September

2017

www.chemengonline.com

Water and
Wastewater
Management
Vacuum System Design
Temperature Sensors
Pumps

Drones Enter
the CPI Space page 30

Spill Containment
Facts at Your
Fingertips:
Heat Transfer
Focus on Feeding and
Weighing
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 www.chemengonline.com

September 2017 Volume 124 | no. 9

Cover Story
30 Drones Take to the CPI Skies Drones are quickly entering
the chemical processing space as more companies embrace their use for
inspection and montoring tasks

In the News
7 Chementator
Oxy-fuel burner restores air-fuel regenerative furnaces to full
production; Magnetized viruses attack challenging bacteria in
water treatment systems; Carbon nanotube technology toughens
carbon-fiber composite materials; Ammonia as an H2-carrier
enabled by catalytic membrane; and more
12 Business News
$8-billion phosphate megaproject starts up in Saudi Arabia; Ineos
Styrolution to increase compounding capacity in India; Fluor
awarded EPCM contact for Petronas isononanol plant; Linde to
construct two ASUs for Wanghua Chemical Group in China; Mitsui
Chemicals increases global PP processing capabilities; and more
14 Newsfront Modern Temperature Sensors Increase
Accuracy Both new and traditional technologies simplify and improve the 30
temperature-sensing process

Technical and Practical

24 Technology Profile Acetic Acid Production from
Methanol This process description outlines the manufacture of acetic
acid from methanol
24a Facts at your Fingertips Heat-Transfer Fluid 39
Selection This one-page reference offers guidance for selecting the right
heat-transfer fluid for optimal lifecycle costs and performance
39 Feature Report: Water Part 1 Odors Issues and
Solutions for Wastewater Treatment Increasingly,
wastewater treatment plants must address odors due to volatile contaminants.
46
This guide provides an overview of odor causes and possible remedial actions

46 Feature Report: Water Part 2 Smart Water-

Management Strategies: The Time is Now Considering
water-management strategy as a central component of infrastructure design
at industrial facilities will unlock cost savings throughout the operation
71
52 Feature Report An Overview of Vacuum System
Design The design of vacuum systems deserves careful attention, given
that there are multiple facets that affect efficiency, operability and cost

71 Engineering Practice Addressing Pumping Issues in

Biopharmaceutical Operations Quaternary diaphragm pumps
deliver the low pulsation and shear that is critical to these biopharmaceutical
and continuous-manufacturing operations

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 1

 76 Environmental Manager Spill Containment: An Often-
Overlooked Hazard in Research With proper planning, spills can
be managed properly and the risk of secondary events — which may be more
dangerous and costly — can be reduced

Equipment and Services

20 Focus on Feeding and Weighing Bulk Solids
Single unit combines bin discharge and feeding; Advanced design makes
weighing tiny amounts easier; Automatic volumetric feeder saves time, improves
accuracy; Small-footprint weigh feeder can move thousands of pounds per
hour; Spare-parts kits for compact vibratory feeders; and more

76 25 New Products
Automated alarm management reduces manual calculation work; Easily detect
seal and gasket wear in conveying applications; Hazardous-gas detection
with an array of sensor options; Couplers to minimize product loss and cross-
contamination; and more
84 Show Preview Powtech 2017
Presented here is a sampling of the products to be on display at Powtech 2017,
20 being held September 26–28 in Nuremburg, Germany
90 Show Preview Weftec 2017
Weftec 2017 will take place Sept. 30 to Oct. 4 in Chicago, Ill. Here is a sampling
of the products to be shown on the exhibit floor

Departments
5 Editor’s Page Scientists as celebrities
25 Scientists rarely reach celebrity status, but positive publicity can go a long way
in increasing STEM awareness
104 Economic Indicators

Advertisers
61 Water Special Advertising Section
84
92 Hot Products
93 Europe Special Advertising Section
100 Product Showcase
101 Classified
90 102 Reader Service
103 Ad Index

Chemical Connections
Follow @ChemEngMag on Twitter
Join the Chemical Engineering Magazine
LinkedIn Group
Visit us on www.chemengonline.com for Latest News,
Webinars, Test your Knowledge Quizzes, Bookshelf
and more

Coming in October
Look for: Feature Reports on Solids Handling; and Fluid Sealing;
A Focus on Mobile Engineering Applications; A Facts at your
Fingertips on Industrial Gases; News Articles on Performance Materials
and Process Chemicals; and Chlor-Alkali; New Products; and much more
Cover design: Rob Hudgins
2 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
P R E S S U R E I S R U N N I N G YO U R P L A N T S H O R T- H A N D E D .
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customer demands, cutting costs, improving efficiencies. While you may know us for our
reliable fluid system components, we’re made for this kind of pressure too. With capabilities
like custom fabrication and assembly or inventory management, Swagelok’s authorized
sales and service centers offer critical assistance to plants short on resources. It’s just one
more way we’re engineered to perform under pressure.

Learn more at swagelok.com/support

© 2017 Swagelok Company

Circle 48 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-48
 Reliable flow measurement.

Proline 300/500
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Proline 300 and Proline 500 offer added value throughout the entire life cycle of
your plant. This new flowmeter generation is based on decades of experience in
safety-related applications and is entirely developed according to SIL (IEC 61508).
With unique features such as the built-in webserver, WLAN, Industrial Ethernet,
and Heartbeat Technology™ with comprehensive diagnostic and traceable
verification functions, Proline maximizes your plant safety and availability.
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[email protected]
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Circle 19 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-19
 Editor s Page
EDITORS ART & DESIGN
Scientists as celebrities
DOROTHY LOZOWSKI ROB HUDGINS

I
Editorial Director Graphic Designer recently saw a television commercial that caught my attention
[email protected]
[email protected] and provided “food for thought.” The ad begins with a young girl
GERALD ONDREY (FRANKFURT) PRODUCTION opening a birthday gift, and is delighted when she sees that it is
Senior Editor
[email protected] SOPHIE CHAN-WOOD a Millie Dresselhaus doll. A voice asks, “What if we treated great
Production Manager
[email protected] female scientists like they were stars?” and “What if Millie Dresselhaus
SCOTT JENKINS
Senior Editor INFORMATION . . . were as famous as any celebrity?” The commercial thoughtfully
[email protected] SERVICES places a scientist, Mildred Dresselhaus, in scenes that are common
MARY PAGE BAILEY CHARLES SANDS for a celebrity, but quite foreign for a scientist. Images in the ad include
Associate Editor Director of Digital Development
[email protected] [email protected] a student sending a text that says “Aced physics!!” and includes Mil-
PUBLISHER, SALES & CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
lie Dresselhaus emojis; children dressed up as Millie Dresselhaus for
MARKETING
SUZANNE A. SHELLEY
Halloween; tourists taking pictures of a Millie Dresselhaus wall mural;
MATTHEW GRANT [email protected] the front page of the New York Post featuring a picture of Millie Dres-
[email protected]
CHARLES BUTCHER (U.K.) selhaus and a headline of “Physics or Chemistry?”
[email protected]
AUDIENCE
DEVELOPMENT
When I first saw this commercial, I did not know who Mildred Dres-
PAUL S. GRAD (AUSTRALIA) selhaus was, and it gave me reason to pause and think about celebrity
SARAH GARWOOD [email protected]
Audience Marketing Director and where our society places its celebrity emphasis. Most, if not all of
[email protected]
TETSUO SATOH (JAPAN)
[email protected]
us can probably quickly name many famous sports legends, actors and
JESSICA GRIER
Marketing Manager
musicians. How many famous scientists can we quickly name? And
[email protected] JOY LEPREE (NEW JERSEY) how many of those would be female scientists? The ad brings attention
[email protected]
GEORGE SEVERINE to scientists, and in particular to women in science. Its sponsor goes on
Fulfillment Manager
[email protected]
to mention that the company’s goal is to have 20,000 women in techni-
cal roles by 2020 [1]. Such goals and publicity can help to gain more
JEN FELLING much-needed interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and
List Sales, Statlistics (203) 778-8700
[email protected] math) careers, especially among our youth. I would welcome seeing
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD more ads that put scientists and engineers in the spotlight.
JOHN CARSON JOHN HOLLMANN
Jenike & Johanson, Inc. Validation Estimating LLC About Mildred Dresselhaus
DAVID DICKEY HENRY KISTER Mildred Dresselhaus was born in 1930 and grew up in the Bronx, N.Y.
MixTech, Inc. Fluor Corp. She expected to become a school teacher, which she says was one
HEADQUARTERS
of the three career paths that were open to women at the time (the
40 Wall Street, 50th floor, New York, NY 10005, U.S. other two were secretarial and nursing work). In college, however, she
Tel: 212-621-4900
Fax: 212-621-4694 was inspired by Rosalyn Yarrow, who encouraged her to study phys-
EUROPEAN EDITORIAL OFFICES
ics. Dresselhaus went on to become the first woman at the Massa-
Zeilweg 44, D-60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany chusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to attain the rank of full, tenured
Tel: 49-69-9573-8296
Fax: 49-69-5700-2484 professor, and the first woman to win the National Medal of Science
CIRCULATION REQUESTS: in Engineering in 1990. She was a member of the MIT faculty for 50
Tel: 847-564-9290 years and was particularly known for her work on nanomaterials and
Fax: 847-564-9453
Fullfillment Manager; P.O. Box 3588, graphene. She passed away in February of this year, just weeks after
Northbrook, IL 60065-3588
email: [email protected] the video in the commercial described above was released [2,3].
ADVERTISING REQUESTS: SEE P. 102 Her mentor, Rosalyn Yarrow, was a nuclear physicist who won the
For reprints, licensing and permissions: Wright's Media, 1-877-652-5295,
[email protected]
Nobel Prize (one half of the award) in Physiology or Medicine in 1977
for the development of radioimmunoassays of peptide hormones. Her
ACCESS INTELLIGENCE, LLC work opened the door to enable the measurement of low levels of
DON PAZOUR
Chief Executive Officer
JONATHAN RAY
Vice President, Digital
various substances, such as insulin, in the body [4].
HEATHER FARLEY MICHAEL KRAUS
Chief Operating Officer Vice President, In this issue
Production, Digital Media & Design
This issue covers a wide variety of topics, including our cover story, which
JAMES OGLE
Executive Vice President STEVE BARBER highlights the ways that drones are finding new ap-
& Chief Financial Officer Vice President,
Financial Planning and Internal Audit plications in the chemical process industries (CPI);
MACY L. FECTO
Exec. Vice President, GERALD STASKO
advances in temperature measurement; features on
Human Resources & Administration Vice President/Corporate Controller water and wastewater, and on pumps; and much
JENNIFER SCHWARTZ more. We hope you enjoy reading. ■
Senior Vice President & Group Publisher
Aerospace, Energy, Healthcare Dorothy Lozowski, Editorial Director
ROB PACIOREK 9211 Corporate Blvd., 4th Floor
1.Television commercial by General Electric; www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ6_
Senior Vice President, Rockville, MD 20850-3240 fOX7ITQ.
Chief Information Officer www.accessintel.com
2.www.nationalmedals.org - accessed 8/7/2017.
3.news.mit.edu/2017/institute-professor-emerita-mildred-dresselhaus-
dies-86-0221– accessed 8/7/2017.
4. www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1977.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 5
 This is what is behind our logo

comimm.it

...the people
Our group constantly invests in people, state of the art machinery,
research & development, and marketing.
With pride and passion, our team works hard every day towards the continuous l’impegno di essere avanti
improvement of a durable technology that has existed for 100 years.
www.pompetravaini.it
Pompetravaini Spa • Via per Turbigo, 44 • 20022 Castano Primo (Mi)
Tel. +39.0331.889000 • Fax +39.0331.889057
[email protected] • www.pompetravaini.it
Circle 39 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-39
Chementator
Oxy-fuel burner restores air-fuel regenerative
furnaces to full production Edited by:
Gerald Ondrey
ngineers at Air Prod- Primary fuel and

E
oxygen lance
that can be optimally tailored to
ucts (Lehigh Valley, the width of the furnace com- POLYESTERS
Pa.; www.airproducts. bustion space, and is also a Customizing the mac-
Tilt mechanism
com) have commercial- mechanism for reducing NOx roscale properties of poly-
ized an improved version of the emissions.” esters by using sidechain
company’s Cleanfire ThruPort The recently commercialized chemical groups is difficult,
oxy-fuel burner for avoiding ThruPorte version has design and is limited for commer-
downtime during repairs and Secondary improvements that include a cially available polyesters.
staged Now, researchers at Vir-
extending the lifetime of air-fuel oxygen lance means of adjusting the trajec-
ginia Tech (Blacksburg,
regenerative furnaces in glass- tory of the flame relative to the
Va.; www.vt.edu) have de-
making plants. glass surface and optimal wire- veloped a novel method
The company’s original less diagnostic sensors that for synthesizing polyesters
Cleanfire ThruPort burner was Air products
provide realtime status of key that may expand the range
designed to introduce oxy-fuel burner operating variables, of available properties for
combustion (using pure oxygen as the oxi- such as oxygen and fuel pressures, burner polyesters. The Virginia
dant, rather than air) in air-fuel-fired regen- metal temperature, cooling water flowrate Tech team’s chemistry,
erative glass-melting furnaces. The water- and temperature, and proportion of oxygen known as photoredox ring-
cooled ThruPort burners have a unique delivered to the second (staging) lance. opening polymerization, has
design (photo) in which two “nested” lances The ability of the ThruPorte burner to tai- the potential to synthesize
polyesters with highly con-
deliver oxy-fuel (top lance) and staged ox- lor the flame length and trajectory, remotely
trolled stereochemistry and
ygen (bottom lance) are controlled by a monitor key burner performance variables, narrow molecular weight
mechanism to control the proportion of oxy- and be installed rapidly during furnace oper- distributions. Further, a wide
gen between the two. ation enables glass manufacturers to avoid range of sidechains can be
“By separating (staging) a portion of the downtime during repairs and extend the life introduced, allowing the
oxygen away from the main oxy-fuel flame, of aging furnaces. A version of the burner polyesters to be used in ap-
we can control the rate of mixing between was recently installed at two North American plications such as plastic
fuel and oxygen in the flame,” says Mark float-glass plants. Air Products reports res- engineering and biomedical
D’Agostini, senior research associate at toration of full function and improved energy drug delivery systems.
Air Products. “This leads to flame lengths efficiency in both cases. The chemistry begins with
O-carboxyanhydrides, five-
membered rings with at-
tached functional groups.
Magnetized viruses attack challenging bacteria in Using a photoredox nickel-
water-treatment systems iridium catalyst combined
with a zinc-alkoxide, the car-

B
iofilms in water-treatment systems phage must attach to the nanocluster at boxyanhydrides undergo a
may harbor problematic bacteria its head so that the tail fibers that initiate ring-opening polymerization
and pathogens since chemical dis- infection are exposed, explains Alvarez. reaction, forming a polymer
infectants typically do not penetrate The surface chemistry of the nanoclusters backbone that contains the
the biofilm. Now, a new treatment approach is also quite important. Consisting of iron desired sidechain.
developed in the laboratory of Pedro Alvarez oxide, sulfur and carbon, the nanoclusters
at Rice University (Houston; www.rice.edu) were also affixed with amino groups to form LITHIUM RECOVERY
Last month, MGX Miner-
could enable the controlled penetration of amide bonds with the carboxylic groups of als Inc. (Vancouver, B.C.,
biofilms to attack harmful, difficult-to-treat the phage heads. “Accordingly, we wanted Canada; www.mgxminerals.
bacteria. The Rice team is using bacterio- to have a high density of amino functional com) said its engineering
phages (viruses that kill bacteria) that have groups on the particle surface to obtain a partner, PurLucid Treatment
been attached to specially designed mag- high loading of phages with the proper ori- Solutions (www.purlucid.
netized nanoclusters. In the presence of a entation,” says Alvarez. com) started operational
weak magnetic field, the nanoclusters can Since production of phages and iron testing on the Li-1 lithium-
be guided through a biofilm, where the at- oxides is relatively inexpensive, Alvarez recovery unit at its testing
tached phages can infect the targeted bac- sees potential for large-scale application facility in Calgary, Alberta.
The Li-1 pilot plant can pro-
teria. Variations in strength and duration of of this technology in such applications as
cess 20 m3/d and will be ex-
the magnetic field can control penetration mitigation of microbially induced corro- panded to increase through-
depth, and horizontal migration is driven by sion, biofilm removal from cooling towers put to 100 m3/d. The pilot
moving the magnet in a particular direction. and biofouling control in water-filtration plant separates impurities
The configuration of the phage-nanoclus- membranes. The concept has been dem- from oil-and-gas wastewa-
ter complex is paramount to ensure its ef- onstrated at bench-scale, and the team is ter, allowing for lithium and
fectiveness in attacking bacteria. First, the seeking partnerships with technology de- magnesium extraction, as
orientation of the phage is crucial — the velopers to accelerate commercialization. (Continues on p. 8)

