Chem Eng Nov 2009 PDF

SH EV PAGE
PR
November
O I EW 32D
W
2009
-2
www.che.com
Industrial
Wireless
Diagnostics:
Simplifying
Optimization
Facts at Your
Fingertips:
Storage Tanks
Pipe Size Selection
Streamline R&D
To Manufacturing
PAGE 34
Direct-Fired Heaters
Focus on
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NOVEMBER 2009 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 116, NO. 12
COMMENTARY
5 Editor’s Page
Nobel puts CPI
on world stage
The Nobel prizes
are the most high-
www.che.com profile recognitions
of two corner-
stones of our pro-
COVER STORY
fession, chemistry
34 Cover Story A Primer on Spray Drying and physics. These
An understanding of the basic informa- awards are a good
tion presented here will help produce predictor of the
powdered products with desired charac- CPI sectors that
teristics, while operating the drying plant will continue to
safely and with minimum energy strengthen in the
NEWS future
11 Chementator This high-efficiency cool-

ing tower slashes emissions from metal- DEPARTMENTS
lurgical processes; Capsosomes: a new Letters . . . . . . . . . . . 6
launching platform for delivering drugs
where needed; A new spin on reducing Bookshelf . . . . . . . 8, 9
membrane-filtration fouling; Demonstra-
Who’s Who . . . . . . . 31
tion of a straw-to-bioethanol process; A
boost for acetonitrile; and more Reader Service
17 Newsfront Industrial Wireless: page . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Proven Success, Untethered Potential EQUIPMENT & SERVICES Economic
An explosion of success stories, final rati- 32D-2 ChemShow Preview (Domestic Indicators . . . . . 63, 64
fication of the ISA 100.11a standard and Edition) This floating ball valve uses re-
technological improvements have officially inforced Teflon seats; Improved particle ADVERTISERS
removed this technology from the black imager is available at lower cost; Lower
box of “promised” benefits measurement times with these handheld Product
25 Newsfront Diagnostics: Simplifying analyzers; These pumps are designed for Showcase . . . . . . . . 56
Optimization Improved programming harsh chemicals; Save space with these
blast-resistant modules; This pastillating Classified
and interfaces are making it easier for Advertising . . . . .57–60
end users to marry process control, system is designed for low maintenance;
asset management and diagnostic data Save time by drying product inside this Advertiser Index . . . 61
centrifuge; and more
ENGINEERING
32I-2 New Products & Services (Interna- COMING IN
32 Facts At Your Fingertips Aboveground tional Edition) This mini data logger DECEMBER
and Underground Storage Tanks handles lots of data points; This mag-drive
This one-page guide outlines the pros and pump handles higher pressure; Zirconium Look for: Feature
cons of using aboveground- and under- improves corrosion resistance in this den- Reports on Chemi-
ground-storage tanks sity meter; This screener now has side ac- cal & Engineering
cess doors; Enhanced graphical software Software; and Heat
41 Feature Report De-emphasize Capital Transfer Fluids; An
Costs For Pipe Size Selection Focus for better welding; Differential-pressure
transmitters for sterile applications; A new Engineering Prac-
more on mass flowrates, fluid densities
valve-position monitor that’s easy to con- tice article on Milli-
and operating hours for real savings
figure; and more channel reactors for
44 Engineering Practice Making the Leap Pharma Plants; A
52 Focus Water Treatment Leaders in water
from R&D to Manufacturing Crafting the Focus on Level Mea-
treatment share their insights on the cur-
right information-management strategy is surement & Control;
rent state of water treatment and tech-
essential to scaling up promising discoveries News articles on
nologies; Reduce energy costs using this
Drying; Screening;
47 Operations & Maintenance Direct-Fired RO high-pressure pump; Use this electro-
and the Kirkpatrick
Heaters: Evaluate Thermal Performance magnetic meter where no power is avail-
Award Winners;
and the Effects of Fouling As process able; A membrane bioreactor system that
Facts at Your Fin-
specifications change, heaters often need is designed for the CPI; Sludge thickening
gertips on Control
to accommodate increased capacity. Use and heat-transfer solutions; This biofilm
Valves; and more
these calculations to determine the effects treatment system offers high surface areas;
of doing so on fouling and more Cover: GEA Niro
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM NOVEMBER 2009 3

We’re raising expectations.
The presence of polar gas or steam is no

match for dynamic gas phase compensation
When highly accurate liquid level measurement is required, Levelflex M
goes to work. Microwave pulses are directed down the instrument’s probe and
reflected from the medium’s surface. Level is determined by the time required
for the pulse to travel to the surface and back. This means reliable measurement
is not affected by changes in process conditions, turbulence or foam.
Continuous gas phase compensation technology is one way Endress+Hauser is

raising expectations. With traditional level instruments, the presence of polar
gas or steam can cause an error of 28% or greater depending on the pressure in
the application. Levelflex M uses dynamic gas phase compensation to virtually
eliminate this error. One more reason Endress+Hauser is the preferred supplier
for difficult and critical level measurement applications.
www.us.endress.com/level
Endress+Hauser, Inc
2350 Endress Place
Greenwood, IN 46143 Sales: 888-ENDRESS
inquiry@us.endress.com Service: 800-642-8737
www.us.endress.com Fax: 317-535-8498
Winner of Eight Jesse H. Neal
Awards for Editorial Excellence
Editor’s Page
Published since 1902

NNobel puts CPI on world stage
E
An Access Intelligence Publication arly next month, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences will hold its
PUBLISHER ART & DESIGN
award ceremonies for the 2009 Nobel Prizes, the winners of which were
MIKE O’ROURKE DAVID WHITCHER announced in October. The prestigious awards are arguably the most
Publisher Art Director/ h
high-profile recognitions of the two cornerstones of our profession, chem-
morourke@che.com Editorial Production Manager
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EDITORS p
process industries (CPI) provide to society. Meanwhile, they are a good pre-
PRODUCTION
REBEKKAH J. MARSHALL
Editor in Chief MICHAEL D. KRAUS d
dictor of the CPI sectors that will continue to strengthen in the future.
VP of Production & Manufacturing
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The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2009 awards studies of one of life’s core
DOROTHY LOZOWSKI STEVE OLSON p
processes: the ribosome’s translation of DNA information into life. Ribosomes
Managing Editor
dlozowski@che.com
Director of Production & p
produce proteins, which in turn control the chemistry in all living organisms.
Manufacturing
GERALD ONDREY (Frankfurt) solson@accessintel.com A ribosomes are crucial to life, they are also a major target for new antibiot-
As
Senior Editor JOHN BLAYLOCK-COOKE ic This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry awards Venkatraman Ramakrish-
ics.
gondrey@che.com Ad Production Manager
jcooke@accessintel.com
n (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, U.K.), Thomas A.
nan
SCOTT JENKINS
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Steitz (Yale University, New Haven, Conn.) and Ada E. Yonath (Weizmann
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Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel) for having shown what the ribosome
HOLLY ROUNTREE
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Marketing Manager lo
looks like and how it functions at the atomic level. All three have used a
hrountree@accessintel.com
SUZANNE A. SHELLEY
AUDIENCE m
method called X-ray crystallography to map the position for each and every
sshelley@che.com
DEVELOPMENT o of the hundreds of thousands of atoms that make up the ribosome.
one
CHARLES BUTCHER (U.K.) SYLVIA SIERRA
cbutcher@che.com Senior Vice President,
DNA molecules contain the blueprints for how a human being, a plant
PAUL S. GRAD (Australia) Corporate Audience Development o a bacterium, looks and functions. But the DNA molecule is passive.
or
pgrad@che.com ssierra@accessintel.com
T blueprints become transformed into living matter through the work
The
TETSUO SATOH (Japan) JOHN ROCKWELL
tsatoh@che.com Vice President, o ribosomes. Based upon the information in DNA, ribosomes make pro-
of
JOY LEPREE (New Jersey)
Audience Development Chemical t
teins: oxygen-transporting hemoglobin, antibodies of the immune system,
jrockwell@accessintel.com
jlepree@che.com
LAURIE HOFMANN
h
hormones such as insulin, the collagen of the skin, or enzymes that break
GERALD PARKINSON Audience Marketing Director d
down sugar. There are tens of thousands of proteins in the body and they
(California) gparkinson@che.com lhofmann@Accessintel.com
a have different forms and functions at the chemical level.
all
TERRY BEST
EDITORIAL
Audience Development Manager An understanding of the ribosome’s innermost workings is important
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tbest@accessintel.com fo a scientific understanding of life. This knowledge can be put to a prac-
for
JOHN CARSON GEORGE SEVERINE
Jenike & Johanson, Inc.
Fulfillment Manager
t
tical and immediate use; many of today’s antibiotics cure various diseases
DAVID DICKEY gseverine@accessintel.com b blocking the function of bacterial ribosomes. Without functional ribo-
by
MixTech, Inc. JEN FELLING s
somes, bacteria cannot survive. This year’s three Chemistry Laureates
MUKESH DOBLE List Sales, Statlistics (203) 778-8700
IIT Madras, India j.felling@statlistics.com h
have all generated 3D models that show how different antibiotics bind to
HENRY KISTER CONFERENCES th ribosome. These models are now used by pharmaceutical researchers
the
Fluor Corp. DANA D. CAREY in order to develop new antibiotics.
Director, Global Event Sponsorships
TREVOR KLETZ
dcarey@chemweek.com
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded for two scientific achievements.
Loughborough University, U.K.
PECK SIM T first half of the prize goes to Charles K. Kao, a Chinese-British physi-
The
GERHARD KREYSA
DECHEMA e.V. Senior Manager, c who has played a major role in the development of modern fiber optic
cist
Conference Programming
RAM RAMACHANDRAN psim@chemweek.com t
technology. Kao realized that light transmission over long distances is pos-
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BEATRIZ SUAREZ s
sible only with ultrapure glass. An important raw material for producing
INFORMATION Director of Conference Operations
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th ultrapure glass is chlorosilane silicon tetrachloride (STC). The clear,
this
SERVICES
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colorless liquid is produced by a number of CPI companies, including
Senior VP & Chief Information Officer STEVE BARBER E
Evonik Industries AG (Essen; www.evonik.com), from silicon and hydrogen
rpaciorek@accessintel.com VP, Financial Planning & Internal Audit
sbarber@accessintel.com
c
chloride. The advantage here is that silicon is available in virtually unlim-
CHARLES SANDS
Senior Developer BRIAN NESSEN it quantities, unlike the copper that is required for other cables.
ited
Web/business Applications Architect Group Publisher The second part of the physics award goes to Willard S. Boyle and
csands@accessintel.com bnessen@accessintel.com
G
George E. Smith (both Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, N.J.) for invent-
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in the first successful imaging technology using a digital sensor, a CCD
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techniques, such as spectroscopy. O
Rebekkah Marshall
Letters
Call for papers: AIChE Spring meeting

The call for papers process for the 2010 AIChE Spring
Meeting (San Antonio, Tex., March 21–25, 2010) is
now open. Professionals working in all areas of chemi-
cal engineering and related disciplines are invited to
submit proposals. Submissions in the following subject
areas and for these topical conferences are particu-
larly welcome:
Subject areas:
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Bookshelf
Biomass and Alternate Fuel Systems: An Engineering and converting biomass to heat, power
Economic Guide. Edited by Thomas F. McGowan. John Wiley and fuels. Later chapters examine
and Sons Inc. 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. Web: www. practical questions on competing
wiley.com. 2009. 264 pages. $89.95 routes and economics, and include
real-world examples.
Reviewed by Thomas B. Reed, The Biomass Energy Foun- Biomass can fit into a world in-
dation, Franktown, Colo. creasingly sensitive to the human
effect on climate and exploitation of natural resources.
Processing biomass in a cost-effective and technically fea-
B
iomass and wood are sleepers in the alternate sible manner could reduce our dependence on fossil fuels
energy field. While wind and sun provide tran- and could realize advantages of energy production from
sient sources of energy, the Earth is covered with coal and oil, but without their disadvantages.
biomass, continually storing energy as a fuel that can be Interest in biomass energy must start with a knowledge
converted to heat, power or liquid fuels with the right of its potential supply. Civilizations have fallen because of
chemical process technology. The agriculture and forestry overharvesting of wood and unsustainable agriculture, so
industries guarantee a continuing supply of available any future use must be sustainable. Studies at Oak Ridge
waste biomass. The scientific and engineering community National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, Tenn.; www.ornl.gov) sug-
knows how, in principle, to convert biomass to heat, power gest that we could sustainably harvest 350 million (dry)
and fuel, but ongoing work is needed to identify the most ton/yr of wood residues. The U.S. agricultural industry
practical and economic routes for such conversions. currently burns or buries 900 million ton/yr. This total is
For the past two decades, the authors have developed comparable with the total U.S. coal production which, on an
pilot- and commercial-scale biomass-conversion pro- energy basis, is equivalent to 1.4 billion tons of biomass.
cesses. After an overview covering the uses, properties Biomass most easily substitutes for other fuels in indus-
and potential of biomass for fuel and energy, the authors trial boilers where coal or wood can be burned interchange-
detail the processes of acquiring, burning, gasifying and ably with minor alterations to the system. The book covers
Lower operating costs

with variable pitch rotary screw vacuum pumps
COBRA variable pitch dry screw

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direct combustion and gasification as well as the systems
necessary to support the large-scale use of biomass.
The book also covers the densification of biomass to
form pellets, cubes and logs that makes different forms
of biomass available as a uniform fuel that can be stored,
shipped, sold and fed easily for many applications.
Another alternative fuel topic in the book is ethanol
as a gasoline substitute or additive. Its production has
grown because of its ease of production from sugarcane
and corn, but is limited because these feedstocks are food
sources. More advanced processes to produce ethanol from
cellulose have been slower to mature, but are increasingly
well-funded.
Biodiesel produced from fresh and used vegetable oils
and animal fats by transesterification with methanol is
also covered.
I recommend the book for practical and economic ques-
tions on the science and engineering of biomass conversion.
Framework for Chemical Risk

Management under REACH. Re-
search and Markets. Guinness Centre,
Taylors Lane, Dublin 8, Ireland. Web:
www.researchandmarkets.com. 2009.
$132.00
Polymer Electronics: A Flexible

Technology. Smithers Rapra Technol-
ogy publishing, Shrewsbury Shropshire,
U.K. Web: www.ismithers.net. 2009. 158
pages. $144.00
Petroleum Fuels Manufacturing *VU]L`PUN 7HSSL[PZPUN 7HJRHNPUN

Handbook: Including Specialty
Products and Sustainable Manu-
facturing Techniques. By Surinder
Parkash. McGraw-Hill, 1221 Avenue
of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
Web: www.mhprofessional.com. 2009.
BEUMER solutions for
464 pages. $150.00 the chemical industry.
Heat Transfer in Process Engineer-
ing. By Eduardo Cao. McGraw-Hill.
Efficient. Safe.
1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York,
NY 10020. Web. www.mhprofessional.
com. 2009. 576 pages. $89.95
(ZHSLHKPUNPU[LYUH[PVUHSTHU\MHJ[\YLYVM
The Pressure Strain and Force PU[YHSVNPZ[PJZVS\[PVUZMVY[OLJVU]L`PUNWHSSL[PZPUN
Handbook, 9th ed. Vol. MMXI. HUKWHJRHNPUNLX\PWTLU[ZLNTLU[Z^LRUV^
Omega Engineering. One Omega drive, L]LY`HZWLJ[VM`V\YWYVK\J[ZHUK[OLPYZWLJPÄJ
Stamford, CT. 06907. Web: www.omega.
WYVWLY[PLZ;OPZL_WLY[PZLÅV^ZPU[V[OLKLZPNU
com. 2009. 1,200 pages. no cost.
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Scott Jenkins
www.beumer.com
With global capacity utilization rate in 2008 at
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Ethylene Glycol
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In this new report, SRI Consulting's Process Economics Program (PEP) evaluates two new
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produced from EO via ethylene carbonate. Both processes evaluated are based on the total
capital investment cost for a 400 thousand metric ton/annum EG plant in the United States
Gulf Coast region.
PEP's Ethylene Glycol report examines in detail the research work and technical developments
taking place in EG manufacturing technologies. The focus of this report is the production cost
and capital investment analysis of those EG technologies that were commercialized in the past
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Edited by Gerald Ondrey November 2009
This high-efficiency cooling tower

slashes emissions from metallurgical processes
O utotec Oyj (Espoo, Finland; www.
outotec.com) has commercialized a
new cooling tower that offers increased
flowrate), from 38°C to 33.5°C, the Outo-
tec tower achieves Zn emissions of 120
kg/yr and sulfuric acid emissions of 370
cooling capacity with significantly lower kg/yr — much lower that the 1,200 kg/
emissions to air when cooling solutions yr of Zn and 3,600 kg/yr H2SO4 released
in metallurgical processes. The new from conventional designs, he says.
tower can be used in a wide range of Outotec tower’s “dramatically higher
process solutions, including zinc plant cooling efficiency” means fewer towers
electrolyte cooling, gypsum and chloride are required to handle a given capac-
removal by cooling, and gypsum removal ity, thus investment cost per cooling
for solvent extraction plants. capacity is lower than in conventional
In the Outotec design (diagram), the equipment. As a result, there is a cor-
warm solution is sprayed into the cooling responding reduction in both operating
tower through nozzles near the top, and and investment costs, as well as sav-
cooled liquid exits at the bottom. Cool- ings in accessory equipment (pumps
ing air is blown into the tower through and valves), foundations and construc-
a fan tunnel at the side, then emerges tion space, says Hirsi. The new design
through horizontal demisters at the top. also offers higher availability and online
The main difference between the Outo- maintenance possibilities, eliminating
tec and conventional designs is the pat- the need for backup equipment, he says.
ented top structure, which enables about Construction on the first commercial
twice the air flowrates with smaller application of Outotec cooling towers Zn tank house. Five units will be used
emissions, says process metallurgist is underway in Vladikavakaz, Russia, in the electrowinning process, and two
Tuomas Hirsi. For example, when cool- where seven Outotec 6000 Cooling Tow- units for gypsum removal. Startup is
ing a Zn electrolyte (2,112 m3/h solution ers will be installed at the Elektrozinc scheduled for 2011.
SAFT into gPROMS

Capsosomes: a new launching platform Process Systems Enterprise
Ltd. (PSE; London, U.K.; www.
for delivering drugs where needed psenterprise.com) is to make
new advanced thermodynamic
T ransport systems that can encapsulate

medications for release when and where
needed are the subject of much research
creating capsosomes — polymer capsules
that contain liposomal subcompartments to
maximize the benefits offered by both, poly-
modeling tools for prediction of
liquid and gas thermodynamic
properties available through its
and development, especially for two po- mer multilayer capsules and liposomes. The gPROMS process-modeling
tential synthetic vessels: liposomes and group has shown that capsosomes inherit environment. The technology
multilayered polymer capsules. Both, how- the structural stability of the polymer cap- makes it possible to consider-
ably speed up the optimal
ever, entail limitations. The permeability sules, and have a semipermeable nature;
design of new process plants
of polymer capsules, although partly desir- and the liposomes are capable of restrict- by integrating molecule and
able, also makes them unsuitable for pro- ing the access of solutes to an encapsulated process design, says Mark
viding a protective barrier for small drugs model enzyme, B-lactamase. Matzopoulos, PSE’s COO and
and reagents. On the other hand, small This new platform — capsosomes — can marketing director.
unilamellar liposomes can be susceptible be optimized to accommodate several bio- PSE has signed an agree-
to structural instability and are largely im- medical applications, say the researchers. ment to commercialize Impe-
permeable to their surroundings. The group is now extending the system to co- rial College London’s (www3.
To overcome those limitations, a group encapsulate different enzymes, while equip- imperial.ac.uk) Statistical
of researchers from the University of ping the liposomes with specific triggers Associating Fluid Theory
(SAFT) research. SAFT allows
Melbourne (www.unimelb.edu.au) and toward encapsulated enzymatic cascade re-
many different thermodynamic
CSIRO Molecular and Health Technolo- actions without destroying the subcompart- properties of mixtures to be
gies (Parkville, Victoria, both Australia) ments. It is investigating the potential of determined accurately based
and led by professor Frank Caruso, Dept. capsosomes for encapsulation and the com- on physically realistic models of
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering bined delivery of hydrophobic or hydrophilic
(Continues on p. 12)
at Melbourne, has developed a method for drugs and nanoparticles.
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number
on p. 62, or use the website designation. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM NOVEMBER 2009 11
C HEMENTATO R
A new spin on reducing

membrane-filtration fouling
L ast month at Filtech (Wiesbaden,
Germany; October 13–15), Fil Max
Inc. (Brea, Calif.; www.fmxfiltration.
com) exhibited a new application for
its FMX vortex-generating, membrane-
filtration technology — treating waste-
water from a biogas plant. Fil Max
installed its first commercial system
— three KFS units with 220 m2 of fil-
tration surface area — for this applica-
tion in August at a 6-MW biogas facil-
ity in Europe. The system integrator of
the plant had experienced considerable
problems due to clogging of the previ-
ous tubular ultrafiltration system, ex-
plains Fil Max director Tzu-Lung Lin.
Pilot trials (conducted in March) dem-
onstrated FMX technology’s ability to
not only meet EU water-quality stan-
dards, but also to increase methane produc- filtration systems, which rely on a cross flow (Continued from p. 11)
tion in the biogas-plant digester. to remove the boundary layer built up by molecules and their interactions
FMX consists of a stack of membrane fil- foulants, are less efficient because the shear with other molecules. Its key ad-
ters with a vortex-generating blade sand- force is often weakest near the membrane vantage is the ability to predict
wiched between the membranes. The blade surface (diagram, bottom). very accurately the behavior of
— jointly developed by the Korean Institute FMX made its commercial debut in 2005 strongly associating systems,
of Machinery and Materials (Daejeon; www. for treating wastewater from a methyl cellu- such as azeotropic refrigerant
kimm.re.kr) and Fil Max — is spun by a vari- lose plant of Samsung Fine Chemicals. Since mixtures, aqueous solutions of
able-speed drive creating a swirling pattern then, the technology has found applications non-ionic surfactants and even
strong electrolyte solutions. It
known as Kármán vortices, which generate in the oil-and-energy, chemical and environ-
also accurately quantifies be-
a strong turbulence with minimum energy. mental industries. Units are available with havior of systems involving high
This turbulence dislodges foulants from the membrane areas of 10 to 100 m2, and the molecular weight components,
membrane surface, enabling the foulants to modular design enables stacking as many such as polymer-gas systems.
be carried away by the feed stream (diagram, membranes as needed to meet the required All of these systems are typically
top). In contrast, conventional membrane capacity, says Lin. represented poorly by conven-
tional techniques, such as cubic
equations of state.
Demonstration of a straw-to-bioethanol process Microbial H2

T his month, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,
Ltd. (MHI; Tokyo; www.mhi.co.jp) is start-
ing up a demonstration plant for producing
saccharified into pentose and hexose, which
can then be fermented into ethanol. MHI
technologies used in other sectors have
The first pilot-scale demon-
stration of hydrogen produc-
tion from wastewater using a
bioethanol from the straw of rice and wheat. been adapted for this application, such as: microbial electrolysis system
Located at the Futami Farm of MHI Kobe an injection molding machine, for injecting has been set up at a California
Shipbuilding Plant, the facility — devel- soft straw into the closed reactor; welding winery. Penn State University
(University Park, Pa., www.psu.
oped in collaboration with Hakutsuru Sake technology and construction materials from
edu) environmental engineer
Brewing Co. (Kobe; www.hakutsuru.co.jp) nuclear power equipment, for the high tem- Bruce Logan and colleagues
and Kansai Chemical Engineering Co. perature and high pressure reactor; and the set up the 1,000 L/d microbial
(Amagasaki, both Japan; www.kce.co.jp) — aqueous pyrolysis process, which is used for electrolysis system at Napa
will produce 200 L of ethanol from each ton the degradation of polychlorinated biphe- Wine Co. (Oakville, Calif.). The
of straw. nyls (PCBs; CE, November 1998, p. 23). demonstration will help deter-
MHI has developed two pretreatment By March 2010, MHI aims to produce eth- mine what yields of hydrogen
steps for the production of bioethanol. First, anol with a production cost of ¥90/L (about are possible. The target is to
milled straw is pyrolyzed in a reactor using $3.75/gal). The company plans to commer- produce 1,000 L H2 per 1,000 L
pressurized hot water (less than 300°C). cialize the equipment for aqueous pyrolysis of wastewater.
(Continues on p. 14)
Pyrolysis products are then separated and in 2011.
First commercial transport,
coal-gasifier contract awarded
A contract for the world’s first com-
mercial transport-gasification fa-
The circulating-bed gasifier uses a dry
feed and operates at temperatures
cility was awarded to KBR (Houston,
www.kbr.com) by Beijing Guoneng
below the melting point of ash, so it
is suitable for lower-cost fuels with
/RRNLQJIRUD
Yinghui Clean Energy Engineering
Co. for a coal power plant in China’s
high ash or moisture content, KBR ex-
plains. “Coals with up to 50% ash can ZLQQLQJKDQG"
Guangdong province. be processed in the TRIG gasifier,” the
The two-phase project will show- company notes. Building process plants is not a
case KBR’s transport integrated gas- In the riser portion of the gasifier game. You need partners who have a
ification (TRIG) technology, which is unit, TRIG takes advantage of the proven track-record of supplying
designed specifically for the efficient reactivity of low-rank coals to form coded process equipment and plants
conversion of low-rank coal to synthe- raw syngas in a short period. The to global clients. You need partners
sis gas (syngas). The first phase of the syngas, laden with unreacted solids, who have a single-minded focus on
project will be a 120-MW integrated then moves through a series of cy- creating value by maximizing yields
gasification combined cycle (IGCC) clones where the solids are removed. and profitability.
power plant, scheduled for completion TRIG technology uses a proprietary
in 2011. That facility will be followed refractory with extended life as well At Dipesh Engineering Works, we
by an 800-MW IGCC plant with TRIG as a proprietary ash-removal system we know how to help you succeed.
technology, scheduled for completion designed to address the technical dif- We have supplied thousands of
in 2012. ficulties of handling slag. customized and standards-based
TRIG technology includes a refrac- In addition to producing syngas for process equipment and plants to
tory-lined, circulating-bed gasifier electric power generation, TRIG tech- demanding clients under third-party
that enables economic conversion of nology can be applied to the manufac- acceptance of Lloyds, TUV, Jacobs
low-grade coals, such as lignite, sub- ture of ammonia, methanol, substitute H&G,BVIS, AKER, SAIPEM, and TCS.
bituminous and high-ash, into syngas. natural gas and transportation fuels. Some of these equipment include:
Process Reactors
Syngas Recycle syngas Hydrogenators
Air Compressor Air Compressor
Autoclaves with Quick Opening
Live Syngas Doors
steam
Gas/Liquid Impellers
BFW HP steam
Rotary Vacuum Dryers
Heat
KBR Particulate recovery
Syngas Spherical Paddle Choppers/
Coal Coal Syngas and syngas Dryers
prep Trig cooler control
gasifier device Raw purification
particulate- Rotocone Dryers
free syngas Silicon Carbide Heat Exchangers
Vent
H2O gas Conical Screw Dryers
Ash and vent gas GMP Heat Exchangers
Ash Process Heat Exchangers
removal, Steam and non-condensibles
storage and from sour water stripper
Pressure Vessels
loading
Call us when you are considering a

Ash to disposal
new project or upgrade of the
existing plant. We will ensure that
Integrity Software: first to you get the winning hand. Always.
map the ‘automation genome’ Dipesh Engineering Works

A member of J. B. Patel Group of Companies
L ast month, PAS, Inc. (Houston; www.

pas.com) launched Integrity Auto-
mation Genome Software, said to be
sets while mapping dataflow. The soft-
ware interfaces with each individual
data source through a library of asset
3, Sheroo Villa, 87 J.P. Road, Andheri West,
Mumbai 400053. India.
Tel:+91.22.2674 3719/2674 3729 Fax:+91.22.2674 3507
E-mail:sales@dipeshengg.net
the world’s first software capable of models, which include the majority of ZZZGLSHVKHQJJFRP
analyzing assets, functionality and distributed control systems (DSCs),
dataflow within and among automa- programmable logic controllers (PLCs) 3URYLGLQJFXVWRPL]HGFRGHGSURFHVV
tion and production systems. Integrity safety instrumented systems (SISs), HTXLSPHQWDQGZRUOGFODVVWXUQNH\
provides a universal framework for HMI/SCADA packages, historians and SODQWVWRJOREDOFOLHQWVVLQFH
aggregating and contextualizing as- (Continues on p. 16) Circle 12 on p. 62 or go to adlinks.che.com/23020-12
The best way to heat and cool C HEMENTATO R
the most corrosive materials.

