to the manufacturer.
output voltage frequency is regu- a range of capacities. These includes the following:
lated by the power system to which Bypass valve. A modulating by- • Operating conditions (pumping
the generator is connected). pass valve sized for full flow is in- temperature, flow, discharge pres-
hydraulic power that can be recov-
Motor Pump Clutch HPRT ered in an HPRT, taking into ac-
count the fluid flowrates, properties
and conditions, using the following
FIGURE 4. The arrangement of an HRPT with pump drive at motor speed is shown here equation:
Pump Gear Motor Clutch HPRT

Whyd = Q g h / 3, 600
(1)
FIGURE 5. Shown here is the arrangement of an HPRT with pump drive at greater than motor speed Where:
Whyd = HPRT hydraulic power, kW
sure, suction pressure, differential mounted unit including the HPRT, Q = Flow capacity, m3/h
pressure, differential head and hy- generator, plus all the piping, r = Fluid density at operating condi-
draulic power) valves, electrical, and instrumen- tions, kg/m3
• Design conditions (inlet and dis- tation components), or only the g = Acceleration due to gravity,
charge design pressure, design equipment (for example, HPRT 9.81 m/s2 at sea level
temperature, rating and so on) and generator)? ∆h = Differential head, m
• Liquid properties (liquid relative • Does the bidder offer a warranty
density, vapor pressure, specific for the entire system, or only for Or, in U.S. customary units:
gravity and viscosity) the HPRT?
• The site and utility data (mounting • Can the proposed equipment han- hphyd = Qgpm Ppsi /1, 715
location, electric area classifica- dle predicted variations in fluid con- (2)
tion, site data such as elevation ditions, flowrates and properties? Whyd = 0.7457 hphyd
and atmospheric pressure, un- • Can it handle solids (maximum (3)
usual conditions, and utility condi- particles size), vapors, corrosive,
tions, such as electricity, cooling abrasive or other foreseen con- Where:
water, instrument air and steam) taminants in the fluid? hphyd = HPRT hydraulic power, hp
Also, a sketch of the installation, • Does the proposed equipment Qgpm = Flow capacity, gal/min
indicating whether the HPRT will be meet the area classification and SG = Fluid specific gravity, unitless
used to drive a rotating machine or be other safety requirements? DPpsi = Differential head, ft
coupled to an electrical generator, is • Does the bidder offer techni-
recommended, along with other elec- cal support? Does it have online Then, the hydraulic power is mul-
trical data (electrical area classifica- monitoring capabilities to assess tiplied by the HPRT efficiency to ob-
tion, type of generator, power output, equipment performance remotely? tain the brake power:
voltage and frequency and so on). • What other references for previ-
Once the proposals have been re- ous installations can the bidder Wbrake = Whyd HPRT
ceived, the first step is to make sure provide? (4)
that the data given to the bidders in • What are the maintenance require-
the specification was used as input ments (for example, replacement Where:
for the design. of parts, recommendable spare Wbrake = HPRT brake power, kW
Then, the customer can review the parts stock and so on)? HPRT = HPRT efficiency, unitless
HPRT performance curve and pre- • Other criteria, as applicable
dicted power output to check that Finally, an economic analysis Typical HPRT efficiencies can
the proposed equipment meets the should be performed on each alter- be higher than 80% for water, and
service conditions. Ideally, an HPRT native, in order to compare the re- higher than 70% for other viscous
will be selected so that the operating turn on investment of each option. fluids, such as petroleum.
point is near the best efficiency point A higher initial investment can be If the HPRT is used to drive
(or “best efficiency range,” as offered justified by a higher equipment effi- another piece of rotating equip-
by some manufacturers). ciency, which in turn translates into ment, the total energy savings is
Care must be taken to ensure that more savings each year. obtained by multiplying the HPRT
the bidder reports electrical power at brake power by the efficiency of
the generator terminals, as opposed Economic benefits of an HPRT the clutch, and other mechanical
to only brake power. If the bidder is The installation of an HPRT can be devices between the HPRT and
reporting brake power, then the pur- economically justified in many sce- the driven equipment. Additional
chaser must deduct other mechani- narios by savings in electrical power electrical consumption from auxil-
cal and generator losses to compare or fuel consumption, or by earnings iaries (control valves, instruments,
with other bidders. from electricity sales to the grid. In control panel and so on) is also
Other technical considerations to some cases, the equipment payback deduced to obtain the net power
be taken into account when evaluat- period can be less than two years. savings. The total saved energy in
ing proposals include the following: To calculate the savings (or earn- a year is obtained by multiplying
• Does the bidder offer a turn-key ings), the purchaser (or consultant) this value by the number of running
package (for example, a skid- must first calculate the available hours in a year.