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 7

well as reuse and repurpose Carbon nanotube technology toughens carbon-
of industrial water and brine. fiber composite materials

U
N12 Technologies
“This system represents nder mechanical
the physical and operational
stress, carbon-
templates that move us from
bench scale to the field and
reinforced epoxy-
provide the engineering basis resin composite
for the large commercial materials can experience
systems (>1,500 m3/d) we cracking and de-lamina-
expect to deploy into MGX’s tion at the junctures be-
Carbon fiber
property and partner base,” tween layers of material,
says Jared Lazerson CEO of where the composites are
MGX Minerals. resin-rich. Placing verti-
Concurrently with pilot plant cally aligned carbon nano-
testing, fabrication of a com- Nanostitch
tubes (VACNTs) into the
mercial-scale system capable
of processing 200 m3/d is un-
inter-laminar regions can
derway and is expected to be toughen the composite Carbon fiber
ready for deployment in fourth and prevent cracking be-
quarter 2017. Based on re- tween layers.
sults of pilot plant testing, the N12 Technologies Inc.
company plans to ship com- (Cambridge, Mass.; www. 10m
mercial-scale systems to sites n12technologies.com) has
in the U.S. and Canada begin- developed the world’s first conduct heat and electricity between layers
ning in the first quarter of 2018. commercially viable manufacturing process better than conventional composites, allow-
for introducing VACNTs into the inter-laminar ing functional materials, N12 says.
URANIUM COMPLEX region of carbon-fiber composites. Known N12 licensed the NanoStitch technology
Researchers from the École
Polytechnique Fédérale de
as NanoStitch, the technology transfers from the academic laboratory of Brian War-
Lausanne (EPFL; Switzer- VACNTs into the inter-laminar regions of the dle at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
land; www.epfl.ch) have de- composites, binding the plies of composite nology (MIT; Cambridge, Mass.; www.mit.
veloped a uranium-based material together and preventing cracking edu). N12 has since increased the produc-
complex that can allow nitro- and de-lamination. tion rate of the VACNT-strengthened car-
gen fixation reactions to take The VACNTs look like nanoscale forests, bon fibers by several orders of magnitude,
place in ambient conditions. where trillions of precisely aligned nano- allowing customers to test the NanoStitch
The work, published recently tubes (photo) are oriented perpendicular to composites. NanoStitch is compatible with
in Nature, forms a basis for the plane in which the layers of carbon-fiber industry standard manufacturing methods
the development of more ef-
epoxy composites are being assembled, ex- for composites, the company says.
ficient catalysts, while it high-
lights new concepts that can
plains Paul Jarosz, director of science and Now, N12 is working with partners, in-
be expanded to metals be- technology at N12. Introducing VACNTs cluding the University of Dayton Research
yond uranium. to the interlaminar region increases shear Institute (UDRI; Ohio; www.udri.udayton.
The laboratory of professor strength and toughness of the composite edu), to further scale up the production pro-
Marinella Mazzanti synthesized material, while adding no weight or thick- cess by another “several orders of magni-
a complex containing two ness. Also, composites with NanoStitch tude,” says Jarosz.
uranium(III) ions and three po-
tassium centers, held together
by a nitride group and a flex-
ible metalloligand framework.
Ammonia as a H2-carrier enabled by a
This system can bind nitrogen catalytic membrane

A
and split it in two under ambi-
ent, mild conditions by adding major challenge in using hydrogen back to high-purity H2 at, or near, the point
hydrogen or protons (or both) to power motor vehicles is the dif- of use, by means of a catalytic membrane
or carbon monoxide to the re- ficulty in transporting H2 to refuel- that allows hydrogen to pass through while
sulting nitrogen complex. As a ing stations. Researchers at CSIRO blocking all other gases. Coupling mem-
result, the molecular nitrogen is Energy (Melbourne, Australia; www.csiro. branes with a suitable catalyst for NH3 de-
cleaved, and bonds naturally au/energy) have responded to the challenge composition allows efficient extraction of
with hydrogen and carbon. by converting H2 to NH3 and then using ex- pure H2 from NH3. The membrane is a vana-
The study proves that a mo- isting transport infrastructure. NH3 is well dium-based alloy, and is said to deliver pure
lecular uranium complex can
suited for use as a H2 carrier, because it is H2 at a far lower cost than the competing
transform molecular nitrogen
into value-added compounds
a liquid at moderate pressures and tempera- palladium-based membrane technology.
without the need for the harsh tures and has a volumetric hydrogen density CSIRO is working on a two-year project
conditions of the Haber- about 45% higher than liquid H2. The effi- to demonstrate its H2-production system,
Bosch process, used for over ciency and cost benefits of using NH3 as a to deliver at least 5 kg/d of H2, directly from
a century to make ammonia. It hydrogen carrier increase with the distance ammonia. The project is being being sup-
between production and utilization. ported by BOC, Hyundai, Toyota and Re-
(Continues on p. 11) CSIRO achieves the conversion of NH3 newable Hydrogen Pty Ltd.
8 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
This portable device offers a
quick check of produce

A
micro portable pesticide detector for food
analysis, called a Handheld Pesticide Residue
Detector, has been developed by the Smart Mi-
crosystems Technology Center of the Industrial
Technology Research Institute (ITRI, Hsinchu City, Tai- Steel Belt Systems for the
wan; www.itri.org.tw). Chemical & Petrochemical Industry
The detector is based on the absorption spectrum
of chemical products, such as agricultural pesticides,
and can indicate the level of pesticide residues in fruits
and vegetables within a few seconds. The device also
features Bluetooth — a wireless technology standard
for exchanging data over short distances from fixed
and mobile devices — and a wireless charger. Lamps
on the wireless charger indicate the testing results. A
red light indicates that pesticide levels seriously exceed
standards, and that the fruits and vegetables should be SBS Group designs and builds
vigorously washed before consumption. A yellow light
means that there is also a high level of pesticides, but continuous process plants, equipped
not as high as that shown by a red light. A green light with steel belts from Berndorf Band,
means the amount of pesticide residue is either small or
for a wide range of applications in the
nonexistent and the item is safe to consume.
ITRI says the detector already addresses eight of the chemical, petrochemical, rubber and
ten most widely used water-soluble pesticides in Taiwan. food industry.
If used in conjunction with specialized fruit and vegetable
cleaners, the detector can also be used to detect fat-sol-
uble pesticides at levels up to 0.5 parts per million (ppm), Having been pioneers in the
and will indicate when cleansing is complete.
Since pesticide use varies among countries, future development of pastillating units,
versions of the detector will be tailored to the needs of SBS is able to supply also complete
various markets, indicating the level of the pesticides
commonly used in any particular country. packages for the solidiication of
liquid sulphur into pastilles.

Bioethanol from bagasse

Rolldrop® and Accudrop® are

T
sukishima Kikai Co. (www.tsk-g.co.jp) and JFE En-
registered trademarks of SBS Group.
gineering Corp. (both Tokyo, Japan; www.jfe-eng.
co.jp) have demonstrated a process that produces
bioethanol from bagasse, a waste product in the
production of sugar from sugarcane. With support from
NEDO under a four-year, $10-million project, the compa-
nies constructed a plant in Saraburi, Thailand, that is ca-
pable of processing 1,300 ton/yr of bagasse into 100,000
L/yr of ethanol. A key feature of the facility is that the en-
zymes used for breaking down the bagasse into ferment-
able sugars — Acremonium cellulolyticus C-1 — is pro-
duced on site, which considerably reduces enzyme costs
(by one fifth). Normally, commercial supply of enzymes ac-
counts for 25–50% of the production costs of a cellulosic
ethanol plant. Tsukishima Kikai and the National Institute of SBS Steel Belt Systems s.r.l.
Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST; Tsu- Phone: +39 0331 864 841
kuba City, Japan; www.aist.go.jp) developed the process
for producing the enzyme with bacteria cultures. [email protected]
Although 60–80% of the bagasse supply has been used www.steelbeltsystems.com
by sugar plants as boiler fuel, the remaining bagasse has
typically been disposed of as excess stock without being www.berndorfband-group.com
used effectively. The NEDO project demonstrates the ef-
fectiveness of the on-site enzyme-production technol-
ogy and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation Partner of
(SSF) technology to utilize the excess bagasse.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM

Circle 07 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-07
A hybrid power system combines SOFC and a gas turbine . . .

L
ast month, Mitsubishi Hitachi two-stage system achieves mhps

Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS; significantly higher power gen-

Yokohama, Japan; www. eration efficiency and, as a re-
mhps.com) launched a new, sult, saves substantial energy.
pressurized, hybrid power-generation Air pressurized in the MGT's
system (photo) that integrates solid- compressor is supplied to the
oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks with SOFCs for use in generating
micro gas turbines (MGT). The hybrid power, and then high-temper-
system (diagram) has a broad range ature exhaust is fed to the MGT 1st stage
of commercial and industrial applica- and the heat and pressure, to-
tions, and is especially suitable for gether with the residual fuel, Fuel SOFC Micro
gas turbine
2nd stage
gas (fuel cell)
distributed or cogeneration power are used to generate power.
systems, says the company. The pressurized SOFCs, hav-
SOFCs are ceramic fuel cells that ing substantially increased voltage 15) system that has been undergo-
operate at a high temperature of as a result of pressurization, lead ing demonstration testing at Kyushu
900°C. In a pressurized hybrid sys- to enhanced power generation ef- University since spring 2015. The
tem, power is generated directly ficiency, says the company. system was developed with support
by chemical reaction between O 2 The demonstration system is in of the New Energy and Industrial
in the air and H 2 and CO extracted the 250-kW class, and delivers Technology Development Organiza-
from reformed city gas; residual fuel generation efficiency of 55%. It is a tion (NEDO; Kawasaki, Japan; www.
is then used to drive an MGT. This follow-up to the prototype (Model nedo.go.jp).

… and a very efficient SOFC

M
eanwhile, Hitachi Zosen of 90% (50% electrical, 40% thermal), several hundred kilowatts for power
Corp. (HITZ, Osaka and which is said to be the highest level generation of stores, office buildings
Tokyo, Japan; www. obtained thus far. Researchers say and apartment buildings in the 2017
hitachizosen.co.jp) has in- the unit has undergone 4,000 hours fiscal year, after surveying the market
stalled a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) of continuous operation under actual volumes and economic feasibility. The
demonstration unit at Osaka Re- load conditions. company says the technology is also
search Institute of Industrial Science The unit is part of a three-year proj- suitable for truck-loaded emergency
and Technology, Izumi Center (Orist; ect — supported by the NEDO — that power generation during disasters.
Osaka, http://orist.jp), and has been is scheduled for completion in No- The HITZ SOFC technology also
performing tests since June. The vember. HITZ plans to start market- uses H2 fuel obtained by reforming
SOFC has achieved a total efficiency ing SOFCs with capacities of 20 to city gas.

Winning iron and titanium while making vanadium electrolyte

V
anadiumCorp Resource Inc. The company’s president and CEO, The VanadiumCorp-Electrochem
(Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Adriaan Bakker, says the technology technology addresses those issues
www.vanadiumcorp.com) has was developed keeping in mind that in — it is emissions-free and with low
achieved direct and consistent addition to vanadium, both iron and ti- energy consumption — and allows full
recovery of vanadium electrolyte, vana- tanium also have high value. Currently recovery of vanadium chemicals used
dium oxides and titanium from vanadifer- available technology was not able to for preparing VanadiumCorp electro-
ous titanomagnetite (VTM; vanadium-rich recover all three metals while produc- lyte as well as the concurrent produc-
Fe3–xTixO4) using hydroelectricity, from ing high-purity iron. tion of a high-quality iron coproduct.
the company’s Lac Dore Vanadium Proj- Conventional pyrometallurgical pro- The company initially grinds the feed-
ect in Quebec. The company has part- cesses use either direct soda-ash stock to 40 µm. The material is then
nered with Electrochem Technologies & roasting of the magnetite followed by placed in a tank with sulfuric acid and
Materials (Montreal, Que., Canada; www. water leaching, or arc smelting and dissolved by adding water. The VTM
electrochem-technologies.com) for the slagging of the magnetite followed by concentrate is converted into cop-
development of technologies to obtain soda ash roasting of the vanadium-rich peras crystal (FeSO4.6H2O). The vast
high-performance vanadium electrolyte slag. However, smelting and roasting majority of impurities drop to the bot-
for energy storage applications. are capital and energy intensive, and tom. High-purity iron is then recovered
VanadiumCorp has also success- emit greenhouse gases. by electrowinning, while vanadium
fully recovered high-purity electrolytic Hydrometallurgical processes for remains in solution and TiO2 is left as
iron directly from VTM concentrate extracting vanadium have been pro- marketable residue. The company
from drill core from its La Dore Vana- posed, but have failed to be robust. plans to expand its process with ad-
dium Project using conventional mill- Also, they do not produce iron and do ditional feedstocks to reach one metric
ing and magnetic separation. not allow for acid recycling. ton per month nameplate capacity.
10 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
 Dual-functioning MOFs maintain a also opens the door for the synthesis of nitrogen
comfortable room humidity compounds beyond ammonia, and forms the
basis for developing catalytic processes for the

R
esearchers from the King reducing the humidity in the room. production of nitrogen-containing organic mol-
Abdullah University of Sci- If the RH falls below 45%, the ab- ecules from molecular nitrogen.
ence and Technology sorbed water is released. As a result,
(KAUST; Thuwal, Saudi the MOFs can autonomously main- WIRELESS CHARGING
Arabia; www.kaust.edu.sa) have de- tain the RH at the comfortable range Blue Inductive GmbH (Freiburg, Germany; www.
veloped a metal-organic framework of 45–65%, say the researchers. The blue-inductive.de) has recently received Series
Seed financing to accelerate the market launch
(MOF) material that can regulate the material was shown to retain this be-
of its wireless power systems to market. The seed
humidity levels within the “window” havior after more than 1,000 adsorp- investment was led by a consortium, consisting of
established by the American Society tion-desorption cycles. Phoenix Contact Innovation Ventures, High-Tech
of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Con- The presence of the high propor- Gruenderfonds, MBG Mittelstaendische Beteili-
ditioning Engineers. The materials tion of organic (hydrophobic) link- gungsgesellschaft Baden-Wuerttemberg and VC
may also find applications controlling ers are thought to be responsible Fonds Baden-Wuerttemberg, as well as a Busi-
the humidity in control rooms, aircraft for the MOFs’ low water adsorption ness Angel and the founders.
cabins or other enclosed spaces. at low RH. “Only at higher water- Founded in 2016 by former scientists of
Mohamed Eddaoudi and his team vapor pressure is the hydrophobicity Fraunhofer Institute ISE in Freiburg, the team at
in the Advanced Membranes and overcome, as water molecules form Blue Inductive develops wireless charging sys-
tems for industrial applications, such as mobile
Porous Materials Center assembled rapidly growing clusters within the
robots, automated guides vehicles or electric
water-stable Y-shp-MOF-5, which MOF’s pores, says Abdul Halim, one forklifts. The technology is based on the prin-
is a highly connected MOF in which of Eddaoudi’s doctoral students. ciple of magnetic induction and includes several
rare earth-metal-based clusters are Eddaoudi says the team is pursu- innovations of circuit topology, control strategy
connected by 12 organic linkers. ing the development of new MOFs and coil design. The so-called etaLink technol-
This material was found to selec- with similar adsorption-desorption ogy allows super-fast charging with high power
tively adsorb water, depending on properties, but with superior water- and efficiency with compact, lightweight and bi-
the relative humidity (RH). When the uptake capacity. The details of the re- directional hardware. The company is expected
RH exceeds 55%, the water adsorp- search are reported in a recent issue to launch its first commercial product in the
tion increases dramatically, thereby of the J. of the Am. Chem. Soc. ■ short-term. ❏