A boost for acetonitrile
A cetonitrile, a byproduct of acrylo-
nitrile production, has been in short
supply for about a year because of a
dramatic reduction in the demand for
acrylonitrile, used in plastics for the
Nothing controls
manufacture of cars, appliances and
temperatures of electronic goods. A process modification
corrosives and high that promises to relieve the shortage by
purity materials better increasing the yield of acetonitrile has
than AMETEK fluoropoly- been implemented by Ineos Nitriles
mer heat exchangers. Not (Houston; www.ineos.com) in its acry-
glass. Not silicon carbide lonitrile plants at Lima (Ohio), Green
or graphite units. Available Lake (Tex.) and Seal Sands (U.K.). The
with steel or non-metallic technology allows Ineos “to produce
shells, diameters from 3" around 50% more acetonitrile during
periods of weak acrylonitrile demand
to 14" and metric designs,
without having to increase the produc-
AMETEK heat exchangers
tion of acrylonitrile,” says Rob Nevin,
include TEMA/ANSI nozzle and CEO of Ineos Nitriles.
end connections. To learn more Acrylonitrile is produced by propyl-
call (302) 456-4431 or visit: ene ammoxidation, in which propylene
www.ametekfpp.com is reacted with ammonia and air over
a fluidized-bed catalyst that contains
bismuth, cerium and molybdenum. The
process takes place at 400–510°C and
Circle 13 on p. 62 or go to adlinks.che.com/23020-13 5–30 psig and coproduces about 3%
acetonitrile. The company declines to
TM say how the additional acetonitrile is
produced, except to say that it involves
a process modification. Ineos supplies
around 40% of the world’s acetonitrile.
AUTOMATION GENOME MAPPING

(Continued from p. 13)
asset management packages.

Integrity imports system database
Unlimited life eliminates configurations, checks data consistency
expensive filter housing and automatically generates control di-
replacement agrams to assist with control strategy
Removable filter basket for visualization. The details of the inter-
extremely easy cleaning relationship of data objects are dis-
Designed to accept cartridges played together with appropriate docu-
from any manufacturer, with mentation, which can be “attached” by
any flow regime, inside out or means of a Smart Link.
outside in
Can be adapted to provide (Continued from p. 12)
pre-filtration and final filtration Bacteria can produce small amounts
within a single housing of hydrogen, along with other fermen-
Significantly reduces down time tation products in normal respiration
during line changes process. By introducing electrodes and
- Interchangeable hardware TM applying a small (0.25 V) voltage to the
system, H2 production from acetate is
www.flexflo.net increased because the thermodynam-
www.morfabinc.com ics of the reaction are made favorable
(315) 729.2139
Moravia, NY 13118
by the small voltage boost. The system
US Patent No. 7115199 requires about one tenth of the voltage
needed for the direct electrolysis of
See us at Chem Show 2009 water (CE, May 2005, p. 19).
C HEMENTATO R Bio-oxidation
A two-phase microbial bio-oxidation
system for removing volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) from air streams at
‘Electronic marshalling’ uproots 35 years chemical processing plants has been in-
stalled at ten wood-products facilities in
of spaghetti wiring practices 2009, says Bio-Reaction Industries LLC
(Tualatin, Ore., www.bioreaction.com),
L ast month, in unveiling the S-Series re-

lease of its DeltaV digital automation
system, Emerson Process Management
is rigidly configured and diagramed in
complex drawing sets. In fact, for a proj-
ect with 15,341 hardwired points, elec-
the purveyor of the technology.
In the process, contaminated air
streams are pulled through a humidi-
(Austin, Tex.; www.emersonprocess. tronic marshalling can achieve a 50% fication vessel, where water-soluble
com) introduced electronic marshalling, reduction in the number of controller compounds are separated. Pollutants
a new concept in input/output (I/O) con- cabinets, a 40% reduction in the cabinet are removed by passing the VOC-laden
figuration that promises to streamline footprint and a 90% reduction in intra- streams through a packing of compost-
the design and installation of automa- cabinet wiring when compared to con- filled polyethylene balls that contain the
microbes. Bio-oxidation requires 90% less
tion systems, substantially reduce hard- ventional I/O marshalling, says Peter
ware and wiring needs, and eliminate Zornio, chief strategic officer. (Continues on p. 16)
delays and cost overruns that are often The DeltaV S-Series also supports
attributed to the automation portion of wireless and fieldbus I/O, allowing users shalling and I/O flexibility addresses a
capital projects. to easily integrate and swap out a com- chronic problem that has plagued capital
New single-channel Characterization bination of I/O options at any stage of projects for the past 35 years. Whereas
Modules (CHARMS) make this possible a project. And since the S-Series inte- traditional project engineering requires
for individual point-wired field devices, grates fieldbus power conditioners onto considerable time and cost in chang-
featuring built-in electronics that relay the I/O cards themselves, a large fieldbus ing rack-room I/O wiring and termina-
I&C data to the appropriate DeltaV con- project with 2,501 segments could avoid tions as process design is refined dur-
troller via Ethernet backbone. Such elec- the need for 5,002 power conditioners ing project execution and construction,
tronic marshalling circumvents the need and the 32 power cabinets that would be the DeltaV S-series hardware adapts to
for users to cross wire each field device needed to support them, for examle. changes easily. “The bottom line is that
to specific controller-I/O cards, thereby Beyond wiring and hardware sav- it takes automation out of the schedul-
avoiding so-called spaghetti wiring that ings, the combination of electronic mar- ing bottleneck,” says Zornio.
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CircleXX
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62 or go to adlinks.che.com/23020-15
adlinks.che.com/230XX-XX
(Continued from p. 15)
C HEMENTATO R energy than traditional thermal
oxidizers, thus reducing CO2
emissions and operating cost,
says the firm.
Scaleup planned for a scale-reducing RO process The technology is capable of
efficient removal of light alco-
hols, benzene, toluene, xylenes
R otec Ltd. (Ashkelon, Israel; www.rotec-
water.com), a technology-transfer com-
pany of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
ogy components: a valve-controlling device,
which enables the adaptation of Flow Rever-
sal to Tapered-Flow RO, and a Saturation
(BTX), pinenes, turpenes and
aliphatic compounds from pro-
cess air streams. Wood products
(BGN; Beer-Sheva, Israel), is developing a and Deposition Sensor, which combines a companies utilizing the technol-
new desalination technology that promises detection array and a control algorithm that ogy include Weyerhaeuser, Col-
to increase the water-recovery rate of re- triggers flow reversals in real time. lins Forest Products, J.M. Huber,
verse osmosis (RO) systems from 75–85% Rotec has demonstrated a full proof-of- Norbord and others.
up to 95%. This can boost existing RO plant concept in a laboratory-scale prototype and
capacities by 5–12% while dramatically re- is now designing two pilot-demonstration UV-cure silicone rubber
ducing the brine disposal volume, which re- systems that will desalinate 120 m3/d of Last month, Momentive Perfor-
sults in savings of up to $0.09/m3 of product brackish groundwater. The company is mance Materials, Inc. (Albany,
water, says CEO Noam Perlmuter. working with researchers from BGN, the N.Y.; www.momentive.com)
One of the main factors limiting water re- University of Colorado and Hashemite Uni- introduced a new platform of
covery in conventional RO systems is scaling versity of Jordan in a project funded by the elastomer products that can be
caused by precipitation of sparingly soluble NATO Science for Peace program and the cured by ultraviolet (UV) light at
room temperature. Normally, sil-
salts. This occurs because the salt concen- Middle East Desalination Research Center.
icone elastomers are vulcanized
tration near the membrane surface can be- The first pilot unit is expected to be opera- with peroxide catalyst and ther-
come 13–20% higher than the concentration tional by the Fall of 2010 at a beta site near mally cured. Parts commonly
of the bulk solution due to the permeation Eilat, Israel, and the second will start up produced by extrusion can be
of water through the RO membrane. Rotec’s early 2011 at a beta site near Al-Zarqa, Jor- cured with “significantly reduced
system prevents scaling from occurring by dan. Rotec is also developing its Saturation times” compared to conven-
reversing the flow of feed before the salt con- Sensor subsystem, which the company plans tional silicone elastomers, says
centration at the surface becomes saturated. to incorporate into the first pilot systems by the company. P
The system incorporates two main technol- 2ndQ 2010. O

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Newsfront
Emerson Process Management

INDUSTRIAL WIRELESS:
PROVEN SUCCESS,
UNTETHERED POTENTIAL
An explosion of success stories, final ratification of the ISA 100.11a
standard and technological improvements have officially removed
this technology from the black box of ‘promised’ benefits
F
or many years now, talk of wire- ries, which signal that the comfort FIGURE 1. WirelessHART adapters pro-
lessly networking and trans- factor is no longer an insurmountable vide access to diagnostic data that are
stranded in many multivariable devices,
mitting process signals has hurdle. Of course, when the benefits such as shown here with the Emerson
projected new levels in process are big and the costs are relatively Thumb attached to a Coriolis flowmeter
performance, safety and overall ef- small, the wireless solution is hard
ficiency for the chemical process in- to ignore. Consider CHS Inc.’s petro- difficult process, requiring operators
dustries (CPI). Until recently, how- leum refinery in Laurel, Mont., where to enter hazardous areas or climb lad-
ever, a number of strings held back a previous tank overfill cost the re- ders to check the valves’ state or posi-
widescale adoption. Those strings are finery $1.5 million in tank repairs tion. Searching for an easier, safer way
finally unravelling, and there is con- and $50,000 in soil remediation. By to monitor valve performance, manag-
crete evidence to prove it. installing wireless instrumentation ers at the Harcros site installed Emer-
A key breakthrough occurred last for monitoring tank levels, the facil- son Process Management’s (St. Louis,
month, when final ratification became ity saved $500,000 in comparison to a Mo.) new Fisher 4320 wireless posi-
official for ISA100.11a, “Wireless Sys- wired solution. tion monitors.
tems for Industrial Automation: Process To both early adopters and those Unit manager Kevin Root says total
Control and Related Applications”, the who haven’t yet taken the plunge, one savings are already far beyond the
International Society of Automation’s factor is particularly reassuring: End basic cost savings of choosing a wire-
(Research Triangle Park, N.C.; www. users can start small and expand as less solution over a wired one. “This
isa.org) standard for wireless commu- they get more comfortable. “The suc- was about eliminating mistakes and
nication. Like the WirelessHART stan- cess we saw in the first installations increasing safety,” he said. “Wireless
dard that has been official for about two gave us the confidence to go forward,” valve position monitoring enabled us
years now, ISA100.11a provides end says Gary Borham, Severstal Wheeling to reduce inadvertent emissions and
users with assurance that wireless in- engineering manager. “Now that we’ve bad batches, as well as avoid the high
strumentation and networks from dif- used this technology, it’s like anything costs of rework, clean-up, and lost ma-
ferent vendors will communicate seam- is at our finger tips if we want it.” terial. Eliminating these costs, up to
lessly. Unlike WirelessHART, however, For more on Borham’s experience $25,000 per incident, not including
the scope of ISA100.11a goes beyond and others’, see the five case studies fines, is a good thing for our plant.”
the instrumentation-to-gateway seg- that follow in the next six pages. The Fisher 4320 wireless-communi-
ments on up through the control and cation position monitor can be used to
enterprise systems. STOPPING COSTLY LEAKS monitor the position of any valve, any-
Another development that is poised Wireless valve position monitors where in the plant. The easy-to-install
to accelerate wireless infiltration is help Kansas City facility avoid instrument provides frequent, wire-
the commercial launch of wireless three product-release incidents less updates about the valve’s position
position sensors and other low-cost and save $75,000. Harcros Chemi- while reducing the time and risk asso-
wireless adapters that can simply and cals in Kansas City, Kan., uses man- ciated with visual inspections.
easily be added onto existing equip- ual valves for sampling, directing, At Harcros, worker safety is a pri-
ment to bring stranded — but valu- injection, and extraction processes at mary concern, not only because of the
able — data back to the control room the chemical production facility. Many location of the valves but also because
(Figures 1 and 2). of the valves are in remote, hard-to- of the toxic chemicals the valves con-
Most compelling of all, however, is reach locations too costly to access tain and control. The facility uses pro-
the explosion of end-user success sto- with wires. Monitoring them was a pylene oxide and ethylene oxide for its
Newsfront
processing operations, and exposure to gineering manager. “It takes four FIGURE 2. The new Fisher 4320
either one can irritate a person’s eyes, hours to change a roll, and costs position monitor delivers equip-
ment-position data that would
skin and respiratory tract. Leaks in- could reach $200,000. We can otherwise be unavailable in the
volving toxic chemicals can also result now see when bearing tempera- control room, thereby improving
in expensive fines. tures rise and can shut down to plant performance and safety
Sample and drain valves, for exam- perform maintenance, which only
ple, are opened and purged before and takes an hour.” though the transmitters are in-
after each batch. Some product may A second application uses stalled in areas where they are
be released or leaked during this pro- Rosemount wireless pressure separated by walls and equip-
cess, and a new batch begins every 8 to transmitters to monitor the water ment. “We’ve lost no data and
16 hours. Adding 22 wireless position pressure of the fire safety system pro- had no problems with any of
monitors to these isolated, manual tecting the plant’s oil cellar. The net- our wireless networks,” Borham says.
valves (Figure 3) enabled Harcros per- work has detected two water leaks, “It’s so simple to expand networks to
sonnel to identify inadvertent emis- enabling quick repairs that returned get new points and any kind of pro-
sions before they could result in costly water pressure to a safe level. Sever- cess data we want.”
fines or production delays. The wire- stal Wheeling was also able to discon- Borham adds that installation and
less monitor units have so far helped tinue clipboard rounds once made to commissioning were easy and fast for
Harcros avoid three product release check the system, which extends 1,500 all applications. Some took only hours
incidents, saving at least $75,000 in ft through a series of tunnels. to get up and running. Severstal Wheel-
downtime, rework, clean-up and dis- The company had to upgrade its fire ing’s technicians and automation engi-
posal costs, not including fines. safety system to comply with insurance neers performed the work themselves
“Besides applying the Fisher wire- requirements but estimated it would with assistance from Emerson. R
less position monitors to more of our cost $60,000–100,000 to install a hard-
manual valves, we are considering wired monitoring network. “The hard- SOLVING REGULATORY
Emerson Smart Wireless technology wired installation cost estimate was COMPLIANCE HURDLES
for tank level management, rail-car outrageous, and with the economy the California cement plant meets air-
monitoring, and a host of tempera- way it is, there was no way we could do quality emissions requirements
ture, pressure and flow applications it,” Borham said. “The cost of install- despite rotating equipment and
at our Kansas City site,” says Lloyd ing the wireless network was 60% less harsh conditions. CalPortland Co.
Hale, director of manufacturing at than a hard-wired solution.” uses a selective non-catalytic reduction
Harcros Chemicals. R In the third application, the com- (SNCR) process of spraying ammonia
pany installed Rosemount wireless into its cement kiln to control emis-
PREVENTING CRITICAL transmitters on 11 oil-storage tanks sions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). The
EQUIPMENT FAILURES located inside and outside its facility. gradually sloped 540-ft-long, 13-ft-dia.
U.S. steel producer saves $300,000 The devices are connected to, and con- kiln (Figure 4) rotates almost twice a
in roll failures, saves over $36,000 vert the 4–20 mA signals from, existing minute and operates at temperatures
in fire-safety-system upgrade hard-wired pressure transmitters that as high as 2,800°F. In this application,
and prevents big spills. Severstal measure tank levels. Environmental CalPortland needed to monitor the
Wheeling, the U.S.’s fourth-largest managers are alerted if oil levels are temperature of the ammonia, the pro-
integrated steel producer, initially high or if a spill occurs. “If there is a cess gases as well as the kiln’s slight
employed Emerson Process Manage- spill, we know exactly which tank and vacuum. It had tried using a slip ring
ment’s Smart Wireless technology what time it occurred,” Borham says. around the kiln to check these param-
to prevent roller failures valued at “We can immediately work to contain eters, but frictional wear ground down
$300,000 and has since expanded its it. We can also use the level
use to improve process, fire safety, data to monitor when to

and environmental monitoring at its order more oil.”
fully integrated, 80-in. hot strip mill Two Emerson Smart
in Mingo Junction, Ohio. Wireless gateways receive
One of the additional applications data sent continuously
uses Emerson’s Rosemount wireless from these self-organizing
temperature transmitters to check networks and relay it to
bearing lubricant on backup rolls in the plant’s data historian.
the plant’s finishing mill, reducing Some transmitters are lo-
maintenance costs and downtime. cated as far as 600 ft away
“Since we installed the wireless net- from a gateway. The devices
work, we’ve not needed to replace have transmitted data reli-
backup rolls because of overheating ably despite harsh condi- FIGURE 3. The installation of 22 wireless position
bearings and damaged rolls,” says tions, particularly in the monitors helped this facility save $25,000 per incident
Gary Borham, Severstal Wheeling en- processing areas, and even related to the release of propylene and ethylene oxides
Silverson’s high shear In-Line mixers outperform conventional mixers,
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Newsfront
the ring. Meanwhile, the growth of the addition of process vari-

kiln as it heated up broke insulators able instrumentation to
isolating the process signal. optimize the control strat-
“By installing this wireless network, egy becomes overwhelm-
we were able to monitor and treat the ing. The wireless option
NOx in the kiln successfully when allowed for movement of
there was no other alternative,” says the process indicators to
Steve Tyrrell, CalPortland senior elec- various positions on the
trical supervisor. “Wireless was a bril- kiln for development of FIGURE 4. This cement kiln rotates almost twice per
liant option for our project. This has the control strategy,” says minute and operates at temperatures up to 2,800°F — a
case in point where wireless instrumentation excels over
allowed us to comply with the NOx Tyrrell. “Minimal main- wires
emissions regulations and improve tenance of the wireless
control over the process.” option also ensures reliability of the mits signals reliably to the Smart
The CalPortland installation in- process signals for greater process Wireless Gateway despite the fact
cludes a self-organizing wireless net- control. We thought this was a perfect that devices are installed at opposite
work of field instrumentation that opportunity to apply wireless.” sides of the kiln. The line-of-sight view
reliably monitors the process used to The installation of the four devices is blocked at times between some de-
reduce NOx emissions inside a rotat- onto the kiln was completed in one vices and the gateway, but no data has
ing cement kiln at the facility. The day. The differential pressure trans- been lost. The gateway is integrated
wireless network includes four Rose- mitter was installed on the injection with the facility’s existing program-
mount wireless temperature transmit- shroud to measure the extremely low mable logic controller system.
ters, one wireless differential-pressure vacuum inside the kiln. The tempera- “Our plan is to equip our second kiln
transmitter, and an Emerson Smart ture transmitters were installed at at this facility with the same equip-
Wireless Gateway. different locations around the kiln. ment later as market conditions dic-
“With a rotary kiln, the continued The self-organizing network trans- tate,” Tyrrell says. R
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ELIMINATING PRODUCT )PMUTWJMMF /:
5IF *0/ 4ZTUFN SFHJPOBM NBQT BOE FRVJQNFOUTUBUVT
DEFECTS AND EH&S RISKS GSPN"QQSJPO .PVOUBJO7JFX $BMJG
and maintenance views and reports.
Huntsman’s Port Neches facility im- serves as the wireless infrastructure The new wireless-mobility solution
plements a widescale mobile opera- throughout the plant for applications installed at Huntsman replaced a
tor solution and reduces the number that include video, voice communica- DPNQMFUFMZNBOVBMQSPDFTT*OTUFBEPG
of pumps requiring daily inspection tions, energy efficiency and condition using pen, papers and clipboards to re-
by 50%. Last month, Huntsman Corp., NPOJUPSJOH5IF*0/4ZTUFNJODMVEFT cord critical field data and then either
a global manufacturer and marketer *0/PTQIFSF B DFOUSBMJ[FE EBTICPBSE carrying the paperwork to the central
of differentiated chemicals, completed that brings together application data, data area or calling in the data via
work on an aggressive industrial-wire-
Oseco’s
less project aimed at eliminating inju-
ries, product defects, and environmental
releases at its Port Neches, Tex., facility.
Termed ”Project Zero”, this program
was centered around a completely mo-
bile solution to empower operations and
maintenance personnel to capture prod-
uct defects, track work progress and
make process and safety related deci-
Opti-Gard™
sions in realtime.
Huntsman Port Neches faced four
fundamental challenges that its Oseco’s new Opti-Gard is ideal for the chemical
phase-one wireless implementation processing industry. Opti-Gard, an advanced
needed to address the following: rupture disc, is peripherally scored on the vent
t%FTJHOBOEJNQMFNFOUBTZTUFNUIBU side for accurate burst control.
could execute both business value
and process improvement while ad- With a 95% operating to burst-pressure ratio
hering completely to its Project Zero and a performance tolerance of 3 percent,
approach Opti-Gard provides
t*NQMFNFOU B XJSFMFTT TPMVUJPO UIBU a single disc
would replace a completely manual solution across
approach consisting of pen-and- a wide range
paper recording and phone calls of sizes and
t3FEVDFIJHIDPTUTEVFUPFRVJQNFOU burst pres-
downtime and lifecycle run time sures.
t3PVHIMZPGUIFXPSLGPSDFFMJHJ-
ble for Huntsman’s retirement pro-
gram and the majority of the plant
knowledge has not been captured or With architecturally
documented for use by the newer, in- engineered burst pressures,
experienced workforce Opti-Gard offers the highest performance charac-
To address these challenges, Hunts- teristics for liquid, gas, or vapor applications.
man partnered with three key ven-
EPST*OEVTUSJBM.PCJMJUZT 5IF8PPE- To learn more about Opti-Gard and other Oseco
MBOET 5FY
.PCJM0QT GJFME NPCJMJUZ products, visit
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software enables field operators to
FYFDVUF SPVOET FOUFS XPSL SFRVFTUT
for defects in realtime, monitor and
control standard operating condi-
UJPOT 40$T
GPS FBDI QJFDF PG FRVJQ-
ment, and access the most up-to-date,
approved standard-operating pro-
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DPNQVUFST GSPN UIF &OUFSQSJTF .P-
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Arkema
Newsfront
the phone for input, now Huntsman DEMONSTRATING