Control Signals to DCS implementation of energy efficient
panel measures, or by emission reduction
PT FT credits in emission markets.
ST
Fluid Inlet Turbine
An example calculation
Flow
Instrument Air valve
VFD Power output To get an idea about the potential
Generator savings, an example calculation is
Seal
Inert Gas
system PT
PSV provided here.
Relief discharge
Lube Oil The problem. An HPRT is to be in-
Lube-oil Fluid discharge stalled in a natural-gas sweetening
system
plant, to replace the pressure let-
Key:
down valve at the rich amine line to
DCS = Distributed control system Bypass valve the regenerator. The HPRT will be
FT = Flow transmitter
PSV = Pressure safety valve used to drive an electrical genera-
PT = Pressure transmitter
ST = Speed transmitter tor, and the power will be fed to the
VFD = Variable frequency drive Drains
plant electrical distribution system
to supply power to local loads. The
FIGURE 6. Shown here are the typical components used in an HPRT system (with inlet flow control)
HPRT will handle 500 gal/min of fluid
and a pressure drop of 1,000 psi.
Esave,dr = (Wbrake clutch coup ) canThen, the savings (or revenues)
be calculated to assess the eco-
The efficiency of the selected HPRT
is 75%, whereas the efficiency of
Waux ) 8, 760 A nomic benefits. the asynchronous generator and
coup
(5) When the power recovered by the connected VFD are 95% and 98%,
Where: HPRT is utilized at the same site (for respectively. The HPRT will require
Esave,dr = Energy savings from HPRT example, in an amine regenerator, an additional auxiliary load of 2 kW.
as driver, kWh where the HPRT recovers power The distribution system losses are
clutch = Clutch efficiency, unitless from the rich amine stream and not taken into consideration in the
coupled = Coupled equipment effi- drives the lean amine pump), the analysis. The plant manager wishes
ciency, unitless HPRT is economically justified by to calculate the savings in electri-
Waux = Auxiliaries power consump- the savings in electrical consump- cal energy in a year, considering
tion, kW tion through the equipment life pe- that the HPRT will run 95% of the
A = HPRT availability (Available run- riod (if the electricity is supplied by time, and the local electricity cost is
ning hours per year  8,760 hours) a utility or third party), or by the sav- $0.10/kWh.
If the HPRT is used to generate ings in fuel that would be burned to The solution. Using Equation (2),
electricity for the grid, the power generate such electricity (if the facil- the HPRT hydraulic power is:
output is obtained by multiplying ity generates its own electricity).
the HPRT brake power by the ef- When the power recovered by hphyd = (500 gal/min  1,000 psi) 
ficiency of the generator. Addi- the HPRT exceeds the local power 1,715 = 292 hp
tional electrical consumption from needs (for example, in a pipeline
auxiliaries (control valves, instru- pressure-regulation station), the ex- In kilowatts:
ments, control panel and so on), cess power can be exported to the
and losses in electrical equipment grid. In this case, the facility design Whyd = 0.7457  292 hp = 217 kW
(VFD, switchgear, step-up trans- would need to consider the local
former, power lines and so on) are utility interconnection requirements, The HPRT brake power is:
also deduced to obtain the net and any specific regulations and
power output. The total energy ex- procedures applicable to cogenera- Wbrake = 217 kW  0.75 = 163 kW
ported in a year is obtained by mul- tion. Depending on the project spe-
tiplying this value by the number of cifics, the owner can then select to The net energy output in a year is:
running hours in a year. either feed the power to the grid in
exchange for credits from the utility Eexp = (163 kW  0.95  0.98 – 2 kW)
Eexp = (Wbrake gen aux Waux )
(as is the case with distributed gen-  8,760  0.95 = 1,246,662 kWh
Wloss ) 8, 760 A eration), pay the utility a transmission
aux
(6) and distribution charge so the power The net energy savings in a year are:
can be used at another owner’s fa-
Where: cility (for instance, a pump station), Annual energy savings = 1,246,662
Eexp = Energy exported to grid, kWh or sign a power-purchase agree- kWh  $0.10/kWh = $124,666.
gen = Generator efficiency, unitless ment (PPA) with the utility or another
Waux = Auxiliaries power consump- power consumer. The earnings in Environmental benefits
tion, kW each case vary, depending on local The environmental benefits of re-
Wloss = Power losses in electrical regulations and market conditions. covering electricity include, mainly,
equipment and power lines, kW Other incentives may apply as the reduction of emissions (carbon
additional earnings, from either the dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of
nitrogen and sulfur, particulate mat- Authors
ter) that is achieved when substitut- Sebastiano Giardinella is the
ing energy that would otherwise be vice president and co-owner of
the Ecotek group of companies
generated through the combustion (Bldg. 239, 3rd floor, offices A
of fossil fuels. and B, City of Knowledge, Pan-
The amount of emissions reduced ama City, Republic of Panama;
each year can be calculated by multi- Phone: +507 203 8490; Email:
sgiardinella@ecotekgrp.com). He
plying the amount of annual electric- has experience in corporate
ity savings by the emissions factor of management, project manage-
the main power source in the facility. ment, project engineering and process engineering
The emissions factor varies for
consulting in projects for the chemical, petrochemical,
petroleum-refining, oil-and-gas and electrical power-
PROVEN
each technology type, location and generation industries. He is a project management
fuel. Some calculation methods as- professional (PMP), has a M.Sc. in renewable energy
development from Heriot-Watt University (Scotland), a
PERFORMANCE
sume an average emission factor Master’s Degree in project management from Univer-
for a given technology and fuel (for sidad Latina de Panamá (Panama), and a degree in
example, gas-fueled combustion chemical engineering from Universidad Simón Bolívar
turbine, diesel-fueled reciprocating (Venezuela). He has written technical publications for
Chemical Engineering, international associations and
engine or others); whereas other academic institutions.
methods are based on calculating Katherine Chung is a mechanical
the amount of fuel saved, and their engineer at the Ecotek group of ROTOFORM
composition (C, H, S, N). Some of companies (same address as
above; Email: kchung@ecotekgrp.
GRANULATION
these methods can be consulted
from a number of references [3–6].
com). She has over two years of FOR PETROCHEMICALS
experience in the preparation of
mechanical equipment docu- AND OLEOCHEMICALS
Concluding remarks ments in conceptual, basic and
detailed engineering projects for
HPRTs are a mature technology, the petroleum-refining, oil-and-
with several decades of application gas, power-generation and chemical industries. She is a
in different industries. Their principle mechanical engineer from the Universidad Tecnológica
de Panamá (Panama).
of operation is similar to that in hy-
David López is the commercial
dropower stations, and they can be director, environmental engi-
reliable, technically and economically neering specialist and co-owner
valuable options to reduce emis- of Ambitek Services, Inc. (Bldg.
sions while also securing important 231, 1st floor, City of Knowl-
edge, Panama City, Republic of
economic benefits for the CPI. n Panama; Phone: +507 317 High productivity solidi cation of
Edited by Gerald Ondrey 0464; Email: dlopez@ambitek.
com.pa). He has experience in products as di erent as resins, hot
project appraisals, from techni- melts, waxes, fat chemicals and
References cal-financial prefeasibility, for new projects in envi- caprolactam has made Rotoform® the
1. “API STD 610 Centrifugal Pumps for Petroleum, Petro- ronmental technology, water treatment, and energy granulation system of choice for
chemical and Natural Gas Industries,” 11th edition, Ameri- efficiency; integral residue management, environ-
can Petroleum Institute, 2010. chemical processors the world over.
mental indicators, ISO 9001 and 14001 certification,
environmental impact assessment and environmen- Whatever your solidi cation
2. “API STD 682 Pumps – Shaft Sealing Systems for Cen-
trifugal and Rotary Pumps,” 4th edition, American Petro- tal permitting. He is currently finishing a M.Sc. in requirements, choose Rotoform for
leum Institute, 2014. renewable energy from Universidad Europea del At- reliable, proven performance and a
lántico (Spain), has a M.B.A. with specialization in premium quality end product.
3. “Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors AP-42,” finance from Universidad Metropolitana (Venezuela),
Fifth Edition, Volume I: Stationary Point and Area Sources. and is an environmental engineer from Universidad
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1995. Católica Argentina (Argentina).  High productivity –
4. API, “Compendium of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Meth- Martín Ávila is the Mechanical on-stream factor of 96%
odologies for the Oil and Gas Industry,” Final Draft. Ameri- Engineering Department chief  Proven Rotoform technology
can Petroleum Institute, 2004. at the Ecotek group of compa- nearly 2000 systems installed
5. “Petroleum Industry Guidelines for Reporting Greenhouse nies (same address as above;
Gas Emissions,” International Petroleum Industry Environ- in 30+ years
Email: mavila@ecotekgrp.com).
mental Conservation Association, 2003. He has over 30 years of experi-  Complete process lines or
6. “Guidelines for the Measurement and Reporting of Emis- ence in technical coordination retro t of existing equipment
sions by direct participants in the U.K. Emissions Trading and execution of projects for  Global service / spare parts supply
Scheme,” U.K. Department for Environment, Food and the power generation, oil-and-
Rural Affairs, 2003. gas, petroleum-refining and
general industries; specializing in mechanical
7. Martin, Jeremy, Richter, Mark and Shirazi, Max, Applica- (static and rotating) equipment design, specifica-
tion of a Hydraulic Turbogenerator in the Acid Gas Removal tion, selection and QA/QC; with wide experience in
at a Gas Plant in the Middle East, 2016 Sour Oil & Gas power generation turbines. He has a specialization
Advanced Technology (SOGAT) conference, UAE, 2016. in gas engineering from Universidad del Zulia (Ven-
8. Power Recovery Turbines. International Petroleum In- ezuela,), and mechanical engineering from Instituto Sandvik Process Systems
Division of Sandvik Materials Technology Deutschland GmbH
dustry Environmental Conservation Association, www. Universitario Politécnico de las Fuerzas Armadas
Salierstr. 35, 70736 Fellbach, Germany
ipieca.org/energyefficiency/solutions/77721, Retrieved Nacionales (Venezuela). Tel: +49 711 5105-0 · Fax: +49 711 5105-152
on 10/11/2016. info.spsde@sandvik.com
9. Adams, Ron, Reducing pressure – increasing efficiency, www.processsystems.sandvik.com
Sulzer Technical Review, 1/2011.