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Circle 11 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-11

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 11

 Business News
LINEUP Plant Watch Ineos to build world-scale
cumene plant in Germany
AIRGAS
$8-billion phosphate megaproject
starts up in Saudi Arabia July 28, 2017 — Ineos’ (London, U.K.; www.
ALTANA August 11, 2017 — Fluor Corp. (Irving, Tex.; ineos.com) Phenol division is planning to build
www.fluor.com) announced that the Ma’aden a world-scale cumene plant in Germany with
CB&I
Wa’ad Al-Shamal Phosphate Co.’s Umm startup scheduled in 2020. The construction of
CH2M HILL Wu’al Phosphate Project in Saudi Arabia a new cumene plant will improve the security
FLUOR has started production. Fluor is providing of raw material supply to Ineos’ phenol and
overall program-management services for this acetone plants located in Gladbeck, Germany
INDORAMA $8-billion megaproject, which will deliver and Antwerp, Belgium.
INEOS 3 million metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of
diammonium phosphate and nitrogen, as Indorama inaugurates
JACOBS ENGINEERING fertilizer plant in Nigeria
well as phosphorus and potash fertilizers.
LINDE July 28, 2017 — Indorama Ventures Public
Ineos Styrolution to increase Ltd. (Bangkok, Thailand; www.indorama.net)
MEXICHEM announced the inauguration of a fertilizer plant
compounding capacity in India
MITSUI CHEMICALS August 10, 2017 — Ineos Styrolution (Frankfurt located in Nigeria, built by Indorama Eleme
am Main, Germany; www.ineos-styrolution.com) Fertilizer and Chemicals Ltd. at a cost of
SHOWA DENKO $1.5 billion. The plant has a production capacity
plans to increase its compounding capacity
TRONOX for engineering plastics by an additional of 4,000 m.t./d of nitrogenous fertilizers.
WANHUA CHEMICAL
34,000 m.t./yr at its Moxi plant in Gujarat,
India. Projected for completion in 2019, Mitsui Chemicals increases
YOKOGAWA this expansion will increase Styrolution’s global PP processing capabilities
compounding capacity to 100,000 m.t./yr at July 26, 2017 — Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo,
the site. This project will involve an estimated Japan; www.mitsuichem.com) announced that
capital expenditure of $20 million. augmentation has been completed at three
of its global polypropylene (PP) compound
Fluor awarded EPCM contract for hubs in the U.S., Mexico and India. In India,
Petronas isononanol plant the company started up one new production
August 8, 2017 — Fluor was awarded an line, followed by two new lines in the U.S.
engineering, procurement and construction and one new line in Mexico. Together, the
management (EPCM) contract by Petronas expansions raise global production capacity by
Refinery and Petrochemical Corp. (Kuala 50,000 m.t./yr to a total of 1.05 million m.t./yr.
Lumpur, Malaysia; www.petronas.com) for
an isononanol plant located in Pengerang, Indorama completes PTA
Johor, Malaysia. The facility will produce expansion in Rotterdam
250,000 m.t./yr of isononanol, and startup July 26, 2017 — Indorama completed the
is expected in 2019. brownfield expansion of its purified terephthalic
acid (PTA) plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands,
Mexichem starts up expanded resulting in an increase in PTA capacity from
specialty-PVC facility in Marl 380,000 to 700,000 m.t./yr. The Rotterdam
August 4, 2017 — Vestolit GmbH, a 100% facility’s PTA is used as a major feedstock of
subsidiary of Mexichem S.A.B. de C.V. the site’s integrated polyethylene terephthalate
(Tlalnepantla, Mexico; www.mexichemcom), (PET) production plant.
has started up a specialty polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) capacity expansion in Marl, Germany. Mergers & Acquisitions
With this expansion, Mexichem has installed Airgas to sell refrigerants
a new production line with additional drying business for $220 million
capacity of 40,000 m.t. for PVC products. August 11, 2017 — Airgas (Radnor, Pa.;
www.airgas.com) has signed an agreement
Linde to construct two ASUs for with Hudson Technologies, Inc. (Pearl River,
Wanhua Chemical Group in China N.Y.; www.hudsontech.com) to sell Airgas-
July 28, 2017 — The Linde Group (Munich, Refrigerants, Inc. (ARI), its subsidiary specializing
Germany; www.the-linde-group.com) signed in the distribution, packaging and reclamation
an agreement with isocyante producer Wanhua of refrigerant gases. The transaction, which
Chemical Group to expand the supply of is expected to close before the end of 2017,
gas to Wanhua’s Yantai, China operations. is said to be valued at around $220 million.
Under the agreement, Linde will invest €108
million to build two additional steam-driven CB&I intends to sell its
Look for more air-separation units (ASUs) which are Technology business
latest news on expected to come onstream in 2019, August 10, 2017 — CB&I (The Woodlands, Tex.;
chemengonline.com complementing the two existing ASUs. www.cbi.com) intends to sell the company’s
12 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Technology business. CB&I is aiming to close the transaction
by the end of 2017. CB&I’s Technology business provides
proprietary process licenses, project-development
services and aftermarket support primarily for the
petrochemical and petroleum-refining industries. The sale
is also intended to include the former Engineered Products
business, which specializes in equipment modularization,
proprietary equipment and engineering services.
Visit us!
Powtech, Nuremberg, Germany
Altana acquires packaging
September 26 - 28, 2017
and additive manufacturing assets
Hall 1, stand 627
August 10, 2017 — Altana AG (Wesel, Germany; www.
altana.com) has acquired a technology portfolio and
research-and-development platform from U.S.-based
NuLabel Technologies, Inc. It comprises technologies for
additive manufacturing and resealable packaging that use
lower quantities of consumable materials. The acquired
technologies will be integrated into Altana’s Actega North
America division.

Showa Denko to acquire

silicon-carbide manufacturing assets
August 7, 2017 — By the end of January 2018, Showa
Denko K.K. (SDK; Tokyo, Japan; www.sdk.co.jp) will
acquire assets concerning the Sublimation-Recrystallization
Method for manufacturing silicon carbide (SiC) wafers
from Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. (NSSMC) and
Nippon Steel & Sumikin Materials Co. (NSMAT).

Tronox to sell Alkali Chemicals

business for $1.3 billion
August 3, 2017 — Tronox Ltd. (Stamford, Conn.; www.
tronox.com) announced that it has signed a definitive
SOME THINK
agreement to sell its Alkali Chemicals business to Genesis
Energy, L.P. (Houston; www.genesisenergy.com) for A MARGIN
$1.325 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to close
in the second half of 2017, subject to customary regulatory
approvals and closing conditions. Alkali Chemicals is said
OF ERROR IS
to be the world’s largest producer of natural soda ash, and
has mining and processing facilities in Green River, Wyo. ACCEPTABLE.
Jacobs Engineering
acquires CH2M Hill WE THINK
August 2, 2017 — Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.
(Dallas, Tex.; www.jacobs.com) will acquire all of the
outstanding shares of CH2M Hill Companies Ltd.
DIFFERENT.
(Englewood, Colo.; www.ch2m.com) in a cash and stock
transaction with an enterprise value of approximately The BEUMER fillpac® R is a filling system with a
$3.27 billion. CH2M is a leader in key sectors that Jacobs difference. Using revolutionary microprocessor-based
has previously targeted for growth, including water and weighing electronics with vertical filling impellers and
environmental services. the bag discharge system including a check weigher,
it delivers entirely new standards of precision and
Yokogawa acquires Norwegian
chemical-injection specialist performance: automatic optimisation; 300-6,000 bags
July 24, 2017 — Yokogawa Electric Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; per hour; individual bag tracking and latest PMS
www.yokogawa.com) announced the acquisition of generation; we know what it takes to streamline your
TechInvent AS, a Norwegian enterprise that holds the end-of-line productivity.
rights to FluidCom, a chemical injection metering valve For next generation packaging solutions that make a
(CIMV) technology. FluidCom prevents blockages and difference, visit www.beumergroup.com
corrosion in pipelines, and employs a patented technology
for thermal control. It incorporates the functions of a mass
flowmeter, control valve and valve controller. ■
Mary Page Bailey
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM 13
Circle 08 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-08
 Newsfront

Modern Temperature
Sensors Increase Accuracy
Both new and traditional technologies simplify and improve the temperature-sensing process

IN BRIEF

T
emperature is cited as Siemens Industry

CHALLENGING the most frequently

APPLICATIONS measured variable in
chemical processing
IMPROVED TRADITIONAL
plants. As a result, there is no
SENSORS
shortage of instruments avail-
able and the offerings run the
gamut from traditional thermo-
couples and resistance tem-
perature detectors (RTDs) to
more modern and intelligent
FIGURE 1. The Sitrans TO500 multipoint measuring system evaluates a large
versions of these common in- number of temperature measuring sensors, which are arranged on a very narrow
struments straight on through fiber-optic measuring lance
to higher technology measure-
ment tools. As a bonus, no matter which of in extremely harsh environments, technolo-
the many options suit your chemical pro- gies have been developed to bring simplicity,
cessing needs, most of today’s tempera- accuracy and reliability to traditionally difficult
ture measurement instruments are updated and costly measurement points.
and re-designed to simplify the temperature For example, Siemens Industry
sensing process, while making it more ac- (Hauppauge, N.Y.; www.siemens.com)
curate and reliable. has recently introduced the Sitrans TO500
“As with all measurement instruments, the multipoint measuring system (Figure 1) for
higher the accuracy and reliability of the sen- evaluating a large number of temperature
sor, the more valuable it is to the user be- measuring sensors, which are arranged on
cause tighter, more accurate process control a very narrow fiber-optic measuring lance.
results in better quality and utilization,” says The system consists of a read-out unit, the
Ted Johnson, director of global temperature transmitter and the measuring lance, which
sales with SOR Controls Group (Lenexa, can be connected to up to 48 temperature
Kan.; www.sorinc.com). “This is especially sensors on the transmitter at four channels.
true in temperature measurement because Up to four measuring probes can be used to
temperature is the most measured process process 192 measuring points at the same
variable in the plant. And, when you have time by one Sitrans TO500.
the most accurate temperature sensor pos- The technology is based on fiber Bragg
sible, you have tighter control of the process, gratings (FBGs), which are arranged at
which means you are optimizing the amount individually defined points on the sensor
of energy needed to heat and cool the pro- probe. The transmitter sends light waves
cess. Not only does this save energy, but to the fiber-optic sensors and evaluates
tighter, more accurate temperature control the reflected portions. In the transmitter,
means improved repeatability and consis- light is generated in the wavelength range
tency of the process, which is essential in from 1,500 to 1,600 nm and output to the
chemical processing.” sensors’ measuring probe by means of a
continuously tunable laser light. Each fiber
Challenging applications Bragg grating reflects light of a defined
For the most challenging applications, which wavelength. The wavelength reflected by
include taking multipoint measurements, the grating varies depending upon the tem-
continuous measurements or measurements perature. The reflection at the FBGs pro-
14 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Ametek Land Instruments Emerson Automation Solutions

FIGURE 2. The NIR Borescope (NIR-B) 3XR is an

imaging camera for continuous temperature mea-
surement and furnace optimization and monitoring
of steam-reformer and cracker tubes

vides a measure of the temperature

at the respective measuring point. A FIGURE 3. X-well Technology delivers accurate process temperature data without thermowells or process
penetration
gas cell with a fixed absorption line
serves as a reference in the Sitrans optimization of the process. and wiring that back to the control
TO500, and the wavelength deter- “We were approached by our system is a very clunky and time-
mination is continuously adjusted chemical customers who were look- consuming way of getting multiple
by it. The transmitter provides the ing for a better way to do multipoint point measurements in a tank or ves-
determined values for analysis in temperature measurement in tanks sel,” says Justin DiNunzio, product
control systems via a Profibus DP and vessels because the traditional marketing manager with Siemens. “It
interface and makes them available method of placing a single-point was also very costly because it often
for management of the assets and measurement sensor every few feet required a very large thermowell to

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Most engineers would agree that pumps represent the workhorse component in any chem-
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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 15

 Endress+Hauser
hold hundreds of these sensors, wanted downtime.”
which sometimes necessitates the To provide users with these
use of a crane to put the large and benefits, Ametek Land has intro-
heavy thermowell into the tank and duced the NIR Borescope (NIR-B)
pull it in and out of service if one of 3XR (Figure 2). The instrument is a
the points fails.” short-wavelength radiometric, in-
The fiber optic technology, he frared borescope imaging camera
says, provides users with a light- for steam-reformer and cracker-
weight, simple method to take mul- tube continuous temperature mea-
tiple point measurements inside surement and furnace optimiza-
large reactors, tanks or vessels, tion and monitoring. It provides a
alerts the user to any issues and al- high-resolution thermal image with
lows them to take corrective action realtime continuous, high-accuracy
quickly. “Picture a reactor and our temperature measurements of
lance installed vertically from top to both the tube wall and refractory
bottom,” says DiNunzio. “Chemical wall surface. The camera measures
processors want to know what the temperatures in a single range from
temperature is every few inches or 600 to 1,800°C and uses wide dy-
feet because if the reaction gets too namic-range imaging technology,
hot at any of these points inside the making it suitable for applications
reactor, it could bake or overcook with high differential temperature in
the chemical or catalyst, which can the filed of view, such as tube and
be very costly. The fiber optic system furnace walls.
gives a great indication of where hot And, for extremely challenging
spots are occurring and allows them conditions such as the high-pres-
take measures to cool it down.” sure, high-temperature and highly
Another challenging chemical corrosive environments often found
process industries (CPI) situation in the CPI, Emerson Automation
is achieving continuous, accurate Solution’s Rosemount division (St.
temperature monitoring in critical Louis, Mo.; www.emerson.com)
applications, according to Thomas has developed a technology that
Fortinberry, business development “solves the problem of having the
manager for industrial gas with Am- measurement point in the process,”
etek Land Instruments International says Ryan Leino, senior product FIGURE 4: Shown here is Endress+Hauser's TM411
(Dronfield Derbyshire, England; engineer, marketing/business de- with QuickSens and StrongSens as an option
www.landinst.com). “Traditionally, velopment with Rosemount. The pressure compatibility of thermow-
an operator takes a temperature X-well Technology (Figure 3) deliv- ells being placed in the harsh envi-
reading once every shift or every ers accurate process temperature ronment found inside the process,”
few days, but this leaves a lot of data without thermowells or process explains Leino.
time when the equipment is not penetration. Measuring the ambient
being monitored, so issues may be and pipe-surface temperature, this Improved traditional sensors
missed or a situation could arise surface-temperature solution calcu- Challenging applications aside, the
where equipment overheats and lates the process temperature via a bulk of temperature measurements
causes damage between readings,” thermal conductivity algorithm. This in the CPI are still made with ther-
he says. “Also, it is not always the calculation takes into account the mocouples and RTDs. “The number
same operator and measurements thermal conductive properties of of specialty applications in any given
are not taken in the same spot or the assembly and pipe for reliable plant is a small minority compared
under the same conditions, so you and accurate process temperature to the bulk of measurements, which
can’t use the acquired data for any measurements, allowing the sur- are standard pipeline measurement,
type of trending. face-temperature-sensor solution to process tank, storage tank and me-
“However,” he continues, “contin- accurately measure internal process tering stations where temperature is
uous temperature measurement be- temperature, simplify measurement needed as part of the flow calcula-
comes a very powerful tool for trend- point specification, installation and tions,” says SOR’s Johnson. For this
ing because with 24/7 monitoring, maintenance and reduce possible reason, it is very important that tra-
you get repeatable, reliable results leak points. ditional temperature measurement
that can be trended, allowing users “This non-intrusive measurement sensors are manufactured properly,
to see how the equipment is oper- solution was designed to clamp onto he says. “The last thing you want
ating over time. This allows them to the pipe so that there are no issues is for a $100 RTD or thermocouple
tweak the process and prevent un- with materials, temperature and to fail and possibly shut down a
16 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
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Circle 46 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-46