field personnel can automatically ex- INTEROPERABILITY
ecute inspections of non-instrumented Texas Gulf-Coast facility
equipment (rounds) and confirm is the first to undertake a
equipment conditions. multi-vendor, ISA100.11a-
To date, Huntsman’s Mobility Solu- compliant field test. Within
tion is in three units at the 4-mi2 site. 10 days of final ratification
Initial results show significant im- of the ISA100.11a standard
provements and indicate the goals of for wireless automation, the
FIGURE 5. A wireless pressure transmitter was
Project Zero will be achieved. With re- ISA100 Wireless Compliance installed on this firewater tank, replacing a simple
altime wireless tracking of the rounds Institute installed a multi- mechanical sight gauge that fails full
activity, the number of pumps requir- vendor user test at an Arkema
ing daily inspection has reduced by plant in Crosby, Tex. The purpose of the room. Meanwhile, the facility installed
50% — allowing more time for other test was to demonstrate the standard’s nine wireless sensors, which immedi-
more crucial inspection areas. ability to achieve interoperability ately improved the process safety of
The new automated Mobility Solu- among devices from multiple vendors. the plant and will ultimately reduce
tion has already provided: Arkema’s site in Crosby produces liq- the need for operators to physically
t*NQSPWFE FRVJQNFOU SFMJBCJMJUZ SF- uid organic peroxides. Like many CPI monitor remote locations.
duced maintenance costs and pro- facilities, the plant was built in stages, For instance, the site includes nu-
cess improvements and has three different generations of merous cold-storage warehouses op-
tSFEVDUJPOJOTBGFUZJODJEFOUT process control technology, says Didier erating at temperatures below 0°F. If
t*NQSPWFEEFGFDUDBQUVSF Auber, plant manager. So, a key selling these warehouses exceed a certain tem-
t*ODSFBTFEFRVJQNFOUVQUJNFBOEBT- point for wireless implementation was perature, the peroxides can potentially
sociated production quality and quan- the ease and low cost of bringing all decompose and ultimately catch fire.
tity improvements R the data into one, centralized control Local weather conditions at the site cre-
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WIELDING WIRELESS WARES
Apprion www.aprion.com
Emerson Process Management www.emersonprocess.com
Gastronics www.gastronics.com
Honeywell Process Solutions hpsweb.honeywell.com
Industrial Mobility www.industrialmobility.com
Invensys www.ips.invensys.com have been primarily tion for the initial press demonstration
Motorola www.motorola.com communicating di- at the plant, Andrew Neeb, wireless
Wilson Mohr www.wilsonmohr.com rectly through one of business development leader at Wil-
Yokogawa www.yokogawa.com the Honeywell wire- son Mohr, Inc. (Sugarland, Tex.), the
less backbone routers. system integrator on the project, had
ate a propensity for high winds, which In fact, the only real surprise the proj- to bring in a couple of tractor trailers
periodically reach hurricane force. High ect has faced is not experiencing the to introduce physical obstructions and
wind speeds not only increase the like- worst-case conditions that make hav- force the system to mesh. O
lihood that a door will open uninten- ing a mesh necessary. During prepara- Rebekkah Marshall
tionally and let in warmer air, but they
increase the danger for the operators
who must walk out on hourly rounds
to check the doors. Temperature was
already being reported to the control
room by wire, with an audible remote
alarm to indicate if a door is left open.
But the delay in temperature change
can take many minutes if not hours to
reveal itself through those means. Wire-
less door and temperature sensors (for
redundancy) from Honeywell Process
Solutions (Phoenix, Ariz.) were added
to the three warehouses, providing cen-
tral reporting of exception conditions.
The interoperability test at Arkema
also includes a wireless gas sensor from
Gastronics (Bedford Heights, Ohio)
and Yokogawa’s (Sugarland, Tex.) early
prototype wireless-pressure transmit-
ter, which replaces a simple mechani-
cal sight gauge on the firewater tank
(Figure 5). All installed transmitters
have been tested for ISA100.11a com-
pliance using a noncommercial version
of the Wireless Compliance Institute’s
Device Interoperability Test Kit (ITK),
which is scheduled for commercial re-
lease in early 2010. Meanwhile, plans
for additional wireless transmitters
are in the works at Arkema and will
act as 4–20-mA adaptors to existing
wired sensors.
All deployed transmitters at Arkema
have routing capability, so as more
transmitters are added the number
of possible ISA100.11a mesh connec-
tions will increase exponentially. The
ISA100.11a sensor mesh extends cov-
erage to the edges of the 50 acre facil-
ity while providing redundant paths
of communication in case the primary
route fails. “The mesh is important in
terms of system reliability because
you don’t always have a clean line of
sight back to the control room,” ex-
plains Ryan Burke, maintenance and
engineering manager at the Arkema
Crosby plant.
So far, however, all transmitters
plant sites & companies
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Newsfront
DIAGNOSTICS:
SIMPLIFYING
OPTIMIZATION
Improved programming and interfaces
are making it easier for end users
to marry process control, asset FIGURE 1. These new Device Dashboards simplify predic-
management and diagnostic data tive diagnostics and shorten the time to convert
information to decision-making and action
A
s the chemical process indus- valves, instrumentation, control sys- before they occur, says Amit Ajmeri, a
tries (CPI) continue to focus on tem equipment, output modules, logic consultant for field network technol-
improving operations and low- solvers, drives or anything else that’s ogy with Yokogawa Corp. of America
ering costs, interest in process part of the process, such as heat ex- (Newnan, Ga.). Planning and sched-
automation diagnostics, which can changers, boilers and mechanical uling maintenance activities and re-
play a critical role in helping proces- equipment. These process components sources are also better handled when
sors reduce maintenance spending, not only provide information about accurate, detailed diagnostic informa-
continues. “Processors are beginning their own conditions, but can also tion is available.
to realize that good diagnostics can provide insight into the process pa-
help them reduce their overall costs,” rameters when an asset management Technology improvements
says Moin Sheikh, marketing manager system is used in conjunction with a Many automation providers are add-
with Siemens Energy and Automation process control system. ing logic on top of their asset man-
(Spring House, Pa.). Coupled with the The combination of the two systems agement solutions to keep tabs on
nearly limitless potential and growing allows diagnostic information to be diagnostic data from various assets,
acceptance for accessing data wire- mined out and, once this diagnostic enabling predictions to be given ahead
lessly (for more, see p. 17), the spark information is integrated into a DCS, of time. Once the asset management
of interest has prompted vendors to it becomes very relevant, explains system uses its logic to determine that
include technologies with improved Sheikh. “You can look at a process pa- a device needs maintenance in the
logic, diagnostic data that is easier to rameter, such as temperature or pres- near future, a notification tool sends
exploit, and systems and services that sure, and also look at the asset that’s the message to the DCS, an email to
help end users assimilate the plethora generating that information so you get the appropriate person and/or gives
of data into their work processes. diagnostic data from the asset as well an alert via the system itself. Follow-
as the process,” he says. ing this alert, users of the system can
Process system diagnostics Stuart Harris, vice president of input detailed information, and if a
Obviously one of the key duties of marketing, asset optimization with specific condition is recognized by the
a process automation system is to Emerson Process Management (Aus- logic in the system, it spits out prob-
control the process, and plant asset- tin, Tex.), agrees. “There’s been a tre- able causes and actions that will cor-
management systems serve as an ex- mendous amount of work done in put- rect the situation.
tension of those systems. “When you ting predictive intelligence into these And, improvements to technology
have all these assets communicating devices to the point where they can are making this holistic approach eas-
information back to a central loca- not only diagnose themselves, but they ier for processors to achieve. Machin-
tion, such as a DCS, you can not only can also serve as the eyes and ears of ery protection is a profound example.
get information about process condi- the process and the plant,” he says. In traditional control systems, inte-
tions and parameters; you can also Having such holistic information gration is complex and expensive, re-
use the same mechanism to gather helps reduce downtime and increase quiring Modbus and system expertise
diagnostic information from these plant activity because knowing what’s as well as specific machinery knowl-
assets,” says Sheikh. going on with both the process and the edge. Typical machinery protection
Process assets typically include involved assets prevents breakdowns systems can require more than 2,000
Yokogawa Corp. of America
Newsfront
steps and up to five days to set up.

The latest release of Emerson Process
Management’s DeltaV digital automa-
tion system, however, is preconfigured
for machinery protection and thereby
completes the same installation in
three simple steps that take less than
ten minutes, says Craig Llewellyn,
president of Emerson’s Asset Optimi-
zation division.
Of course, one size does not fit all
when it comes to logic for the process
itself. Programmable logic is key to
making a diagnostic system work on
an individual basis. For this reason,
many vendors are working to im-
prove their logic so it is easier to pro- FIGURE 2. Exapilot automates standard operating procedures to provide early
gram. Yokogawa, for example, offers detection of process and device abnormalities. The software also provides tools that
Exapilot, which automates standard allow operators to create and automate their own operating procedures
operating procedures to provide early
detection of process and device abnor- Exapilot simplifies the creation of created by pasting each of the moni-
malities. The software also provides programs, monitors operation progress toring icons in a logic chart diagram
tools that allow operators to create and navigates appropriate actions. In and provides a visible process and
and automate their own operating addition, the advanced alarm function device status. When used in combina-
procedures. permits monitoring programs to be tion, the advanced alarm function and
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E
ver since its foundation in 1939, Italvacuum has manu- equipment for loading and unloading. This prevents cross-con-
factured industrial vacuum pumps and vacuum dryers for tamination and ensures that operator exposure meets the most
process use in the chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetics stringent health and
industries. safety regulations;
In the 1950s Italvacuum broadened its market base by devel- Dthe Multispray®
oping rotary dryers in addition to cabinet tray dryers. The original Cabinet Dryer.
cylindrical rotary dryers – today sold under the name Tumble This new static
Dryer for drying, mixing and condensing in the manufacture of dryer is equipped
plastic granules – were soon followed by double-cone types. with the patented
The latter saw such international success that by the mid-1980s CIP Multispray fast
they had become one of the company’s best-selling lines. This washing system,
was due to the introduction of the allowing the dry-
patented CRIOX System, ing chamber and Multispray®
which is also capable shelves to be Cabinet Dryer
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thanks to power- in just a few minutes;
ful lump-breakers Dthe Planex System®, a brand-new patented horizontal paddle
inside the vessel. vacuum dryer carefully designed to overcome the peculiar
These crush any limitations of traditional paddle dryers. The Planex System has
blocks inside the an eccentric agitator, much smaller in diameter than the mixing
mass and prevent chamber, with two independent axes of movement. The peculiar
the formation of configuration of the agitator and its double combined rotation
new lumps, yielding allow the product to revolve continuously and prevent local
CRIOX System product in the form overheating by limiting mechanical stress and friction. Mechan-
of loose dry powder ical and thermal stresses on the product are about one-third of
ready for storage or final sieving. Italvacuum has sold around those found in traditional dryers, according to an independent
400 CRIOX System units to date. analysis by Professor M. Vanni of the Material Science and
By the beginning of the 1990s accelerating growth brought Chemical Engineering Department at the Politecnico di Torino.
a need for restructuring and optimization. The Technical Office,
the Engineering Services, the Sales Office and Customer Service
departments were strengthened. At the same time the Spare
Parts Warehouse, with its computerized management system,
was updated to ensure effective and timely delivery of original
spares to anywhere in the world.
In the new millennium Italvacuum has been committed to
improving its vacuum pumps. Developments include the new
Saurus939 range, fitted with the new LubriZero® lubrication
system. Saurus939 pumps provide incomparable performance The brand new Planex System®
in all the main chemical and pharmaceutical processes – such
as drying, distillation and reac- Today’s Italvacuum is a modern and consolidated company
Saurus939 vacuum pump tion – even under severe employing 60 people in a production area of more than
operating conditions, with 5,000 m2. With an ISO 9001 quality management system and
unchanging efficiency continuous quality control throughout the production cycle, all
over time. Italvacuum machines comply with the main international regula-
At the same time, tions (CE, ATEX, PED) and the increasingly stringent FDA rules
Italvacuum has con- and cGMP standards. O
tinued to optimize and Italvacuum S.r.l.
extend its range of Via Stroppiana, 3, 10071 Borgaro (Turin), Italy
dryers. Recent develop- tel +39 011 470 46 51, fax +39 011 470 10 10
ments include: marketing@italvacuum.com
Dhygienic automated Criox System www.italvacuum.com
Newsfront
manual operation function allow for troubleshoot, but also to do a complete all the assets and recommend what
early detection of device abnormali- analysis of diagnostic data. Siemens’ type of tasks should be performed.
ties and dealing with them quickly. PCS 7 Plant Asset Management suite However, the system takes it a step
For example, adjusting the aperture of performs all the usual tricks: It is able further by logging all the diagnostic
a control valve in response to changes to generate diagnostic information information. “In a manner similar to
in the performance of a compressor from a control system configuration the event logs in alarm management
ensures stable operation. with just a few clicks of the mouse, systems, the same methodology allows
Other technology improvements have that data automatically populate the tool to archive all messages related
allow users to not only diagnose and and create a visual of the plant with to asset diagnostics in a single data-
base,” says Sheikh. “Once you have ac-
cess to that kind of information, it can
be used to do statistical analysis to
determine which pieces of equipment
are causing the most problems.”
Dürr’s Proven VOC Control Systems The system allows users to make
histograms and charts and look at
the frequency of different alarms.
This provides maintenance manag-
ers with an indication of which as-
sets need to be fixed in order to re-
duce unplanned downtime.
Making it easier for the user

While the advanced logic and new ca-
pabilities provide more data, it’s im-
portant to get that information into
the work processes within the plant,
say the experts. “With the new tech-
nology comes more data, but not ev-
eryone knows how to use that data
to their maximum benefit,” says
Yokogawa’s Ajmeri “All the tools we’re
talking about only provide informa-
tion and data, but how that data are
Engineered0")"*0Systemsfor*2&.+*)"*0(Compliance implemented into the work processes
is something else entirely.”
Your Needs, Our System. To help users incorporate diagnos-
tic data in a helpful way, Yokogawa
Dürr,.+2&!"/completetechnologyand 7 DestructionEfficiency offers the RPO (Real-time Produc-
solutionstokeepyourplantincontinuous —Guaranteed tion Organizer) suite of applications.
compliance.Withthedynamic +)&*0&- 7 +3&#"Cycle,Operatingand RPO is a collection of software com-
onofourSingleRotary(2"RTOand EnergyCosts
our30+yearsofexperienceinalmost 7 1.*0""!Uptime ponents and infrastructure that con-
"2".5sectorofindustry—Dürrhasthe 7 2".3,000VOCControlSystems nects monitoring and control applica-
*/3".foryourVOC0")"*0needs. Installed+.(!3&!" tions with production management
7 #0".Market".2& "/
Durrofferscomplete#0".Market 7 PhoneandOn-SiteEmergency applications. It provides users with
".2& "/suchasSpareParts,Retrofits, ".2& "/ “Advisory Live Information” in a way
PerformanceContracts,andScheduled that allows end users to make intelli-
MaintenanceforVOCequipmentofany Environmental and Energy Systems
make.These/".2& "/3&((keepyour Contact: Greg Thompson gent business decisions. The tool pro-
systemcontinuouslyrunningandtechno- Phone: +1 734-254-2314 vides the right information in context
E-mail: EESsales@durrusa.com
logicallyuptodate. to the specific workers who need it,
when they need it.
“After analyzing the diagnostic
data, the end user figures out where in
the workflow the changes need to be
made. RPO serves as a way to organize
workflow items, including corrective
actions, within a plant for operations
and tracks the success of workflows,”
says Ajmeri.
APPLYING DIAGNOSTICS
TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY GOALS
W
hile process automation diagnostics are helpful in reducing maintenance costs,
diagnostics can also help reduce energy costs. Because energy management is
becoming more critical in today’s current economic and regulatory environment,
Honeywell Process Solutions (Morristown, N.J.) has developed a monitoring solution, the
Energy Dashboard, that provides complete integration with the overall information and
work processes of a facility to help better manage energy use within the plant.
The integrated monitoring and decision-making suite gathers information from vari-
ous instruments, systems and processes so energy consumption can be tracked against
dynamic energy targets, according to Brendan Sheehan, senior marketing manager,
process industries, with Honeywell. Capturing and analyzing these data allow users
to understand key energy indicators and how they affect overall energy consumption,
enabling users to establish specific goals for improving energy use and emissions reduc-
tion objectives. The Dashboard ensures that energy management flows from planning
and business functions through to operations and provides the associated feedback. It
captures raw energy data from the process and organizes them in a way that enables
users to quickly identify the big energy consumers and how they compare with a set of
appropriate targets.
A set of analytical tools helps develop models that describe the relationship between
process operating conditions (such as throughput, yield and other operating param-
eters) and process energy and emissions. These are derived from a combination of
historical data and the use of first principles simulation tools to represent the process
across a range of operating points.
These models provide targets for process operations and planning groups to measure
against actual performance and to identify deviations. Actual performance is monitored
in real time and compared against targets from planning systems and against target
models based upon current operating conditions. Deviations are measured, and eco-
nomic impacts are calculated using a range of methods. Operators and other staff can
select reason codes for deviations, as well as input comments to provide later analysis of
results. Data reconciliation is used to drive out errors and maximize the use of available
instrumentation and data.
“By first measuring and monitoring their energy performance against active targets
and then using that to help them identify where their poor energy performers are, it can
help processors identify root causes of energy issues and find a solution,” says Sheehan.
“This type of information is essential for operational improvements as well as justifying
capital improvements down the line.” R
Under the current economic situ- expert guidance to streamline the

ation, simplified work processes are most important and frequent tasks
even more critical. “Enhanced us- performed by plant operations, engi-
ability is a serious need for end users neering and maintenance personnel.
who are pressured by larger facilities The Device Dashboards are powered
run by fewer and less experienced by enhanced electronic device de-
personnel,” says Duane Toavs, direc- scription language (EDDL), so they
tor of Emerson’s Human Centered function independent of protocol, in-
Design Institute. “They want tech- cluding HART, WirelessHART, Foun-
nology to work for them, streamlin- dation Fieldbus, or Profibus, and
ing their routine scanning of plant present data in a similar user experi-
assets, quickening their recognition ence regardless of the device.
of issues, and shortening the time to The dashboards are easy for both
convert information to decision-mak- experienced and the inexperienced
ing and action; and they don’t want to worker. All landing screens follow
require experts to do this, or undergo a similar format including red-yel-
massive training to make it work.” low-green device-status graphics to
One of Emerson’s answers to the alert users and enable a direct link
usability challenge is a family of to graphical diagnostic and trouble-
more than 50 Device Dashboards shooting help. The same screens show
for its AMS Suite: Intelligent Device graphical display of the primary vari-
Manager. Developed from human- able of devices; and shortcuts to most-
centered design practices, the new often-used tasks. Guided setup assists
dashboards provide, in one glance, a with configuring complex devices. If
clear view of everything users need desired, more experienced users can
to evaluate, diagnose, and configure access manual setup data and more
a field device. Each has embedded detailed information.

PROCESS AUTOMATION AND DIAGNOSTICS SERVICE PROVIDERS:
Newsfront ABB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.abb.com
Emerson Process Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.emersonprocess.com
Honeywell Process Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.Honeywell.com
Invensys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.invensys.com
ABB also offers diagnostic services. Siemens Energy and Automation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.siemens.com/process
“If our customers don’t follow up di- Yokogawa Corp. of America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.yokogawa.com
agnostic data with implementation
of corrective actions and then more reason we preach diagnose, imple- the desired frequency of the customer.
actions to sustain it, it doesn’t give ment and sustain.” “The service provides a troubleshoot-
them the boost in performance they To this end, ABB offers it’s Process ing and periodic delivery of diagnos-
are looking for,” says Kevin Starr, Fingerprint service, which allows tics that the user can schedule accord-
global service development manager ABB to diagnose 200 to 300 control ing to their needs,” explains Starr.
with ABB (Houston, Tex.). “For this loops that represent a process area at The diagnostic phase uses a struc-
tured engineered approach, includ-
ing proven methodology and in-depth
knowledge of systems and processes.
It provides comprehensive testing
and analysis of several process per-
formance indicators including high-
frequency analysis, process stability
and control loops to measure perfor-
mance and identify improvement po-
tential. Existing process controls are
compared with industry standards,
as well as actual operating data to
expected capability. The resulting
process performance benchmark pro-
vides information needed to identify
and understand areas of improve-
ment opportunity.
Based on “fingerprint” findings, a
customized implementation plan is de-
veloped, including estimated return on
investment for each recommendation.
Implementation engineering services
are available to help customers achieve
the benefits of identified opportunities.
Once optimization goals have been
met, ABB’s expertise is offered as a
service contract to sustain the finan-
cial and operational benefits gained
through the optimization process.
“For diagnostics to be valuable,
they have to be presented in an en-
vironment or application that is al-
ready working and they have to be
in the context of what they are trying
to achieve,” says Emerson’s Harris.
“The approach of linking diagnostic
data with equipment and activities
that support the business goals helps
build a bridge between the diagnostics
that are out there and what the user
should be doing with them. By taking
advantage of the advances in process
automation diagnostics technology
and using the diagnostic information
to make repairs to the equipment that
is most critical to the business goals in
a pre-emptive manner, chemical pro-
cessors will find the best results and
can boost their productivity levels.” Q
Joy LePree
People
WHO’S WHO
Barlow Mink LaSelle Fowler Mayhew
GE Water (The Woodlands, Tex.) Invensys Operations Management Brookhaven National Laboratory,
names Buzz Barlow global general (Plano, Tex.) adds Ravi Gopinath as (Upton, N.Y.), receives the National
manager — hydrocarbon processes. regional president of the Asia Pacific Medal of Science, the highest award
region and Teemu Tunkelo as regional for lifetime achievement in science.
Kim Ann Mink becomes president president for the Europe/Russia/
and CEO of Dow Chemical subsidiary Africa region. Teuvo Salminen deputy to the presi-
Angus Chemical Co. (Buffalo Grove, dent and CEO of Pöyry PLC (Van-
Ill.). She also serves as global general Todd Caccamo becomes director of taa, Finland) voluntarily steps down
manager of Performance Materials, sales and marketing for B&P Pro- in January. His replacement has not
another Dow business unit. cess Equipment (Saginaw, Mich.). yet been announced.
Rush LaSelle becomes director of Joanna Fowler, a senior chemist and Brian Mayhew is named comptroller
global sales and marketing for robot- director of Radiotracer Chemistry, and CFO of PolyMedex Discovery
ics and automation company Adept Instrumentation and Biological Im- Group (Dayville, Conn.). O
Technology (Pleasanton, Calif.). aging at the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Suzanne Shelley
Mueller® manufactures stainless

steel tanks, reactors, chillers,
shell-and-tube heat exchangers,
heat recovery systems, process
piping, and modular fabrication.
We also offer field construction,
plant maintenance and repair,
and complete turnkey project
execution.
Our products are supported by
an expert team of engineers and
craftsmen who work closely on
your project from its design
through fabrication stages.
Paul Mueller Company
offers everything you
need to make your
operation a success!
Call us today at
1-800-MUELLER or
visit our Web site at
www.muel.com!
©2009 Paul Mueller Company 409-1

Aboveground
and underground
Department Editor: Scott Jenkins storage tanks
T
he ultimate objective of storing liquid,
REGULATIONS AND CODES POTENTIALLY APPLICABLE TO UST AND AST
fluid and gaseous products, which may
be corrosive, flammable or unstable, is Regulation name Applicability Governing
to store material in an environmentally safe Body
and economically viable manner. Storage Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C AST and UST EPA
tanks in the chemical process industries — hazardous waste regulations
(CPI) can be most broadly divided into
those buried underground, and those Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures within AST and UST EPA
Clear Air Act amendments of 1990
constructed aboveground. The following is
an outline of considerations associated with Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response AST and UST OSHA
each category and positive and negative Regulations — 29 CFR 1910.120
aspects of each. Also included are poten-
Flammable and Combustible Liquids Standard — 29 CFR AST and UST OSHA
tially applicable regulations and codes from 1910.106
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), the Occupational Health and Safety Hazard Communication Standard — 29 CFR 1910.1200 AST and UST OSHA
Administration (OSHA) and others. Confined Space Safety Standard — 29 CFR 1910.146 AST and UST OSHA
UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK Oil Pollution Act of of 1990 AST only EPA
(UST) ADVANTAGES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System AST only EPA
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation AST only EPA

Physical safety — USTs are out of the way and Liability Act (CERCLA)
of automobile traffic
Benzene — 29 CFR 1910.1028 AST only OSHA
Fire safety — With a relatively constant un-
derground temperature, USTs have superior Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemi- AST only OSHA
vapor suppression and fire protection for cals, Explosives and Blasting Agents — 29 CFR 1910.119
flammable and volatile contents, as well as
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle I — UST only EPA
a reduced need for fire hazard permits regulations addressing USTs storing petroleum and haz-
Security — The American Petroleum Institute ardous substances — 40 CFR 280
has shown that vandalism is a leading
Stage II Vapor Recovery Regulations — established in UST only EPA
cause of tank failures. USTs are less subject
Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
to vandalism and easier to protect
Aesthetics — USTs are out of sight, which Clean Air Act Title V — operating permits UST only EPA
eliminates a possible public objection Emergency planning and Community Right-to-know Act — UST only EPA
Land use — USTs offer a more efficient use Title III of Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act.
of land space and allow more flexibility in
National Fire Protection Association NFPA 30 AST and UST NFPA code
placement location (Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code)
UST DISADVANTAGES International Code Council (ICC) International Fire Code AST and UST ICC code
Leak detection and containment — Leak moni-

toring, detection and containment is more AST DISADVANTAGES and federal requirements. Regulatory frame-
difficult and more expensive underground works are different for AST and UST
Installation complexity and cost — Excava- Physical safety — ASTs are more vulnerable Space — Space requirements to separate an
tion and special backfill materials add costs to vandalism, contact with automobiles and AST from traffic, buildings, property lines,
Depreciation — Real estate depreciation is external damage present and future can be significant, while
possible due to threat of contamination Fire safety — ASTs have an elevated fire they are not an issue for USTs. Fire codes
risk relative to USTs generally dictate separation distances
ABOVEGROUND STORAGE TANK Aesthetics — ASTs may be objectionable in Security — Protection from vandalism is
(AST) ADVANTAGES certain locations more difficult for ASTs
Space use — more real estate required to Cost — Several aspects of cost should be
Construction — ASTs are simpler and less house ASTs considered, including: storage tank, tank
expensive to construct and install. One system equipment, initial installation cost,
significant aspect eliminated is the need for Temperature variation — ASTs experience ongoing maintenance cost, security cost,
excavation and special backfill materials greater ambient-product-temperature fluctua- land cost, regulatory cost and secondary
Maintenance — Visual inspection is pos- tions than USTs containment cost
sible, which leads to more reliable leak
detection and easier repair
MAKING THE CHOICE References:
1. Geyer, W.B. To Bury or Not to Bury: Steel
Insurance — Lower pollution insurance pre- When making decisions about whether to Tank Technology Decisions. In: “Handbook
miums because of reduced risk of ground- use an AST or a UST, consider the following: of Storage Tank Systems,” Marcel Dekker,
water contamination New York, 2000.
Regulatory — The local authority in the
Regulatory burden — ASTs are subject to 2. Cheremisinoff, P.N., and Vallamar, O. Aboveg-
area where the tank system will be as- round and Underground Storage Tank Com-
less regulatory requirements than USTs
sembled has control of whether a tank parison. In: “Storage Tanks. Advances in
Costs — ASTs have lower monitoring and permit will be issued, based on whether Environmental Control Technology Series,”
record-keeping costs plans for the tank comply with local, state Gulf Publishing, Houston, 1996.
Do you see a ladybug?
We also see an opportunity for industry
to benefit from protecting the environment.
Managers within the industrial sector face the never-ending issue of balancing
business performance and environmental compliance goals. As the world reference
in environmental services, Veolia Environnement helps industry achieve
sustainable objectives through our four core service areas: water services and
technologies, waste services, energy and facility management, and
transportation and logistics.
The environment is our universal challenge.
veolianorthamerica.com
Thermo Fisher
Scientific
Boerger Dynaflow Engineering
Fluid Imaging Technologies