S I NCE 1915
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Solids Processing
Guarding Against Fires and Explosions

Caused by Self-Heating
The two experimental methods presented here can be used to quantify
powder self-heating hazards in layer and bulk conditions in industrial processes
Guibing Zhao
FIGURE 1. The powder layer test (insert) and the oven-bake test
Chilworth Technology, a DEKRA (main photo) can be used to establish safe operating temperatures
Insight company
B
ulk storage of heated pow-
ders and powder accumu-
lations on hot surfaces or in
heated environments can
potentially lead to self-heating and
spontaneous ignition. Examples of
locations within processing compa-
nies where self-heating of powder
accumulations may be expected
include uninsulated steam pipes,
inappropriately rated or selected
electric motors and lighting fixtures,
mechanical mills and inside surfaces
of various dryers. Self-heating is a
complicated phenomenon consist-
ing of both an exothermic chemical
reaction and a heat-transfer process,
which can cause material smolder-
ing and even lead to fires and dust-
cloud explosions.
The parameters that affect the
actual self-heating for a given ma-
terial, include bulk size and shape,
temperature, time and oxygen/air
accessibility. Appropriate tests have
been developed to predict self-
heating hazard under plant-scale
conditions. This article introduces
the “layer powder” screening and
the advanced “basket” tests (Figure on self-heating of solid materials. exposed to air. Self-heating reac-
1) that may be used to deduce the However, it should be noted that tions may also compromise product
reaction kinetics and therefore to self-heating may also occur in gas quality or produce flammable gases,
extrapolate the laboratory-scale test or liquid phases. which may lead to gas explosions in
data to the plant-scale so that the Self-heating is a complicated phe- process vessels. Self-heating inci-
data can be used to establish safe nomenon related to exothermic re- dents in processing equipment, such
operating limits for operating tem- action kinetics of the material, heat as silos, dryers, dust collectors and
perature, critical bulk size, and resi- transfer (sometimes including mass flexible intermediate-bulk containers
dence/exposure time. transfer) in both body and external (FIBCs; super sacks), have caused
surface of the bulk material, induc- fires and explosions in industry.
The dangers of self-heating tion time, geometry and size of bulk Typical materials that may experi-
There is potential for a thermal run- material, and ambient temperature. ence self-heating include sawdust,
away and spontaneous combus- Self-heating of solid materials may coal, sewage sludge, grain and or-
tion if a material can self-heat due lead to smoldering, flaming or dust ganic salts, especially those con-
to decomposition or exothermic re- explosions, particularly when the taining unsaturated bonds or per-
action with air. This article focuses smoldering material is disturbed and oxides, for instance.

200 20
Ta = 57.0oC
180
160 19
140
In (dc · Ta,c 2/r2)

Temperature, oC
120 18
100
809 17
Ta = 54.0oC
60
Ta = 50.0oC
16
40
20
15
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2.55 2.6 2.65 2.7 2.75 2.8 2.85 2.9
Time, h 1,000/Ta.c, 1/K
A B
FIGURE 2. The plot on the left shows an example of the data recorded in an oven-basket test. From this data, values for the kinetic and heat-transfer properties
(M and N) of the system can be obtained from the slope (N) and intercept (M) of the plot on the right, as described in Equation (10)
Prediction of self-heating the surface of material. The Biot E r2 H f (C) A0

Combining heat transfer and chemi- number, Bi, is a dimensionless mea- = e E RT0
cal reaction equations, the tempera- sure of the ratio of the resistance to
RT02
ture distribution of a bulk of solid heat transfer within the body to that (7)
material that may experience a self- from the surface to the surroundings,
heating can be mathematically de- and can be defined as Equation (4): and z is a non-dimensional distance:
scribed by Equation (1) [1]:
2 2 2 rh x
T T T T Bi = (4) z=
c = 2
+ 2
+ +q r (8)
t x y z2
where r is the smallest physical di-
(1) mension of the material body. where r is the half thickness of the
If only a small pile of material is slab, and x is the location. (Note that at
where the heat generation term, q, present, or if access of oxygen is the center of the slab, x = 0 and z = 0).
is assumed to follow the Arrhenius poor to the interior (for reactions For a given material body (both
equation: that need oxygen) then self-heating, size and geometry), a critical ambient
E RT
but not thermal runaway may occur. temperature, Ta,c, and a correspond-
q = H f (C ) A0 e (2) The material will rise in temperature ing critical heat-generation rate, dc,
above ambient, and a steady-state exists such that a higher ambient
where r, c and l are physical proper- temperature distribution in the bulk temperature than the critical ambient
ties of material (density, heat capac- material would be established until temperature would lead to a sponta-
ity and thermal conductivity, respec- eventually the temperature starts neous ignition or combustion. Physi-
tively), ∆H is the reaction heat, A0 going down since reactants will cally, any bodies that have a d > dc
is the pre-exponential factor, E is the become depleted. Such a steady- have too little cooling at the bound-
reaction activation energy, R is the state temperature distribution in the aries, or they are too large, or their
gas constant, C is the concentration bulk material can be approximately chemical reaction rate is too high for
of reactant, t is time and T is temper- solved, for example, for the geom- a stable condition. Mathematically, a
ature, which varies with the location etry of a symmetric slab, as below: solution of the conservation equation
(x, y, z) and time. [Equation (1)] does not exist for any
Solving Equation (1) needs both
initial conditions (I.C.) and boundary
= lnC1 = 2 ln cosh z ( C1 2 ) value d > dc. In addition, for a given
ambient temperature, a critical size
conditions (B.C.): (5) of the self-heating material exists that
a greater bulk size would lead to a
t = 0, T = T0 (I.C.) (3a) where C1 is constant, the variable  spontaneous ignition or combustion.
is a non-dimensional temperature, At such a critical condition, Equation
which is defined by Equation (6): (7) becomes Equation (9) as below:
dTs (3b) E
= h (Ts T0 ) (B.C.) = (T T0 ) (6) E RTa,c
dx RT02 E r2 H f (C ) A0 e
c = 2
where subscript s and 0 denote the RTa,c
surface of material and ambient con- and d is a non-dimensional heat (9)
dition, respectively, h is the convec- generation rate, which is defined by Values [2] of the critical non-di-
tive heat-transfer coefficient around Equation (7): mensional heat generation rate, dc,
35
for different symmetrical geometries Tests for Cubes
at Bi → ∞ are listed in Table 1. self-heating Cubes
Rearranging Equation (9) gives the Selection of the 30
Octagons
following equation: most appropri- Slabs
Line of best fit
ate test procedure
2 depends on the
In (c · Ta,c 2/r2)