 Tel-Tru Schneider Electric

FIGURE 6. RTT80 is a microprocessor-based tem-

perature transmitter with HART communication that
receives input signals from thermocouples and RTDs

accuracy and level of performance

associated with RTDs, but that has
the response time of a thermocou-
FIGURE 5. Digi-Tel thermometers provide digital display of key process temperatures in addition to reli-
able transmitter output to remote devices within the facility that can be integrated into expanded control
ple to give customers the flexibility
systems to help processes run more efficiently of having both higher performance
and faster response time.”
$2-million reactor or ruin a batch of lenge for many chemical processors E+H’s iTherm QuickSens offers
product,” he says. “So processors because their knowledge base in a short response time (t90 = 0.75
shouldn’t necessarily view these this area is dwindling. This means s) combined with precise, fast and
instruments as a commodity pur- as consumers of temperature mea- stable temperature measurement.
chase. Quality temperature sensor surement devices and thermowells, It measures from –50 to 200°C and
fabrication is a highly skilled, intri- it’s important to find a reliable ven- is vibration resistant up to 60g (g =
cate manufacturing process involv- dor who can collaborate with you to 9.8 m/s2). And, for plants that are
ing precise welding and soldering of provide the latest requirements per exposed to vibrations, the iTherm
junctions and attaching small-gauge industry codes and standards, ad- StrongSens (Figure 4) offers shock
lead wires. So it is important to find vances in performance capabilities, and vibration resistance of >60g.
a supplier that pays rigorous atten- application knowledge and support. “The StrongSens is important be-
tion to the manufacturing process, Experienced vendors can help solve cause one of the main causes of
ensuring that the process is very re- problems and ensure that only the RTD failure in the chemical indus-
peatable and includes multiple qual- most reliable and accurate instru- try is vibration, so if the user has
ity checks.” ments make it into the process.” a sensor that continuously fails
In addition to a high quality and In addition to working toward because the pipe where they take
reliable product offering, says John- achieving the highest manufactur- the measurement shakes violently,
son, many temperature sensor man- ing standards, many suppliers are we can provide this sensor be-
ufacturers also provide engineering developing variations on the stan- cause it is more robust in these
and technical support, particularly dard temperature measurement of- difficult applications. It saves time
when it comes to thermowells (the ferings in an effort to meet the chal- and money in that it doesn’t have
protection tube that is installed in lenges of today’s CPI. For example, to be replaced every few months
the pipeline or tank that protects Endress+Hauser (E+H; Greenwood, and, when there’s a few hundred
and allows the temperature sensor Ind.; www.us.endress.com) set of these measurement points in
to be replaced while the process out to improve the performance of one facility, there is real value to the
is still running). “It requires a fair RTDs. “Although RTDs generally user,” says Kiker.
amount of engineering work based provide higher levels of accuracy Another improvement is the ad-
upon the velocity of the process to and repeatability, the downside is dition of digital displays with added
design thermowells so that vibra- that they are slower to respond to outputs on standard tempera-
tion or process factors don’t cause temperature changes than thermo- ture measurement offerings, says
the thermowell to break apart and couples,” says Ehren Kiker, product Christopher Smock, vice president
cause damage to the equipment or marketing manager for pressure and of operations and manufacturing
process. And, there’s additional en- temperature products with E+H. with Tel-Tru (Rochester, N.Y.; www.
gineering work involved in specifying “So we developed an RTD sensor teltru.com). “As we move more
thermowells, which can be a chal- that is still a three-wire RTD with the toward the Industrial Internet of
18 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Things, driven by both technology Foxboro division of Schneider Electric circuits and has a “hot back up” or
and the regulatory environment, (Foxboro, Mass.; www.schneider- redundancy feature and can detect
the automation of processes and electric.com) offers Model RTT80 corrosion when used with a four-
process monitoring is a growing (Figure 6), which is a microproces- wire RTD. The transmitter is also
trend,” he says. “And, as a result, sor-based temperature transmitter rated for safety integrity levels (SIL)
we have recently added a 4–20-mA with HART communication protocol and the software has been vetted
output on our Digi-Tel line of ther- that receives input signals from ther- to comply with international stan-
mometers.” Digi-Tel thermometers mocouples and RTDs. “One of the dards for use in safety systems,
(Figure 5) provide digital display of most important trends is diagnostic so it can be used to turn on or off
key process temperatures in addi- capability in a temperature measure- safety systems based on tempera-
tion to reliable transmitter output ment system,” says Steven West, ture measurements.
to remote devices within the facil- temperature product manager with “Not only are these capabilities
ity that can be integrated into ex- Schneider Electric. “Users are look- helpful for safety reasons, but also
panded control systems to help ing for a means to detect corrosion in a chemical-processing environ-
processes run more efficiently. The of wires, broken wires and shorts or ment, the synthesis of a chemical or
new Digi-Tel series also includes a open wires that would alert them to a chemical reaction is being moni-
PC-based calibration software tool a problem in the temperature mea- tored because these processes are
that allows users to quickly and surement loop. We have developed very temperature sensitive,” he says.
easily adjust the number of sig- a way to provide diagnostics based “They may occur only within a cer-
nificant digits on the digital display on dual sensors.” tain temperature window or there
and to field calibrate Digi-Tel elec- He says it is very common for may be an optimal temperature to
tronic thermometers to traceable a temperature probe to have two achieve the greatest yield, so intel-
or relative accuracy standards. sensors and to have both moni- ligent diagnostic capabilities in tem-
Taking it a step further, some sup- tored by the transmitter electron- perature measurement can provide
pliers are adding intelligence and ics. The RTT80 is capable of op- great peace of mind and great sav-
diagnostics to temperature mea- erating with dual sensors and has ings for the user.” n
surement devices. For example, the the ability to detect short or open Joy LePree

SE E US
CO M E AN D
AT PO W TE CH
, 2017
A Guide to Advanced and Next-Generation SEPT 26 – 28
AN D 431
HA LL 4A, ST
Battery Technology and Materials

This comprehensive guidebook

provides descriptions of the
major battery technologies
and materials in the advanced
and next-generation
battery markets, as well as
information on many of
the companies operating
in the advanced and
next-generation battery
industries.

Included in this guidebook is a table that CAN DO!

represents a list of selected technology- Every pipework system is unique, like a work of art. Our service is
development companies in the advanced just the same, tailored exactly to your needs. With us, individual
battery space, along with their areas of focus, consultation is a given. And our inexhaustible range of standard
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28014

Learn more at store.chemengonline.com www.jacob-pipesystems.com NO. 1 IN PIPEWORK SYSTEMS

Circle 23 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-23

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 19

 Focus

Feeding and Weighing

Bulk Solids Single unit combines bin typical kit includes a corded elec-
Dynamic Air Conveying Systems
discharge and feeding trical assembly, diaphragm, shock
The Gyro Ex Bin Activating Feeder/ mounts, elastomers (several ver-
Discharger (photo) is a combination sions), tuning springs (front and
bin discharger and high-accuracy back), spacers and associated hard-
feeder that provides a turndown ware. — Eriez, Erie, Pa.
ratio of up to 100:1. It uses a radial www.eriez.com
force to create a uniform circular
motion on both the upper activa- Automatic volumetric feeder
tion cone and the lower discharge saves time, improves accuracy
cone, producing a controlled gyra- The Model VMF-28 auger-style volu-
tory motion that withdraws granular metric screw feeders, featuring a fully
materials from bins, storage silos intergrated Scaletron scale (photo),
and hoppers. — Dynamic Air, Inc., are designed for the metered dis-
St. Paul, Minn. pensing of powdered or pelletized
www.dynamicair.com additives (such as alum, carbon, lime,
polymers, soda ash and other dry
Advanced design makes bulk solids) into water, wastewater
weighing tiny amounts easier and chemical-treatment processes.
Laboratory projects involving expen- Precise dosage amounts are autmo-
sive, rare or toxic substances often matically weighed and added to treat-
demand that only the smallest pos- ment processes without requiring
Mettler Toledo sible sample quantities are used. manual operator involvement. Data
The challenge is to prevent waste by are displayed at a central monitoring
accurately weighing just a few milli- station, where operators can quickly
grams, and minimizing the risk of out- make adjustments, as needed, from
of-specification results and costly the control panel. Heat, moisture and
reworking. The XPR Microbalance other environmental variables can
(photo) allows for accurate weigh- cause additives (such as lime and
ing of very small amounts (down to carbon) to absorb or dissipate water,
several milligrams). Features include and such changes can result in not
active temperature control, which enough, or too much, material being
helps keep the balance temperature introduced into the treatment process.
constant for improved accuracy. Its By monitoring weight loss or gain, the
proprietary software provides easily company’s feeders provide operators
Eriez
identifiable, self-explanatory icons with constant, realtime assessment
that are displayed on an intuitive, of the total mass of additive being
smartphone-like touchscreen, says used.— Scaletron Industries, Inc.,
the company. — Mettler Toledo, Plumsteadville, Pa.
Griefensee, Switzerland www.scaletronscales.com
www.mt.com
Small-footprint weigh feeder
Spare-parts kits for can move a lot of solids
compact vibratory feeders The Model 408 Series weigh feeders
This company now offers spare- provide an economical and compact
parts kits for its light- and medium- means to accurately and depend-
duty vibratory feeders (which have ably feed a range of dry solid mate-
totally enclosed, patented mag- rials, with a compact footprint mea-
netic drives). These spare-parts kits suring just 18 in. × 28 in. The Model
(photo) contain the parts needed to 408 feedrates range from a fraction
rebuild most the company’s Model of a pound, to thousands of pounds,
A, C and High Speed (HS) and High per hour, with continuous meter-
Scaletron Industries Deflection (HD) vibratory feeders. A ing accuracies ranging from ±0.25
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number on p. 102, or use the website designation.
20 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
to 1% or better error at two sigma, Schenck
says the company. High-resolution
weight sensing is accomplished by
the company’s Ratiometric Digi-
tal Weight Resolver, which instan-
taneously produces an unampli-
fied, non-integrated, realtime weigh
signal for precise feedrate control
using one of the company’s multi-
process controllers.— Acrison, Inc., defined calibration sequences, de-
Moonachie, N.J. tailed event messaging texts and the
www.acrison.com use of HTML5 for online equipment
monitoring (a change from Java).This
Move flexible products through provides a wider range of access
a flexible conveying path and compatibility through various
web browsers and smartphones,
says the company. Users can set up
folders to ensure quick access to all
of the different parameters that are
critical and unique to each individual
process. Parameters that are rarely
used can be hidden, thereby elimi-
nating the need to search through

Spiroflow
multiple parameters that are not rele-
vant for the user’s particular process.
— Schenck, Kansas City, Mo.
www.schenckprocess.com
THE
The new heavy-duty Chainflow tubular
chain drag conveyor (photo) provides
Wide conveying system allows
for better control while curing
PERFECT
gentle handling of powders and granu-
lar materials, particularly those that are
fragile. The totally enclosed, dust-free
chain-drag conveyor allows for flexible
FLOW
layout configurations, and can deliver
Electric actuators for all types of
materials continuously or in batches.
Its crevice-free material-contact sur- industrial valves
faces are suitable for food-grade appli- Reliable and long-term service. AUMA
cations, as well as higher-density ma- offers a comprehensive portfolio.
terials or abrasive products, says the ■ Customised solutions thanks to the
company. Similarly, its design is well-
suited for non-smearing powders and modular scheme
high-density products, such as talcum ■ Simple power supply
Dymax
powder, detergents, woodchips and ■ Low operating costs
pellets and more. This system offers ■ Integration into all conventional
a conveying capacity up to 370 ft3/h The Widecure Conveyor System
distributed control systems
(10.5 m3/h), and can convey over long (photo) has a 25-in.-wide belt, and
distances with maximum straight-line is designed for the curing of light- ■ Service worldwide
lengths to 250 ft (76 m) per conveyor, curable materials on larger parts,
while multiple conveyors can be linked or larger quantities of smaller parts.
for longer distances. — Spiroflow, The conveyor can be outfitted with
Monroe, N.C. either a longwave (metal halide, UVA/
www.spiroflow.com Visible) or shortwave (mercury, UVB/
UVC) bulb and delivers over 4 J/cm2 Discover our solutions
Advances improve feeder of curing energy at a conveying rate for the water industry
control and customization of 5 ft/min. Users can control various
The Disocont loss-in-weight feeder- curing parameters through a touch- www.auma.com
control platform (photo) includes sev- screen control panel, to achieve
eral new features, which have been greater curing flexibility tailored to
added to simpify operation and allow their specific application. — Dymax
for greater opportunities for custom- Corp., Torrington, Conn. Circle 03 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-03

ization. These include improved user- www.dymax.com

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 21

 Alliance Scale Scale-calibration service helps storage vessels or downstream
users ensure quality operation use points. The system’s control-
The Alliance Scale Calibration ler weighs a batch by changing
Service (photo) can be performed the position of the valve, which
annually or at some other interval diverts conveyed material into the
to ensure consistent accuracy and hopper. As the hopper fills, load
conformance to quality require- cells transmit weight-gain infor-
ments. As a rule of thumb, if a mation to a PLC. Once the batch
scale is used for an hour or less weight has been reached, the
per day, then an annual checkup valve redirects material from the
is advised. If the scale is used for hopper and a controller actuates
1–2 h/d then calibration twice per a slide gate valve to open, discharg-
year is recommended, while quar- ing the weighted batch. The unit
terly calibration is recommended is constructed of stainless steel,
for scales that are used for 3–4 and can be finished to industrial or
h/d. Services include a visual and sanitary standards. — Flexicon
operation check of the operating Corp., Bethlehem, Pa.
mechanism, testing with NIST- www.flexicon.com
traceable weights, and providing
a calibration report and calibration This agitated screw feeder
certificate for an ISO audit. If nec- reaches a new size milestone
essary, a written report and esti- This company’s largest agitated
mated cost will be furnished for screw feeder and screw conveyor
any scale requiring further main- produced to date (photo) was re-
tenance, says the company. — cently placed into service at a plas-
Alliance Scale, Inc., Canton, Mass. tics-and-polymers facility. Capable
www.alliancescale.com of holding 3.5 tons of damp centri-
fuge cake, this stainless steel unit
Testing facility lets users has a large-capacity hopper with
evaluate feeder configurations multi-bladed agitator to provide gen-
Flexicon This company’s recently opened tle agitation to maintain a “live” prod-
Technical Center in Duisberg, uct condition, disturb any potential
Germany now has four full test lines consolidation and deliver positive
(with cranes that can lift standard infeed to the integral screw feeder.
packaging such as silos, drums, The screw feeder and conveyor both
sacks and big bags), as well as feature LynFlow ribbon flights, which
smaller test areas, and separate inhibit adhesive materials from clog-
areas that meet hygienic con- ging the screw, says the company.
siderations, to carry out a broad — Ajax Equpment Ltd., Bolton, U.K.
array of both continuous and www.ajax.co.uk
batch testing. The individual test-
Ajax Equpment ing lines can be retooled indepen- Loss-in-weight system
dently, and entire processes can batches powders or pellets
be simulated, to allow users to This company offers a variety of
test potential feeding options. — bulk-processing equipment, includ-
Brabender Technologie GmbH & ing bulk bag dischargers and fillers,
Co. KG, Duisberg, Germany vibratory tables and complete batch-
www.brabender-technologie.com ing systems, which can be custom
engineered to meet site-specific and
This weigh hopper improves application-specific requirements.
pneumatic conveying accuracy The Model MTD-4K Bulk Bag Dis-
The new gain-in-weight hopper charger and feeder (photo) is a loss-
with a Fill/Pass Valve for dilute- in-weight vibratory batch feeder sys-
phase conveying (photo, p. 33) tem that provides accurate, uniform
is suspended from three small- flow of a wide variety of materials.
scale load cells. Single or multiple The discharger and feeder sit on
hoppers can be positioned along load cells, with controls to stop the
a common vacuum or positive- feed when it reaches the desired
pressure pneumatic conveying weight. — Best Process Solutions,
line for discharging of dry bulk sol- Inc., Brunswick, Ohio
ids by weight into single or mul- www.bpsvibes.com
Best Process Solutions tiple pieces of process equipment,
22 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Weight indicators enjoy ing solutions for dry bulk-feeding feeders, eliminating inaccu-
expanded memory capacity applications in a range of chemi- racy during the refill cycle, says
cal process operations. The sys- the manufacturer. The full line
tem uses controlled vibration of product offerings includes
to promote flow, to ensure uni- weigh feeders with screw sizes
form density of the materials, from 1/4 in. to 18 in., offering
and to completely fill and emp- a broad range of belt, pan and
ties each flight of the feed screw, tube feeder-based systems. —
says the company. As a result, all VibraScrew, Totowa, N.J.
weigh-feeding systems function www.vibrascrew.com ■
as highly accurate volumetric Suzanne Shelley
VPG Transducers

The recently upgraded, fully modu-

lar family of Intuition Series weight
indicators (photo) provide expanded
memory, which allows for the pa-
perless storage of up to 100,000
individual weighing records (from
10,000 before). The indicators com-
bine large, displays with an array of
advanced features and communi-
cation interfaces, including multiple
hardware and software options,
yielding a scalable, user-friendly
weight indicator option, says the
company. Additional features in-
clude simplified calibration and in-
When
strumentation setup. — VPG Trans-
ducers, Malvern, Pa.
Accuracy
www.vpgtransducers.com
Counts
Accurately weigh grams per
hour or tons per minute

Companies around the world rely on HTRI

as a leading provider of process heat transfer
technology, research, software, and services.