JAG flocomponents
ChemShow 2009
The 53rd Chem Show 2009 exhibition
will be held November 17–19
at the Jacob Javits Convention Center
in New York with the theme
“Processing Solutions for a
Changing Marketplace”
T
he following partial list of Society of Mechanical Engineers Improved particle imager
Chem Show exhibitors contin- (ASME)-compliant and comes with is available at lower cost
ues the one published in the threaded ends in sizes from ¼ in. to A more compact version of the Flow-
October 2009 issue of Chemi- 2 in. Booth 368 — JAG flocomponents, CAM V-1000 (photo) automated par-
cal Engineering. Show attendees are Edmonton, Alta., Canada ticle imaging instrument is now avail-
encouraged to visit us at Booth 703. www.jagflo.com able. The new version is available
at a lower cost than its predecessor.
This floating ball valve This rotary lobe pump FlowCAM enables process engineers to
uses reinforced Teflon seats features pulsation-free operation take high-resolution digital images of
The T2W stainless-steel, floating ball This positive displacement pump (photo) particles and cells in a sample and si-
valve (photo) has reinforced Teflon operates without pulsing, and contains multaneously collect realtime data on
seats and graphite gaskets. It can ac- several additional technical features, particle size, shape, length, width and
commodate pressures up to 2,160 psi such as a flow range of up to 5,000 gal/ other parameters for further analysis.
and temperatures up to 450°F. Prod- min. The self-priming rotary lobe pump The instrument comes with software
uct features include seal welding, lock- has a maintenance-in-place (MIP) de- and is designed for use in the chemical,
ing handles and a fire-safe design that sign and can be customized with dif- pharmaceutical, food, plastics, coatings
meets the requirements of American ferent shaft seal designs, rotor materi- and manufacturing industries. Booth
Petroleum Institute (API) Standard als and coatings. Booth 351 — Boerger 616 — Fluid Imaging Technologies,
607 (fire test for soft-seated, quarter- GmbH, Borken-Weseke, Germany Yarmouth, Maine
turn valves). The T2W is American www.boerger-pumps.com www.fluidimaging.com
32D-2 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM NOVEMBER 2009 Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number
on p. 62, or use the website designation.
A Box 4 U
Show Preview
Lower measurement times

with these handheld analyzers
The XL3t Series analyzers (photo, p.
32D-2) can lower measurement times
by about 10-fold compared to conven-
tional silicon-PiN (positive-intrinsic-
negative) detectors, and are widely
used for metal alloy analysis. The
handheld analyzers are equipped with
geometrically-optimized, large-
area drift detector (GOLDD)
technology, which enables
laboratory-quality analy-
sis of light elements such
as magnesium, aluminum,
silicon, phosphorous and sul-
fur without helium or vacuum
purging. Booth 736 — Thermo Fisher
Scientific Inc., Billerica, Mass.
www.niton.com
These pumps are designed

for harsh chemicals
These Mag-Drive gear pumps (photo,
p. 32D-2) are constructed of chemi- ler (PLC) or
cally resistant materials. Made of distributed con-
alloy 20 (nickel-chromium-molybde- trol system (DCS).
num stainless-steel), one pump type Booth 427 — Honey-
is specifically designed to handle the well Process Solutions,
metering or transfer of sulfuric acid Morristown, N.J.
at all concentrations. Other Mag- www.honeywell.com
Drive gear pump constructions, made
Berndorf Band
of Ryton plastic or 316 stainless steel, Save space with these
offer a less expensive alternative to blast-resistant modules
alloy pumps in handling hydrochloric The Quad Pod (photo) is a two-
acid, sodium hypochlorite and other story stack of this company’s signed for delivering high-production
chloride-bearing chemicals. Booth standard blast-resistant modules for capacities and for handling materials
913 — Dynaflow Engineering Inc., personnel and storage. The stacked that are difficult to filter. The HF cen-
Middlesex, N.J. two-by-two set of four units is avail- trifuge also will leave no residual heel
www.dynafloweng.com able in three floorplans — 8 ft by 20 ft, remains on the filter cloth, and can
8 ft by 40 ft and 12 ft by 40 ft. Quad Pod accomodate management of a flexible
This DCS is well-suited setups are designed for easy installa- process. Booth 729 — Heinkel Filter-
to smaller plants tion and teardown with no welding re- ing Systems Inc., Swedesboro, N.J.
The Experion LS process control sys- quired at the job site. This company of- www.heinkelusa.com
tem manages all continuous process fers the only two-story, blast-resistant
control applications and optimizes module lease fleet available. Booth Handle high-viscosity materials
batch and sequence-oriented appli- 827 — A Box 4 U, Wichita, Kan. with this mixer
cations typically found at specialty www.abox4u.net Powered by a heavy-duty totally en-
chemical, pharmaceutical, food-and- closed, fan-cooled motor that is rated
beverage and consumer goods plants. Save time by drying product at 0.75 hp, the Model DH-050 Dou-
Its design allows manufacturers in- inside this centrifuge ble Helixx mixer (photo, p. 32D-5)
creased flexibility to adapt their pro- The HF Model centrifuge offers the is designed for 1–5-gal batches of
cesses to respond to market changes, capability of contact drying a product highly viscous materials. Among the
but still offers process and batch con- inside the centrifuge equipment. The materials handled by the mixer are
trol features that maintain process re- all-in-one separation and filtration two-component epoxies, greases, ad-
liability and control lifecycle costs. The equipment features inverting filter hesives, floor coatings, pastes and
system is scalable to varying sizes, and technology, thin-cake processing tech- solid powder mixtures. The mixer is
is easier to configure and maintain nology along with the ability to contact controlled with a NEMA-4 (National
than a programmable logic control- dry the product. The machine is de- Electrical Manufacturers Associa-
32D-4 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM NOVEMBER 2009
ARDE Barinco
This software is designed for hensive unit-operations library and a

process optimization unique thermodynamic module. Booth
The new version of the modeling soft- 838 — ProSim SA, Labege, France
ware ProSimPlus (photo) can help with www.prosim.net
process optimization, unit trouble-
shooting, front-end engineering analy- Tight tolerances offered with
sis, plant revamping and eliminating these rupture discs
process bottlenecks. It features an easy- Axius rupture discs offer tolerances
to-use graphical interface, a compre- of ±1 psig for pressures greater than
tion) variable-speed PWN d.c. motor

with speed control. — Booth 103,
ARDE Barinco Inc., Carlstadt, N.J.
www.arde-barinco.com
This pastillating system is de-

signed for low maintenance
The AccuDrop pastillating system
(photo, p. 32D-4) demonstrates high
production rate and consistent product
quality in a low-maintenance rotary
depositor system. It is ideal for anti-
oxidants, calcium chloride, hotmelts,
hydrocarbon resins, sulfur, waxes and
more. Booth 461 — Berndorf Band
GmbH, Berndorf, Austria
www.berndorf-band.at
This fire-extinguishing system

avoids the use of toxics
The Vortex 1000 hybrid water and
inert-gas fire suppression equipment
extinguishes fires with a high-velocity,
low-pressure mixture of water and ni-
trogen to put out fires without toxic
chemicals. Designed for fire suppres-
sion with limited residual moisture,
the system can be utilized in a sealed
or open space in applications such as
oil pumps, oil tanks, fuel filters, gener-
ators, transformer vaults, gear boxes,
drive shafts, lubrication skids, diesel-
engine-driven generators and other
similar machinery. Booth 349 — Vic-
taulic, Easton, Pa.
www.victaulic.com
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM NOVEMBER 2009 32D-5
Myers Engineering
Show Preview
15 psig in the 1–12-in. sizes. Designed in many advanced compos-

for aggressive chemical and pharma- ite, resin-based processes. —
ceutical applications, the discs are Booth 634, Myers Engineering
constructed of corrosion-resistant ma- Inc., Bell, Calif.
terials and are available with burst www.myersmixer.com
pressures from 7–600 psig. The discs
are capable of operating with both liq- A new decanter for food-
uid and vapor environments and can and-drink applications
cycle from full vacuum to 95% of burst The GCF 405 decanter is de-
pressure more than 100,000 times, signed for products that are
even at the lowest available burst difficult to discharge, which
pressures. Booth 521 — Fike Inc., Blue makes it suitable for use as a
Springs, Mo. clarifying decanter in brewing
www.fike.com and beverage industries. The
multifunctional machine with
Handle hot melt epoxies a bowl diameter of 400 mm en-
with this mixing unit sures maximum performance
This mixer (photo) is a hoist-mounted, combined with high clarifying
dual-shaft unit designed to handle efficiency and maximum dry matter in aration chamber; pressure buildup en-
processing hot-melt epoxies with vis- the solids. This is achieved by the high ables the solids to discharge reliably.
cosities of 15,000 cP. Its electric heat- speed, high torque, large clarifying The new design also provides major
ing system maintains temperatures area and the deep pond in conjunction advantages for foaming and degassing
between 140 and 200ºF. The technol- with minimum space requirements. products. Booth 428 — GEA Westfalia
ogy was developed for an aerospace The machine is a so-called hydro-her- Separator GmbH, Oelde, Germany
materials producer and can be used metic decanter with a pressurized sep- www.westfalia-separator.com
PROTECT PUMPS
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ProSim
HF Inverting
Filter
Centrifuge
Cutting edge centrifuge technology for

filtration, washing and drying of
solid/liquid suspensions
5(,-*,)/.#)(
5'*,)0*,)/.#0#.3"#(
%
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5&#'#(.*,.),2*)-/, /&&

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This tool for blower selection tration configuration conserves space 5)1-.)--#&)#-./,-
6
incorporates humidity and is easy to clean. The units can be "()&)!3
An updated version of the BlowerX- custom-designed and fabricated to 5,3,)/.(-#."
(.,# /!
pert software tool incorporates rela- meet specific industrial requirements.
6"()&)!3
tive humidity when used for air ap- Booth 727 — Sure Flow Equipment
plications. The software is designed to Inc., Tonawanda, N.Y.
aid the sizing and selection of rotary www.sureflowequipment.com
)(#&//'
blowers in process applications. It can ,3,#2,
be used to size blowers based on dis- Learn energy-saving tips Advanced technology
charge flow as well as inlet flow, and with this DVD for simultaneous
multi-function
is available as a Web-browser-based A new DVD, titled “Energy Smart,”
drying and mixing
system that can be customized. Booth includes tips designed to help organi-
543 — Tuthill Vacuum and Blower zations realize cost savings through
Systems, Springfield, Mo. managing energy use. The DVD course 5 /&&
)(.#('(.*,.#)(
www.tuthill.com presents a business case for thought- 5,!-..,(- ,/, ,
ful energy management and outlines 5/.)'.#

These filter housings can handle a host of low-cost, easy-to-implement 5(&-."#-.(!) .,#&-
5,#&)&/' ."#4-
10,000 gal/min energy-saving best practices used by
5(.&)1",,3#(!#2#(!
These affordable filter housings support the most energy-efficient organiza- 5/#%,)/& ,,)/.
a range of filters, strainers and separa- tions. The DVD is the first in a series #-",!#(!
tors for applications in chemical proof energy management e-courses. —
cessing. The housings are constructed Booth 113, Coastal Training Technolo-
of carbon steel or stainless steel and gies Corp., Virginia Beach, Va. Pennwalt
can accommodate flow rates of up to www.coastal.com Super-D-Canter
10,000 gal/min. There is no need for Cutting edge continuous
special tools to open the housings, and Reduce energy use with this fluid centrifuge technology
for separation of
the surfaces are electropolished. The delivery system
slurries into liquid or
housings are available in single-bag, The AutoJet FDS30100 fluid delivery solid phases.
multibag and polypropylene models, system is a portable pump designed 5(&3,#0').),
and can be used in centrifugal separa- for a wide range of tank-cleaning and 5#!",-#)()#(.-, #..1#."
tors, backwashing systems and coolant spray nozzles. The pump is equipped ,*&&*,.-
filter systems. Booth 603 — Rosedale with a variable frequency drive, which 50()&3',#($.#)(-3-.'
Products Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich. adjusts automatically to maintain pres- 5)-.)()'#&)-.
www.rosedaleproducts.com sure and can reduce energy consump- & ),
5."()&.#&&!1.,#(!
tion when operating at lower speeds.
5&/!"#%(#(!1.,#(!
Save space with this The AutoJet, along with its motor and 5
"'#&(.,'#.- #(
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reverse cone strainer touchpad control, are integrated on a 5,)/.#)() &-.#-
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This stainless-steel cone strainer with compact cart. The system is compatible 5
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fine mesh filtration compresses effec- with spray balls, tank cleaning nozzles 5#-.#&&,3.#&&!
tive flow area of a 20-ft cone strainer and general purpose full cone, flat
into a compact 4-ft strainer. Its flow fil- spray, hollow cone and fogging nozzles.
Fluid Metering
Show Preview
The AutoJet pump has a range up

to 30 gal/min. at 100 psi. Booth 514
— Spraying Systems Co., Wheaton,
Ill.
www.spray.com
Pump operators can select

efficiency point and flowrate
Advanced Series metal pumps
(photo) are air-operated double-
diaphragm pumps featuring an
air distribution system that helps
allow operators to use an inte-
grated control dial to select the
efficiency point and flowrate that
best suits the application. The
pumps ensure total product con-
tainment while the redesigned
liquid path reduces internal fric-
tion to maximize output and ef-
Mettler Toledo
ficiency. Advanced Series pumps
are available in aluminum, stain- Wilden Pump & Engineering
less steel and alloy C. With sizes
from 25–76 mm, the Advanced Series anticorrosion agent directly into water Reuse this rupture disc detector
pumps have flow rates that range and steam lines at system pressure, after one-time installation
from 212 to 1,021 L/min and maxi- without dilution. The direct injection The Opti-Gard rupture disc is ASME-
mum pressures to 8.6 bar. Booth 227 avoids the holding tanks and pumps certified and has a reusable, non-in-
— Wilden Pump & Engineering Co., needed for pre-mixing and dilution of vasive rupture detection device. The
Grand Terrace, Calif. hydrazine. The RHV can inject hy- Opti-Gard is available in a number of
www.wildenpump.com drazine at rates as low as 0.2 mL/ sizes and burst pressures for various
min or as high as 180 mL/min within liquid, vapor and gas applications. The
Use this scale for 1% accuracy. The energy-efficient disc boasts a 95% operating-to-burst-
filling and dosing applications RHV pump features chemically inert pressure ratio and a performance
The IND560x weighing terminal ceramics, and operates on less than tolerance of 3%. All Opti-Gard parts
(photo) is designed for process control 50 W. It is designed for use in water exposed to media flow are manufac-
as well as manual weighing in Zone and steam systems in power plant ap- tured from either 316 stainless steel
1/21 areas (those where an explosive plications. Booth 410 — Fluid Meter- or corrosion-resistant Hastelloy C as
atmosphere occurs regularly). It has ing Inc., Syosset, N.Y. standard. Booth 921 — Oseco, Broken
a target update rate of 50 Hz, allow- www.fmipump.com Arrow, Okla.
ing users to tigger a process control www.oseco.com
in 20 ms. The scale features electro- This laboratory-scale centrifuge
magnetic force restoration (EMFR) is designed for clean processes A Hose series that meets
weighing technology, and is available The sanitary design of this labora- a range of needs
with analog or high-precision scale in- tory filtering centrifuge is ideal for Hoses from this company are designed
terface. The design allows repeatable solid-liquid separation, washing for a variety of uses. The highly flex-
measurements from the milligram to and extractions of food ingredients, ible X Series hoses feature a smooth-
ton scale in manual, semi-automatic polysaccharides, crystals, botani- bore PTFE core and a bonded fiber-
and full-automatic operations. It can cal extracts and pharmaceuticals. glass inner layer to reduce kinking.
communicate via a variety of inter- The unit is rugged enough to handle The S Series has a smooth silicone
faces, including Ethernet and PLC dense products, including powdered cover to make the hose easier to clean.
(private leased circuit) connections. metals. Separate feed and wash Lightweight C Series hoses have a
Booth 358 — Mettler Toledo, Colum- lines allow approximation of a pro- PTFE core and helical convolutions to
bus, Ohio duction-scale centrifugation process. promote drainage. F Series hoses have
www.mt.com The basket has a solids-holding ca- a nonmetallic, smooth-bore PTFE core
pacity of 41 in.3 and is able to reach designed for chemical compatibility
Directly inject hydrazine into wa- speeds of 4,000 rpm. Booth 402 — with a nonconductive braid. — Booth
ter systems with this system The Western States Machine Co., 403, Swagelok Co., Solon, Ohio
The RHV System (photo) is designed Hamilton, Ohio www.swagelok.com O
to inject concentrated hydrazine as an www.westernstates.com Scott Jenkins
Extended Control Room for System 800xA
With the operator in focus
ABB’s Extended Control Room for System 800xA offers a unique work environment,
better than anything experienced before. We aim to give you as an industrial process
operator exactly what you want: the right tools for the job, and an attractive and
ergonomic environment in which you stay alert and effective.
System 800xA provides a unified environment for operations and control that includes
the ability to personalize workplaces, seamlessly integrate safety, electrical, and
third party plant applications or systems, and implement advanced alarm strategies.
All of these benefits are realized in ABB’s latest operator console technology, the
Extended Operator Workplace, giving you unparalleled ergonomics and visualization
solutions, and promoting control room consolidation. Find out more at:
www.abb.com/controlsystems
CiK Solutions WIKA
Pump
Engineering
This mini data logger handles

lots of data points
The MSR165 (photo) is a miniature,
universal data logger for measur-
ing and storing different physical
parameters. The device is equipped
with a temperature sensor, a humid-
ity sensor with integrated tempera-
ture measurement, a pressure sensor and efficient processing characteris- Rotex Europe
and a three-axis accelerometer. Three tics of the Rotex Screener, yet incor-
optional ports, two for analog inputs porates new, ergonomically designed be made directly or via a capillary
and one for digital trigger input, are performance and service features. As extension. The DPT-120 Series is par-
also available. The thumb-sized de- its predecessor, the APEX features ticularly suited to level measurement
vice weighs only 16 g and logs up to gyratory, reciprocating motion, posi- in pressure-blanketed sterile tanks
1,000 recordings per second. Up to tive screen cleaning, bouncing balls to and for monitoring sterile filters. —
2 million data points can be stored reduce blinding and inlet-outlet con- WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE & Co.
— more when expanded through nections. It is also enhanced with side KG, Klingenberg, Germany
SD RAM. — CiK Solutions GmbH, access doors to enable screen cleaning www.wika.de
Karlsruhe, Germany and changes that can be performed by
www.cik-solutions.com a single person. — Rotex Europe Ltd., Save considerable energy when
Wavre, Belgium mixing with these agitators
A mag-drive pump that www.rotex.com This firm has launched a new range
handles higher pressure of energy-efficient agitators designed
Recently launched by 3M Pumps and Plastic tubing for multiple to enhance flow by eliminating poten-
now available from this firm, the lines of corrosives tial blockage areas. The detachable
T MAG-M pump (photo) is a horizon- Fluoroplastic Paratubing consists of agitator shaft is completely smooth
tal, sealless peripheral pump with a two to four tubes thermally welded and the clutch is positioned outside
permanent-magnet drive system and longitudinally to create one conduit the tank; this ensures excellent levels
no mechanical seals. Features include of multiple, individual tubes. Paratub- of hygiene, says the firm. Energy sav-
a high-power, synchronous magnetic ing enables running several fluid lines ing can lead to payback in less than
coupling, which can be operated at as one entity and then splitting the one year compared to conventional,
liquid temperatures up to 350°C tubes apart for branching to different direct drive agitators. The high flow-
(without external cooling); a hydrau- connectors. This tubing is available in rate created by the uniquely shaped
lic design with a self-balancing im- Texfluor FEP and PFA, and is offered propellers provides much higher ef-
peller, which improves wear ring life; in sizes as small as 0.031-in. I.D. with ficiency than blades with a standard
and a sealing system with flat gas- 0.030-in. wall thickness and up to 3-in. pitch, which can lead to an installation
kets, which prevents leakage to the O.D. Different colors are also available that uses up to 80% less energy, says
atmosphere. The real shell is made for identification of different lines. — the firm. The product range includes
in a single piece, without welding, Parflex Div., TexLoc, Parker Hannifin top-mounted units — with (ALT) or
and its ellipsoidal profile helps it to Corp., Ft. Worth, Tex. without (ALTB) bottom support —
withstand higher pressure than tra- www.texloc.com the ALS side-mounted version, and
ditional designs. The pumps deliver the ALB bottom-mounted agitator. —
flows up to 12,000 L/h at pressures Differential-pressure transmitters Alfa Laval AB, Lund, Sweden
up to 16 bar. — Pump Engineering for sterile applications www.alfalaval.com
Ltd., Littlehampton, U.K. The new DPT-10 differential pressure
www.pumpeng.co.uk transmitters (photo) are now avail- Surge voltage protection
able with housings in electropolished for sensor heads
This screener now has stainless steel in combination with Surgetrab surge-voltage-protection
side access doors sterile process connections. The de- devices (photo, p. 32I-3) are for all
The APEX Screener (photo) is a self- vice can be used in combination with commonly used standard signals that
contained production screening ma- diaphragm seals or diaphragm inline are installed with connection threads
chine that retains the gyratory motion seals, and the connection to seals can directly to the sensor head. This type
32I-2 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM NOVEMBER 2009 Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number
difficult materials, especially viscous
ones or those containing many foreign
bodies where the service life of knives
would be too short with traditional
granulator. The Hog shredder can be
used in both dry and wet operation.
Typical applications include pre-shred-
ded tires, metal-reinforced rubber or
plastic parts and shredded waste from
car recycling. — Herbold Meckesheim
GmbH, Meckesheim, Germany
www.herbold.com
Herbold
Meckesheim
Phoenix Contact Zirconium improves corrosion
resistance in this density meter
of installation is said to save time Combining granulation with The Micro Motion 7826 Insertion Liq-
and money, and an additional con- shredding in one machine uid Density and Concentration Meter
nection box for accommodating surge A new series of slow-running granula- (photo, p. 32I-4) is now available in
voltage protection is no longer neces- tors is now available in two sizes: HGM zirconium for enhanced corrosion re-
sary. The housing is a robust hexago- 60/100 and HGM 60/145. The so-called sistance. The zirconium fork density
nal pipe made of V4A stainless steel Hog shredder (HGM; photo) is a single- and concentration meter is designed
with the option of 1/2-in. NPT or M rotor, size-reduction machine that com- to monitor inorganic chemicals, such
20X15 threading. — Phoenix Contact, bines the advantages of a granulator as hydrochloric, nitric and sulfuric
Blomberg, Germany (size-reduction by knife cutting) and acids. It can also be used for applica-
www.phoenixcontact.com those of a shredder. The system handles tions in the oil-and-gas industries as
Evaporate costs
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Process Engineering '"!!
GEA Wiegand GmbH
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Einsteinstrasse 9-15, D-76275 Ettlingen,
Telefon: +49 7243 705-0, Telefax: +49 7243 705-330,
E-Mail: info@gea-wiegand.de, Internet: www.gea-wiegand.com
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM NOVEMBER 2009 32I-3
Samson

Buss-SMS-Canzler New Products
Thin Film Dryer Perkin

Elmer,
s, Swagelok
li quid .
of tes
r ying d pas
d an
ous es at
n tinu sludg tion lona
o
C ries , a
rm ce
slu
r nfo Bar well as clean-in-place (CIP) processes gression, performance levels, and stop/
ore I dos, 009
M oli 1.2 in the food-and-beverage sector. The start for each level of the weld are dis-
os 9.1
Exp 17.-1 device has the same form, fit and func- played in real time. — Swagelok Co.,
tion of the existing meter, offering an Solon, Ohio
integral mount transmitter with two www.swagelok.com
milliamp outputs and Modbus/RS-485
communications. — Emerson Process A tiny GC for reliable
Management, Baar, Switzerland gas analysis
www.emersonprocess.eu The C2V-200 micro GC (gas chromatog-
raphy) integrates micro-chip technol-
A new valve position monitor ogy with narrow-bore capillary GC to
that’s easy to configure achieve a high performance at low cost.
The new Type 3738 Electronic Valve The device is designed for ease of use,
Position Monitor (photo) can be used can be easily installed, and has reduced
on on/off valves in all fields of applica- maintenance and low gas consumption.
tion. The device indicates the end posi- The GC columns can be programmed
tions and controls the actuators. The up to 10 temperature segments with a
position monitor features a contact- 0.01°C repeatability to temperatures
less, magneto-restrictive sensor sys- up to 180°C. The integrated micro-chip
tem and an integrated microprocessor, injector and fast (240°C/min) tempera-
and can be configured at the push of a ture programming enables reliable
button. It operates using a Namur sig- analysis within seconds. — C2V, En-
nal in compliance with IEC 60947-5-6 schede, the Netherlands
and is powered by a two-wire sup- www.c2v.nl
ply. As a result, the position monitor
can replace solenoid valves and limit ‘Hyphenated’ instrument for
switches without having to change the testing drugs and plastics
wiring or signal levels. Other functions The DSC-Raman system (photo)
include self-tuning and diagnostics. — combines the strengths of thermal
Samson AG, Frankfurt, Germany analysis (differential scanning calo-
www.samson.de rimetry; DSC) with Raman spectros-
copy into an integrated system. When
Enhanced graphical software combined, the two complementary
for better welding techniques provide greater insight
New software has recently been re- into material changes at the molecu-
leased for this firm’s welding system lar level. The system simultaneously
M200 power supply (photo) to deliver analyzes chemical and structural in-
www.sms-vt.com increased performance and an up- formation from the Raman spectrom-
dated graphical interface. The por- eter, and correlates it with the calori-
Buss-SMS-Canzler GmbH
Kaiserstraße 13 -15 table M200 is easy to use and offers metric data of the DSC. “Test drives”
D-35510 Butzbach 200-A capability for orbital welding of the system at several universities
Germany
Tel: +49 60 33-85 – 0 at a weight of less than 23 kg. A high- and pharmaceutical companies have
Fax. +49 60 33-85 – 249 resolution 12.1-in. touch screen gives found the system gives greater in-
E-mail: info@sms-vt.com
users a simple, intuitive pathway to sight into polymer crystallizations,
enter weld programs. The streamlined drug-carrier interactions, curing
display includes an improved weld- and polymorphic changes, says the
We live process engineering head graphic, which presents weld manufacturer. — Perkin Elmer, Inc.,
and special manufacturing progress in greater detail to help op- Waltham, Mass.
erators better evaluate the weld. Pro- www.perkinelmer.com
32I-4 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM NOVEMBER 2009
© 2009 Swagelok Company
In times like these, you need more than the right product in the right place. That’s
why, at Swagelok, we take training to heart. Working side by side with you to improve
your bottom line, we’ll guide you in everything from correct component installation to
Because “show me” efficient steam systems and orbital welding. We even offer a variety of self-paced online
works so much courses through Swagelok University, covering product and technology information
and applications. It all stems from our dedication to Continuous Improvement – both for
better than “ tell me.” ourselves and our customers. And it’s just one more way we continue to offer more than
you might expect. See for yourself at swagelok.com/training.
Seybert & Rahier Dinnissen
New Products
Precisely mix a large number

of ingredients with this unit
The new Pegasus Mixer (photo) is
capable of adding up to 18 different
liquids — very precisely and in all
possible types of combinations and
quantities — to dry materials, such
as powders, granules and granulates.
These liquids can be oil-, water- or
acid-based, and can be used to modify Standardized dosing systems in ous optional and standardized acces-
and improve the water content and a cost-efficient, compact design sories, such as pulsation dampers,
chemical properties of the product. Three types of dosing systems terminal boxes, leak sensors and a
The unit operates with a precise coef- (photo) for conveying capacities up splash guard for the entire system.
ficient of variation (2–3%), making it to 60, 550 and 1,500 L/h are offered — Seybert & Rahier GmbH + Co. KG,
possible to realize an extremely ho- under the name CVD 1 (for compact Immenhausen, Germany
mogeneous end result. The mixing oc- vertical dosing system). These sys- www.sera-web.de
curs very quickly, making it possible tems are composed of a motor dia-
to realize energy savings of 30–40%, phragm pump; two-part ball valve Two new terminals for
says the firm. The mixer also features on the pressure side; diaphragm more than 30 drivers
extra space at the top, due to the use overflow valve; wall mounting plate The Silver Series of touchscreen op-
of large, quick-release sides, which of polypropylene (with collecting erator interface terminals (OITs) is
makes it possible to achieve capac- basin); pipework of PVC-U, PP or designed for equipment manufactur-
ity increases of 15–20%. — Dinnissen PVDF on pressure side; and gaskets ers and end users that want to provide
B.V., Sevenum, the Netherlands of EPDM or FPM. Modular construc- an integrated, customized interface for
www.dinnissen.nl tion enables the addition of numer- their equipment. Two models are of-
fered — 7- and 10-in.-diagonal display
sizes (photo) — that support a full set of
features, including serial and Ethernet
communication with multiple control-
lers; more than 30 drivers for commu-
nicating with devices; USB; SD Card;
data logging; and flexible password se-
curity and multi-language support. —
Watlow GmbH, Kronau, Germany
www.watlow.com
A parallel reactor system for

process optimization
The Atlas Parallel Systems — multi-
position reactor stations for up to
eight jacketed reactors or round-bot-
tomed flasks — offer full, indepen-
dent control and logging of all reac-
tion parameters. Controlled from a
single PC, temperature, pH, stirrer
speed, dosing, heat flow and turbid-
ity can all be monitored simultane-
ously, making the system suitable for
process optimization. A number of
systems are available, including the
Lithium, which automates heating/
cooling in round-bottomed flasks or
vials with magnetic stirrers; the So-
dium, for overhead stirring and tem-
perature control; and the Potassium,
for jacketed reactions from 50 mL to 5
L. — Syrris Ltd., Royston, U.K.
www.syrris.com Q
Gerald Ondrey
32I-6 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM NOVEMBER 2009
AD: www.gripa.it
© 2009 Costacurta S.p.A.-VICO

For more than eighty years, we at !%&'$& have

been constantly and resolutely committed to the
development and manufacture of special steel wire and
plate components used in many different industrial
processes. Every day at !%&'$& , we work to
improve the quality of our products and services and the
safety of all our collaborators, paying ever-greater
attention to the protection of the environment.
Within the wide range of !%&'$& products you will
also find some, described below, that are used specifically
in the oil, petrochemical and chemical industries:
- RADIAL FLOW AND DOWN FLOW REACTOR INTERNALS;
- GAS-LIQUID AND LIQUID-LIQUID SEPARATORS;
- ARMOURING OF REFRACTORY, ANTI-ABRASIVE AND
ANTI-CORROSIVE LININGS.
For more information visit our website or contact the
(%! !"! &% !$ & ! "&$!
'%&$% at &% !%&'$&& .