c Ta,c N 25
ln 2
=M (10) type of operation
r Ta,c and on the preci-
sion with which the 20
Where: critical tempera-
ture needs to be
E H f (C ) A0 known. The widely 15
M= used empirical
R test for prevent-
ing self-heating 10
E 0.0014 0.0018 0.0022 0.0026
N= issues in industry 1/To (K-1)
R is summarized in
Ref. 3, while more FIGURE 3. This graph shows that the effect of basket geometries on
constants M and N in Equation (10) are negligable (from Ref. 4)
Thus, for a given symmetrical ge- advanced tests
ometry with a size r, the critical ambi- based on self-heating theory are of all types of dryers. The objective
ent temperature Ta,c can be predicted summarized in Ref. 4. of the test is to obtain guidance on
if kinetic and heat-transfer properties Empirical test: Powder-layer test. the ignition temperature of material
of the system [M and N in Equation The powder-layer test simulates the in a layer.
(10)] are known. Similarly, for a given conditions in dryers, such as cross- To perform the test, a layer of ma-
ambient temperature, a critical size of flow, tray and band dryers, in which terial is placed on a metal tray with
the bulk material that would lead to a hot air flows above a layer of mate- an area of 75 mm 40 mm and
spontaneous ignition can also be pre- rial, and also simulates the condition depth of 15 mm, representing the
dicted by Equation (10). of deposits on the internal surfaces powder layer built up in a plant and
WHERE THE INDUSTRY TURNS

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Achieve precise control over every aspect of your chemical operation.
MODEL 521 MODEL 1049

The Model 521 is a sliding The Model 1049 Secure-Gard
stem, globe style, bellows is a pilot-operated vent valve
intended for installation
MODEL 1078 sealed, pneumatically
on atmospheric and low-
The Model 1078 actuated control valve
designed for maximum pressure storage tanks,
Vacu-Gard is a pilot- vapor recovery systems,
operated valve, corrosion resistance in pure
chemical service. and process systems.
specifically designed to
reduce blanketing gas
losses on low-pressure
storage tanks.
MODEL 3100
The Model 3100 is a
MODEL 987 pressure/vacuum vent
The Model 987 is a pneumatic control designed to vent the tank
valve designed to control moderate vapor away to atmosphere
to severe corrosive applications but and to relieve vacuum
may be applied in general service pressure within the tank.
applications also. The 3100 is a weight
loaded style.
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Innovative Solutions

TABLE 1. VALUES OF dC FOR VARIOUS GEOMETRIES AT Bi➔∞ separated by only 1 or 2ºC. The
Geometry Dimensions dc critical value of Ta,c is then deemed
Infinite plane slab Width 2r 0.878
to be halfway in between the two.
Rectangular box Sides 2l, 2r, 2m; r < l, m 0.873.(1 + r2/l2 + r2/m2) When a critical Ta,c has been found
Cube Side 2r 2.52 for one basket size, experiments are
Infinite cylinder Radius r 2.00 repeated for the next size. A table
Equi-cylinder Height 2r, radius r 2.76 is then compiled of r versus critical
Sphere Radius r 3.32 values of Ta,c. Since repeated testing
Infinite square rod Side 2r 1.700 (which may take weeks or months)
may be needed for each basket size
heated by air passing around it with The sample is normally pre- and at least three — preferably more
a velocity of 4.5 m/min. Thermocou- pared at room temperature, then — sizes must be studied, the proce-
ples are used to monitor the tem- inserted into the oven, which is at dure is rather lengthy.
perature within the sample and the a desired test temperature. As a
air. The test simulates full-scale situ- minimum, two thermocouples are Example of an advanced test
ations well if the powder layer thick- required: one at the center of the As an example, Figure 2a shows
ness reflects that likely to arise in the test sample, and the second moni- the testing results from a cubic
dryer. In that case, the temperature toring the oven air temperature. In basket test with two subcritical and
at which an exothermic reaction can many cases, a third thermocouple one supercritical center tempera-
progress to glowing heat can be is used, located at the surface of ture/time traces. By testing in mul-
used as the basis for defining safe the test sample. This third thermo- tiple baskets with different size r,
drying procedures. This temperature couple is used to monitor whether the corresponding critical ambient
may be considerably higher than the the Bi → ∞ condition is reasonably temperatures, Ta,c, for each bas-
temperature at which exothermic fulfilled; that is, to see if the sample ket size can be obtained. Figure
activity is first detected. surface temperature is very close 2b shows that plotting ln(dcTa,c2/
An initial screening procedure, to the oven air temperature. A Type r2) — where dc = 2.52, as shown in
in which the temperature of the air K thermocouple made of 0.19- to Table 1 — versus 1,000/Ta,c gives
is increased at a rate of 0.5ºC/min 0.27-mm-dia. wires and having a a straight line with a slope of N and
over the temperature range of 20 bare junction is used. Experiments an intercept of M as described in
to 400ºC, is used to determine the must be conducted on a number of Equation (10). Thus, with known N
approximate temperature at which different-sized cubes. Commonly, and M, for a given ambient temper-
exothermic activity begins. The igni- cubes of 25, 50, 100 and 200 mm ature, a critical size of a bulk mate-
tion temperature is then determined dimensions (2r) are used. The sam- rial of the same shape that may ex-
by a series of extended isothermal ple bulk density must be controlled perience spontaneous combustion
tests. It is important to recognize so that it is nearly identical for all the can be predicted by using Equa-
that layers of material can build samples tested, and it should ap- tion (10). Similarly, for a given size
up on the walls of dryers and stay proximate the bulk density to which of a bulk material, a critical ambient
there for long periods of time. Eight- the powder is packed in the real- temperature that may experience
hour isothermal tests are mostly scale environment. The test sample spontaneous combustion can also
sufficiently long to determine the must be carefully tamped or shaken be predicted.
thermal ignition temperature. It is in order to ensure that the packing Extensive investigations [4] indi-
recommended that a safety mar- is uniform throughout the basket. cated that the geometries of the
gin of 20ºC is used to minimize the The basic procedure is to deter- basket would not affect the slope
risk of decomposition in the plant, mine the critical value of Ta,c by a of N and the intercept of M as de-
but should not be used as the sole series of trials for each basket size. scribed in Equation (10). As shown
basis of safety. For any given size and oven temper- in Figure 3, the results from differ-
Advanced test: Oven-basket test. ature (Ta) setting, there are two pos- ent geometries (accordingly differ-
The most common technique for sible results: (1) the temperature at ent dc values as shown in Table 1)
conducting bench-scale tests with the center of the sample rises only a of oven-test specimens fall on the
an objective of predicting large-scale modest amount over the oven tem- same straight line. Therefore, the
behavior of solid self-heating is an perature (if indeed it reaches it), es- shapes of the test containers, pro-
oven-basket test. In this technique, tablishes a plateau, then eventually vided they are reasonably compact,
a representative powder sample is decreases; or (2) either initially or after do not make a significant difference.
placed into a stainless-steel wire- possibly some plateau is reached, a Thus, the obtained M and N from
gauze cubic basket. The basket is very sharp increase in temperature a single geometry of basket tests
placed in an oven where the tem- occurs and the temperature climbs is applicable to other geometries.
perature can be controlled to bet- way over the oven temperature. The Consequently, testing results of M
ter than ±1ºC. The oven must also first and second event temperatures and N from a single geometry of
be equipped with a fan to keep the are denoted as subcritical and su- basket tests can be used to analyze
temperatures uniform and to provide percritical, respectively. the self-heating issues in all differ-
a reasonably high convective heat By means of multiple trials, it is ent actual plant conditions, such as
transfer coefficient to the test sample eventually possible to find a subcriti- dust accumulation layers, bulk stor-
so that Bi → ∞. cal and a supercritical temperature age in different shapes of containers,
critical stacking temperature, critical evaporation load is less than normal. 2. Gray, B.F., Spontaneous Combustion and Self-heating,
in “The SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering,”
ambient temperature that may lead At such times, the heat input should 3rd ed., National Fire Protection Assn. (NFPA), Quincy,
to fire or explosion, and critical con- be controlled to prevent the air tem- Mass., 2002.
tainer size of different geometries perature from exceeding a predeter- 3. Abbott, J.A., “Prevention of Fires and Explosions in Dry-
that lead to spontaneous combus- mined value. As far as possible, the ers – A User Guide,” The Institution of Chemical Engineers
(IChemE), Rugby, U.K., 1990.
tion, by using Equation (10). design should avoid ledges, corners,
4. Babrauskas, V., “Ignition Handbook,” Fire Science Pub-
crevices and so on, where powder lishers, Issaquah Wash., 2014.
Final remarks could inadvertently build up inside
This article presents two experimen- process equipment. There should Author
tal methods to quantify powder self- be no “dead” zones inside heated Guibing Zhao is a senior process
heating hazards in layer and bulk process equipment, such as dry- safety specialist at DEKRA Insight
(Chilworth Technology; 113 Cam-
conditions in industrial processes. ers, where powder could remain or pus Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540;
Self-heating begins at a temperature get trapped for extended periods of Phone: Tel: 609-799-4449; Email:
at which the rate of heat generation time. Process equipment subject to safety-usa@chilworthglobal.com;
is greater than the rate of heat loss, buildup of deposits of combustible Website: www.chilworth.com).
Zhao received his Ph.D. in chemi-
and this temperature is called critical material on internal surfaces should cal engineering from the Sichuan
temperature that could lead to spon- be cleaned often enough to prevent University in China. His research
taneous ignition. the deposit thickness from reaching interests include emergency relief-system design using
DIERS technology; chemical process safety evaluation;
The occurrence of a fire or an a level where it can lead to self-heat- multiphase flow hydrodynamics; customized calorimet-
explosion caused by self-heating ing. Sufficient access points should rical technology; high-temperature molten-salt electro-
presents a serious threat to some in- be provided to permit a thorough lyte-based fuel cell and battery technology; nonthermal
plasma technology for gas processing, including NOx
dustrial processes. The temperature cleaning of all sections of the interior abatement, CH4 and H2S conversion, and plasma en-
of combustible materials should be of the dryer and associated dust- hanced H2 separation; supercritical CO2 enhanced-oil
kept at a safe margin below the tem- containing equipment. ■ recovery; microreactor; waste-to-fuel conversion; and
perature for the onset of self-heating, Edited by Gerald Ondrey advanced signal-processing technology. He has partici-
pated in engineering design and scaleup of several
obtained by appropriate test meth- chemical processing facilities. Zhao is proficient in the
ods. Particular attention should be References interpretation of data for a wide variety of process safety
paid to this during startup and shut- 1. Bows, P.C., “Self-Heating: Evaluating and Controlling the scenarios. He has authored more than 40 peer-re-
Hazards,” HMSO books, London, U.K., 1984. viewed articles in multidisciplinary fields.
down, and other periods when the
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body
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of selected copy body copy body
technology- copy body copy
development companies in the advanced battery space,body alongcopy bodyareas
with their copyofbody copy body
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contact information and technology status. It lists both established body copyandbody copy body
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➤ Major application areas for advanced and next-generation body copy body copy body copy body copy
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batteries
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on technology for advanced batteries body copy body copy body copy body copy body copy
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Details Include: • Developments by application area
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• Driving forces • Grid-energy storage components
body copy body copy• body
• Lithium-ion technology
copy body copy body copy
Production capacity
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• Li-ion variants • Lithium-sulfur battery technology and specific technologies
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• References
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Circle XX on p. xx or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/56XXX-XX 28014