Our acclaimed thermal process When you need

design and simulation software, accurate heat
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performance prediction of heat
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VibraScrew

This company offer a broad line

of continuous and batch weigh- Circle 27 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-27

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 23

 Technology Profile
Acetic Acid Production from Methanol
By Intratec Solutions

A
cetic acid (also known as
Acetaldehyde Oxidation Carbonylation Methanol
ethanoic acid) is a carboxylic
acid found as dilute solutions
in plant and animal systems. Butane or Liquid-phase Acetic acid Oxidation Ethane
Industrially, the chemical is widely naphtha oxidation

used in organic processes, primarily in

the production of vinyl acetate mono- Ethanol Fermentation
Anaerobic
Glucose
fermentation
mer and acetic anhydride.
n Raw material n Pathway n Main product
The process FIGURE 2. Methanol carbonylation is one of several possible pathways for the production of acetic acid
The following paragraphs describe
a process for producing acetic acid product overhead of the flash vessel Production pathways
from methanol and carbon monoxide, — an acetic acid stream containing Currently, the most important produc-
based on rhodium-catalyzed carbon- methyl iodide, methyl acetate and wa- tion routes for acetic acid are based
ylation. Figure 1 presents a simplified ter — is purified in distillation columns. on methanol carbonylation and oxida-
flow diagram of the process. Purification. In the crude acetic acid tion of acetaldehyde or light hydrocar-
Catalyst preparation. Initially, re- column, a gaseous stream from the bons. Figure 2 presents different path-
cycled rhodium catalyst is treated overhead, containing water, methyl io- ways for acetic acid production.
to recover the rhodium. The treated dide, methyl acetate and some acetic
catalyst is mixed with fresh catalyst, a acid, is condensed and recycled to the Economic performance
promoter (methyl iodide) and a stabi- carbonylation stage. A crude acetic The total operating cost (raw materials,
lizer (iodide salt). The mixture is then acid liquid stream, withdrawn as a side utilities, fixed costs and depreciation
dissolved in hot acetic acid under draw, is routed to the drying column. costs) estimated to produce acetic acid
pressurized carbon monoxide. The bottom product, containing dis- is about $560/ton of acetic acid. The
Carbonylation. The reactor is fed with solved catalyst, is recycled to the flash. analysis is based on data from the sec-
the catalyst solution, methanol and In the drying column, water, methyl ond quarter of 2013 using a plant with
carbon monoxide, along with recycle iodide and methyl acetate are re- capacity to produce 650,000 metric ton
streams. The reaction occurs in the moved from the crude acetic acid as per year of acetic acid.
liquid phase, where dissolved carbon an overhead distillate, which is further This column is based on “Ace-
monoxide combines with methanol to recycled to the carbonylation unit. The tic Acid Production from Methanol
yield acetic acid. Gases vented from column bottom stream, containing – Cost Analysis,” a report published
the reactor are cooled to recover un- acetic acid, is fed to a finishing col- by Intratec. It can be found at: www.
reacted methanol, methyl iodide and umn, where heavy ends are removed. intratec.us/analysis/acetic-acid-pro-
methyl acetate. Uncondensable spe- The acetic acid stream is finally passed duction-cost. n
cies are sent to the methanol scrub- through ion-exchange resin beds to Edited by Scott Jenkins
ber, to prevent the loss of low-boiling remove iodide contaminants. Heavy-
components, such as methyl iodide. ends from the finishing column are Editor’s note: The content for this column is supplied by In-
tratec Solutions LLC (Houston; www.intratec.us) and edited by
Liquid product is drawn off from the sent to the acetic acid stripper, where Chemical Engineering. The analyses and models presented
reactor at a rate sufficient to maintain residual acetic acid is recovered as are prepared on the basis of publicly available and non-
a constant level, and is fed to a flash overhead product and recycled to the confidential information. The content represents the opinions
of Intratec only. More information about the methodology for
vessel, where the catalyst solution is finishing column, while the bottom preparing analysis can be found, along with terms of use, at
withdrawn as a base stream and re- product is discarded as waste acid. www.intratec.us/che.
cycled to the catalyst preparation. The
1. Catalyst preparation
Fresh catalyst Off-gas 2. Carbon monoxide compressor
make-up 4 3. Carbonylation reactor
CHW Fresh methanol
1 4. Methanol scrubber
5. Flash vessel
Carbon dioxide CW 6. Crude acetic acid column
CW 10 Acetic acid 7. Drying column
2 3 8. Finishing column
9. Acetic acid stripper
10. Ion exchange resins
11. Steam boiler
12. Cooling tower
5 ST 11 13. Chilled water unit
6 7 8 9
ST CW 12
ST Steam
Waste CHW 13 CW Cooling water
acid CHW Chilled water
FIGURE 1. The diagram shows a typical rhodium-catalyzed carbonylation process for acetic acid production

24 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

Facts At Your Fingertips
Heat-Transfer Fluid Selection 200
Lifecycle cost components

Department Editor: Scott Jenkins n Increased energy

180 n Unplanned downtime

H
eat-transfer fluid selection can and fouling (rf) resistances 160 n Fluid disposal
n System cleaning
be intimidating when consid- [Equation (2)]. 140 n Pump seals
ering the long-term impact 1 1 1 120 n Make-up fluid
on costs and operability. The right = + + rw + rf (2) n Fluid fill(s)
U hi ho 100
fluid will provide optimal performance
80
and lifecycle costs, while freeing en- This equation shows that
gineers for other assignments. Most a high process-side heat- 60

engineers do not routinely consider transfer coefficient can 40

fluid selection, so making the proper make the fluid selection 20
choice is a challenge. This one-page very important in increasing 0
reference offers guidance in this area, U and potentially decreas-
and can serve as a basis for taking ing heat-exchange surface Synthetic Mineral oil
advantage of the expertise of heat- area requirements.
transfer fluid manufacturers. The combined effects of Thermal oxidative stability
fluid properties under design condi- High-temperature organic fluids must
Process requirements tions should be considered when be resistant to thermal and oxidative
The process will define the tempera- comparing fluid performance. stress. Oxidation can be prevented by
ture and heat-duty requirements that use of inert-gas blanketing of the sys-
must be met by the fluid and the sup- Cost of ownership tem. Fluids with oxidation-stabilizing
porting heat-transfer system. The Cost of fluid ownership is more than additives can become depleted and
heat-transfer fluid must have the req- just the purchase price — lifecycle laden with solids, leaving the system
uisite thermal stability to meet the pro- costs should be carefully considered. vulnerable to sludge formation and
cess demands, while providing long These include the following factors: fouling. Top-up with more additives
fluid life expectancy. • Purchase price exacerbates the fouling potential,
The list of potential fluid candidates • Impact on capital costs which has a negative impact on the
may be shortened considerably by • Operating costs cost of ownership. Thermal stability is
defining the required operating tem- • Make-up addition rate and volume a characteristic of bond strength and
peratures. The fluid’s bulk operating • Fluid replacement frequency fluid composition with minimal impu-
temperature must be substantially • Impact on equipment costs rities. Thermal stability can be mea-
above the process temperature re- • System cleaning requirements sured in the laboratory using ASTM
quired in order to provide the driving Consider an example 20-yr com- D-6743 [1] (Standard Test Method
force for heat transfer. parison of mineral oil with a synthetic for Thermal Stability of Organic Heat
Next to consider are the remain- heat-transfer fluid (Figure 1). Transfer Fluids), followed by proper
ing physical properties that are key quantification of the degradation
to heat-transfer efficiency. These Product and data support products formed. Fluid manufacturers
include: viscosity, density, thermal To support the necessary engineer- may have decades of experience in
conductivity and heat capacity of the ing calculations for initial system de- field-verification of fluid life in a variety
liquid. These terms combine to de- sign and for later troubleshooting or of applications and at different oper-
termine the fluid-side heat-transfer modifications, complete and accu- ating temperatures. Those with ISO-
coefficient [Equation (1)]. rate physical properties for their fluid 9001-certified processes for quality-
are necessary. These property data assurance-management systems are
h = C • k 0.58 • ρ0.79 • cp 0.42 • μ -0.37 (1) should be better than those found recommended, to ensure that lot-to-
on graphs with wide plot lines, which lot product performance and reliability
Where, h is the heat-transfer coef- can be ambiguous, and should fill are consistent. n
ficient (within a tube), k is thermal gaps often found on material safety
conductivity, cp is heat capacity, μ data sheets. These data should be References
is the viscosity and C is a constant detailed measurements and cor- 1. ASTM D-6743, Standard Test Method for Thermal
Stability of Organic Heat Transfer Fluids.
incorporating length, velocity and relations capable of supporting the
2. Gamble, C. and Schopf, M., “Optimizing heat transfer
pipe diameter. Note the exponent for desired engineering accuracy. Usu- fluid performance: How to avoid costly consequences,”
each term, which indicates the rela- ally the best way to access these Eastman Chemical Co., white paper, 2014.
tive influence on the resulting heat- data is through a heat-transfer fluid
transfer coefficient. manufacturer with stringent quality Author
Content for this column was provided by Conrad Gamble,
Next, the overall heat transfer coef- controls, and one that has capably senior engineering associate at Eastman Chemical Co.
ficient, U, is determined. This calcu- measured the properties of rep- (Kingsport, Tenn.; www.eastman.com).
lation considers process-side heat- resentative samples. This enables
Facts At Your Fingertips
transfer coefficient (hi or ho), wall (rw) lower “safety factors” in designs. Sponsored by:

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 24a

 TLC Total Lifecycle Care® is a complete program of products and superior
technical expertise and services designed to keep your heat transfer fluid
system in top operating condition through its entire lifecycle.

• System design review

• Start-up assistance
• Operational training
• Safety awareness training
• Technical services hotline
• In-service sample analysis
• Flush fluid and refill

www.therminol.com
Circle 17 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-17
© 2017 Eastman Chemical Company. Eastman brands referenced herein are trademarks of Eastman or one of its subsidiaries or are being used under license. The ® symbol
denotes registered trademark status in the U.S.; marks may also be registered internationally. Non-Eastman brands referenced herein are trademarks of their respective owners. TF-5383 8/17
New Products
Automated alarm management Hazardous-gas detection with Industrial Magnetics
reduces manual calculation work an array of sensor options
The newest release of the PlantState The GSM-60 hazardous-gas moni-
Suite (PSS) software, version 8.3, in- toring system (photo) is designed
cludes the new Alarm Mechanic fea- with an internal sampling pump and
ture, which is designed to improve can use both internal sensors and
console operator performance by remote sensor transmitters to con-
minimizing nuisance alarms through tinuously monitor up to four gases.
automated analytics and recommen- The instrument is capable of utiliz-
dations. With the addition of Alarm ing an array of sensor technologies:
Mechanic, PSS 8.3 fully automates infrared (IR), electrochemical (EC),
complex analyses that determine photoionization detector (PID), metal
alarm delay-time settings, a critical oxide semiconductor (MOS), and
method for solving nuisance alarm catalytic (CAT). The GSM-60 can be
problems. Alarm Mechanic replaces configured to monitor a wide range
manual calculations and guesswork of chemicals in ambient air, including
with automated, deterministic rec- volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
ommendations to enable consistent carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide,
alarm settings. PSS 8.3 also incor- oxygen, trace hydrocarbons, as well
porates custom alarm analytics, cor- as many toxic and industrial gases.
porate operational excellence pro- Additionally, the GSM-60 is capable
grams and risk-tracking dashboards. of monitoring reactive gases, such
— PAS Global, LLC, Houston as arsine, chlorine dioxide, ethylene
www.pas.com oxide, hydrogen fluoride and ozone.
The system is designed for monitor-
Easily detect seal and gasket ing ambient air in difficult environ-
wear in conveying applications ments, including the headspaces of
This company now offers metal-de- tanks, HVAC ductwork, VOC-scrub-
tectable (MD) and X-ray-inspectable ber exhausts and wastewater-treat-
(XRI) seal and gasket options on its ment plants. — Enmet, LLC, Ann
magnetic separation equipment for Arbor, Mich.
gravity-fed and pneumatic-line con- www.enmet.com
veying applications. The new seal Enmet
and gasket options protect against Couplers to minimize product
elastomeric contamination in the pro- loss and cross-contamination
cessing line. Component parts can The new Twist-Lok dry disconnect
degrade over time due to low conduc- coupler (photo) features 316 stain-
tivity, and standard elastomeric mate- less-steel construction and an inte-
rial is often missed by even the most gral heavy-duty swivel to aid con-
sensitive detection systems. The new nection and minimize hose wear. In
offerings include the Detectomer line addition, this new coupler is designed
(photo) of Buna rubber seals and sili- with several safety features for the
cone gaskets, which all contain a se- operator, such as the ability to be fully
lect additive that can be spotted by interlocked when connected, while it
metal detectors, X-ray systems and includes a locking mechanism in the
optical scanners, as well as be cap- open position. Product selectivity is
tured by magnetic separators. Avail- also available via mechanical keying
OPW Engineered Systems
able for products with 1- and 3-in. to minimize risk of cross-contamina-
magnetic circuit configurations, the tion. Twist-Lok couplers are offered in
seals and gaskets are certified food- 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-in. sizes (with larger
grade compliant, meeting the FDA sizes available upon request) and are
Code of federal regulations for food available with a range of seal materi-
safety. Users with existing magnetic als. The Twist-Lok is pressure-rated
separation equipment who wish to up to 360 psi, making it appropri-
upgrade to the new MD/XRI seals and ate for high-pressure applications. It
gaskets may also purchase a retrofit is also suitable for vacuum service.
kit. — Industrial Magnetics, Inc. (IMI), — OPW Engineered Systems, Inc.,
Boyne City, Mich. Lebanon, Ohio
www.magnetics.com www.opw-es.com