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Costacurta S.p.A.-VICO Management systems
via Grazioli, 30 certified by LRQA:
20161 Milano, Italy ISO 9001:2000
tel. +39 02.66.20.20.66 ISO 14001:2004
fax: +39 02.66.20.20.99 OHSAS 18001:1999
There is the World, and then
there is the World of Pompetravaini. Different, Unique for Reliability and Service
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pompetravaini spa
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If You Want
to Make It,
We Know How
From pigments to polymers. From
dyestuffs to detergents. GEA Niro
knows your products – and how
you can make them better, safer,
and cheaper. Our proven technology

puts you in the lead. And our designs
are backed by the experience that
only the successful delivery of more
than 10,000 plants world-wide can
bring. Based on standardized
components, GEA Niro provides
drying plants for a wide variety of
purposes, including the processing
of hazardous materials. After all,
if you want to work
with spray drying,
you have to work
with GEA Niro.
GEA Process Engineering Inc.

9165 Rumsey Road • Columbia, MD 21045
Tel 410 997 8700 • Fax 410 997 5021
E-mail info@niroinc.com • Website www.niroinc.com
GEA Niro
Feature
Cover Story
Report
A Primer on Spray Drying

An understanding of the basic information
presented here will help you produce
powdered products with desired
characteristics, while operating the drying
plant safely and with minimum energy
Volatile Powder
content temperature
This photo shows a spray dryer with a

Jens Thousig Møller heat recuperator. The plant has an
and Søren Fredsted evaporative capacity of 1,825 kg/h
GEA Niro
S
pray drying is one of the major creased with the major breakthrough
industrial drying technologies. being for production of milk powder
It is applied by many industries and detergents. The milk powder pro-
because of its ability to convert duction was a major step forward in
a liquid product into a dried powder a period when refrigerators were not Time
in a lenient single step and because that widespread and the shelf life of
FIGURE 1. This product drying curve
it allows you to control temperature milk consequently was very low.
shows that two stages typically occur:
and the particle formation process In the pioneer years of spray dry- a constant rate period followed by
very accurately. Altering the process ing, the emphasis was simply put on diffusion-controlled period
parameters allows you to produce removing the water without too much
complex powders that meet exact heat distortion and thereby obtain- controlled at the surface of the liquid
powder properties in terms of particle ing a dry powder with good keeping droplets, that is, heat transfer through
size and shape, bulk density, dispers- properties. Spray drying proved to be the gas phase to the droplet surface
ibility, polymorphism, flow properties an outstanding technology for this as and mass transport of water vapor
and so on, in a very efficient manner. the drying process is almost instanta- from the droplet surface into the gas
Spray drying is applied in the produc- neous. With the spray of liquid having phase. In the second step, a solid par-
tion of an endless number of products a very large surface, heat transfer and ticle has been formed and the evapora-
in the chemical process industries mass transport are very rapid, and tion rate is then controlled by diffusion
(CPI) ranging from advanced chemi- the solid product is protected against of moisture inside the particle towards
cal compounds to bulk chemicals. thermal overload by the evaporation the particle surface. Multistage drying
Spray drying plants can be designed of the water. takes advantage of the above knowl-
for almost any capacity from very Since the early years, spray drying edge by adding one or more fluidized-
small quantities up to several metric technology has developed tremen- bed drying stages where the residence
tons (m.t.) per hour. dously and some of the major achieve- time is higher and the applied drying
ments have been to divide the drying media temperatures are lower. The
Historical development process into several stages — reflect- overall drying process is thus divided
Spray drying of liquid products coming that the conversion of the liquid into a very rapid evaporation of sur-
menced at the end of 19th century product into the final dry powder usu- face moisture in the spray chamber
with the first patents issued for dry- ally takes place in two steps (Figure part and an accurately controlled dry-
ing of egg products. In the 1920s, the 1). In the first step — referred to as ing of the internal particle moisture in
commercial use of spray drying in- the constant rate period — drying is the fluidized bed.
GEA Niro
(a) (b) (c)
FIGURE 2. In the simplest configuration (a), a spray drying system consists of the dryer and a cyclone for product recovery.
Accounting for the multi-stage drying process, systems can also incorporate an external vibrating fluidized bed (b) and an inte-
grated fluidized bed (c). Typical products from these configurations are shown below
The first spray dryers built accord- drying is also applied in formulating turned into a free-flowing powder by
ing to the multistage principle were products with unique properties. In cooling it in a stream of cold air or gas.
made with a separate, vibrating fluid- the aroma industry, water-insoluble It finds use for several types of products
ized bed of rectangular shape (Figure liquid aromas are encapsulated in a — from palm oil derivatives to special
2b), which sometimes caused prob- solid matrix of water-soluble carrier waxes, fats, glycerides, hydrates and
lems when the moist solid was diffi- material and surface active ingredi- other inorganic or organic melts. Spray
cult to fluidize at the entrance. This ents. After spray drying, the result is congealing is also applied for encapsu-
problem was overcome with the intro- a powdery flavor with excellent shelf lation. If a potent or otherwise harmful
duction of an integrated fluidized bed life and good redispersibility in water. chemical is suspended in a molten wax,
mounted directly at the conical bottom The same is the case for oil-soluble vi- it can be encapsulated and the user is
of the spray dryer (Figure 2c). The in- tamin powders. protected from the malicious effects.
tegrated fluidized bed is — contrary Very fine powders, such as ceramics Many enzymes for the detergent in-
to the external fluidized bed — work- or hard metals, can — by the addition dustry are congealed this way.
ing in back-mix mode (mixing finished of binding agents — be formulated into Spray drying is also applied for pro-
and moist powders) in order that the larger compact particles of spherical duction of e-PVC (emulsion polyvinyl
average powder moisture in the inte- shape with good flowability. Being very chloride) and PVAc (polyvinyl acetate),
grated fluidized bed is sufficiently low uniform and with a consistent density, where formulations have been devel-
to ensure a satisfactory fluidization. they can be used directly in pressing oped so the liquid feed can be spray
With the use of integrated fluid- dies for forming ceramic products, cut- dried to produce high quality powders.
ized beds, further developments were ting and mining tools and other prod- The spray drying process can be
made to improve the quality of the ucts. Within dyestuffs and pesticides, applied for carrying out chemical re-
dried powders. By reintroducing the the non-soluble active material can be actions. Dry absorption of SO2 from
fine powder fraction to the atomiza- formulated with binding and dispers- fluegases from coal-fired power plants,
tion zone and by using the fluidized ing agents to produce a non-dusting and HCl and HF from waste incinera-
bed to classify the powder, powders and water-dispersible powder. tion plants are some examples. The re-
with less dust, improved dispersibility Coating of suspended solids by action takes place when the atomized
and a narrower particle-size distribu- spray drying the suspension is used liquid is suspended in the drying air/
tion can be produced. for taste masking and controlled re- gas stream.
lease of active materials in the phar- Spray drying is used for bioac-
Applications of spray drying maceutical industry. tive products. In this case, the gentle
The principle of drying a spray of The spray drying process can also process dries the product without de-
liquids has found many uses beyond be applied for congealing. In this case, stroying the bioactive elements. It is
the mere removal of water. Spray a melted feedstock is atomized and also applied in solid dosage pharma-
GEA Niro
Cover Story
ceuticals where spray drying can be

applied to increase the bioavailability
of the drug. Active pharmaceutical
ingredients (APIs) in an amorphous
structure often have a better bioavail-
ability (Figure 3). Stable structures
containing amorphous materials can
be made by spray drying the API with
an excipient.
Structure and morphology FIGURE 3. APIs in an amorphous structure often have better bioavailability. Stable
One of the major benefits of spray dry- structures can be made by spray drying the API with an excipient
GEA Niro
ing is that it allows for production of
precisely defined powders. The basis
150°C
can be almost any pumpable solution,
suspension or emulsion with a wide
range of rheological properties. De-
pending on the characteristic of the
liquid feed, the atomization technology,
plant geometry and process parame-
ters, particles of different sizes, shapes
and porosities can be produced.
The size of the particle produced
from the liquid droplet depends on the
solids content in the liquid feed, inlet
air temperature and the plasticity of 2O0°C 250°C
the moist solid phase.
Often, the particles’ shrinking due to
water evaporation can be seen directly
on the surface; other products form a
rigid shell at the droplet surface and
leave a hollow interior part when the
remaining water evaporates. As the
inlet air temperature determines the
rate of water evaporation after at-
omization, it will often influence the
ability of the particles to shrink and
thereby the porosity of the particles.
In extreme cases, the particles may FIGURE 4. Shrinking can be observed (upper left) due to water evaporation from a
break down due to very high internal particle. The other three images show the effect of increasing air drying temperature,
vapor pressures (Figure 4). which influences the rate of water evaporation, for the same product
Powder flowability and dispers-
ibility can be greatly improved by drying chamber and recovered from Atomizing 1 L of feed generates a total
agglomerating several fine particles the drying media using a cyclone or surface area of 20–600 m2.
into larger clusters of porous struc- a bag filter. The spent drying media The droplet size from a given type
ture. Due to the large quantity of is often treated in a scrubber to meet of atomization device depends on the
capillaries, the particles will have environmental requirements before energy spent for breaking down the
improved wettability. Agglomerated being exhausted to the atmosphere. liquid into fragments, that is, increas-
powders will furthermore be less It can also be recirculated. The whole ing the overall surface of the liquid.
dusty and therefore more environ- process generally takes no more than For most atomization systems, the liq-
mentally friendly. a few seconds. uid does not leave the atomizing head
Atomization. Several types of atomiza- as a droplet, but as a fragment of a
The basics of spray drying tion can be employed in a spray drying thin liquid film. The droplet formation
The essential in spray drying is the system, including centrifugal, nozzle, takes place immediately after the liq-
atomization of the liquid feed and pneumatic and sonic atomization. The uid has left the atomizing head due to
the distribution of the drying media average droplet size and distribution is the surface tension of the liquid. The
allowing the liquid to evaporate and fairly constant for a given method of at- formation of a perfect droplet is there-
particles to form. The dried particles omization, but the average particle size fore very dependent on the rheological
are continuously discharged from the can be in the range of 10–300 microns. properties of the liquid and the inter-
GEA Niro
(a) (b)
produces smaller and the gas disperser are essential

droplets. Therefore, for the optimum particle formation
to reduce the parti- as the flow patterns of the droplets
cle size for a given and the gas through the dryer must
feedrate (capacity), provide for sufficient contact time to
a smaller orifice allow evaporation of essentially all
and a higher pump of the liquid. As a result, atomizers
pressure must are usually installed at the center of
FIGURE 5. Rotary atomizers (a) produce a liquid mist hori- be provided to the roof of a relatively large diameter
zontally from the atomizer wheel. Atomization by nozzle (b) achieve the same spray dryer. The heated gas is intro-
often leads to a narrower particle-size distribution mass flow through duced through a roof-mounted air/gas
the nozzle. Large disperser around the atomizer, creat-
action with the hot drying medium systems may have as many as 40 ing a co-current flow of gas and drop-
just outside the atomizing device. nozzles, making control of particle lets/particles. This takes advantage
Centrifugal (or rotary) atomization size difficult. Although the pressure of evaporative cooling and decreasing
is the most common form of atomiza- nozzle is very simple, maintenance — temperatures downwards.
tion. Here, a rotating disc or wheel especially of multiple nozzle systems With atomization by pressure noz-
breaks the liquid stream into droplets — can become troublesome as wear of zles, a spray drying chamber with
(Figure 5a). The devices normally op- the insert changes the characteristics extended height — for some products
erate in the range of 5,000 to 25,000 of a given nozzle. The potential for up to 20 m or more — is required for
rpm. Discs or wheels typically have a plugging the relatively small orifices the particles to obtain sufficient re-
diameter of 5 to 50 cm. The size of the is another drawback for nozzle-based tention time in the chamber. These
droplets produced is nearly inversely atomization systems. types of spray dryers — also referred
proportional to the peripheral speed of Pressure nozzles usually give a nar- to as “nozzle towers” — are often used
the wheel. rower particle-size distribution, and in production of coarse powders like
Rotary atomization produces a liq- the spray angle, and pattern can be foodstuffs, dyes, pesticides and other
uid mist horizontally from the atom- adjusted by varying nozzle inserts and heat-sensitive products.
izer wheel. The spray cloud leaving the position in the drying chamber. The larger the particle size desired
atomizer wheel will be distributed over Two-fluid pneumatic atomization in the final powder, the larger the di-
an angle of 180 deg., and therefore the is primarily used in smaller drying ameter of the drying chamber, regard-
drying chamber is often designed with systems. The atomization is accom- less of the unit’s total throughput.
a height-to-diameter ratio close to 1:1. plished by the interaction of the feed When coarse powders are needed in
Due to the limited impact of the liquid with a second fluid — usually com- small production rates, a pressure noz-
flow on the particle size, it is possible to pressed air. Neither the feed nor the zle spray in fountain configuration (for
operate the rotary atomizer with a large air requires very high pressure (typi- example, spraying upwards from the
turndown in feed capacity keeping the cally in the range of 200 to 350 kPa). bottom part of the chamber) is often
particle size within the specifications. Particle size is controlled by varying found to be more practical. The spray
The use of variable speed drives makes the ratio of the compressed-air flow travels upward until overcome by
the control of droplet size — and there- to that of the feed. As the two-fluid gravity and the downward flow of air.
fore particle size — very easy. nozzles have rather large openings It then reverses direction and falls, fi-
Rotary atomizers are available in for the feed, the risk of clogging is re- nally landing in the bottom cone of the
many sizes. A small air-driven labora- duced, which makes this nozzle ideal drying chamber. The major drawback
tory unit handles from 1–10 kg/h of for use in pilot- or laboratory-scale in fountain nozzle drying can be that
liquid feed, while the largest commer- equipment. Both nozzle types’ spray drying actually begins in a cooler part
cial units driven by 1,000 kW motors patterns (angle and flight paths of of the dryer and continues into the hot-
can handle in excess of 200 m.t./h. the droplets) can be altered by differ- test zone. Since each droplet is already
With pressure-nozzle atomization ent nozzle types and internals. partly dried, the evaporative cooling
(Figure 5b), the liquid is pressurized Sonic atomization has been tested effect is lessened and the chance of
by a pump and forced through the in small capacity dryers, but has not thermal degradation becomes larger.
orifice of a nozzle to break it into fine been applied for larger production Lower inlet temperatures can solve
droplets. The orifice size is usually units thus far. Ultrasonic energy is this problem, but also reduces the total
in the range of 0.5 to 3.0 mm. This used by passing the liquid over a sur- evaporation capacity.
limits the capacity of a nozzle to ap- face vibrated at ultrasonic frequencies. Collecting dried powder. After
proximately 750–1,000 kg/h of feed, These systems are suitable for produc- drying, the particles must be sepa-
depending also on pressure, viscosity ing very fine droplets at low flowrates. rated from the drying media, which
and the solids content of the feed. The A very uniform particle-size distribu- is cooled due to the evaporation of the
size of the droplet depends on the size tion is furthermore achievable. liquid from the droplets. This colder
of the orifice and the pressure drop. A Dryer configuration. Proper size and and humid gas is discharged from the
larger pressure drop across the orifice geometry of the spray drying chamber dryer after separation of the now dry
Flamex Inc.
Cover Story
particles. Due to the fact that the gas FIGURE 6. By the

very nature of the
has some entrained powder, cyclones spray drying pro-
or fabric filters are used to clean the cess — fine dust
gas. In some cases, the combination suspended in air —
of cyclones followed by a wet scrubber there is a risk of fire
proves more effective. and dust explosions.
Over-pressure venting,
Coarse powders are most easily col- explosion suppres-
lected directly from the bottom of the sion and inerting the
drying chamber. In this arrangement, complete plant are
the spent drying gas exits through an ways to prevent acci-
dents and to make any
outlet duct in the center of the cone. incident proceed in a
The reversing of the gas flow allows controlled manner to
the majority of the powder to settle in minimize damages
the cone and slide to the bottom out-
let, which is often equipped with an employing a combination of forced experience based on the particle size
airlock for discharge. If the powder is and induced draft or induced draft desired and the product’s known dry-
very fine, a small amount is collected only. If ambient air is the drying gas ing characteristics. This permits direct
from the drying chamber. In this case, and a very clean process is required, calculation of a chamber volume.
the cyclones or the bag filter become high-efficiency, particulate-matter air As mentioned above, spray drying is
the primary collection point. To elimi- filters are applied. In some cases, addi- still largely based on empirical data,
nate chamber collection, a U-bend is tional measures are required in order and industrial-scale drying tests are
used at the outlet for both gas and to protect the environment and elimi- required for determining the process
powder from the chamber to the down- nate emissions completely. This can be parameters and plant design that will
stream collectors. achieved by working in a closed loop result in the desired product — un-
Process gas flow. The flow of drying system or by adding HEPA filters to less, of course, experience and data
gas through the system is much the clean the exhaust air. Some products is already available from dryers in
same as for any gas-suspension drying may contain powerful odor components production. Optimization of the per-
system. Heating by direct combustion that have to be removed. This can be formance of existing installations
of natural gas is the most efficient — done either by thermal or catalytic can also be carried out by testing in
backed up by fuel oil or propane com- incineration, carbon black absorption, smaller units.
bustion when gas curtailment is pos- chemical scrubbing or bio filtration. Once designed and built, a spray
sible. If indirect heating is required, Ductwork with appropriate damp- drying system needs fairly simple con-
shell-and-tube or finned-tube heat ers, expansion joints, vibration isola- trols. As the performance of a spray
exchangers are used with steam or a tors and noise abatement devices is dryer is very dependent on the air
heat transfer fluid as heating source. supplied with most dryers. All equip- velocities and flow pattern inside the
Electric heaters are used in smaller ment is usually insulated and cladded drying chamber, it is common practice
spray dryers. to minimize heat loss and condensa- to operate the dryer at a fixed air flow-
The design of the gas disperser is tion, and personnel hazards. rate. Since outlet temperature deter-
of ultimate importance for the proper Process design and control. The mines the moisture content in the
function of a spray dryer. Today, gas evaporation rate in a spray dryer is final product, the temperature must
dispersers are often configured by directly proportional to the product be controlled and modulated with re-
means of computational fluid dynam- of the temperature difference from spect to other changes in the system.
ics (CFD) analysis to define air flow inlet to outlet and the mass flow of Depending on the mode of operation,
pattern and temperature distribution gas through the system. Outlet tem- the outlet air temperature is either
within the drying chamber. Different perature is established by the desired controlled via the amount of feed con-
types of gas dispersers are often used moisture content in the product ac- veyed to the dryer or by adjusting the
with different atomization technolo- cording to that product’s equilibrium temperature of the inlet gas.
gies and chamber geometries. For ex- isotherm. Since true equilibrium is Pressure drops across filters and
ample, with a rotary atomizer a gas never reached, the actual values are cyclones are usually monitored to
disperser with air rotation is often usually determined experimentally. assure that the system is operating
preferred, whereas a more stream- Inlet temperature is also determined properly. The pressure in the drying
lined air distribution is applied in by experience and should be as high chamber is usually controlled by the
nozzle towers. as possible without product degrada- suction fan and kept at slight vacuum
For most applications, the gas dis- tion. Then, for a given evaporation in order to avoid dust escaping the
perser is constructed with adjustable rate, the required process gas flow can equipment. Rotary atomizers require
guide vanes allowing for fine tuning be determined from the temperature monitoring lube-oil flow, temperature
during plant commissioning. difference. All system components and vibration, whereas nozzle atomi-
Industrial radial fans are used to can be sized based on gas flow. A gas zation systems require monitoring
move the gas through the system, residence time must be selected from feed pressure or flow.
(&"/JSP
FIGURE 7. This The drying process efficiency, H, is

spray drying sys- often defined as:
tem is equipped
with a heat recov- H = (Tin – Tout)/(Tin – Tamb) (1)
ery unit
Where Tin is the inlet air temperature,
Tout the outlet air temperature and
Tamb the ambient temperature.
'SPN&RVBUJPO
JUBQQFBSTUIBU
the higher the inlet temperature and
the lower the outlet air temperature,
UIF CFUUFS UIF FGGJDJFODZ *O QSBDUJDF
this means that one should strive to
operate at the highest possible inlet
air temperature without deteriorat-
plant can be varied from a start/stop the safety regulations in place, explo- ing the product and the lowest pos-
command, and afterwards the pro- sions are very rare. For protection of sible outlet air temperature that can
grammable logic controller (PLC) is the spray dryers, overpressure venting result in acceptable powder moisture.
programmed to undertake all startup is widespread, and guidance is estab- By performing the drying process in
and shutdown routines and all opera- MJTIFECPUIJO&VSPQFBOEUIF64GPS multiple stages, the outlet air tem-
tion parameters set via a predefined sizing in relation to the chamber vol- perature from the spray dryer can
recipe to almost manual control. ume and the powder characteristics. be reduced significantly whereby the
Trend analysis of the plant’s opera- &YQMPTJPO TVQQSFTTJPO JT BMTP VTFE overall energy consumption will be
tion facilitates troubleshooting and This system is often the only realistic lowered.
quality control. way of protection if the powder is harm- Heat recovery (Figure 7) by preheat-
ful and an escape of the product in the ing the incoming fresh air by means of
Safety & environmental issues event of an explosion could be critical the outgoing hot air — or excess heat
By the nature of the spray drying for the environment. Containment, from another process — is a viable
process — a fine dust suspended in that is, designing the plant to resist the XBZ PG TBWJOH FOFSHZ &GGJDJFOU IFBU
air — there is a risk of fire and dust maximum explosion pressure, is only recovery planning and design has
explosion (Figure 6). This risk needs an option for small scale plants. proved to save as much as 20% of the
to be considered very carefully and For products where the minimum energy for heating the drying media.
for this, characteristics of the powder ignition energy is very low, the like- Heat recovery can be either by direct
need to be established. The most im- lihood of an explosion can become so injection into the drying gas stream
portant parameters to be determined large that it is preferable to “inert” the PSVTJOHBIFBUFYDIBOHFS.PTUTZT-
are the following: FOUJSFQMBOU*OUIJTDBTF UIFQMBOUJT tems include heat exchangers with a
t%VTUFYQMPTJPOQSFTTVSFSJTF Kst operating in a closed loop with a con- heat transfer fluid (water) in order
t.BYJNVNEVTUFYQMPTJPOQSFTTVSF denser for removal of evaporated liq- to avoid complicated large air duct-
Pmax uid, and the inerting gas can either ing within the plant. Finned-tube or
t.JOJNVNJHOJUJPOFOFSHZ .*& be taken from an external source or plate-type heat exchangers are used
t.JOJNVNJHOJUJPOUFNQFSBUVSF .*5 be produced by a direct, gas-fired air depending on the dust content in the
t.JOJNVNBVUPJHOJUJPOUFNQFSB- heater for the dryer (the self-inerting hot drying media.
UVSF ."*5 QSJODJQMF
*ODBTFTXIFSFPSHBOJDTPM- Generally, it is not possible to ex-
."*5JTPGQBSUJDVMBSJOUFSFTUBTNPTU vents are evaporated, the drying gas ploit the latent heat from the dryer
fires and dust explosions in spray dry- will always have to be inert and sup- because the dew point of the outgoing
ers are initiated by product deposits plied from an external source. air is rather low (40–50°C). For prod-
starting an exothermic reaction. Based ucts that are not very heat sensitive,
on the product data, a risk analysis of Energy conservation a partial recirculation of the warm
the entire spray drying plant has to The spray drying process is rather en- drying air offers a cost effective and
be carried out identifying all possible ergy intensive, and consequently, an simple way of heat recovery. The dew
ignition sources and drying param- effort must be made to optimize the point of the outlet air will, in this case,
eters, and possible protection of the plant in order to reduce the energy increase significantly and hot water in
plant must be defined. (For more on consumption per kilogram dry mate- large quantities may be produced uti-
preventing dust explosions, see CE, rial. The first parameter to consider in lizing the latent heat in this instance.
October, pp. 49–51.) this context is the concentration of the
*O&VSPQF UIJTSJTLBOBMZTJTTIPVME GFFE *ODSFBTJOH UIF TPMJET DPOUFOU JO Novelties in spray drying
CFDBSSJFEPVUBDDPSEJOHUPUIF"5&9 the feed with just a few percentages " NBKPS EFWFMPQNFOU JO TQSBZ ESZ-
EJSFDUJWFT XIFSFBT /'1" /BUJPOBM can reduce the specific energy con- ing technology has been the ability
'JSF 1SPUFDUJPO "TTO
XJMM QSPWJEF sumption per kilogram dry material to make feasibility tests on just a few
guidance for plants in the U.S. With by 10–20%. droplets of feed material (Figure 8).
Cover Story
FIGURE 8. Ultrasonic levitation (left) is used to suspend a single droplet of feed being tested, making it ideal for observing and
measuring the drying process. CFD simulation results (center) show the instantaneous fraction of water vapor in a spray dryer. The
combination of levitation and CFD simulation has enabled better designed spray dryers. Agglomerating nanoparticles into larger,
spray-dried particles (right) allows for safer processing
This makes it possible to determine automobile light covers and so on). It stantly developing. Increasing and
the applicability of spray drying and is still uncertain to what extent nano- more precise knowledge about the
to optimize product formulations at a based materials will be implemented spray drying process and its dynamics
very early stage in development when in the future. Safe processing technol- opens avenues for using the technol-
only a small amount of the product is ogy is of paramount importance and ogy in new fields just as new products
available. The results also allow for one safe route will be spray drying and standards set new demands. Q
more precise CFD simulations and of nano-suspensions into powders or Edited by Gerald Ondrey
thereby better designed spray dryers. granules sized 10–100 microns. De-
The method is based on an ultra- veloping process technology to exploit References
sonic levitator equipped with a cli- nanotechnology has international at- 1 Masters, K., “Spray Drying Handbook”, Fifth
edition, Longman Scientific & Technical,
mate chamber to control air humidity, tention. An example is the EU-funded 1991.
temperature and velocity. The levita- Saphir project (www.saphir-project. 2 Shaw, F. V., Fresh Options in Drying, Chem.
tor keeps the droplet to be studied sus- eu), which aims at demonstrating an Eng., July 1994, pp. 76–84.
pended in the air, allowing for precise environmentally safe production pro-
studies and measures of the drying cess — from the synthesis of nanopar-
Authors
kinetics. A mathematical description ticles, particles processing to the mak- Jens Thousig Møller is
of the drying kinetics is established, ing of the final products. process design manager in
GEA Niro’s Chemical Division
and very accurate spray-drying simu- Within the pharmaceutical industry, (Gladsaxevej 305, DK-2860
lations using CFD software are per- particle engineering is very important, Soeborg, Denmark, Tele-
phone: +45-3954-5454,
formed. It is now possible to calculate and the use of spray drying is being Email: jens.thousig@geagroup.
the time-temperature history during explored widely. Spray drying can be com). Since 1990 he has been
responsible for drying process
drying, which enables the design of applied to produce encapsulated pow- and plant layout concepts. He
minimum-thermal-degradation spray ders for controlled release of API or joined GEA Niro in 1968 as
development and pilot plant
dryers for temperature sensitive taste masking, just as it can maintain testing engineer in areas of spray and fluidized
bed drying. Later, he managed GEA Niro Test
products. Knowing the state of drying the API in its amorphous form to en- Stations in the U.S. and Denmark. He holds a
when the particles hit the dryer walls hance bioavailability. Since solid dos- B.Sc. and M.Sc. in chemical engineering from the
Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen.
will — together with a stickiness cri- age forms in general are preferred
Søren Fredsted is senior
terion — give accurate information on to liquid based systems, research is process technologist in GEA
what areas will be prone to develop driven toward delivery forms based Niro’s Chemical Division
(same address as above; Email:
deposits. Utilizing high performance on powders, for which spray drying soeren.fredsted@geagroup.
com). As a senior process tech-
computing clusters makes it possible is an ideal process. Research in spray nologist, he has the responsi-
to design optimal spray dryers with drying and, for instance, controlled re- bility for design and dimen-
sioning of industrial spray
unprecedented accuracy. lease is conducted by several groups drying and related drying
Spray drying can be a vital link in worldwide, including the international plants for the chemical indus-
try. Fredsted has more than 30
the application of nanotechnology to Swedish-based research consortium years of experience in spray drying and related
achieve products with superior perfor- Codirect (www.codirect.se) and others. technologies. He holds a M.Sc. degree in chemi-
cal engineering from the Technical University of
mance (for instance, fuel cell elements, The field of spray drying is con- Denmark, Copenhagen.