Industrial
Internet of Things
special advertising section
ARCA
AUMA
BEUMER
CHEMICAL
Emerson
IMAGE: SIEMENS
ENGINEERING
ESSENTIALS FOR CPI PROFESSIONALS
Endress+Hauser
Siemens
Industrial Internet of Things 2017 Special Advertising Section
Optimizing processes and troubleshooting plants

The Industrial Internet of Things promises ubiquitous access to a huge amount of plant
information, allowing operators to make best use of AI and big data
S moother-running processes, higher

profitability, and fewer breakdowns are
just some of the promises of the Industrial
important than at present, while additive
manufacturing (3D printing) will benefit dis-
crete-manufacturing industries especially.
• minimizing small efficiency losses from
sources that may not have been detect-
able previously;
Internet of Things (IIoT). Strictly speaking, A recent article in CE (May 2017 p.16) • raising operating efficiency through im-
the IIoT itself is a nuts-and-bolts network shows how U.S. refineries are starting to proved monitoring of energy usage;
of powerful yet affordable sensors and ro- use IIoT tools to enable predictive mainte- • improving operations by continuous
bust – often wireless – communications nance – an old idea that today still too often monitoring and by providing instant
technologies. What this hardware could gives way to the traditional “run to failure” access to information that supports
bring to the chemical process industries approach. Ubiquitous sensors, low instal- decision-making;
(CPI), however, is change on a scale almost lation costs thanks to wireless communica- • maintaining the effectiveness of control
comparable to that of today’s Internet. The tions, and AI are the keys here. loops, controllers and models over time,
term “Industry 4.0”, most often heard in According to IIoT proponents, however, so the benefits of advanced process con-
Germany, compares the impact to that of IIoT-enabled plants can go much further. By trol are sustained;
steam power, electricity, and computers in aggregating data from multiple sources, the • lowering overall process risk, thus improv-
previous industrial revolutions. technology can take advantage of informa- ing safety; and
Characteristics of this wider IIoT include tion that previously was either impossible • reducing maintenance costs.
systems integration that is both deep and or not cost-effective to collect. Big-data an- This special advertising section covers just
wide; real-time process information; mo- alytics, including pattern recognition and AI, a small part of the spectrum of IIoT devices
bile computing; cloud computing, big data can then turn this raw data into profitable and applications. On the following pages,
analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI); knowledge. Examples include: vendors of control systems, field devices,
simulation; augmented reality; and robot- • increasing utilization by reducing un- and packaged systems explain their visions
ics. Cybersecurity will become even more planned downtime; for the new connected world. ■
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Sensors join force to create new digital services