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 25

 GoatThroat Pumps New pumps for handling specifically for pumping live cells and
flammable chemicals shear-sensitive fluids in biopharma-
The SCP Series of pumps (photo) for ceutical and microbiology applica-
Class 1 and 2 flammable liquids is tions. The Cytoflow pump head has a
designed to minimize hazards asso- large-diameter rotor, resulting in high
ciated with transferring flammable or flowrates at low motor speeds. The
combustible chemicals, such as alco- pump head is available in two- and
hols, solvents and volatile hydrocar- three-roller configurations — two-
bons. SCP pumps allow for spill-free, roller heads offer higher flowrates,
environmentally safe transfer with no while three-roller heads deliver less
chance for vapors and VOCs to es- pulsation. The pump head is compat-
cape the container. This significantly ible with all Masterflex L/S drives that
reduces the chance of an ignition accept two or more pump heads. In
event. The pump features a ground- addition to the high flowrates at low
ing wire and a bonding wire, and is motor speeds, the Cytoflow pump
made of conductive plastic, allowing head has a convex roller design that
users of flammable liquids to ground minimizes the impact on live cells and
the pumps, making them safe for use maintains the consistency of shear-
with Class 1 and 2 flammable materi- sensitive fluids. — Cole-Parmer, Ver-
als. All pump components that come non Hills, Ill.
into contact with the fluid are created www.coleparmer.com
with conductive polypropylene, so
there is grounding of the liquid and A portable mixer for laboratory
the pump. These pumps also meet and pilot operations
the requirements of NFPA 77, which The Crossover 1540 overhead mixer
requires that the path to ground must (photo) features a 0.5-hp motor deliv-
prevent the accumulation of static ering 3,000 N∙cm of torque for effec-
electricity in conductive equipment. tive mixing in large laboratory, pilot-
Elliott Group
— GoatThroat Pumps, Milford, Conn. scale and small production volumes.
www.goatthroat.com The portable Crossover is designed to
mix up to 200-L (50-gal) drum volumes
Test turbine trip systems without from 50 to 1,500 rpm, with the option
disrupting production of clockwise or counterclockwise rota-
This company’s new, patent-pending tion. New to this product is the resis-
pneumatic trip system (photo) with tive touchscreen, allowing operation
partial-stroke actuation provides quick without removing gloves, which dis-
testing of turbine trip systems while plays speed, time and torque during
the equipment is still running. There is operation. Installation requires only a
no disruption to production, and the standard 120-V cord set and four-bolt
trip valve will still work if an overspeedmounting, and the mixer is said to be
event occurs while testing is in prog- maintenance free. Mounting options in-
ress. The pneumatic trip system veri- clude a C-clamp that is compatible with
Cole-Parmer fies functionality without tripping the the side of a drum or a vertical plate, or
turbine and operates independently a plate mount for a more permanent or
of the overspeed trip system. It can custom installation. Other accessories
be initiated locally and remotely via that are available include large 4- and
a distributed control system (DCS). 6-in. propellers and shafts, as well as
Adaptable to any equipment configu- replaceable touchscreen protector
ration, this system can be retrofitted covers. — Caframo Lab Solutions,
onto existing equipment or affixed to Georgian Bluffs, Ont., Canada
new machines. The system provides www.caframolabsolutions.com
a more cost-effective alternative to trip
and throttle valves. — Elliott Group, Highly reinforced
Jeannette, Pa. low-VOC coatings
www.elliott-turbo.com This company has introduced a new
range of low-VOC coatings that pro-
Use these pump heads for vide 100%-solids epoxy lining perfor-
extremely shear-sensitive fluids mance. The coatings are reinforced
The new Masterflex L/S Cytoflow and are capable of providing longterm
Caframo Lab Solutions pump head (photo) was developed protection under industrially corrosive
26 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
environments ranging from immersion These horizontal vortex pumps services with heads to 170 ft, tem-
conditions (temperatures up to 180°F) provide unrestricted flow peratures to 250°F with flows to
to vapor conditions (temperatures up 1,600 gal/min. Construction options
to 250°F), says the company. The include cast iron, 316 stainless-steel
products can be applied by conven- fitted, all 316 stainless-steel, Alloy 20
tional spray or manual methods. The and CD4MC. Two models are avail-
product line includes: SF/LF, a 100% able: Model 1620 has a 0.875-in.
solids high-build coating system used shaft diameter with a 1.25-in. sleeve,
primarily in marine and wastewater while Model 1626 has a 1.25-in.
sites; STP ep-hv, a surface-tolerant, shaft diameter with a 1.625-in. diam-
high-viscosity, high-build coatings eter sleeve. All impellers have wiping
system; CN 1M V15H3, a nanoparti- vanes that reduce axial loading and
cle-reinforced epoxy phenolic resin for prevent dirt from entering the seal-
Vertiflo
aggressive chemical exposures; Syn- ing area. The impeller is keyed to the
thofloor 8016, a low-viscosity, epoxy shaft, and an impeller locking screw
primer and sealer formulated to be The Series 1600 horizontal vortex assures positive attachment. The
used as a primer or augmented with sump pump (photo) features a fully vortex-type concentric design cas-
clean dry silica sand and used as a recessed vortex impeller design ing has extra heavy wall thickness
sparge coat; and Synthofloor 8463, a that provides an unrestricted flow, for corrosion allowance. — Vertiflo
low-viscosity, self-leveling epoxy floor since the impeller is not normally Pump Co., Cincinnati, Ohio
coating for mild to moderate chemical in contact with the solids being www.vertiflopump.com
resistance that also can be bulked up pumped. Industrial process ap-
with clean dry silica sand to be used plications include slurries, fragile This piston pump has an
as a high-build, wear-resistant coat- food processing, pulpy solids, oils, interchangeable drive assembly
ing. — Ceramic Polymer GmbH, a pollution control and wastewater The new TopDrive piston pump sys-
Chesterton International Subsidiary, treatment. The pumps can handle tem (photo, p. 28) for cleanup appli-
Roedinghausen, Germany solids up to 4-in. in diameter. The cations features a fully-interchange-
www.ceramic-polymer.de Series 1600 is designed for severe able drive assembly that allows for

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Circle 04 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-04

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 27

 QED Environmental Systems easy transitions between hand, solar, These gas-detection
electric and top-drive pneumatic systems are SIL-2 certified
pumping without removing the well The CGS-FlexVu UD10 combusti-
seal. This feature provides additional ble-gas detection system combines
flexibility in pumping applications and a catalytic-bead gas sensor with a
the ability to pump most fluids under multifunction universal display for
a wide range of operating condi- detection of a wide range of hy-
tions. Other design elements of the drocarbon gases, as well as hy-
TopDrive piston pump include an in- drogen, in harsh industrial environ-
terchangeable lower pump, which al- ments. The explosion-proof system
lows an upgrade to a higher flowrate, is third-party rated for safety integ-
and an adjustable drop assembly rity level (SIL) 2, and is suitable for
with 5- or 10-ft lengths, optimizing high-temperature (up to 75°C) and
pump inlet depth. The pneumatic- hydrogen-processing applications,
drive assembly features a linear as well as in relative humidities up
bearing in addition to the internal to 95%. The universal display also
pneumatic-drive cylinder bearing, provides output and control capa-
which is designed to increase the bilities, and can be used to calibrate
durability and life span of the pump. and view information. The device
— QED Environmental Systems, Inc., features nonintrusive calibration
Dexter, Mich. using a handheld magnetic tool or
www.qedenv.com a HART communicator and can be
easily calibrated by one person. The
Safety sensors designed for display unit provides a linear iso-
increased vibration resistance lated/non-isolated 4–20-mA output
This company’s Eden sensors (photo) signal (with HART). — Det-Tronics,
ABB Jokab Safety Products now feature a solid-state, board-level Minneapolis, Minn.
design with radio-frequency iden- www.det-tronics.com
tification (RFID) technology for in-
creased resistance to vibration and These gear pumps have
greater security. RFID technology al- built-in pressure control
lows for large sensing distances and Series UP6 electric gear pumps
its vibration resistance decreases (photo) feature the option for built-
the risk of involuntary stops that are in pressure control, whereby a fac-
common in older technologies. The tory-programmed pressure setting
entire Eden line is IP69K rated, mak- is maintained via a microprocessor-
ing these safety sensors suitable for based variable pump-speed control
applications that require resistance circuit that utilizes an internal pres-
to dust and liquid ingress, such as sure sensor for loop feedback. UP6
washdown operations in food-and- pumps are self-priming and come
beverage processing plants. Eden equipped with 12- or 24-V d.c. mo-
Dynamic safety sensors use dy- tors. The pumps can handle flow-
namic-pulse, single-channel safety rates as high as 6.9 gal/min, and
Clark Solutions architecture and comply with Cat- pressures up to 29 psi, making them
egory 4/Performance Level e (Cat. appropriate for small water- and
4/PLe) per EN/ISO 13849, indicat- chemical-processing systems. The
ing that failure of an individual device pumps feature helical bronze gears,
will not result in the loss of safety a nickel-plated brass body and
function. According to the manu- stainless-steel shaft. The operating
facturer, the Eden product line also temperature range for UP6 pumps
introduced the capability of uniquely is 14 to 140°F. Suitable pumping
coding safety sensors to comply with media include water or diesel fuel
the demands of EN/ISO 14119 for with viscosity between 2 and 5.35
hazardous applications. Eden safety cSt. A 250–400 μm filter is recom-
sensors also have flexible, 360-deg mended for applications where the
mounting and a temperature range of fluid media contains particles. —
–40 to 158°F. — ABB Jokab Safety Clark Solutions, Hudson, Mass.
Products, Westland, Mich. www.clarksol.com ■
www.abb.us/jokabsafety Mary Page Bailey
28 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Circle 38 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-38
 Cover Story

Drones Take to the

CPI Skies
Drones are quickly entering the chemical processing space as more companies begin to
embrace their use for inspection and monitoring tasks
AETOS Group
IN BRIEF

T
here is no doubt that
AVIATION AND THE CPI drones, or unmanned
COLLIDE aerial vehicles (UAVs),
hold many promising
MAKING THE MOST OF
opportunities for the chemi-
DRONES’ DATA
cal process industries (CPI),
DRONE IMAGERY although, as with any new
BECOMES REALITY technology, some challenges
SMARTER may arise. “We’re just start-
DECOMMISSIONING ing to see some of the larger
chemical manufacturers
ENVIRONMENTAL
begin to use drone technol-
REMEDIATION
ogy,” says Bill Erny, senior FIGURE 1. Some companies may custom-engineer a drone to carry out specific
director of security, regulatory tasks, such as specialized non-destructive testing or gas detection
and technical affairs at the
American Chemistry Council (ACC; Wash- “One of the key considerations here is to es-
ington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). tablish a mechanism where operators can
Equipment inspection, says Erny, is currently report concerns about unauthorized drone
the most promising application for drones in use, and establish a formal mechanism for
the CPI. “Some equipment is challenging to notifying the general public where recreational
access, such as flare stacks, large processing use of drones is not permitted,” explains Erny.
vessels and things of that nature,” he explains. He emphasizes that the ACC supports future
Some drones can actually fly inside equip- legislation regulating the use of unauthorized
ment structures and execute visual inspec- drones and for the FAA to fulfill its mandate to
tions, or even non-destructive testing (NDT), create new rules prohibiting the unauthorized
eliminating the need for confined-space entry. use of drones near critical infrastructure.
Although equipment inspection is currently the
most commonly seen application for drones in Aviation and the CPI collide
CPI plants, several other tasks have emerged The proliferation of drones into more and more
where their use might be beneficial, including applications has necessitated collaboration
emergency response, security management, between the aviation and industrial sectors.
site surveys and environmental remediation. Drone service provider AETOS Group (LaPorte,
While drones certainly hold potential to pro- Tex.; www.aetosgroup.com) was formed by a
vide security services, there are also some group of commercial pilots in 2010, and began
concerns associated with the unauthorized collaborating with a major global CPI com-
use of drones near chemical processing fa- pany in 2011 to evaluate drone applications in
cilities. Commercial drone usage in the U.S. is chemical plants, focusing on safety and regula-
regulated by the Federal Aviation Administra- tory issues. In late 2015, AETOS was bought
tion (FAA), but it has fallen to individual states by Mistras Group Inc. (Princeton Junction,
to provide guidance on recreational or other- N.J.; www.mistrasgroup.com). “Once we pro-
wise unauthorized drone usage near critical gressed the data that the drones could deliver,
infrastructure, including chemical plants. Do- we recognized the need to take it a step further
mestically, drone complaints have mainly been and actually start building finished products,”
nuisance-related, but the potential is certainly explains Nick Harwood, operations manager
there for more insidious actions to take place. at AETOS. AETOS works with operating com-
30 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Interactive Aerial

complete coverage, with no scaf- have to understand the processes

folding,” he explains. Here, the major and ask the right questions,” he con-
takeaway is that with drones, certain tinues. However, he says that these
types of specialized NDT can be done limitations have not hindered AETOS’
more frequently, increasing reliability. work. For instance, the cameras af-
“There’s a lot of front-end work fixed to flare-monitoring drones have
before taking a drone into a facility,” sufficient zoom capabilities — they
says Harwood, mentioning client con- can reportedly decipher increments
cerns associated with aircraft opera- as small as 1/32 in. from 60 ft away —
tional safety, security and equipment to operate at a safe distance and still
inherent safety. “None of the drones collect useful data. He says that while
FIGURE 2. Special design and operating consider- today are intrinsically safe, so you there are applications to justify a busi-
ations must be taken for drones meant to be flown
inside of large vessels
panies to develop bespoke drones
and robotics (Figure 1). “We’ve done
several custom-builds now that are
unique to specific applications,” adds
Harwood. “We are allowing clients to
get to places they could never get to
before without major expenses,” he
continues.
The inspection of flare stacks Where can you find all your CPI solutions in one spot?
is among AETOS’ most popular
drone services. “Shutting down flare
stacks is extremely expensive, and The Chemical Processing Industry covers a broad range of products such
with a drone you can do the inspec- as petrochemical and inorganic chemicals, plastics, detergents, paints, pulp
tion online, which is a huge benefit,”
says Harwood. Beyond equipment & paper, food & beverage, rubber and many more. Chemical Engineering
inspection, the company has devel- magazine is uniquely suited to cover this worldwide market.
oped drones equipped with infrared
(IR) camera technology to detect
leaks and fugitive emissions.
Improved drone capabilities have
also enabled internal inspection of
structures, such as tanks and ves-
sels. Flying drones inside large stor-
age tanks saves time and costs, as no
scaffolding needs to be constructed
and no personnel have to enter the
tank. “In smaller pressure vessels,
personnel don’t have to make entry,”
says Harwood. He reiterates that
while drone-based internal inspec-
tion technologies are still relatively
new, they present benefits in numer-
ous areas, including turnarounds and Written for engineers by engineers, Chemical Engineering delivers solid
quality-control of new piping circuits.
engineering essentials and developing industry trends to keep its readers
In one recent project, AETOS
custom-built a “crawler” robot to go abreast of everything they need to keep their facilities running smoothly.
into a large vessel and complete a
visual inspection, as well as two dif-
ferent kinds of NDT. Typically, says Missing archived issues or what to share
Harwood, these types of NDT did not
occur very frequently and would re- Chemical Engineering with your colleagues?
quire extensive amounts of scaffold-
ing, while incurring nearly $500,000 Visit www.chemengonline.com/chemical-engineering-magazine
in costs. “We were able to outfit the for more information.
tools on the drone and do these in- 27584

spections in a day or two, and get

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 31

 Interactive Aerial
ness case for intrinsically using drones for emergency response pur-
safe drones, the devel- poses, for instance in evaluating the spill of
opment work for these a dangerous chemical, but these applica-
devices is still very early. tions are still very new. According to Smith,
Furthermore, many large the company is working with a local Federal
chemical companies Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
have their own internal chapter to look at potential drone applica-
aviation departments to tions for emergency scenarios. “If there
rigorously vet any drone were a chemical spill, they’d want to send
technologies being used in a drone first before sending in a rescue
inside plants. “We make team,” Smith explains. “It’ll be a big part of
sure to use equipment the drone world moving forward.”
that have encrypted Smith believes that to better harness
links that are unique to drones’ potential in chemical-handling ap-
the aircraft so that they plications, autonomous, intrinsically safe
don’t interfere with plant equipment is the next natural progression.
FIGURE 3. Drones can quickly sensors, and we have also tested them thor- Although manufacturing drones to the safety
provide high-resolution im- oughly,” he explains. standards dictated by certain industrial clas-
ages for internal inspection of
tanks, vessels, boilers One company working with AETOS to de- sifications would be quite demanding, there
and more velop high-performance inspection drones is is confidence that companies will begin to
Interactive Aerial, Inc. (IA; Traverse City, Mich.; investigate such offerings in the near future.
www.interactiveaerial.com). The company, “If we had a fully intrinsically safe drone, we
said to be one of the few U.S.-based drone could go into tanks without requiring com-
manufacturers, focuses on drones used for in- mercial cleaning or degassing,” Smith pre-
ternal inspections of tanks, boilers, cargo ship dicts. Currently, prior to inspection, tanks
hulls and other large equipment (Figure 2). must undergo rigorous preparation per
The drones can quickly supply a large amount American Petroleum Institute (API) 653 stan-
of internal inspection data via high-resolution dards. The next hurdle would be to use
photos and video (Figure 3). What sets IA’s drones for in-service inspections, but devel-
technology apart is a proprietary laser-based oping capable equipment presents consider-
navigation and collision-avoidance system, able challenges to drone manufacturers. “We
says Christian Smith, president of Interactive would have to re-write the way drones work,
Aerial. Typically, “off-the-shelf” drones use essentially, to make that happen, and we are
global-positioning systems (GPS) and internal currently researching what that would take,”
compasses for navigation, but these function- he says. IA has recently acquired a large de-
alities run into difficulties when the drones are commissioned fluid-storage tank to use for
inside large steel or concrete structures. “We in-situ test flights of its drones for demonstra-
have a laser that spins around 360 degrees on tion and research purposes.
the drone for navigation, allowing the drone to With regard to autonomy, line-of-sight regu-
learn its environment inside the tank or boiler. lations present particular hurdles for pilotless
When it knows its environment, it offers the drones. Earlier this year, Airobotics (Tel Aviv, Is-
collision-avoidance aspect,” explains Smith. rael; www.airobotics.co.il) became the world’s
While other drones do include collision-avoid- first company to receive federal authorization
ance capabilities, those systems may rely on (from the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel) for
cameras that typically do not properly function Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) opera-
in a dark, featureless environment, such as tion of an autonomous drone. In an industry
the inside of a tank. The laser-based system first, the company has deployed its autono-
works regardless of the lighting conditions of mous drones for data-capture at the Worsley
its environment, says Smith, and also takes Alumina operations of Australian mining com-
into account the tanks’ walls, floor and ceiling pany South32 (Perth; www.south32.net).
to create a virtual “bubble” around the drone In a cross-industry collaborative effort,
for collision avoidance. This also eliminates AkzoNobel N.V. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands;
physical interference between the drone and www.akzonobel.com) is currently working
the inspected surface, whereas other drones to implement its InterPlan inspection system
may require a “cage” around the equipment for coatings maintenance into drone surveys,
to protect against collisions, which can hin- which will decrease the time and cost required
der data collection. “This allows the operators for such inspections, especially in difficult-to-
to focus on gathering inspection data, rather reach areas, such as in marine installations
than not running into things,” he adds. (Figure 4). “With the even greater restrictions
Beyond inspection, IA is seeing interest in and issues around access involved in work-
32 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
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Circle 32 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-32