Feature Report
De-emphasize Capital Costs

For Pipe Size Selection
Optimum diameter, in.

16
Focus more on mass flowrates, fluid densities 14 Optimum diameter
Selected diameter
and operating hours for real savings 12
10
8
Rajiv Narang, Subodh Sarin, Anu Anna George 6
Fluor Corp.
4
2
P
iping represents a major cost for clude density and mass flowrate 0.1 1 10 100
projects in the chemical process explicitly as important elements. Capital cost coefficient, $/(yr x ftlin x ftdia)
industries (CPI). Larger pipe di- Most use personal experience and
FIGURE 1. Selected pipe diameter is never
ameters increase upfront capital “rules of thumb” to determine the below D . The liquid flowrate here is 28 lb/s.
opt
costs for a project, but the lower pres- economics of pipe selection at
sure drops afforded by large pipes the beginning of a project. Our 16

mean less power is required to move analysis suggests that consider- 14
the fluid through the pipe. Optimizing ing other factors, such as mass
pipe diameter becomes an exercise in flowrate, densities and hours of 12
balancing the capital cost savings re- operation could achieve greater 10
alized by using smaller pipes with the cost benefits. Engineers should 8 .
power required to pump the fluids. prepare a table listing these val- Optimum diameter
6
Price volatility in industrial piping ues for typical fluids in a plant Selected diameter
commodities, such as carbon steel, can as they decide on pipe diameter. 4
complicate the selection of optimal These decisions should hold de- 2
pipe diameters at the start of a project. spite cost variations. 0.1 1 10 100
But while constantly changing capi- For the purpose of this analy- Capital cost coefficient, $/(yr x ft lin x ftdia)
tal costs will certainly affect optimal sis, the authors assumed that FIGURE 2. Capital cost coefficient for 2008
pipe diameter, plants can realize sig- operating costs (utilities prices) ≈ $6/(yr × ftdia × ftlin). Liquid flowrate = 112 lb/s
nificant cost savings by focusing more are constant for a given project,
on fluid densities, mass flowrates and since electricity-cost increases tend to $/kWh). The units of this coefficient
hours of operation when selecting pipe be much more gradual and prices less are changed to ($/yr)/[(lb(ft2/s3)] for con-
sizes, and worrying less about varying volatile than those for commodities. sistency of units by using: [($/kWh) ×
commodities prices. For example, U.S. electricity costs rose (no. of hours/year)/K], where K is equal
In this analysis, the authors evalu- from 4.7 to 7.1 ¢/kWh between 1990 to 737.37, and is obtained from various
ated the sensitivity of optimal pipe di- and 2008 [1]. In cases where capital conversion factors. Also in Equation
ameter to changing capital costs, and costs and operating costs change pro- (2), ģ is the pump efficiency, gc is mass-
concluded that variable capital costs portionally in the same ratio, optimum force conversion constant, m is the
have only a minimal effect on commer- pipe size remains the same. mass flowrate (lb/s), ĭ is density (lb/
cial pipe size selection up to diameters ft3) and μ is viscosity [lb/(ft)(s)].
of 10-in. nominal pipe size (NPS). Optimum diameter and velocity To obtain optimum pipe diameter from
Once diameters reach larger than 12 Equation (1) determines the optimum Equation (1), the following assump-
in., it then becomes worthwhile to in- diameter (Dopt) in feet of a pipe [2]. tions are necessary:
clude capital costs in determining op- t"TTVNFJODPNQSFTTJCMFGMPX
0.164
timal pipe diameter. However, even at ©
Dopt 0.9 ªC0
C1d gc ¹̧ t"TTVNFUVSCVMFOUGMPXSFHJNF
larger pipe sizes, mass flowrates and « º (1) tIgnore pressure loss from fittings
fluid densities should drive decision- = m0.459 = + 0.033 = l <0.328 and valves
making on pipe sizes because those Where: C1 is a capital cost coefficient t*HOPSFQVNQDBQJUBMDPTUT
factors affect optimal diameter more that includes the capitalization charge of t&MFWBUJPODIBOHFTBSFOPUDPOTJEFSFE
strongly than capital costs. pipe per unit length, represented by $/[yr The optimum velocity is given as:
When determining optimum line × foot linear length × foot diameter]. And
0.082 <0.066 <0.344
size, plant designers tend not to in- C0 is a cost coefficient (power cost in Vopt C2 = m + l
(2)
Feature Report
PROJECT ESTIMATED COST DATA
T
he validity of the power
law to regress capital cost
is given in Ref. [2] as: Diameter vs. Cost of Pipe Diameter vs. Cost of Pipe
Cinv = C1 × L × D n , where: 4 .5 9
y = 7.0386x1.4393 y = 9.1422x1.1684
Cinv is the annualized capital 4 8
R2 = 0.9956 R2 = 0.9971
cost ($/yr); C1 is the capital
Cost of pipe, $/ft/yr
Capital cost, $/yr/ft

3 .5 7
cost coefficient, which includes 3 6
capitalization charge for pipe 2 .5 5
per unit length [$/(yr × ftdia × 2 4
ftlin)]; n is an exponent from a 1 .5 3
cost correlation; and D is pipe 1 2
diameter in ft. 0 .5 1
In Ref. [2], n is assumed to be 0
0
1.3, and in an example, takes 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
0 0. 2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
C1 as $5.7/ yr × ftdia × ftlin Diameter, ft
Diameter, ft
C1 incorporates the annual-
ization factor and is a useful Cost correlation exponent (n) variation. Carbon steel (left) and SS 316 (right) pipe
coefficient that simplifies the
correlation of pipe diameter ule, A106 pipe, the capital cost For carbon-steel XS Schedule 9.14 and n is at 1.17.
with annualized capital costs is annualized over 10 years at pipe, the following data are The authors conclude that
and makes the optimization 5%, and C1 varies from 5.14 to available (above figure, left): using an n value of 1.3 works
problem tractable. 5.63, while n varies from 1.46 In this case, C1 rises to 7.03, well for thicker carbon steel as
Project data are used to ex- to 1.61. while n is at 1.44. well as for stainless-steel pipes.
amine the range and validity of It can be concluded that for For stainless-steel 316, C1 does increase for XS sched-
the power law, as well as repre- the purpose of this study, using Schedule 10S pipe, the follow- ule and 10 S schedule as ex-
sentative values for C1 and n. n as 1.3 would not lead to ering data are available (above pected, but the increase is not
For carbon-steel STD Sched- roneous conclusions. figure, right): C1 has risen to excessive. Q
Where C2 is a consolidated constant [2]. MFOHUI PG QJQF JO GU BOE n is as-
26

C2 4
/ = C 2 (2A)
TVNFEUPCF
5IFWBMJEJUZPG&RVBUJPO
JTFY-
24
22
20
0.164 BNJOFEJOUIFCPYBCPWF"MUIPVHI 18
© C0 ¸ better correlations can be devel- 16
C 0.9
ª
C = d = gc ¹ PQFEGPSDBQJUBMDPTU UIFBOBMZTJT 14
« 1 º (2B) JOUIFCPYTVHHFTUTUIFSFTVMUXJMM
12
10
For the equations above: OPUCFSBEJDBMMZEJGGFSFOU 8 Optimum diameter
6
t5IF PQUJNVN EJBNFUFS JT JOEFQFO- 4 Selected diameter
EFOUPGUIFMFOHUIPGQJQF Capital cost considerations 2
1 10 0.1 100
t5IFPQUJNVNEJBNFUFSJTNPSFTFO- 5P FYBNJOF IPX PQUJNVN EJBN-
TJUJWF UP NBTT GMPXSBUF BOE EFOTJUZ FUFS BOE WFMPDJUZ BGGFDU DBQJUBM Capital cost coefficient, $/(yr x ft lin x ftdia )
UIBOUPDBQJUBMBOEPQFSBUJOHDPTU DPTU UIF GPMMPXJOH DBTF VTFT B FIGURE 3. In this case, Dopt was calculated
t5IF PQUJNVN WFMPDJUZ JT MFTT TFOTJ- TUSFBNXJUINBTTGMPXSBUFTPG for a gas with a mass flowrate of 28 lb/s,
3
UJWFUPNBTTGMPXSBUFCVURVJUFTFO- MCT MCT BOE MCT B EFO- a density of 0.936 lb/ft and viscosity of
3 0.00000672 lb/(ft × s).
TJUJWFUPEFOTJUZ TJUZPGMCGU BOEWJTDPTJUZPG
t"T MPOH BT UIF DBQJUBMDPTUUPPQ- MC GU×T
PSD15IFPQ- × ftlin
GPS DBSCPO TUFFM 45% 4DIFEVMF
erating-cost ratio (C0/C1) does not FSBUJPO JT BTTVNFE UP SVO IZS "QJQF
DIBOHF PQUJNVNEJBNFUFSSFNBJOT 5IFFGGJDJFODZPGUIFQVNQJTBTTVNFE 5IF PQUJNVN WFMPDJUZ XJUI UIJT
UIFTBNF BTTVNJOHPUIFSDPOEJUJPOT UP CF 5IF PQFSBUJOH DPTU DPFGGJ- WBSJBUJPOPGDBQJUBMDPTUDPFGGJDJFOUXBT
are unchanged cient C0 XIJDIJTUIFDPTUPGFMFDUSJD- BMTPDBMDVMBUFEVTJOH&RVBUJPO

5IF DBQJUBM DPTU DPFGGJDJFOU C1, is de- JUZ QVSDIBTFE JT GJYFE BU L8I 5IF PQUJNVN EJBNFUFS BOE PQUJ-
SJWFE GSPN UIF DBQJUBM DPTU FRVBUJPO 5IF DBQJUBM DPTU DPFGGJDJFOU C1 XIJDI NVNWFMPDJUZHSBQITBSFQMPUUFEPOB
HJWFOCFMPX<2]. JTUIFDPFGGJDJFOUPGBOOVBMJ[FEDBQJUBM TFNJMPHTDBMFUPJMMVTUSBUFUIFDIBOHFT
DPTUPGQJQF JTWBSJFEGSPNUP DMFBSMZ5IFTFMFDUFEEJBNFUFSJTTVDI
Cinv = C1 × Dn × L (3)
ZS × ftdia × ftlin
5IF PQUJNVN EJBN- UIBU JU JT OFWFS CFMPX UIF PQUJNVN
In Equation (3), Cinv is the annualized FUFSXBTGPVOEVTJOH&RVBUJPO
CZ EJBNFUFS 5IF PQUJNVN EJBNFUFS GPS
DBQJUBMDPTU ZS
C1JTUIFDBQJUBMDPTU LFFQJOHUIFPQFSBUJOHDPTUTBOEPUIFS UIF DVSSFOU DBQJUBM DPTU DPFGGJDJFOU PG
DPFGGJDJFOU XIJDI JODMVEFT DBQJUBMJ[B- variables constant. DBSCPOTUFFMQJQF 45%TDIFEVMF"
UJPODIBSHFGPSQJQFQFSVOJUMFOHUI 5IF BOBMZTJT JO UIF CPY BCPWF DPO- <_ ZS× ftdia × ftlin
>JTBMTPTIPXOJO
ZFBS × EJBNFUFS JO GU × linear length DMVEFT UIBU DBQJUBM DPTUT GPS UIF ZFBS 'JHVSFTBOE
JOGU
DJTUIFEJBNFUFSJOGUL is the SFGMFDUB$1PGBCPVU ZS× ftdia 5IF BCPWF DBTF XBT SFQFBUFE XJUI
TABLE 1. PIPE SELECTION FOR A LIQUID WITH 28 LB/S MASS FLOWRATE
Capital cost
coefficient (C1), Optimum Optimum Selected
$/ (yr × ftdia × ftlin) diameter, in. velocity, ft/s diameter, in.
0.5 8.36 2.53 10
1 7.466 3.17 8 for higher mass flowrates or higher
line sizes, a measure that can save
1.5 6.99 3.62 8
capital costs.
2 6.664 3.98 8 5. This article suggests that a table
2.5 6.424 4.28 8 correlating optimum velocity (or di-
3 6.2 4.55 8 ameter) with mass flowrate, for dif-
4 5.95 4.99 6 ferent fluids and modes of operation
5 5.74 5.38 6 can be prepared at the beginning of
the project for typical fluids. This
6 5.57 5.71 6
will serve to inform the process en-
7 5.43 6.01 6
gineer calculating hydraulics for the
8 5.31 6.28 6 project. For example, consider Table
9 5.21 6.5 6 2, where C1 = 5.7 $/yr/ftdia/ftlin (see
10 5.12 6.75 6 box, p.42); utility cost = $0.10 /KWh;
20 4.57 8.47 6 pump efficiency = 0.6; continuous op-
30 4.27 9.68 6
eration is defined as 8,000 h/yr; and
intermittent operation is defined as
40 4.08 10.64 6
2,000 h/yr. The analysis could be set
50 3.93 11.44 4 up as in Table 2. O
Edited by Scott Jenkins
TABLE 2. SAMPLE ANALYSIS FOR OPTIMUM VELOCITY
Optimum velocity, ft/s References
1. U.S. Energy Information Administration, An-
Fluid A (Water) Fluid B (Naphtha) nual Energy Review (AER). 2008.
Mass flowrate,
2. Edgar, F.T., and Himmelblau, D.M. “Opti-
lb/s Intermittent Continuous Intermittent Continuous mization of Chemical Processes,” 2nd ed.
10 5.3 3.4 6.2 3.9 McGraw-Hill, N.Y., 2001.
3. Holland, F.A., Watson, F.A. and Wilkinson,
50 6.1 3.9 7.1 4.5 J.K. “Introduction to Process Economics,” 2nd
ed. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, N.J., 1983.
500 7.3 4.7 8.5 5.4 4. Project estimated cost data, 2009.
Water density = 62 lb/ft and viscosity = 1 cP. Naphtha density = 40 lb/ft3 and
3
viscosity = 0.3 cP. Different fluids and mass flowrates can be added to the
table as required. Authors
Rajiv Narang is senior
process specialist at Fluor
Daniel India Pvt. Ltd. (14th
56 lb/s mass flowrate and 200 h/yr of diameters of about 10 in. It may be floor, DLF Square, Jacaranda
Marg, DLF City Phase II, Gur-
operation with the remaining param- worthwhile to calculate the optimum gaon 122 022, India; Email:
eters unchanged. A capital cost coeffi- diameter above 12 in., the point at rxnarang@gmail.com). For
more than twenty years,
cient of $6/(yr × ftdia × ftlin) and 8,000 which optimum diameter becomes Narang has been involved
h of operation yields a selected pipe quite sensitive to capital cost. with the operation and design
of petroleum, natural gas and
size of 8 in., while 200 h of operation 2. It may be worthwhile to calculate LNG plants, pipelines, and
gives a selected pipe size of 6 in. The the optimum diameter when the power plants. He holds a B.S.ChE from I.I.T Delhi
as well as an MBA. Narang has worked with
optimum velocity is 6 ft/s and 20 ft/s number of hours per year of opera- Bechtel, WorleyParsons and the Gas Authority of
India. He is a member of the Indian Institute of
correspondingly. The above analysis tion is fewer, such as for sump pump Chemical Engineers (IIChE) as well as AIChE.
does not take into account other fac- service, as this is an opportunity to
tors, like maximum safe velocity or choose a lower diameter than usual, Subodh Sarin, process spe-
erosion velocity. and thus save on capital cost. cialist, joined Fluor in 1998
after working for eight years
A variation of the case was consid- 3. The optimum velocity is inversely at Ranbaxy Laboratories. At
Fluor, he developed diverse
ered to examine the change for gases proportional to ĭ0.344, so when density experience in the detailed
using a gas with a mass flowrate of 28 doubles, the optimum velocity de- engineering design of vari-
ous petroleum refinery ISBL
lb/s, density 0.936 lb/ft3 and viscosity creases by about 20%. Thus, optimum units and for utility & offsites.
0.00000672 lb/(ft × s). For this case, the velocity for water and hydrocarbons He is a member of IIChE.
remaining parameters are unchanged. will be significantly different. For
Results are plotted in Figure 3. gases, the variation in density along
Anu Anna George is an as-
the pipe adds complications to the sociate design engineer in
Key tips above analysis, but the conclusion is the process department at
Fluor Daniel India Pvt. Ltd.
Use the following tips to help make that varying densities offer opportu- (same address as above). She
selections of pipe sizes at the invest- nities to optimize line sizes. holds a B.E. (Hons.) degree
in chemical engineering from
ment stage: 4. When mass flowrate doubles, opti- Birla Institute of Technology
& Science (BITS), Pilani. She
1. The optimum diameter is less sen- mum velocity increases by 6%. The is currently working on a de-
sitive to capital cost variation until engineer can justify higher velocities layed coker project.

Feature Report
Engineering Practice
Making the Leap from

R&D to Manufacturing
Crafting the right
information-management strategy
is essential to scaling up promising discoveries
Martina Walzer FIGURE 1. Integrated work-
Siemens AG, Industry Automation Division flows and the use of scal-
able automation and control
technology helps to support
T
he success of industrial R&D ac- ing environment without compromis- performance improvements
tivities has a direct impact on a ing product and production costs and during R&D efforts, product
company’s long-term commercial quality can help process operators to: development, scaleup and
process optimization
profitability. Today, a variety of t-BVODI OFX BOE NPEJGJFE QSPEVDUT
market forces, including the drive faster
for growth, the search for new ideas t0QUJNJ[F BMM DPTUT BTTPDJBUFE XJUI justing process parameter settings
and innovative products, and the in- the product (for instance, keeping a reactor at a
creasingly competitive pressures of t$SFBUF IJHIRVBMJUZ QSPEVDUT CZ certain temperature). Additionally,
the global economy, have made R&D design such systems reduce the likelihood
activities more important than ever t*NQSPWFDPOTVNFSDPOGJEFODFJOUIF of improper operator inputs by auto-
from a strategic perspective. company’s products and processes matically checking parameter ranges.
The need to streamline the pro- t*ODSFBTFUIFDPOUSJCVUJPOUPUIFDP- Today, many of the automation and
cess of moving from industrial R&D many’s bottom-line profits control strategies used in production
through demonstration-scale opera- The right combination (and proper in- facilities are also applicable to improve
tions to full-scale manufacturing is a tegration) of hardware and software laboratory applications.
basic business requirement. To develop solutions enables companies to answer Nonetheless, the automation re-
and manufacture products in the most those challenges successfully. quirements of laboratory-scale pro-
cost-effective way, companies need a cesses are different from those of
platform that will enable the smooth Creating wisdom larger-scale processes. Where commer-
and consistent transfer of the proven Knowledge compiled in laboratories cial-scale production focuses on stable
product designs to full-scale manufac- often gives companies strategic ad- and safe configurations that rarely
turing plants around the globe. Apply- vantage over their competitors. It is change, work procedures in laborato-
ing state-of-the-art control technology the primary goal of process develop- ries require flexibility and easy-to-use
and integrated information-management to define process sequences and control equipment. Research, by its
ment procedures throughout the dis- parameter settings that are appropri- very nature, often results in changes
covery, research, process-development ate for producing the target product at in the setup of the experiments (for
and optimization steps will help labo- the desired scale. Numerous experi- instance, because the data resolution
ratory processes to successfully make ments and test series are performed of the instruments, analytical devices,
that critical leap. to determine the best reaction condi- centrifuges and so on does not match
tions, to identify suitable catalysts, to the requirements).
Streamlining for success define the best possible parameters, Similarly, data gathered during
Innovation is a key driver through- and to design appropriate safeguards experiments must be available in an
out the chemical process industries to protect work processes, people and adequate format so that it can be be
(CPI), but the creation of innovative the environment. transferred later to further, often-ad-
products is not sufficient to meet long- Automation technology — such as vanced analytical applications such as
term business goals. Innovation must analyzers, instrumentaion and pro- statistical evaluations or comprehen-
be applied not just to the development cess control systems — has proven sive calculation engines.
of commercial products, but to the pro- itself in nearly all industry sectors to An environment that reliably se-
cesses that are required to produce improve product quality. This technol- cures experiment runs and steadily
them. The ability to integrate R&D ogy can help keep processes in stable collects data from various sources
product data within the manufactur- conditions while supervising and ad- helps to support high-quality research,
Giving team members access Similarly, by applying access rights,
The cross-disciplinary sharing of data such systems ensure that only autho-
calls for a mechanism for handling rized people have access to the infor-
documents electronically. And the in- mation. And access rights can be mod-
formation should be available in a ified at any time, making it easy to
long-term repository that has been set ensure data integrity by allowing op-
up with optimized access capabilities. erators to answer the question “Who
This will help to reduce the time re- can access what when?”
quired for interested parties to locate An important aspect of using ad-
and access related materials. vanced tools in the R&D process is
To maintain clear ownership of that the initial raw data generated by
data, the systems should be config- the individual researchers need to be
ured with check-in and check-out verified, condensed and structured in
procedures that prohibit concurrent order to be published and distributed
access by multiple individuals. Such in a meaningful way throughout an
protections eliminate the possibility of organization. In the absence of today’s
simultaneous modification of data and advanced data-management tools,
the risk of lost informa- the process of manual data manage-
tion resulting from the ment can be substantial and time-
accidental overwriting or consuming, and as a result, complete
deletion of files. Properly data capture related to unsuccessful
managed information experiments is often aborted at an
significantly saves time early phase. The unfortunate conse-
for everyone, by making quence of this is that there is then no
information that is re- complete history of these “failures,”
lated to a specific experi- and this incomplete record often leads
ment easily accessible at investigators to inadvertently repeat
the right time. similar unsuccessful experiments or
Many researchers ap- process conditions later in the scaleup
preciate the capabilities process. Industry estimates indicate
FIGURE 2. Since flexibility is a hallmark of most in- of an electronic lab note- that repeating an average of 15–20 ex-
dustrial R&D operations, modularity is a key consider- book (ELN), which allows periments is common.
ation for information-management systems for lab en- them to flexibly store all Even successful experiments are
vironments. Shown here is a modular setup that allows data related to any type sometimes repeated because useful
for several analog and serial channels and provides
multiple serial interfaces so that users can easily plug of experiment and to information is buried within an inef-
in lab devices such as scales and analyzers output them in an easily ficient or inaccessible data-manage-
accessible electronic for- ment system or process (for instance,
and by using a scalable system, users mat. Because text-based editing pro- one that is largely paper-based), and
can move easily from lab-scale to pilot grams and spreadsheets are commonly therefore ends up simply being over-
and production sizes without chang- used to work with the data that are looked. Having all of the experimental
ing the working environment, thereby generated as part of R&D activities, data stored in an electronic repository
significantly reducing efforts to reen- ensuring tight integration between the makes it possible to search the com-
gineer the applications at hand. ELN and office-based applications is plete knowledge base (including all
Clear and explicit data-management essential. However, an added value of previous experiments) using specific
practices are essential in industrial an ELN is its ability to automatically keyword searches. This not only saves
laboratory environments to effectively provide both detailed audit trail infor- time but greatly enhances the over-
manage, store and share the research mation and full access control. all efficiency and effectiveness of the
findings throughout the organization. Automatically created audit-trail R&D department.
For instance, to enable an efficient information helps to provide proof of
work flow, notifications (for example, the starting point of research streams. Protect intellectual property
to trigger next steps in the research Assembling information to present to, Pressed for time, workers in R&D
work) should be delivered to the ap- for instance, a patent office or court is laboratories often do not follow ap-
propriate people to request further much easier if information is readily propriate procedures to sign and audit
actions. Such advisory notes in email available in electronic format, instead trail their work, relying instead on
format allow links to related files and of having to assemble, scan and file a capturing their final results in Excel
documents to be attached, which helps lot of papers. With an ELN, all infor- spreadsheets or Powerpoint presen-
to streamline the sharing of information is electronically stored, provid- tations. But in order to file for a pat-
mation, making it more automatic ing needed confirmation of the compa- ent, companies need to prove that
and transparent. ny’s role in developing the innovation. their personnel were indeed the first
Engineering Practice
to discover the invention or carry ELNs provide comprehensive support data to only certain personnel). State-
out the process under examination. in protecting intellectual property dur- of-the-art information-management
As a result, the proper capture and ing R&D processes by providing such tools and control solutions provide
structuring of key data, steps, obser- a centralized electronic access point sufficient flexibility to allow process
vations and so forth throughout all to all relevant information, and the developers to strike the balance that
R&D activities are indispensable. As a automatic creation of audit trail infor- is most appropriate for their site-spe-
general rule of thumb, the following mation provides proof that is needed cific needs related to R&D activities,
capabilities are useful when consid- during patent-application processes. process-scaleup, product-development
ering data-management systems for Within the ELN, all of the relevant in- and marketing efforts. O
R&D activities: formation can be easily accessed and Edited by Suzanne Shelley
t$FOUSBMJ[FE BDDFTT UP B TJOHMF appropriately packaged and displayed,
EBUBSFQPTJUPSZ: Rather than gath- thus making it much easier to confirm Author
ering key information on papers and prove the innovation to the patent Martina Walzer is a man-
ager for technical concepts
that can be misplaced, improperly officer or court. and support for the Siemens
filed and not easily accessible, all AG Competence Center
Chemical (1 IA VMM CCGS,
data are saved and readily accessed Closing thoughts Siemensallee 84, 76187
electronically Basic research is a core competency Karlsruhe, Germany; Phone:
+49 721 595 4629; Email:
t$PNQMFUFEPDVNFOUBUJPO Today’s of companies throughout the CPI, and walzer.martina@siemens.
com). In this capacity, she de-
systems ensure that complete and such companies must implement the velops automation solutions
signed documentation are generated tools needed to strike the right balance for chemical engineering lab-
oratories. She holds a Dipl.-In. (B.A.) in electrical
for all R&D activites between making relavant data and automation. Prior to joining Siemens, she held
t"QQSPQSJBUF WFSTJPOJOH PG BOZ information easily accessible to vari- various positions related to developing control
systems, fieldbus integration and product man-
UZQF PG EPDVNFOU: the content of ous collaborators within the organiza- agement with ABB AG in Germany. In 2000, she
documents must be up-to-date and tion and protecting trade secrets (for completed additional education as a marketing
referent (SGD), and she has been applying this
searchable instance, by restricting access to key marketing expertise to her duties at Siemens.
1
2
Solids Processing
Operations & Maintenance 3
2
4 4
Direct-Fired Heaters: 12
Evaluate Thermal Performance 8 8
And the Effects of Fouling 9 9
As process specifications change, heaters often need 5