Endress+Hauser’s cloud-based platform unveils hidden potential for business gains via
the exchange of information between devices that are already installed on the plant
A s a leading supplier of measuring in-

struments for industrial applications,
Endress+Hauser sees great potential for
Data security is important in a world
where networking is rapidly spreading into
all areas of life. On one hand, widespread
new improvements in the further network- data exchange between companies brings
ing of assets. Endress+Hauser offers so- valuable benefits. On the other hand, it
lutions to customers who can exploit this is essential to protect intellectual prop-
potential, and at the same time is posi- erty. To ensure maximum data security,
tioning itself as a leading supplier in the Endress+Hauser uses the most modern
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market. safety mechanisms, including:
An “installed base analysis” applica- • robust encryption with secure keys
tion – a web-based tool listing all the de- (HTTPS/TLS with SHA-256);
vices installed in the plant – is a simple and • data centers certified to European laws
efficient way to bring order to asset man- and standards such as ISO 27001; and
agement, especially since undocumented • an in-house platform with independent
retrofits are not unusual in modern chemi- certification from EuroCloud.
cal plants. For Endress+Hauser devices, Collecting information on installed devices Endress+Hauser is offering interested par-
additional information displayed includes is the starting point for an IIoT strategy ties the chance to join the first market re-
the current availability of the product and, lease and find out how to optimize their
if necessary, recommendations for substi- data by simply scanning the device name- plant and processes.
tutes. Based on the data collected, the tool plate with a smartphone. Alternatively, Creating an installed base analysis of
can then present statistics on the installed Endress+Hauser’s edge device – a smart instrumentation, from whichever supplier,
base of devices and recommend ways to gateway that is easy to set up – can be used gives the plant operator an overview that
optimize it, with a view to simplifying plant with various bus systems; it automatically helps to identify savings potentials, and
operation and reducing costs. identifies each device and independently enables a first step towards digitalizing
The installed base analysis app reads recognizes any changes. the plant. www.iiot.endress.com
Predictive maintenance: from the field to the cloud

Siemens explains how its MindSphere IoT platform, aided by wireless communications,
can bring solid benefits through powerful diagnostics and predictive maintenance
T o ensure high plant availability, timely

maintenance of physical assets is es-
sential, notes Siemens. Yet although plant
fer this information into predictive mainte-
nance plans right away. The combination of
smart predictions, data visualization, and
owners clearly want to minimize extra collaboration tools will help to reduce main-
costs arising from unnecessary servicing tenance effort, avoid costly unplanned shut-
of healthy assets, maintenance today too downs, and let maintenance operations be
often still follows rigid time-based sched- executed more efficiently.
ules. So, why not use the new opportunities But you don’t always have to have your
offered by cloud services, data and insights head up in the cloud. Transparency can
to reap the benefits of intelligent field de- also be implemented in the field to obtain
vice data to the fullest? maximum awareness of the current status
Every instrument and asset in your busi- of valves. One solution that guarantees a
ness holds a wealth of data. The Siemens quick return on investment is to use wire-
MindSphere open IoT platform is the op- less transmitters to send information direct-
erating system that lets you understand it. ly to the DCS, without the detours implicit
MindSphere lets you connect your field-lev- in a conventional wired system with decen-
el assets to the digital world, and provides tralized I/O. The DCS aggregates all the in-
powerful apps and digital services that can formation in a Sitrans Library faceplate that MindSphere lets you connect assets, like
unleash greater efficiency and productivity. provides extensive diagnostics: setpoint, the SIPART PS2 shown here, to the cloud
Valves, for instance, depending on their feedback signal and information from ad-
size, can represent large assets – yet in- ditional modules – such as alarms – are all devices. The result is a new degree of trans-
sights from positioner data often remain visualized in one place. This saves you the parency for your assets, allowing easier
underutilized. Imagine if your positioners extra engineering effort needed to integrate operation and fast troubleshooting – in the
could speak to you, telling you exactly when these device-specific functions, and lets you cloud, or in the field. www.siemens.com/
they need attention, and if you could trans- use the entire functional scope of your field processinstrumentation

Product documentation available any time, worldwide

A simple 2-D barcode lets owners of ARCA control valves retrieve essential product data
by scanning equipment on the plant or in the workshop
T he problem is as old as the printed op-

erating manual: technical documenta-
tion is never at hand when it’s needed most
will be able to find the information they
need – which may give rise to serious prob-
lems and high costs, especially in critical
urgently. Now, however, control valve spe- situations such as an unplanned shutdown.
cialist ARCA Regler has developed a simple ARCA’s new ARCA-ONSITE software pro-
yet effective solution to the problem of the vides a perfect solution to this problem:
missing manual. Every control valve ordered after April 1 this
The bigger the proj- year will carry an extra label bearing a QR
ect, the more documenta- code. Scanning the code gives service and
tion it typically generates, engineering staff immediate access to all
ARCA notes. Product the official ARCA documentation that ap-
datasheets, operating in- plies to precisely that specific valve.
structions, schematics, ARCA-ONSITE will even trace and show
approvals and test cer- later modifications to the valve – a dif-
tificates all need to be ferent trim, for instance – as long as the With ARCA-ONSITE, scanning a QR code
collected and filed. With modification parts or the technical service with a mobile device quickly pulls up all
multiple requests for were ordered from ARCA with reference to the original documentation associated
documentation, it’s only the specific valve serial number. For ARCA with the sale of an individual control valve
too easy for files to go valves, lost documentation will be a thing
missing. Engineers and of the past. privacy and ARCA know-how, like a user ID
maintenance staff often The same service is also available on and password), engineers can download,
cannot be certain they PCs or laptops via ARCA’s website at www. file and print all the necessary manuals and
arca-valve.com/Downloads. After typing in certificates. No special software is required:
Easier to do than to explain: scan the QR the valve order number and serial number everything is accessible from a web browser
code for details of this valve and actuator (a unique combination that protects user and PDF reader. www.arca-valve.com
Actuators enhance process transparency and control

AUMA explains how modern electric valve actuators are key elements in the IIoT, with a
practical example in the form of Vienna’s new real-time sewer management system
A s the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

gains momentum, the enhanced inter-
networking of physical devices is yielding
gateways. All information is directly avail-
able on the IT network and can be used for
process visualization, statistics, advanced
cyber-physical systems with improved pro- modelling, or simulation to improve pro-
cess state visualization, higher-level model- cess performance. AUMA actuators are fully
ling and simulation capabilities, improved Profinet V2.3 compatible, with device de-
process control, and higher efficiency. scriptions (GSD files) available.
Electric valve actuators play a key role As an application example, several hun-
in these systems for several reasons, notes dred AUMA actuators have been successful-
AUMA. On the one hand, they make remote ly integrated into a real-time sewer network
process operation possible by opening and control system for the city of Vienna,
closing valves. On the other hand, power- Electric actuators from AUMA provide en- Austria. After heavy rain, the scheme has
ful electronics allow electric actuators to hanced connectivity for IIoT applications cut combined sewer overflow by more than
act as information hubs for both process- 50% and so reduces water pollution. Online
related data, for example valve position Industrial Ethernet-based communication rainfall forecasting and real-time simula-
feedback, and actuator-related data, based standards are especially suitable. AUMA tion help to optimize capacity management
on advanced self-diagnostics. For instance, currently supports the Industrial Ethernet of holdup reservoirs spread across the
intelligent algorithms monitor actuator standard Modbus TCP/IP and Profinet. 220 km2 of Vienna’s catchment area.
characteristics to indicate when mainte- AUMA actuators with Profinet interface The intelligent AUMA actuators pro-
nance should be carried out. Asset manage- provide an unprecedented connectivity and vide status information on which shut-off
ment based on device-specific data boosts are real-time capable. Wherever they are and control valves are open and which are
plant reliability and avoids breakdowns. located, even in the most remote locations, closed. Following the results of the real-
While AUMA actuators can be embedded they can be easily integrated into Internet time simulation model, the actuators are
into cyber-physical systems using 4–20 mA networks, using either existing Ethernet ca- centrally controlled to optimize the com-
signals or conventional fieldbus, advanced bling or wireless LAN, without needing extra bined sewer flow. www.auma.com