 AkzoNobel
everybody have a drone?”
He emphasizes drones’ potential to drasti-
cally shift asset-reliability practices by allow-
ing more frequent plant assessments rather
than depending on typical inspection cycles.
“That’s really the crux of what drones change.
If you have a drone, you can do ten-minute
flights to collect data rapidly and safely. It
completely revolutionizes the way we gather
information at a plant,” he continues.
For instance, engineers can monitor flares
with a thermal-camera drone and compare
the data with the control-system feed and
evaluate how the flare temperature is chang-
ing with the process flow. The imagery col-
lected by Sky Futures’ drones can be com-
FIGURE 4. Pilot tests are ing offshore, we’ll see greater efficiencies and bined with other imagery sources, such as
currently underway to com- benefits during the inspection process,” says cameras on operator helmets or scope cam-
mercialze drones for the in-
spection of coatings in marine
Chris Langley, InterPlan product manager. eras that look inside pipes, for example, to
environments In tandem with research and development formulate a more complete representation
group Drone Ops, coatings specialist Safi- of the plant. “By putting all your data into a
nah Ltd. and tanker operator Barrier Group, central repository, you’re basically building a
AkzoNobel is working to develop drones de- virtual version of the plant on your desktop
signed specifically for coatings and corrosion that anyone can access,” explains Hickey.
inspection in enclosed areas, including bal- In the past year, Sky Futures released addi-
last water tanks and offshore wind farms. The tional imagery-analysis tools with algorithms
project is progressing well, and a prototype that quickly pinpoint the most pertinent data
bespoke drone is currently undergoing trial from drone surveys, such as hot spots on
flights, according to Michael Hindmarsh, busi- pipe racks that can indicate potential leaks or
ness development manager for AkzoNobel corrosion under insulation. “We can process
Marine Coatings. The team plans to deliver thousands of images in a few minutes and
a working prototype later this year, although then tell operators where the faults are,” he
there are many challenges to address. “The adds. Also, the algorithms can detect small
project has to overcome many obstacles as- anomalies that the human eye may miss,
sociated with the inspection of surfaces in such as cracks in welds or small patches of
confined spaces, including navigation through corrosion. However, he reiterates that opera-
very small access holes and piloting outside of tors’ expertise and input are still required to
the line of sight, to name just two,” says Hind- ensure the programs’ reliability.
marsh. In Australia, AkzoNobel is currently Hickey presumes that the next steps in
testing drones for inspection tasks at remote the technology trajectory for drone-enabled
production sites where access is limited. analyses will involve more agile, autonomous
drones that take into account weather and
Making the most of drones’ data other site conditions to develop an optimal
Contextualizing, interpreting and organizing inspection schedule. Data would be auto-
the massive amounts of data collected by matically mapped and positioned onto serv-
drones is essential. At the forefront of inte- ers and put through algorithms to allow for
grating drone inspections with advanced trending and predictive analysis. “As soon as
analysis is Sky Futures (Hayes, U.K.; www. you can spot a problem in an image, you can
sky-futures.com). The company has recently begin to trend that over time. That’s the next
signed expansive contracts with global thing we are working on,” he says.
manufacturing companies Eni S.p.A. (Rome, Designing a reliable drone can be some-
Italy; www.eni.com) and Petronas (Kuala what analogous to process design. “Suc-
Lumpur, Malaysia; www.petronas.com). Sky cessful drone operators are the ones who
Futures not only provides drone-flying ser- think like process engineers,” says Hickey
vices, but also trains and encourages clients on the importance of layers of protection in
to learn how to use their own drones for ev- equipment design, even for drones. Multiple
eryday tasks. “The real benefits come when redundancies in GPS systems and duplicate
there is a drone on site at all times,” says propellers instill confidence in drones’ reli-
Colin Hickey, head of product at Sky Fu- ability. However, while some organizations,
tures. “We’ve all got a laptop. Why shouldn’t including Oil & Gas UK (London; www.oiland-
34 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
gasus.co.uk), have drafted guidelines According to Marsh, several thou-
specific to the oil-and-gas sector, no sand photos can be captured via
comprehensive industry standards drones in a matter of 2–3 hours.
governing drones in chemical pro- A wide range of CPI companies,
cessing facilities are currently avail- with different end-goals in mind, STATE-OF-THE-ART
able. Similarly, testing and certification have utilized drone capture and re-
group SGS S.A. (Geneva, Switzer- ality modeling. Walter cites several MIXING TECHNOLOGY
land; www.sgs.com) has written gen- examples, including biopharmaceu-
eral audit standards for drone pilots, ticals company UCB S.A. (Brussels,
and the American Bureau of Shipping Belgium, www.ucb.com), which used Technologically optimized
(ABS) has created certifications for drones to quickly appraise the options
drones in the maritime sector. for decreasing the carbon footprint of for your application
a manufacturing site that was built in
Drone imagery becomes reality 1928. “They basically captured a real- Cost effective
Bentley Systems, Inc. (Exton, Pa.; ity model of the entire manufacturing mixing technology
www.bentley.com) is using the data- site using a drone to quickly identify
capturing capabilities of drones to and communicate the practical ideas
survey plants with the goal of creating they had for making modifications to
Available in 4 weeks
“digital twins” that enable robust mod- achieve their carbon-reduction goals,”
eling and analytics. Bentley software Walters explains. Using drones, UCB
processes a set of drone-captured 2-D even identified some space at the site
photographs and compiles them into where solar panels could be installed.
a 3-D reality mesh for a holistic view of In another example, a Kansas-
an entire plant’s assets (Figure 5). “The based ethanol producer in the midst
technology converts digital photo- of a facility expansion faced difficulty
graphs into 3-D models very quickly,” in gaining regulatory approval to move
says Anne-Marie Walters, Bentley’s forward with the project due to inad-
industry marketing director for oil and equate drainage plans. A surveying
gas. As the circumstances for utiliz- company used a drone and Bent-
ing drone technology have expanded ley software to develop the drainage
and their capabilities have advanced, plans in less than a week. “A tradi-
users’ confidence in drone safety and tional survey would have taken three
reliability has grown as well, accord- times as long,” Walters suggests.
ing to Walters. Bentley has partnered In another case, drones were used
with surveying specialist Topcon Posi- in a situation where two adjacent steel-
tioning Group (Livermore, Calif.; www. manufacturing plants were merged
topconpositioning.com) to facilitate into a single facility and no overarching
automated cloud services that inter- site survey had ever taken place. “They
face with drone-captured imagery. needed to modernize their fume-ex-
“The work with Topcon focuses on traction system for the entire complex,
capturing the as-is condition of as- but no one had ever done one overall
sets, in as close to realtime as pos- survey of the complex,” says Walters.
sible, so users can quickly make deci- Imagery from both photographs and
sions,” explains Walters. laser scans were combined to gen-
Interest in these types of aerial erate a reality model and quickly de-
surveys for chemical plants began sign the extraction system. The reality
to surface in the past 2–3 years, ac- model was also used to reevaluate the
cording to Jerard Marsh, application structural integrity of some older parts
Your fast lane to
engineer for Bentley Reality Model- of the factory. Additional drone users
ing Product Development. “What the seen by Bentley include a Korean ther- advanced mixing technology:
drone gives you is a full 360-degree mal-power operator, and a risk-based
overview of your plant that you won’t inspection provider in South Africa. Phone: +1 201 825 4684
get with laser scanning. You can see Despite the ease of conducting sur- Ext.: 222
the tops of pipe racks, you can see veys, processing companies still har-
around pressure vessels, so it offers bor some concerns about introducing [email protected]
much more context,” says Marsh. drones into their facilities. However,
Even a very high-level overview of a the rapid proliferation of drones for
plant based on drone-generated im- industrial use has led to enhanced on- www.ekato.com
agery can be useful in safety reviews board safety systems. “These drones
and brownfield site modifications. are getting so advanced now, with so
Circle 18 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-18

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 35

 Bentley Systems
& Engineering manager with RVA Group.
The remote viewing capabilities of
drones provide quick and relatively in-
expensive inspection of large, compli-
cated plant structures, explains Richard
Vann, managing director of RVA Group.
Alongside other advanced technologies,
such as ground-penetrating radar and
laser scanning, drones provide inspec-
tion details that are infeasible or difficult
to obtain with previous inspection tech-
niques. “With drones, we literally get a
bird’s-eye view. We can fly into places
where we wouldn’t be able to send per-
sonnel without putting an enormous
amount of manpower on the ground for
FIGURE 5. The comprehensive aerial many safety sensors put in place, that if initial inspections. It’s given us a window
imagery provided by a drone survey can anything goes wrong, the drone lands of opportunity to speed up the investiga-
be used to formulate a 3-D reality model
of a plant
itself automatically,” states Marsh. Al- tory process,” says Waller. These initial
though, as mentioned previously, no in- inspections are especially crucial for sites
dustry standards are currently available where accurate records of the construc-
governing the use of drones in chemical tion details are not immediately available,
plants, many companies have developed or where records may not be up to date.
their own conservative safety and op- Inspections are particularly challenging
erational guidelines, in collaboration with in long-dormant plants. “We are looking
inspection and surveying groups. “Indi- at assets on a project in the U.S. that
vidual companies are beginning to work have laid idle for 50–60 years, and they
out what the regulations should be locally. are overgrown with trees and moss. You
They go through their own rigorous safety wouldn’t think of letting anyone use the
protocol before they start to operate access routes or the staircases,” says
drones on site,” explains Walters. “At the Vann. Flying camera-equipped drones
end of the day, it’s just another piece of over the site revealed numerous hazard-
equipment you’re using with your assets.” ous situations, including holes in build-
ing roofs, collapsed staircases and even
Smarter decommissioning elements of structures that had become
The many complexities of plant decom- detached. According to Vann, the use of
missioning and demolition require exten- drones was essential in this project to un-
sive planning and inspection. Dilapidated derstand how to best access the plant
structures at long-abandoned facilities and to determine safe areas for personnel
can present significant challenges and to work. “I’d rather lose a dozen drones
potentially put personnel at great risk. than one person cut their finger,” he says.
For the past few years, decommission- Of course, there are certain precau-
ing specialist RVA Group (Borehamwood, tions that must be taken before flying
FIGURE 6. Drones outfitted with emis-
sions-monitoring sensors can provide
U.K.; www.rvagroup.org) has been utiliz- drones into potentially hazardous areas,
continuous reporting for mapping ing drones as part of their decommission- including plants where some portions are
purposes ing services. Most recently, the company still operational. The first key hurdle, par-
was appointed by SABIC (Riyadh, ticularly when dealing with hydrocarbons,
Saudi Arabia; www.sabic.com) to is safety, according to Waller. “Equipment
provide extensive decommissioning that is to be taken into various areas of
for several U.K. assets, and drones the plant must be rated appropriately for
were deployed in order to inspect zoned areas with potentially explosive at-
structures as part of the initial de- mospheres.” In some cases, the group’s
commissioning strategy. “In the de- drones could only be used at a predefined
commissioning arena, we are dealing distance from a certain asset. Also, limi-
with very old assets that sometimes tations may be placed on whether the
have not been maintained for a num- drone can fly inside of a structure, as the
ber of years. So before we can send drones’ transmission components may
anybody in, we need to be sure of present a potential source of ignition. “To
the safety and security of the asset our knowledge, there are no ATEX-rated
itself,” explains Matthew Waller, EHS drones currently, but surely the market
Aeromon

36 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

RanMarine

FIGURE 7. The removal of solid waste in closed waterways is aided by the use
of swimming robots

will quickly recognize this gap,” says Waller.

Another concern is interference between the drone and
the operating assets’ instrumentation. Waller cites a proj-
ect where drones were to be used nearby live operating
assets, including plant-critical instrumentation. The team
carried out a review of the potential for interference with
drone signaling, since losing control of a drone could lead
to collision with plant-critical structures with possibly cat-
astrophic results. As a result of the review, the team im-
plemented no-fly zones in certain plant areas to eliminate
interference risks.
Another application for drones that RVA Group has
found is for filming explosive demolitions. “From an en-
gineering point of view, it’s a good way to study collapse

Energy-ef cient
mechanisms, how a building or structure falls. From that,
you can learn for future similar events,” adds Vann.