5
to accommodate increased capacity. Use these calculations 13
to determine the effects of doing so on fouling 11 11
Alan Cross, Retired 10 10
D
irect-fired heaters find wide temperatures and more-rapid coke de-
application throughout the position would result. The calculations 8 8
chemical process industries presented below verify that this is, in
(CPI) and are common in fact, the case.
petroleum refineries, where they are However, the extent of increased
used to preheat petroleum or petro- fouling is not necessarily catastrophic.
leum-derived feedstocks in advance of The example shown here for a heater of 6 6
downstream process operations. the design in Figure 1 illustrates that 7 7
Since excessive internal tube foul- by increasing heat flux from 10,000 to 1. 8-ft heater width
ing occurs above certain tempera- 17,700 Btu/h-ft, the relative run length 2. Single dual-burner element length
= 3 ft, 28 burners total
tures, designers often try to keep would be 0.36 or 36% of the run length 3. Top of burner flames
temperatures down by over-specify- for the heater as originally designed. If 4. Top of 1.95-ft-dia., upper-zone flames
ing the heat transfer surface area. the original heater has a run length of at 1,600°F
Later on, if the capacity of the heater 33 months, then the reapplied heater 5. Top of 2.22-ft-dia, lower-zone flames
at 2,200°F
needs to be changed or if the heater would have a run length of 1 year. In 6. 3,500°F burner flame temperature at
needs to be used for a different ser- many cases, it would take many years 0 emissivity
vice altogether, the engineer needs to for the increased operating costs to add 7. 1-ft burner inside dia.
investigate how the new conditions up to the cost of a new heater. 8. Tube bank at inside walls of
refractory-lined enclosure
will influence fouling. 9. Upper-zone circulating stream at cal-
This article demonstrates math- Heat transfer conditions culated average temp. of 1,600°F
ematically how to determine the ef- Direct-fired heaters used in delayed- 10. Lower-zone circulating stream at cal-
culated average temperature of 1,900 °F
fects of a different heat flux specifica- coking service usually come with two 11. Burner flame
tion on run length (the time interval sections — a radiant section and a con- 12. 20-ft calculated height of the upper zone
between shutdowns for cleaning or vection section. 13. 20-ft calculated height of the lower zone
decoking). Such analysis is helpful in In general, the heating surfaces in
understanding the changes in operat- the convection section may be used FIGURE 1. This schematic shows a typi-
ing costs associated with decoking the for feed preheating, followed by final cal direct-fired heater radiant section, and
provides dimensional data and tempera-
heater either more or less frequently. heating to the design outlet tem-
tures that correspond to the equations
This discussion focuses on the per- perature in the radiant section. The provided in this article
formance of direct-fired heaters in de- convection section may also be used
layed-coking service, which experience for other types of preheating, such as rectangular cross-section. The equa-
the most-severe operating conditions steam superheating. tions presented below are valid for
of any type of petroleum-refining ap- Radiant section. The radiant section cabin-type heaters that have a rect-
plication. The stringent design strate- consists of a refractory-lined enclo- angular cross-section and horizontal
gies discussed here are also applicable sure that houses one or more tubular tubes. Minor modifications would be
to fired-heaters used in other refinery heating coils, through which the pro- needed to use these equations to eval-
and chemical process applications. cess fluids flow. The heating coils are uate the performance of a heater with
arranged so as to surround a central a cylindrical cross-section.
Surface-area reduction grouping of one or more burners fu- The arrangement of the heating
When heat transfer duty increases for eled by natural gas (or other gases). coils forms a combustion chamber into
a given amount of heat transfer surface This section usually uses tubular which the high-temperature combus-
area (as measured by the resulting in- heating surfaces that are either ar- tion products generated by the burners
crease in heat flux), it would appear ranged vertically or horizontally in flow. Heat is transferred from the com-
that an increase in peak tube metal an enclosure that has a cylindrical or bustion products flowing past the coils
NOMENCLATURE
Term Units Definition
Operations & Maintenance a unitless Factor converting a single row of tubes backed by refractory to a
planar surface (see box, p. 49)
Acirc ft2 Surface area of the circulating stream
Aflame ft2 Surface area of the circulating stream; equal to Acirc (Equation 4)
to the process fluids flowing through At ft2 Total planar tube surface
them, with the principal mode of heat Ao ft2 Total outside radiant heat transfer surface
transfer occurring via radiation across Cpcirc Btu/lb°F Average specific heat at the average circulating fluegas, or the
the walls of the coils (Figure 1). average Cp based on a specified temperature interval
The radiant section of a typical di- Dburner ft Burner inside dia.
rect-fired heater most often has two Dflame avg ft Average flame dia. (see Figure 1)
Dflame top ft Diameter at the top of the flame
merging zones. The first is a lower Dtube ft Outside tube diameter
firing zone that corresponds to a sec- Ecirc unitless Emissivity of the circulating gas stream
tion of the heater wherein the fuel-air Eeff unitless Effective emissivity between two parallel surfaces (one hot plane and
mixture exiting the burners is burned one cold plane). Note: Calculation of Eeff in Equation (2a) requires
very nearly to completion, and the the following substitutions: Equation (1) E1 = Etubes and E2 =Efg;
combustion products are simultane- Equation (12) E1 = Efg and E2 = Ecirc;
ously cooled by the surrounding heat- Equation (13) E1 = Ecirc and E2 = Etubes
Efg unitless Emissivity of the fluegas, obtained from Equation (3), which was
transfer surfaces. The length of this
obtained by curve fitting a figure obtained from Ref. [3]
section should be very nearly equal to Ecold avg unitless Average emissivity of the top cold plane
the flame length. In the second zone — Ehot avg unitless Average emissivity of the hot plane
located above the first — the combus- Etubes unitless Emissivity of the tubes, as obtained from Ref. [3]
tion products are further cooled prior Hbott ft Height of the lower zone
to entering the convection section. Htop ft Height of the top zone
Convection section. The convection HTCoflame Btu/h-ft2-°F Convective heat transfer coefficient at the outside of the flame
section typically preheats process envelope (Equation 10)
HTCoinside Btu/h-ft2-°F Heat transfer coefficient inside tube
fluids before they enter the radiant
HTCotubes Btu/h-ft2-°F The tubular outside heat transfer coefficient from the circulating
section. It consists of a refractory- stream to the tubes (Equation 8)
lined enclosure that has a rectangular K1 unitless Thermal decomposition constant of process fluid
cross-section. L ft Thickness of the fluegas layer
Inside the enclosure are multiple Lc in. Maximum allowable coke thickness
rows of closely spaced, horizontal tubes. Lf ft Flame length
These tubes form channels through Lt ft Tube length
which combustion products leaving the Nb Total number of burners
P atm Total pressure
radiant section pass at relatively high
qavg Btu/hr-ft2 Average radiant heat flux
velocity. As this happens, heat is trans- qmax Btu/hr-ft2 Maximum radiant heat flux
ferred, principally via convection, from Qbott Btu/h Total heat absorption in the bottom zone of the radiant section
the combustion products to the heating (Equation 18)
surfaces and process fluids. Combustion Qc-circ-t Btu/h Heat transferred by convection from the circulation stream to the
products typically leave the convection outside tube surfaces (Equation 18)
section at a reduced temperature (lower Qc-circ Btu/h The quantity of heat transferred by convection from the flame
exhaust temperatures corresponds to envelope to the circulating fluegas stream (Equation 11)
higher overall thermal efficiencies).
Because of the high temperatures heat-transfer and system performance.
Temperature and fouling in the radiant section, the hydrocar- The time interval between shut-
The temperature of the combustion bon fluids at the inside wall of the tu- downs for decoking or cleaning is re-
products generated in the heater vary bular heating elements in this section ferred to as run length. Ideally, the
from very high at the bottom of the ra- tend to experience a degree of thermal run length should be made as long as
diant section (from a maximum equal decomposition, leaving behind coke possible, but decisions related to ap-
to the adiabatic flame temperature deposits that can adhere to the inner propriate run length must be balanced
at about 3,500°F), to intermediate at surface of the coil. As coke deposits against the higher capital costs associ-
the top of the radiant section (also (and deposits from dirt and other im- ated with such activities. For instance,
the inlet of the convection section), to purities in the fluids) build up, they it might be prohibitively costly to pro-
very low at the top of the convection form an insulating layer that restricts vide enough heat transfer area to lower
section (about 400°F leaving the con- heat flow through the tube wall. Even- the tube-metal temperatures to the
vection section). The temperature gra- tually, when the tube wall reaches its level needed to drastically increase the
dient from top to bottom depends on design temperature (referred to as run length.
the heat in the combustion products an end-of-run condition), the heater
leaving the burners, and the amount must be shut down and decoked (for Heat transfer calculations
of heat removed by the heat transfer instance, by using steam-air decoking Simultaneous solution of Equa-
surfaces, as determined by the tem- or controlled burning), or mechani- tions (1) through (18) below de-
perature and heat transfer character- cally cleaned (by using rotary cutting scribe how heat is transferred from
istics of both the combustion products tools). Periodic removal helps avoid the combustion products to the tu-
and heat transfer surfaces. tube damage while ensuring optimum bular heat-transfer surfaces in the
Term Units Definition PLANAR TUBE SURFACES
Qheat loss
Qlib
Qr –circ
Btu/h
Btu/h
Btu/h
Radiant and convective heat loss from radiant section enclosure
Total burner heat liberation
Heat transferred by radiation from the burner flame envelope to the
N ote that the procedure for the calcu-
lation of heat exchange between the
burner flame, the circulating combustion
circulating fluegas (Equation 12) products and the tubular heating sur-
Qr–circ–t Btu/h Heat transferred by radiation from the circulating fluegas to the pla- faces assumes that each of the above-
nar tubes (Equation 13) mentioned entities are parallel planes.
Qr–t Btu/h The total heat transferred by radiation from the burner flames to the While the flame surface and circulating
tubular heating surfaces at either side of the burner flame envelopes, combustion product surfaces may be
with burner flames being generated by two rows of burners firing considered parallel planes, the tube sur-
upward from the hearth (Equation 1) faces cannot.
Qtop Btu/h Total heat absorption in the top zone of the radiant section To covert the outside tubular surface
(Equation 17) to an equivalent parallel plane or pla-
Qtotal Btu/h Total process heat absorption (Equations 15 and 16) nar surface that is consistent with the
Sp.vol.burner gas ft3/lb Specific volume of fuel-air mix at the temperature exiting the burner flame and combustion product surfaces,
Sp.vol.circ ft3/lb Specific volume of the circulating gas the center-to-center distance between
Sp.vol.flame top ft3/lb Specific volume of the flame at the temperature exiting the lower zone tubes is multiplied by the tube length,
t s Time the number of tubes and the term a (see
Tadb °F Adiabatic flame temperature (about 3,500°F for natural gas) the Equation (1), the Nomenclature box,
Tbott in °F Temperature of the fluegas entering the bottom zone of the radiant
and the paragraph that follows).
section; same as Tadb
Noting that factor a is a function of the
Tbott out °F Temperature of the fluegas leaving the bottom zone of the radiant
tube diameter and the spacing of the
section
tubes, and may be found in [2, 3], the
Tcirc °F or R* Average temperature of circulating fluegas
use of the term planar tube surface is then
Tf °F or R* Average process fluid temperature, in °F except in Equation (5)
Tflame °F Average flame temperature considered to be the surface as calculated
Tfg R Fluegas temperature by the aforementioned procedure. R
Tfg-avg R The average fluegas temperature based on the fluegas temperature
entering and leaving the zone erage of the top and bottom calculated
TMT °F or R* Design temperature of tube metal surface at outside diameter; Sub- emissivities for the hot plane using
scripts: sor = start of run; eor = end of run; avg = average Equation (3). Ecold avg is calculated in a
Ttop in °F Temperature of the fluegas entering the top zone of the radiant sec- similar fashion but for the cold plane.
tion; same as Tbott out £544 £ 0.417
Ttop out °F Temperature leaving the top zone of the radiant section and entering Efg ² ² ©ª mfCO2
mfH2 O P L ©ª (3)
the convection section ¤T ¤«
fg
«
Vburner ft/s Burner exit velocity, which is also equal to Vf, the flame velocity
Vcirc ft/s Velocity of the circulating fluegas stream, as limited by Vburner; see Here, mf is mole fraction of the given
Equation (7) subsance, and L is the thickness of the
Vp ft/s Flame-propagation velocity for the fuel-air mixture [3]; Note: 1 ft/s plane at top and bottom. In a burner
is a typical value for natural gas and other hydrocarbon mixtures flame, L is equal in thickness to the
under ordinary burning conditions flame diameter at the top of the flame,
Vflame ft/s Velocity of the flame envelope and equal to 0 at the bottom of the
Wair+fuel total lb/h Total flowrate of the burner fuel-air mix
flame; see Figure 1).
Wfg lb/h Burner fluegas flow
Surface area of the burner flame
* In the case of convective heat transfer [Equations (9) and (11)], use °F; in the case of heat transfer via envelope (Aflame).
radiation [Equations (1), (12) and (13)], use R

Aflame 3.14 Dflameavg Hbott
(4)
Ideally, the flame length, Lf, as given
radiant section by both radiation by Equation (5) should be equal to or
and convection. The radiant section somewhat less than Hbott.
described in the author’s patent [1] (2a)
and shown in Figure 1 provides an Vp
3.14 Dburner 0.5 Lf
(5)
2
illustrative example. 0.785 Dburner V
burner
Calculate Qr–t , the total heat trans- For the purpose of solving Equation
ferred by radiation from the burner (1), E1 is equal to Etubes, which can be Dflame avg is the arithmetic average
flames to the tubular heating surfaces easily found in popular references [5]. of Dburner and Dflame top, as shown in
at either side of the burner flame en- At an average temperature of 1,200°F Figure 1. Dflame top is calculated from
velopes, using Equation (1): (the design tubes metal temperature Equation (6):
TMT) the average emissivity of the

Qr<t 0.173 a Eeff = tubes (the cold plane) is 0.8. E2 is
4 equal to Efg, which must be evaluated

© Tfg<avg © ©T ©
4
(1) as two gases (one hot and one cold) (6)
ª
« 100 « «100«

ª < ª MT ª Aflame N b using Equation (2b).
See box, right, for discussion of term a. Velocity of circulating fluegas

Emissivity calculations (Eeff). Eeff, (2b) stream (Vcirc). The circulating fluegas
the effective emissivity between two stream, described above and depicted
parallel surfaces, is given by Equation in Figure 1 is generated as a result of
(2a) and Ref. [2]): Ehot avg is equal to the arithmetic av- fluegas entrainment by the burner jet.
Operations & Maintenance
1. Stack
2. Process coil outlet,
1 1 radiant section
The volumetric gas-entrainment rate 3. Refractory-lined walls
11 3
for a free jet (that is, one that is not 7 of the radiant section
11
constrained by a surrounding medium) enclosure
8
4. Horizontal tube process
is a function of the length-to-diameter 12
coil, radiant section
9
of the jet and the volumetric flowrate of 2 2 5. Process coil inlet, radiant
10
the burner gas. However, since a jet en- 12 2 section
closed by a heater enclosure is not truly 4 6. Two rows of gaseous fuel
4 4 3 burners
a free jet, different tactics must be used
3 7. Heating coil inlet, auxiliary
to calculate the circulation rate, since convection section
that rate must be considered to be lim- 8. Heating coil outlet, aux-
ited by burner velocity. The following 6
iliary convection section
equation may be used: 9. Process preheat coil,
convection section
2 2 (7)
Vburner 4
Vcirc 4 10. Process preheat coil outlet
connection, convection
2 g Sp.vol.burnergas 2 g Sp.vol.circ
section
11. Auxiliary coil, convection
5 5 5 section
Note that the above equation consid-
12. Process preheat coil,
ers that a single burner velocity head, A 6 A 6
convection section
generated by the burner, is used to FIGURE 2. Shown here are the arrangements of components
overcome a loss of four velocity heads, in the radiant and convection sections of a typical direct-fired heater
corresponding to the circulating
stream making four 90-degree turns The quantity of heat transferred by the unknown circulating fluegas tem-
inside the enclosure. convection from the flame envelope perature. Thus:
Heat transfer coefficient for heat to the circulating fluegas stream,
transfer from the circulating Qc-circ, is given by: Qr<circ
Qc<circ Qr<circ<t
Qc<circ<t (14)
stream to the tubes (HTCotubes).
Heat transfer by convection (from the Note that Equations (15) through
relatively high-velocity, circulating (18) for both zones must be satisfied
fluegas stream and tubular heating (11) in order to obtain a proper solution of
coil at the inside walls of the radiant- Also note the following relationship, Equations (1) thru (14):
section enclosure) contribute to the where Eeff is given by Equation (2a) (15)
total heat flow absorbed by the coils. E1 = Efg and is evaluated at Tfg-avg
Equation (8) has been appropriately and E2 is evaluated at Tcirc:
modified from Ref. [4]:
HTCotubes "
Qr<circ 0.173 Eeff t (16)
0.6 (12)
© V 3, 600© Cp © ¦T ¦
4
¦T ¦ ©
4
0.133
circ
ª Sp. vol. ª D
circ
0.4
(8)

ª § fg<avg § < § circ § ª Aflame N b
Qtop Wfg Cpcirc Tbottout < Ttopout (17)
« «
circ tube
« ¨ 100 ¨ ¨100 ¨ «
The quantity of heat transferred by The heat transferred by radiation Qbott " Wfg Cpcirc Tadb Tbottout
convection to this surface, Qc-circ-t, is from the circulating fluegas to the pla-
(18)
given by: nar tubes, Qr-circ-t, is given by: Tbott in may be taken to be the adia-
batic flame temperature, although
(9) (13) heat flow from the burner flame at
this point is essentially zero since
flame thickness and emissivity at this
Meanwhile, heat transferred by con- point are also zero.
vection from the flame envelope to the Equations (1) through (18) can be
circulating fluegas stream must also Equation (14) shows that the heat en- used to evaluate the performance of
be considered, and may be calculated tering the circulating gas stream by both the upper and lower zones of
using the following equation, also ap- radiation and convection is equal to the radiant section, and have been
propriately modified from Ref. [4]: the heat leaving the circulating gas used to calculate the performance of
0.8 stream by radiation and convection. a delayed-coking heater with a total
" 0.0144 ª

©V
circ
Vflame 3, 600© The temperature of the circulating flu- radiant-heat absorption of 100-mil-
HTCoflame
Sp.Vol.circ ª egas stream is determined by equat- lion Btu/h. Dimensional data provided
« « ing the radiant and convective heat in Figure (1) are based on data sum-
w
Cp circ (10) inputs entering the circulating fluegas marized in Ref. [1]. Data calculated
0.2 stream to the radiant and convective via the equations provided herein are
D
flameavg .
heat inputs leaving, and solving for summarized in Table 1.
TABLE 1. SUMMARY OF CALCULATED DATA BASED ON REF. [1]
Upper zone dimensions, length (Lt)/width/height (Htop), ft 42/8/20
Lower zone dimensions, length (Lt)/width/height (Hbott), ft 42/8/20
Burner diameter (Dburner), ft 1.0
Number of burners (Nb) 28
Determine the thermal decomposi-
Temperature leaving upper zone (Ttop in), °F 1,600 tion constant (K1). The coke-deposi-
Temperature leaving lower zone (Tbot out), °F 2,200 tion temperature, (TMT avg) in degrees
Total tubular surface area (Ao), ft2 5,640 R, can then be used to calculate a de-
(q ) 2
composition velocity constant [5].
Overall average heat flux avg , Btu/h-ft 17,700
50, 248
Calculated heat absorption, upper zone (Qtop), million Btu/h 43.0 ln K1 30.7 < (23)
TMT ,avg
Calculated heat absorption, lower zone (Qbott), million Btu/h 67.0
Total calculated heat absorption (Qtotal), million Btu/h 110.0 K1 is actually defined by Equation
(24).
Design total heat absorption, million Btu/h 100.0
1 100
Calculated convection heat transfer coefficient, burner 3.0 K1 ln
t 100 < x
flame to circulating stream (HTCoflame), Btu/h-ft2-°F (24)
Calculated convection heat transfer coefficient, circulating 5.0
stream to outside tube surface (HTCotubes), Btu/h-ft2-°F Since the run length for a given heater
Calculated burner exit velocity (Vburner), ft/s 27.0 is proportional to Lc/K1, the relative
Calculated circulating stream velocity, as limited by burner 31.0 run length for the proposed heater
velocity (Vcirc), ft/s having a lesser amount of tubular
Calculated average upper circulating stream temperature, °F 1,600 heat transfer surface than that of a
heater of traditional design can be
Calculated lower circulating stream temperature, °F 1,900
determined by dividing Lc/K1 for the
Maximum allowable coke-deposition thickness (Lc), in. 0.08 proposed heater by Lc/K1 for the tradi-
Relative run length for a heater where qavg = 17,700 0.36 tional design. This relationship results
to a conventional heater where qavg = 10,000 in the relative run lengths calculated
The maximum allowable coke deposition thickness occurs at the critical tube location. A trial-and- and given in Table 1. O
error procedure confirms that the critical tube location is mid-height in the radiant section. Edited by Suzanne Shelley
Comparing relative run lengths tion has been identified, the maximum References
In the case of the two-zone, direct-fired heat flux must be calculated. 1. Cross, A., U.S. Patent 7,395,785. “Reducing
Heat Transfer Surface Area Requirements
heater discussed above, it is assumed
that direct radiation to a single tube

qmax HTCoinside TMT ,sor < Tf 1.8 qavg of Direct Fired Heaters Without Decreasing
Run Length,” July 8, 2008; www.uspto.gov.
emanates horizontally and obliquely (19) 2. Kern, D.Q., “Process Heat Transfer, First
Ed.,” McGraw-Hill, New York, 1959.
from a point corresponding to the Where 3. Perry, R.H., and Green, D.W., “Perry’s
radiating center (which is also the Qtotal Chemical Engineers Hand Book, Sixth Ed.,”
qavg McGraw-Hill, New York.
geometric center) of a cross-sectional (20)
Ao 4. McAdams, W.H., “Heat Transmission, Third
plane passing vertically through the Ed.,” McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954.
combustion chamber and burners Note that the factor 1.8 in Equation (19) 5. Nelson, W.L., “Constants for Rates of Ther-
mal Decomposition of Hydrocarbons and
(Figure 2). is for tubes on 2-dia. centers fired on one Petroleum Fractions, Fuels, Combustion and
Identify critical tube location. To side only and backed by refractory. Furnaces,” McGraw-Hill, New York, 1946.
properly evaluate the relative run Determine coke deposition temper-
Author
length of a given radiant section for two ature (TMT,avg).
Alan Cross (73-34 244th St.,
different conditions, first a so-called Little Neck, NY, 11362; Email:
critical tube location must be identi- across8588@aol.com) has had
fied. The critical tube location is where TMT ,ave