New mobile technologies improve plant performance

Emerson’s Always Mobile technologies deliver secure, instant access to critical information
by connecting personnel with digital intelligence
E mbracing today’s industrial climate re-

quires an IIoT strategy that empowers
organizations and experts with the right
workflows by making it easier for managers
and engineers to share critical information
and enhance business results.
Instrumentation
Engineer
Vibration
Analyst
Health, Safety,
Security
& Environment
Reliability Manager Control
Engineer
Asset Availability Status
information wherever they are, whenever Anywhere access to reliability dashboards:

they need it. Emerson’s Always Mobile Reliability personnel can stay on top of
portfolio accomplishes that by providing asset health using mobile dashboards in
Excessive
workers with the digital intelligence nec- AMS Asset View that facilitate user collabo- vibration in
Motor
essary to monitor asset health and plant ration to resolve issues more efficiently.
performance. With the right information, Embedded, accessible asset prediction and Performance
personnel can make timely decisions that protection: Traditional protection systems levels dropping
lead to increased production, reliability, and deliver shutdown protection on the most
efficiency regardless of where they work. critical assets, but access to data requires a Always Mobile technologies make for efficient
Always Mobile solutions deliver secure, in- visit to the control room or opening the field business-critical decision-making
stant access to critical information in intui- cabinet. Emerson’s AMS 6500 ATG system
tive views, preparing personnel at all levels delivers protection with embedded predic- Always available system health monitor-
of organizations to make more effective tion capabilities that can be accessed using ing: Guardian Mobile utilizes KPI dash-
business-critical decisions for improving the ATG View mobile app from anywhere on boards and delivers health scores for all
plant reliability and production. the plant network. associated systems, from anywhere.
Comprehensive control system monitoring: At-a-glance device health dashboards: The Always Mobile portfolio, part of
With DeltaV Mobile, DeltaV distributed Personnel monitoring intelligent field devic- Emerson’s Plantweb digital ecosystem, le-
control system users can know the health of es can work smarter with device health and verages IIoT technologies to enable today’s
their plant on demand, by viewing real-time calibration status information available to workforce to improve overall plant reliability
process values, trends, alarms, historians, them at any time. AMS Device View delivers and production and be efficient, impactful,
and other key data from their mobile dev- device health dashboards for quick, accu- and confident in their decisions from any-
ices. In-app collaborative features streamline rate decisions on field device maintenance. where in their world. www.emerson.com
Mobile app monitors status of entire packaging lines

With BEUMER’s new BOOM app, personnel from line operators to managers can check
the status of their packaging machinery quickly, remotely, and informatively
T he BEUMER Group has developed the

BEUMER Overall Operation Monitoring
(BOOM) app, which enables staff to main-
individual machines, plus energy and com-
pressed-air consumption. The customer can
quickly evaluate all data and display the in-
tain an overview of all the relevant param- formation in a target-performance compari-
eters of their packaging line on their mobile son or diagram.
devices at any time. The application shows Users can adapt the new BEUMER
the status quo of availability, performance Group app to their specific requirements.
and quality levels as well as the consump- Parameters can be added, line constella-
tion of energy and compressed air. This en- tions changed, and further dashboards
sures efficient operation of all packaging added as required.
systems at all times, the company says. The The BEUMER Group is an international
program can be adapted to customers’ par- leader in the manufacture of intralogistics
ticular requirements. systems for conveying, loading, palletizing,
With this development, the BEUMER packaging, sortation, and distribution. With
Group is taking a further step towards 4,000 employees worldwide, the Group
Industry 4.0: BEUMER Overall Operation has annual sales of about EUR 750 million.
Monitoring enables users to keep a con- BEUMER Group and its subsidiaries and The new BEUMER app enables users
stant eye on the current status of the fill- sales agencies provide their customers with to keep an eye on the current status
ing, palletizing and packaging machines high-quality system solutions and an exten- of the machines connected to their
connected to their system using their mo- sive customer support network around the system using their mobile devices
bile devices. The app clearly shows all lines globe and across a wide range of industries,
with their most important parameters. This including bulk materials and piece goods, Group supplies and installs packaging lines
gives staff important information on the ef- food/non-food, construction, mail order, and adjusts them individually to the prod-
fectiveness of the entire line: availability, mail, and airport baggage handling. ucts of the customer.
performance and quality level of the line or As a single-source provider, BEUMER www.beumergroup.com

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Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wyoming Washington, Wisconsin
International Dipali Dhar Ferruccio Silvera Rudy Teng

Chemical Engineering Chemical Engineering Sales Representative
Petra Trautes 40 Wall Street, 50th Floor, New York, NY 10005 Silvera Pubblicita Chemical Engineering;
Chemical Engineering Tel: 718-263-1162 Viale Monza, 24 Milano 20127, Italy 8F-1 #181 Wulin Road
Zeilweg 44 E-mail: ddhar@accessintel.com Tel: 39-02-284-6716; Hsinchu 30055 Taiwan
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Germany E-mail: ferruccio@silvera.it/www.silvera.it +886 921322428 (Taiwan)
Phone: +49-69-58604760 Katshuhiro Ishii Andorra, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Fax: +86 21 54183567
Fax: +49-69-5700-2484 Chemical Engineering Israel, Italy, Portugal, Spain E-mail: rudy.teng@gmail.com
Email: ptrautes@chemengonline.com Ace Media Service Inc., 12-6, 4-chome Nishiiko, Asia-Paciic, Hong Kong, People’s
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Japan
Advertisers Index
Advertiser............. Page number Advertiser............. Page number Advertiser............. Page number
Phone number Reader Service # Phone number Reader Service # Phone number Reader Service #
Abbe, Paul O .........................35 Dräger Safety ...........................4 OHL Gutermuth

1-855-789-9827 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-11 Industrial Valves .....................35
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-25 +49.60 47.80 06-0
Dynamic Air ........................... C2
ARCA Regler GmbH...............33 1-651-484-2900
1-713-574-9382 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-12 *Plast-O-Matic Valves, Inc. ..... 6i
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-02 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-26
Ekato Process
AUMA Riester GmbH Technologies GmbH ..............27 Pompetravaini ..........................8
& Co. KG ..............................29d 1-201-825-4684 x222 +39 0331 889000
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-03 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-13 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-27
*AUMA Riester GmbH Emerson ............................... C4 Quest Integrity Group, LLC ....69
& Co. KG ............................... 29i adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-14 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-28
Endress+Hauser, Inc ................3 RedGuard ............................... 11
*Berndorf Band GmbH...........13i +41 61 715 7700 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-29
+43 2672 800 0 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-15
Sandvik Process Systems ......63
Fluid Line Products, Inc. .......25d +49 711 5105-0
Beumer Group 1-440-946-9470 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-30
GmbH & Co.KG .......................7 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-17
Siemens AG ........................... 19
GEMÜ Valves, Inc. ...............57d adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-31
Bionomic Industries Inc. .......23d 1-678-553-3400 Sierra Instruments, Inc ...........70
1-201-529-1094 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-18 1-800-866-0200
Heat Transfer adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-01
Cashco, Inc. ...........................67 Research, Inc. (HTRI) .............49 SonicAire .............................. 17d
1-785-472-4461 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-19 1-336-712-2437
Inline Industries ....................28d adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-34
Check-All Valve Mfg. Co. .......47 1-800-568-8998
thyssenkrupp Industrial
1-515-224-2301 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-20
Solutions ................................ 31
Load Controls ........................ 41 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-33
2017 Chem Show ...................64 1-888-600-3247 Turbomachinery & Pump
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-21 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-22 Symposia .............................. C3
Curtiss-Wright, EST Group ..... 14 Metso ..................................... 15 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-32
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-16 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-23 Zeton Inc. ...............................47
DeWal Industries Inc. .............55 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-35
1-800-366-8356
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-10 Classiied Index June 2017
* International Edition Advertiser Page number
Phone number Reader Service # Equipment, New
& Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76-77
Indeck Power Equipment
See bottom Company ............................... 77
1-800-446-3325 Advertiser Page number
of opposite adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-242 Phone number Reader Service #
Ross, Charles & Son Co.........76 Wabash Power Equipment .... 77
page for 1-866-797-2660 1-800-704-2002
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-241 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-245
advertising sales Tri-Mer Corporation ............... 77 Xchanger, Inc. ........................ 77
1-989-321-2991 1-952-933-2559
representatives’ adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-243 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66429-246
Vesconite Bearings ................ 77

contact 1-866-635-7596
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June 2017; VOL. 124; NO. 6
Chemical Engineering copyright @ 2017 (ISSN 0009-2460) is published monthly by Access Intelligence, LLC, 9211 Corporate Blvd., 4th Floor, Rockville, MD, 20850-3245. Chemical Engineering Executive, Editorial, Advertising and Publication Offices:
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Economic Indicators
2015 2016 2017
Download the CEPCI two weeks sooner at www.chemengonline.com/pci
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PLANT COST INDEX (CEPCI)

625
(1957-59 = 100) Mar. '17 Feb. '17 Mar. '16 Annual Index:
Prelim. Final Final
2009 = 521.9 600
CE Index ______________________________________________ 562.1 558.3 535.3
Equipment ____________________________________________ 676.6 672.0 638.0 2010 = 550.8
Heat exchangers & tanks _________________________________ 591.0 587.3 545.2
2011 = 585.7 575
Process machinery _____________________________________ 672.1 671.1 644.8
Pipe, valves & fittings ____________________________________ 863.7 852.0 800.3 2012 = 584.6
Process instruments ____________________________________ 403.4 403.0 383.0 2013 = 567.3 550
Pumps & compressors ___________________________________ 982.3 973.1 969.7
Electrical equipment ____________________________________ 514.3 512.1 508.3 2014 = 576.1
Structural supports & misc ________________________________ 733.3 729.7 697.4 2015 = 556.8 525
Construction labor _______________________________________ 326.4 323.1 323.3
Buildings _____________________________________________ 555.4 552.2 538.4 2016 = 541.7
Engineering & supervision _________________________________ 315.7 315.0 315.7 500
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Starting with the April 2007 Final numbers, several of the data series for labor and compressors have been converted to
accommodate series IDs that were discontinued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
CURRENT BUSINESS INDICATORS LATEST PREVIOUS YEAR AGO

CPI output index (2012 = 100) ____________________________________________________ Apr. '17 = 101.5 Mar. '17 = 101.2 Feb. '17 = 101.3 Apr. '16 = 100.3
CPI value of output, $ billions _____________________________________________________ Mar. '17 = 1,861.0 Feb. '17 = 1,875.6 Jan. '17 = 1,874.8 Mar. '16 = 1,702.4
CPI operating rate, % __________________________________________________________ Apr. '17 = 76.3 Mar. '17 = 76.1 Feb. '17 = 76.2 Apr. '16 = 75.9
Producer prices, industrial chemicals (1982 = 100) ____________________________________ Apr. '17 = 256.5 Mar. '17 = 251.8 Feb. '17 = 244.3 Apr. '16 = 224.7
Industrial Production in Manufacturing (2012=100)* ____________________________________ Apr. '17 = 103.8 Mar. '17 = 102.8 Feb. '17 = 103.2 Apr. '16 = 102.1
Hourly earnings index, chemical & allied products (1992 = 100) ____________________________ Apr. '17 = 178.1 Mar. '17 = 172.5 Feb. '17 = 170.9 Apr. '16 = 161.4
Productivity index, chemicals & allied products (1992 = 100) ______________________________ Apr. '17 = 102.6 Mar. '17 = 103.2 Feb. '17 = 102.3 Apr. '16 = 102.5
CPI OUTPUT INDEX (2000 = 100)† CPI OUTPUT VALUE ($ BILLIONS) CPI OPERATING RATE (%)
110 2300 80
105
2200 78
100
2100
95 76
2000
90
74
1900
85
72
80 1800
75 1700 70
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
*Due to discontinuance, the Index of Industrial Activity has been replaced by the Industrial Production in Manufacturing index from the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.
†For the current month’s CPI output index values, the base year was changed from 2000 to 2012
Current business indicators provided by Global Insight, Inc., Lexington, Mass.
CURRENT TRENDS
T he preliminary value for the March

CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; top; the
most recent available) rose compared to
EXCLUSIVE AD SPACE AVAILABLE! the previous month’s value, continuing a
Feature your marketing message alongside this popular editorial department string of six straight months of increas-
ing values. All four of the major subindi-
Each issue includes editorial departments that feature the current industry trends and ces — Equipment, Construction Labor,
the Plant Cost Index. As one of the most valued sections in the magazine, your ad is Buildings and Engineering & Supervi-
guaranteed to reach decision makers each month. Ad runs opposite Cover 3 within sion — increased in March compared
the Economic Indicators department. to their respective February values. The
preliminary overall monthly CEPCI value
Contact your sales representative for more information: for March 2017 stands at 5.0% higher
than the corresponding value from March
2016. Meanwhile, the latest Current Busi-
JASON BULLOCK TERRY DAVIS PETRA TRAUTES ness Indicators (CBI; middle) saw a small
jbullock@chemengonline.com tdavis@chemengonline.com ptrautes@accessintel.com
713-974-0911 404-634-5123 +49 69 58604760
rise in the CPI Output Index for April, while
27206 the March value for the CPI Value of Out-
put declined slightly. The April Productivity
Index decreased by a small margin.
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