T MT , sor
< TMT ,eor (21)
more than 30 years of pro-
fessional design experience
the combination of maximum heat flux 2 with direct-fired heaters with
ABB Lummus Heat Transfer
and resulting local-fluid temperature Where TMT,eor = the maximum tube (now CB&I Lummus Tech-
nology). He holds a B.S.Ch.E.
are such that the maximum allowable design temperature (in this case, from The City College of New
coke thickness is at its lowest point in 1,200°F). York, and an M.S.Ch.E. from
the Polytechnic University of
the heater (and therefore is the limit- Determine coke deposition thick- New York, and is a member of the American In-
ing factor in run length). As a rule of ness (Lc). Once a critical tube location stitute of Chemical Engineers. He has authored
several patents related to direct-fired heaters,
thumb, the critical tube location is usu- has been identified, the maximum-al- and has several other patents pending related
to the design of coal-fired process heaters, com-
ally where the fluegas temperature is lowable, coke-deposition thickness can pact, low-cost, fired heaters capable of process-
the highest. In the case of the heater il- be determined. ing low- and high-boiling petroleum-based fluids
using design strategies that reduce the fouling of
lustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the critical 1 L

c
TMT ,eor < Tf internal tube surfaces from coke deposition. He
is also engaged in design studies relating to the
tube location happens to correspond to
HTCoinside K c qmax development of low-cost, innovative, catalytic
the radiating center of the combustion (22) steam- methane reformer heaters and hydro-
chamber (the burner cross-section). carbon-cracking heaters, with the expectation of
patenting and prototyping the proposed equip-
Calculate maximum radiant heat Where Kc is the thermal conductivity ment, as a result of the very substantial material
cost savings indicated by preliminary estimates.
flux (qmax). Once a critical tube loca- of coke (13.6 Btu-in/h-ft2-°F).
FOCUS ON
Water Treatment
ITT
L
ast month, a total of 17,722 spending is for retrofitting, as opposed
Krohne
visitors and 995 exhibitors to new construction.
attended WEFTEC.09, the Klaus Andersen, executive vice-presi-
Water Environment Federa- dent of Veolia Water Solutions & Tech- depending on the size. The Model 3393
tion’s (WEF) 82nd annual technical nologies (Saint Maurice, France; www. comes standard with i-Alert, an on-
exhibition and conference held in veoliawaterst.com) and CEO for the board monitoring device that constantly
Orlando, Fla. Particularly in this Americas and Australia, has been fo- measures vibration and temperature,
time of economic concerns, the strong cused on reducing energy costs for some which provides a visual warning of
showing reinforces the importance of time. Some approaches provide sig- potential operational issues. Benefits
water — its availability, treatment nificant savings he says, such as imple- of the Model 3393 include: decreased
and reuse — in both industrial and menting anaerobic water-treatment in power consumption and low total cost of
municipal sectors. place of aerobic, which is what Veolia’s ownership with high-efficiency hydrau-
At the show, leaders in the water- Biothane group specializes in. Ander- lic design; standard casing rings pro-
treatment arena shared their insights sen further says that people are looking vide an easily replaceable wear surface
on the current state of water treat- more and more at water reuse and re- to restore original efficiencies; impel-
ment and technologies. Chuck Gordon, cycling. He cites Veolia’s recent contract lers can be machined for impeller rings
president and CEO of Siemens Water with Diageo USVI for a washwater treat- to extend the useful operating life of
Technologies Corp. (Warrendale, Pa.; ment plant for its rum distillery as an the pump; simplified maintenance and
www.water.siemens.com) emphasized example (see CE, September 2009, p.63). inspection because the involute balance
the role of energy, “On average, a mu- Similar to the way many companies are drum is accessible and removable from
nicipality spends about 30 to 40% of now looking at carbon footprints, Ander- the discharge side of the pump; and
its energy bill on water and wastewa- sen expects a water footprint to become flexibility in plant layout resulting from
ter treatment, and much of the energy common in the future. multiple suction and discharge nozzle
cost is for supplying aeration.” He men- The following products and services orientations. The Model 3393 RO pump
tioned several solutions that his com- from these and many other companies will be available in sizes ranging from
pany offers for reducing energy use, not are a sampling of what is currently of- 2.5- to 6-in. discharge. — ITT Corp.,
just for aeration, but also for reducing fered for water treatment and reuse. White Plains, N.Y.
sludge and removing more water from www.gouldspumps.com.
sludge to reach high (~40%) solids lev- Reduce energy costs using this
els. Gordon also says that the impact RO high-pressure pump Upgrade performance with
of the U.S. stimulus package has been The high-pressure feed pump is an in- these cloth filters
positive, although only a small portion tegral part of the reverse osmosis (RO) AquaDiamond Filters (photo) provide
of it (~ 5% or $300 million) is targeted process. The new Model 3393 high- the benefit of OptiFiber cloth filtra-
for water-treatment process equip- pressure ring section pump (photo) is tion media in a lower profile, diamond
ment. About 70% of the projects Sie- capable of delivering 150 to 3,100 gal/ configuration, with several design and
mens is working on related to stimulus min of feedwater (34 m3/h to 700 m3/h) performance advantages compared
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number
Aqua-Aerobic Systems
Siemens Water Technologies
pared to the SFP-2860, but of water treatment applications in-

still features the high strength cluding water reuse, upgrades, retro-
PVDF hollow fibers with a fits and compliance-driven projects,
to traveling-bridge-sand fil- nominal pore size of 0.03 microns. the system offers the following fea-
ters. These advantages in- This unit allows flexibility in sys- tures and benefits, according to the
clude the following, says the tem design by reducing the num- manufacturer: continuously controlled
manufacturer: 2–3 times ber of modules, required piping, environment around the membrane
the flow capacity with an skid infrastructure, and the size system equalizes loading on each
equivalent footprint; up to 3 of the compressed air and clean- membrane bundle; positive two-phase
times higher solids loading in-place systems. The 0.03-micron- (air and water) transfer into the fiber
capabilities per square foot nominal-pore diameter allows for bundles keeps the membrane clean,
Dow Water & Process Solutions
of media; reduced backwash- removal of bacteria, viruses, and extending life and reducing operating
water volume; an improved particulate matter including col- costs; cross-flow dynamics maximize
drive and tracking system loids to protect downstream pro- scouring efficiency; small footprint;
prevents “crabbing”; and cesses, such as RO. The polymeric and continuous removal of oil and
lower operation and main- hollow fibers provide high strength grease from the membrane operating
tenance costs. These filters and chemical resistance for long environment. The automated, in-place
can be retrofitted into exist- membrane life. An outside-in flow membrane cleaning process can also
ing concrete traveling bridge configuration offers high tolerance mean reduced labor. — Siemens Water
filters, or can be installed in to feed solids that help reduce the Technologies Corp., Warrendale, Pa.
new plants. — Aqua-Aerobic need for pretreatment processes. www.water.siemens.com
Systems, Inc., Rockford, Ill. — Dow Water & Process Solutions,
www.aqua-aerobic.com Minneapolis, Minn. Use this electromagnetic meter
www.dowwatersolutions.com. where no power is available
This pressurized ultrafil- The Waterflux 3070 is an electromag-
tration module is the largest A membrane bioreactor system netic water meter for applications in
Designed with increased area and that is designed for the CPI the water and wastewater industries.
length to yield cost savings on sys- The Petro membrane bioreactor Its 15-yr battery life makes it suited to
tem design and fabrication, the new (MBR) system (photo) has been spe- applications where no power is avail-
Ultrafiltration SFP-2880 (photo) is cially designed for the petroleum, able. The device also has the option of
the largest pressurized ultrafiltra- petrochemical and other chemical pro- a GSM module for remote transmis-
tion module on the market, says the cess industries (CPI). It is a wastewa- sion of measurement data and sta-
manufacturer. Ideal for a wide variety ter treatment process that combines tus information. Thanks to extremely
of treatment applications including various biological treatment processes short inlet and outlet installation re-
industrial wastewaters, the SFP-2880 with an integrated, immersed mem- quirements, the Waterflux 3070 can
adds 20 inches of length when com- brane system. Suited to a wide range be installed in very narrow wells and
Focus
Alfa Laval
chambers. As a magnetic-inductive
meter it is accurate and stable, while
also featuring a lower pressure drop water to a high light dose to ef-
than comparable mechanical water ficiently treat the water. The
meters. For large diameters, the Water- C3500 D utilizes calibrated UV
flux 3070 has a price advantage com- sensors and flowrate to control
pared to the lifetime cost of mechani- the dose, helping to minimize
cal meters, which often require filters operating costs and provide lon-
and rectifiers as well as significantly ger lamp life. — Calgon Carbon
more maintenance and cleaning, ac- Calgon Carbon
Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa.
cording to the manufacturer. This www.calgoncarbon.com
company also offers the Optisound modules. This company also offers
VU30 (photo, p. 52) and VU31 for level the Spiral Heat Exchanger for heat- Water facilities tackle
measurements in the wastewater in- ing and cooling of sludge. The Spi- cyber-security pressures
dustry. The Optisound is capable of ral Heat Exchanger is intended for Documented security breeches at
liquid-level-measurement ranges up sludge applications in which heat is water and wastewater facilities world-
to 30 ft (9.1 m), with a 2-wire 4–20mA, interchanged between sludge flows. wide are among the factors spurring
HART output signal. — Krohne Inc., It consists of a spiral — wound from calls by a number of organizations for
Peabody, Mass. sheets of metal strips — that forms increased cyber-security vigilance.
www.Krohne.com/northamerica two concentric spiral flow passages. The Ovation Security Center (photo)
The channels are alternately welded can help these facilities as they step
Sludge thickening and heat- on opposite ends to form a hot and up their cyber-security measures. Al-
transfer solutions cold channel. The hot channel is then ready proven in the power industry,
The Aldrum drum thickener (photo) closed while the sludge channel is ac- the Ovation Security Center’s cen-
provides very gentle sludge handling cessible for cleaning. The design is trally located console streamlines
and recovery. The unit is a range of engineered to lower the required sur- management of the following security
mechanical sludge thickeners and face area through more efficient heat applications: security event manage-
works on the principle of convey- transfer and reduce fouling and plug- ment; patch deployment and audit;
ing polyelectrolyte-treated sludge ging. — Alfa Laval, Lund, Sweden malware prevention; event log stor-
through a slowly rotating drum fil- www.alfalaval.com age and reporting; and vulnerability
ter. The sludge remains in the drum, assessment and management. The
while the water phase passes through This UV system is designed to Security Center’s event-management
the filter cloth. Sludge concentration efficiently treat water capability provides a centralized
can be regulated by adjusting the fee- The C3500 D (photo) utilizes 500-W event collection, event correlation,
drate, angle and speed of the drum. ultraviolet (UV) lamps in a small foot- and threat identification function for
Aldrum drum thickeners are equipped print to provide overall efficiency and security-related events in an Ova-
with a drum cleaning system consist- economic savings compared to other tion control system. Security events
ing of a spray bar for water. The drum low-pressure, high-output (LPHO) are collected from each network de-
is cleaned using potable water, final systems, says the manufacturer. The vice including network intrusion de-
effluent or treated filtrate, which re- high-wattage system relies on a pat- tection systems, firewalls, routers,
duces overall water consumption. The ent-pending design, which hydrauli- switches, servers, workstations, con-
unit is available in four sizes and all cally “mixes” water across three sets trollers, and Security Center appli-
are offered as separate components of delta-shaped (D) wings while mini- cation modules. Periodic updates to
or as complete sludge thickening mizing the head loss and exposing the patches, vulnerability databases and
security signatures are downloaded biofilm along with the mixing energy Gard is a water-treatment technol-
and standard-security-management required to keep the biocarriers sus- ogy for open recirculating cooling
reports are available for operations pended and completely mixed within systems that can be applied in both
management and regulatory compli- the reactor. Treated water flows from neutral and alkaline pH scenarios.
ance. — Emerson Process Manage- the reactor through a grid or a sieve, Gengard components are stable and
ment, Austin, Tex. which retains the MBBR biocarri- retain their effectiveness in the pres-
www.emersonprocess.com ers within the reactor. Depending on ence of chlorine and other halogens.
the wastewater, the reactors may be TrueSense Online for Cooling is a
This biofilm treatment system equipped with special spray nozzles technology for applying the right
offers high surface areas that prevent excessive foam forma- amount of additive, at any point in
Microorganisms in a biofilm waste- tion. The MBBR biofilm technology time. The polymer that inhibits min-
water-treatment process are typi- can be used as a standalone process, eral scale and disperses suspended
cally more resilient to process distur- or it can be used to enhance the treat- solids in cooling systems is measured
bances when compared to other types ment of activated sludge processes. and controlled. System performance
of biological-treatment processes. In — Veolia Water Solutions & Technolo- is protected at an optimized total
the AnoxKaldnes Moving Bed Bio- gies, Saint Maurice, France cost of cooling operations. The direct
film Reactor (MBBR) technology, the www.veoliawaterst.com/mbbr polymer measurement and control
biofilm growth is protected within offers practical advantages, such as
engineered plastic carriers that are Advanced cooling water solu- direct measuring, no dependence on
designed with high internal-surface tions increase reliability tracers, no additional costs and a
areas. With this technology, it is pos- This company has recently debuted simple onsite singe-point calibration
sible to handle extremely high load- two advanced cooling solutions to procedure. — GE Water & Process
ing conditions without clogging. An help monitor, control and maintain Technologies, Trevose, Pa.
aeration grid located at the bottom cooling water systems with greater www.gewater.com Q
of the reactor supplies oxygen to the reliability and predictability. Gen- Dorothy Lozowski
Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only)

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Managing Editor: Dorothy Lozowski, 4 Choke Cherry Road, 2nd Floor, Rockville, MD materials, they can be combined with
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address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all
stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock: Veronis and conveying for use in additional
Suhler Stevenson, 350 Park Avenue, New York, NY 1002211. Known Bondholders, process applications.
Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total
Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or other Securities: None 12. Non-profit organization: not
applicable. 13. Publication: Chemical Engineering 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data: Air Stream Flash Dryers: designed
September 2009 to bring wet dispersable products into
Average No. of No. Copies of contact with a heated high velocity gas stream.
15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Copies Each Issue Single issue
During Preceding Nearest to Cage Mill Flash Dryers: utilized with wet, lumpy and dis-
12 Months Filing Date
a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 58,908 55,857 persable products where the agitation and turbulence created by
b. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution
(1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions 51,207 48,626
the cage mill assists in drying of surface moisture.
(2) Inside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions 0 0
(3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors 0 0 ImpTM Mill Flash Dryers: selected when size reduction of the
(4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes 207 190 process material is also required.
c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 51,414 48,816
d. Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) Flash Calciners: provided when higher product temperatures
(1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies 5,387 5,183
(2) Inside-County Nonrequested Copies 0 0 are required to drive off chemically bound water.
(3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS
by Other Classes of Mail 0 0 Flash Coolers: appropriate when high temperature process
(4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail
(Include Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Showrooms, materials need to be cooled and transported to an elevated silo
and Other Sources) 704 1,000 or storage.
e. Total Norequested Distribution 6,091 6,183
f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) 57,505 54,999
g. Copies not Distributed (Office, Returns, Spoilage, Unused) 1,403 858
h. Total (Sum of 15f and g) 58,908 55,857
4525 Weaver Pkwy, Warrenville, IL 60555
i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 89.41% 88.76%
Toll free: 877.661.5509
16. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester
Air Preheater Company
'%

Publication is required and will be printed in the November 2009 issue of this publication.
17. Signature of Owner: Don Pazour Date: 9/18/09 TM Raymond Operations Email: info@airpreheatercompany.com
PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 www.raymondflashdryers.com

PRODUCT SHOWC ASE
Delta Cooling Towers, Inc.
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Economic Indicators
BUSINESS NEWS
LLC (Boonton, N.J.; www,thechemprogroup. Evonik and Cristal Material establish
PLANT WATCH
com), and Mo-Fuel (Rural Bio-waste; JV for LED glass lenses
BASF announces its intention to cease Sikeston, Mo.) have formed an alliance to October 5, 2009 — Evonik Industries AG (Es-
activities in Feluy, Belgium commercialize a patented process that is sen, Germany; www.evonik.com) and Taipei,
October 22, 2009 — BASF Antwerpen expected to economically and efficiently Taiwan-based Cristal Material Corp. have
N.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of BASF produce ethanol from cellulose feedstocks. formed a JV to manufacture high-quality
SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf. The process can handle a full spectrum of glass lenses for next-generation LEDs.
com) has announced its intention to close cellulosic feedstock, such as wood chips,
its 115,000-ton/yr maleic anhydride (MA) pulp-and-paper-plant byproducts and corn Wacker exits from solar-
production facility by the end of 2009 and to stover.The technology, a continuous catalyt- wafer business
withdraw all BASF activities from its site in Fe- ic hydrolysis, produces a high conversion of September 30, 2009 — Wacker Chemie AG
luy, Belgium. Unsatisfactory profitability due biomass feedstock into fuel-grade ethanol (Munich, Germany; www.wacker.com) will
to overcapacity and resulting low margins and has a low residence time compared to transfer its shares of its JV, Wacker Schott
together with the effects of the current eco- other processes.The alliance will construct a Solar GmbH (WSS), to its former partner
nomic crisis were cited as reasons. mobile feedstock testing unit, which is Schott Solar AG.The reason for this move is
expected to be operational in early 2010. Wacker’s decision to focus its solar activities
Solvay and Huatai to exclusively on its core competency, which
build H2O2 plant Milliken expands colorants portfolio is the production of hyperpure polycrystal-
October 8, 2009 — Solvay S.A. (Brussels, through Rebus acquisition line silicon. Schott Solar, on the other hand,
Belgium; www.solvay.com) has struck an October 14, 2009 — Milliken & Co. (Spartan- concentrates on the downstream side of the
agreement with Huatai Group of China to burg, S.C.; www.millikenchemical.com) has photovoltaic value chain, the manufactur-
establish a hydrogen-peroxide joint venture announced the acquisition of the assets of ing of solar cells and modules.
(JV).The JV company, Shandong Huatai Rebus, Inc., a North American provider of
Interox Chemical Co., will build a hydrogen pigment and additive dispersions for the BASF and CSM to develop
peroxide plant at Huatai’s new site in Dongy- thermoset plastics and high-performance biobased succinic acid
ing, Shandong Province, China, with a ca- industrial coatings markets. Milliken will September 30, 2009 — BASF SE (Ludwig-
pacity of 50,000 metric tons per year (m.t./ continue to operate Rebus’s existing manu- shafen, Germany; www.basf.com) and CSM
yr).The plant is expected to be completed facturing facility in Aston, Pa.Terms of the N.V. (Diemen, the Netherlands; www.csm.nl)
by the end of 2011. acquisition were not disclosed. have announced the cooperation between
their respective subsidiaries — BASF Future
Two North American masterbatch sites to Evonik acquires Eli Lilly’s Tippecanoe Business GmbH and Purac — for the devel-
be closed by Clariant manufacturing site opment of the production of biobased suc-
October 2, 29009 — Responding to over- October 14, 2009 — Evonik Industries AG (Es- cinic acid. Both partners have been work-
capacity in a market still affected by the sen, Germany; www.evonik.de) has agreed ing on the development of the industrial
economic downturn, Clariant (Muttenz, to acquire Indianapolis, Indiana-based fermentation and downstream processing
Switzerland; www.clariant.com) will close Eli Lilly and Co’s Tippecanoe Laboratories of biobased succinic acid and will start pro-
masterbatch facilities in Lachine, Quebec manufacturing facility in Lafayette, Ind.The duction of commercial quality and volumes
and in Milford, Del. Production from those site manufactures active pharmaceutical in the 2nd Q of 2010.
sites will transfer to the company’s existing ingredients (API) and precursor materials for
sites, principally at Toronto, Ontario and Al- the pharmaceutical industry.The Tippeca- A new company called Envirogen
bion, Mich., respectively. noe plant will be fully integrated into Evonik’s Technologies is formed
global production and marketing network. September 30, 2009 — The Amplio Group
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS The purchase price was not disclosed.The (London, U.K.) has announced the for-
Dow Corning establishes transaction is expected to close by the end mation of Envirogen Technologies, Inc.
Middle East operations of the year, pending approvals from regula- (Kingwood,Tex.; www.envirogen.com),
October 22, 2009 — Dow Corning (Midland, tory agencies. a technology and services provider with
Mich.; www.dowcorning.com) has estab- existing business in municipal and indus-
lished a Middle East headquarters and ADM acquires Czech trial water and environmental-treatment
commercial entity in Manama, Bahrain.The oilseed processing plant applications. Envirogen Technologies was
Bahrain office, the company’s first location in October 6, 2009 — Archer Daniels Midland formed from the assets of Basin Water, Inc.,
the Middle East, will house engineers, chem- Co. (ADM; Decatur, Ill.; www.admworld. which were recently purchased by Amplio.
ists and sales professionals with expertise com) has announced the expansion of its The new company will offer a broad range
in silicon-based technology. As many as 20 European oilseed processing capabilities of technologies and services for a number
employees are expected to be working out with the acquisition of ViaChem Group’s oil- of environmentaltreatment applications,
of the office within the next year. seed processing assets in Olomouc, Czech including potable water treatment, ground-
Republic.This facility consists of an oilseed water remediation, process water treat-
ChemPro and Mo-Fuel join forces for crushing, refining and biodiesel production ment, wastewater treatment, odor control
advanced cellulose ethanol technology plant that produces oil and meal for the and more. Q
October 19, 2009 — The ChemPro Group, food, feed and energy markets. Dorothy Lozowski
FOR ADDITIONAL NEWS AS IT DEVELOPS, PLEASE VISIT WWW.CHE.COM

November 2009; VOL. 116; NO. 12
Chemical Engineering copyright @ 2009 (ISSN 0009-2460) is published monthly, with an additional issue in October, by Access Intelligence, LLC, 4 Choke Cherry Road,
2nd Floor, Rockville, MD, 20850. Chemical Engineering Executive, Editorial, Advertising and Publication Offices: 110 William Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10038; Phone:
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FOR MORE ECONOMIC INDICATORS, SEE NEXT PAGE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM NOVEMBER 2009 63
Economic Indicators 2009 2008
DOWNLOAD THE CEPCI TWO WEEKS SOONER AT WWW.CHE.COM/PCI

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PLANT COST INDEX (CEPCI)
650
(1957-59 = 100) Aug. '09 July. '09 Aug. '08
Prelim. Final Final Annual Index:
CE Index 521.9 512.1 619.3 2001 = 394.3 600
Equipment 615.7 601.2 761.0
Heat exchangers & tanks 560.9 542.8 784.2
2002 = 395.6
Process machinery 599.1 589.8 680.7 2003 = 402.0 550
Pipe, valves & fittings 752.0 732.1 881.5
2004 = 444.2
Process instruments 399.8 387.8 457.8
2005 = 468.2 500
Pumps & compressors 895.9 898.5 872.9
Electrical equipment 462.1 459.1 468.1 2006 = 499.6
Structural supports & misc 630.8 615.9 843.9 450
Construction labor 327.7 327.5 325.3 2007 = 525.4
Buildings 491.3 487.0 529.8 2008 = 575.4
Engineering & supervision 346.0 346.5 352.3 400
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 (2000 = 100) Sep. '09 = 93.7 Aug. '09 = 93.0 Jul. '09 = 91.9 Sep. '08 = 99.0
CPI value of output, $ billions Aug. '09 = 1,480.5 Jul. '09 = 1,454.9 Jun. '09 = 1,482.4 Aug. '08 = 2,000.6
CPI operating rate, % Sep. '09 = 69.1 Aug. '09 = 68.4 Jul. '09 = 67.5 Sep. '08 = 72.4
Producer prices, industrial chemicals (1982 = 100) Sep. '09 = 248.4 Aug. '09 = 236.9 Jul. '09 = 234.6 Sep. '08 = 312.3
Industrial Production in Manufacturing (2002=100)* Sep. '09 = 97.5 Aug. '09 = 96.7 Jul. '09 = 95.6 Sep. '08 = 105.7
Hourly earnings index, chemical & allied products (1992 = 100) Sep. '09 = 148.2 Aug. '09 = 148.0 Jul. '09 = 148.5 Sep. '08 = 144.3
Productivity index, chemicals & allied products (1992 = 100) Sep. '09 = 135.3 Aug. '09 = 133.8 Jul. '09 = 131.8 Sep. '08 = 122.3
CPI OUTPUT INDEX (2000 = 100) CPI OUTPUT VALUE ($ BILLIONS) CPI OPERATING RATE (%)
120 2500 85
110 2200 80
100 1900 75
90 1600 70
80 1300 65
70 1000 60
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
*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.
Current business indicators provided by Global insight, Inc., Lexington, Mass.
MARSHALL & SWIFT EQUIPMENT COST INDEX CURRENT TRENDS

1500
(1926 = 100)
M & S INDEX
3rd Q
2009
1,446.4
2nd Q
2009
1,462.9
1st Q
2009
1,477.7
4th Q
2008
1,487.2
3rd Q
2008
1,469.5
1485
1470
P reliminary estimates
indicate that in August
there was nearly a 2% in-
Process industries, average 1,515.1 1,534.2 1,553.2 1,561.2 1,538.2
Cement 1,509.7 1,532.5 1,551.1 1,553.4 1,522.2
crease in capital equipment
1455
Chemicals 1,485.8 1,504.8 1,523.8 1,533.7 1,511.5 pries (as reflected in the
Clay products 1,495.8 1,512.9 1,526.4 1,524.4 1,495.6 1440 Chemical Engineering Plant
Glass 1,400.4 1,420.1 1,439.8 1,448.1 1,432.4
1425
Cost Index) from the previ-
Paint 1,515.1 1,535.9 1,554.1 1,564.2 1,543.9 ous month. That reflects
Paper 1,416.3 1,435.6 1,453.3 1,462.9 1,443.1 1410 the largest increase since
Petroleum products 1,625.2 1,643.5 1,663.6 1,668.9 1,644.4
1395 equipment prices bottomed
Rubber 1,560.7 1,581.1 1,600.3 1,604.6 1,575.6
out in May.
Related industries 1380
Electrical power 1,370.8 1,394.7 1,425.0 1,454.2 1,454.4
Meanwhile, the CPI output
Mining, milling 1,547.6 1,562.9 1,573.0 1,567.5 1,546.2 1365 index and operating rate
Refrigeration 1,767.3 1,789.0 1,807.3 1,818.1 1,793.1 continue to climb, but each
1350
Steam power 1,471.4 1,490.8 1,509.3 1,521.9 1,499.3 is still below its level of the
1335 same period one year ago.
Annual Index: Visit www.che.com/pci
1320
2001 = 1,093.9 2003 = 1,123.6 2005 = 1,244.5 2007 = 1,373.3 1st 2nd 3rd 4th for more on capital cost
2002 = 1,104.2 2004 = 1,178.5 2006 = 1,302.3 2008 = 1,449.3 Quarter
trends and methodology. O

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