Environmental remediation thermal separation

Drones are also proving to be practical in the environmental
and regulatory sectors. For instance, SeekOps, Inc. (Pasa- GEA -the leader in energy
dena, Calif.; www.seekops.com) develops methane-gas optimization
sensors for drones. Earlier this year, SeekOps licensed a
miniature gas sensor originally developed at NASA’s Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (www.jpl.nasa.gov). According to GEA’s distillation and evaporation plants
the company, the sensor is specifically suited for aerial are recognized worldwide for their high
configuration due to its miniaturized nature, and can de- thermodynamic efficiencies and high
tect methane in the parts-per-billion (ppb) range to precisely distillate purities achieved. Due to our
highlight small leaks before they begin to pose problems for product know how and expertise in
operators. SeekOps is currently working toward a commer- designing multi-stage, TVR and MVR
cial release for drones equipped with these new sensors. heated plant concepts, GEA offers a range
Aeromon Oy (Helsinki, Finland; www.aeromon.fi) is of innovative and individually designed
looking to bring drones into the emissions-monitoring thermally optimized solutions. With in-
arena through the creation of a sensor module designed house R&D facilities and more than 4500
specifically for aerial use. Weighing just 850 g, the com- references worldwide, who would expect
pany’s BH-8 unit quantifies and maps emissions in re- anything less?
altime using up to eight different gas sensors simulta- For contact details: gea.com/contact
neously, with capabilities to measure up to 70 different
gases, including combustible or explosive gases, refrig-
erants and VOCs, as well as particulate matter. Visualiza-
tion of monitoring data is provided directly onto a map
or aerial image in realtime (Figure 6). In addition to moni-
toring gaseous and particulate emissions, Aeromon has
also enabled noise-monitoring capabilities into its de-
vices. The company has had several successful pilot proj-
Circle 24 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-24

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 37

 RanMarine
ects at industrial sites, The company’s newest endeavor, the ChemShark, is
including detect- equipped with proprietary internal filtration technology
ing leaks, mapping to remove contaminants in ports, canals, lakes or other
potential areas for similar bodies of water (Figure 8). According to Oliver
toxic-gas release and Cunningham, RanMarine’s chief commercial officer, the
reducing the risks as- ChemShark is currently in the testing phase for advanced
sociated with storing filtration technologies to efficiently remove a number of
biomass by monitor- contaminants. RanMarine is working with a municipality
ing the presence of in Sweden to deploy a ChemShark drone into a local port
combustible gases. that has several chemical contaminants in its water, in-
The BH-8 aerial sen- cluding cadmium, arsenic, copper, zinc, lead, polychlori-
sor platform is slated nated biphenyl and dioxins. The company is also partner-
for commercial re- FIGURE 8. Automated water treatment is a ing with a potential customer in South Africa to institute a
lease in late 2017, ac- new frontier for drones drone-based cleanup program for waste removal from a
cording to Aeromon. major commercial port. The company has also been in-
The potential applications for drones extend beyond vestigating oil-spill-remediation capabilities for the Chem-
the skies into the water. Swimming — rather than fly- Shark. According to Cunningham, RanMarine expects to
ing — drones can be deployed for cleanup tasks in wa- have the first ChemShark in the water by early 2018.
terways where it might be difficult or hazardous to send Marine drones are a natural fit for cleaning up tight
personnel. RanMarine Technology B.V. (Rotterdam, the spaces in waterways where waste or contaminants may
Netherlands; www.ranmarine.io) develops autonomous accumulate. “The value of our drones over other waste-
drones for removing solid waste or chemical contami- collecting vessels is that they are smaller, more agile,
nants from bodies of water. RanMarine’s waste-cleanup lighter and cost significantly less,” explains Cunningham.
drone model, known as the WasteShark (Figure 7), can Furthermore, RanMarine is using solar-powered batteries
collect floating debris, such as plastic waste and other in their drones, so the carbon footprint is extremely low.
solid trash. Similarly, the company’s PlantShark model There is also no need for personnel to enter hazardous
targets alien, or pest, vegetation, whose presence can contaminated water, eliminating some serious safety con-
place stresses on water supply and threaten biodiversity. cerns. And since the drones are fully autonomous and
can run continuously, cleanup tasks can be completed
more quickly. Furthermore, says Cunningham, the drones

It's more than a check valve...

can work in intelligent teams, sharing information and ef-
fectively self-organizing to most effectively tackle the task.
One of the main concerns the company emphasized in

It's a Check-All
® the development of their technologies is the avoidance of
unintended consequences for the ecosystem in a body
of water. “To extract one chemical out of the water, you
may have to introduce another chemical. The introduc-
tion of this new chemical might be problematic, so we
Get me a Check-All® are absolutely determined to think through these side ef-
Our spring loaded check valves are assembled to your fects first,” says Cunningham. “We’re also very mindful of
exact needs, ensuring absolute precision and reliability. wildlife and biodiversity. We’ve had zero animal or human
They work like they should. That’s what makes injury to date,” he continues. Another important consid-
Check-All® the only choice. eration in the development of the ChemShark was the
material of construction for the drone’s hull, which has to
Plus, most lead times are less than one week. withstand continuous exposure to harsh chemicals and
potentially extreme conditions. The company decided on
a silicon-resin polymer material that provides strength
and resilience in corrosive marine environments.

On the horizon
® The CPI’s fast adoption of drone technologies for inspec-
tion purposes will likely soon expand to several other ap-
plications. The creation of consistent regulatory guidelines,
along with drone manufacturers’ efforts to tailor product
SINCE 1958 offerings for industrial tasks, may enable drones to some-
day become as ubiquitous as engineers’ laptops. Further-
Get me a Check-All® 515-224-2301 more, research and development projects will help to craft
Manufactured in West Des Moines, Iowa, USA drones for expanded applications, as more autonomous
www.checkall.com • [email protected] and even intrinsically safe options begin to take flight. ■
Mary Page Bailey
Circle 12 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-12
38 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Feature Report

Odor Issues and

Solutions for
Wastewater Treatment
Increasingly, wastewater treatment plants must address odors due to volatile contaminants.
This guide provides an overview of odor causes and possible remedial actions
Laura Haupert

P
rocesses and applications
OMI Industries
that emit odor-causing air
contaminants are common
across many sectors of the
chemical process industries (CPI).
IN BRIEF
In many cases, including wastewa- ODORS AND HEALTH
ter treatment plants (WWTPs), paper HAZARDS
mills, asphalt refineries and other op- WASTEWATER
erations, large volumes of odor-caus- TREATMENT PLANT
ing compounds are generated, and ODORS
residents of the areas surrounding the ODOR REMEDIATION
facility can be exposed. METHODS
In the past, these odors were less of FIGURE 1. Wastewater treatment plants can be sources of odor-caus-
an issue because most industrial facili- ing gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, mercaptans and others VAPOR-PHASE
ties tended to be located at consider- APPROACHES
able distances from large residential areas. In This article provides information about
more recent times, however, there has been common odor-causing compounds and
an increase in the number of industrial op- about possible methods for controlling those
erations that are located within or near small odors, with a particular focus on WWTPs.
towns and even large cities. When local resi-
dents constantly smell these industrial pro- Odors and health hazards
cesses, unhappy neighborhoods are gener- In general, odors are subjective, so that a
ally the result. particular type of odor may bother one per-
The collective voice of the public is now son while having little or no impact on an-
often strong, and has resulted in new regu- other. The odor threshold is the minimum
lations regarding odors and odor control concentration of an odorous compound that
at industrial facilities. Many industries can is necessary to be detected by 50% of the
no longer produce odors without facing population [1].
the consequences of either constant com- In principle, all chemicals can theoreti-
plaints, or fines from federal, state and local cally be toxic at high enough concentra-
authorities. In addition to being a nuisance, tions. For instance, water is not normally
these foul odors can pose a health and considered toxic. However, drinking an ex-
safety concern for the community, especially cessive amount of water under certain cir-
at high concentrations. cumstances can create a condition called
Furthermore, increases in population and hyponatremia [2]. A similar situation applies
associated industrial growth have driven an to the concentration of odorous gases. At
increase in the amount of waste requiring low concentrations (parts per billion; ppb),
processing, and a subsequent increase in some gases can be detected by most hu-
the odor problem. mans. However, those gases are not toxic

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 39

 TABLE 1. COMMON ODOR-CAUSING COMPOUNDS AT CPI FACILITIES smell disappears. Hydrogen sulfide
Substance Odor threshold Characteristic odor TWAc (ppm) IDLHd (ppm) is lethal at 700–1,000 ppm within
(ppm) minutes [5–7]. A complication with
Ammoniaa 46.8 Pungent 25 300 hydrogen sulfide is that your sense
of smell disappears at only 150 ppm.
Benzeneb 37 Solvent 1 500 Therefore, one could be exposed to
higher levels of hydrogen sulfide and
not know that it is present. It is sol-
Ethyl mercaptana 0.001 Earthy, sulfide 0.5 500
uble in water, corrosive and toxic to
both humans and the environment.
Hydrogen sulfidea 0.00047 Rotten egg 10 100 Mercaptans. Mercaptans, such as
ethyl mercaptan, are compounds
Methyl mercaptana 0.0021 Sulfide, pungent 0.5 150 that contain a carbon-bonded sulfhy-
dryl group (–C–SH or R–SH, where R
Styreneb 1.9 Aromatic 50 700
represents an alkane, alkene or other
carbon-containing group of atoms).
Mercaptans are flammable, have
Toluenee 2.9 Sour, solvent 10 500 strong odors, and can be detected
by the human nose at concentrations
Trichloroethyleneb 21 Solvent 25 1,000 in the parts per billion range. Ethyl
mercaptan is intentionally added to
a. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00022470.1969.10466465 propane at low concentrations in
b. https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/risk/recordisplay.cfm?deid=40610&CFID=79236647&CFTOKEN=90216829 order to help warn of a potential gas
c. https://www.osha.gov/dsg/annotated-pels/tablez-2.html leak. At higher concentrations, ac-
d. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/idlh/longdev/oldfiles/idlhabb3.html
e. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/toluene.pdf
cording to OSHA (U.S. Occupational
Safety and Health Administration;
until the concentrations reach low IDLH is a higher concentration than Washington, D.C.; www.osha.gov)
parts-per-million (ppm) levels. Unfor- the odor threshold for most of these regulations, ethyl mercaptan is clas-
tunately, many industrial processes chemicals. However, in the case of sified as an acute toxic material for
produce odorous gases at concen- hydrogen sulfide, the human nose oral ingestion and inhalation, as well
trations that are both a nuisance and can become desensitized to the gas as for skin sensitization [8].
that can present real health hazards. at concentrations lower than the VOCs. VOCs, such as styrene, tolu-
Ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, mer- IDLH. This means that humans may ene and trichloroethylene, are or-
captans and volatile organic com- not smell the hydrogen sulfide at lev- ganic chemicals that have high vapor
pounds (VOCs) are examples of els where it can cause severe harm pressures at room temperature. Their
odorous gases that may be pro- or death. high vapor pressure allows them to
duced in the processes of several The following descriptions cover either evaporate or sublime, respec-
types of industrial facilities, including several of the most common odor- tively, from a liquid or solid to a gas.
(but not limited to) WWTPs, asphalt ous gases found in the CPI. Hazardous VOCs present safety con-
refineries, hot mix plants, landfills, Ammonia. Ammonia is a colorless cerns, because they can be flamma-
farms and others. gas that is highly irritating with a ble, can cause cancer and chronic
Table 1 lists several common pungent odor at room temperatures. health effects, and may be lethal at
odorous gases associated with It is soluble in water, corrosive, and certain concentrations. For example,
these industry sectors. The table in- has alkaline properties. It can cause toluene is a VOC found in many in-
cludes odor thresholds, characteris- hoarseness, violent coughing, pain- dustrial applications, including both
tic odor, time-weight average (TWA) ful breathing, impaired vision, dys- wastewater treatment plants and
and immediately dangerous to life pnea and cyanosis when exposed to asphalt refineries. It has a high odor
or health (IDLH) levels for each gas. high levels [3]. threshold of 2.9 ppm, which indi-
The TWA represents the concentra- Hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide cates that the presence of the odor
tion of a given chemical that will not is a highly flammable, extremely haz- may not be a good judge of safety
cause adverse effects when the ex- ardous gas that has a characteristic for this chemical. Toluene poses a
posure reaches eight hours per day. “rotten egg” smell. Hydrogen sulfide safety concern, as it presents acute
In most cases, the TWA is higher has an odor threshold of 0.00047 toxicity hazards for oral ingestion. It is
than the odor threshold; meaning ppm, meaning that 50% of a human also a skin and eye irritant, and it may
that you can smell the odor before panel can smell it at that low of a cause damage to organs through
there is any potential hazard. The concentration [4]. At a concentration prolonged or repeated exposure.
IDLH is the level at which a chemical of around 150 ppm, olfactory nerves With an odor similar to paint thinner,
can cause death or permanent ad- can become paralyzed, resulting in it is an aromatic hydrocarbon, and is
verse health effects. Notice that the humans having the sense that the insoluble in water [9].
40 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
 causing compounds. leased from the wastewater [10]. In
Industrial sources addition, chemical reagents used at
often cause concern WWTP for treatment may be odor-
because the waste ous and can produce odors during
can contain a number the treatment process. Common
of toxic chemicals. emissions from WWTP include hy-
Other odor-causing drogen sulfide, mercaptans, VOC,
chemicals do not di- ammonia and some nitrogen con-
rectly come into a taining compounds.
WWTP from house- At WWTPs, compounds are only
holds or industrial noticeably odorous if the compound
sources. They are is volatilized into the air. For exam-
generated by anaero- ple, hydrogen sulfide dissolved into
bic biological activity wastewater has little odor. How-
that consume the or- ever, turbulence in the wastewater,
ganic material found increased temperature, solubility
FIGURE 2. Odor-removal methods, such as the vapor-line system shown
here, involve treating the air that contains the odor-causing species
in the wastewater. changes and pH changes can all
One of the most cause compounds, such as hydro-
Odors at WWTPs common odorous gases found in gen sulfide, to volatilize to the gas
Wastewater treatment plants WWTP is hydrogen sulfide (H2S). It phase, thereby producing a higher
(WWTPs) generate odors during is produced in wastewater by the re- level of odor. In addition, the sur-
many of their normal processes, in- duction of sulfate to hydrogen sulfide rounding community often considers
cluding collection, treatment and gas by bacteria. At a pH above nine, the odors coming from WWTPs as
disposal (Figure 1). Incoming waste the hydrogen sulfide is in the form of being problematic. The WWTPs have
includes both household and indus- hydrosulfide ion (HS–), which does to evaluate the source of the odors.
trial sources, which both contain a not have an odor. However, at pH Many studies have determined the
number of different types of odor- below nine, hydrogen sulfide is re- main sources of odors at WWTPs

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 to be the primary settlers, sludge- tericides work by either inactivating adsorbent material. Activated car-
digestions tanks, sludge thickening, or killing anaerobic bacteria. The pH bon is porous, with a large surface
dewatering areas, raw wastewater, modifiers tend to prevent the hydro- area, which allows it to adsorb the
centrifugation and disposal systems gen sulfide from volatizing into the odorous chemicals in the air stream.
[11]. Overall, two of the main contrib- air. The most common chemicals While activated carbon works well
utors to odors are the primary treat- added to the wastewater are iron on sulfur-containing compounds, it is
ments and sludge-handling areas. At salts, ozone, nitrates, chlorine and not as effective at treating nitrogen-
this point, WWTPs have to consider hydrogen peroxide. based compounds [12].
what type of odor control to use. Masking agents. Masking agents
Vapor-phase approaches are chemicals that are sprayed into
Odor remediation methods Vapor-phase methods involve the the air to cover up the odors pro-
WWTPs can use a variety of meth- treatment of the air or vapor that con- duced at the WWTP. Masking agents
ods to remove odors. The main odor tains the odorous compounds. There use fragrances to cover up the odors.
control categories into which these are many different vapor-phase tech- They often work by adhering to the
methods fall are the following: oper- nologies that WWTPs utilize, includ- outside of the odor molecule. After
ation control methods, liquid-phase ing, but not limited to, scrubbers, bio- a short period, the fragrance and the
addition and vapor-phase methods filtration, activated carbon, masking odor separate, leaving the odor be-
(Figure 2). agents and natural odor control using hind. While masking agents give an
Operation control methods. Op- plant oils as the active ingredients to immediate cover to the odor, the odor
eration control methods involve neutralize the odors. Below is a brief will eventually return. As a result, not
changing a process or operation in summary of the basic way each of everyone in nearby communities will
order to reduce the odors. Operators these methods works. be happy with the overall outcome.
can help prevent offensive odors by Wet scrubbers. Wet scrubbers Natural solutions. Finally, natural
maintaining the correct dissolved pump the contaminated air into an odor control solutions can fully neu-
oxygen concentration, for example, aqueous solution before it goes to tralize odors, and are atomized or
or by preventing excess sludge from the ambient air. The odorous com- vaporized into the air. These odor-
degrading, preventing overloading pounds go into the liquid, and then control products contain natural plant
and many other simple maintenance the odor-causing chemicals react oils, food-grade surfactant and water,
techniques. However, operators with the solution. Wet scrubbers and are both safe for the environment
are often limited in what changes typically use sodium hypochlorite, and the local community. When the
they can make and may lack the potassium permanganate, hydrogen natural odor control product is atom-
resources to make the necessary peroxide or sodium hydroxide in the ized into the air, small droplets are
changes. If operators are unable to aqueous solution. If hydrogen sulfide produced that cover a large surface
make changes to these processes, is the main odor concern, sodium area and attract odorous gas mol-
or the changes do not fix the odor hydroxide is often used. However, ecules through electrostatic charges.
problem, then they may look to other if mercaptans or ammonia are also The electrostatic charge also facili-
methods of odor control. present, then a multi-stage scrubber tates the attraction of malodor mol-
Liquid-phase addition. Liquid- is used, with both sodium hydroxide ecules to the droplet surface whereby
phase addition involves adding a and sodium hypochlorite utilized in they absorb into the droplet. Once
chemical to the wastewater in order separate stages. the malodor is in the droplet, odor
to control the odors. The chemical Biofiltration. Biofiltration uses soil, neutralization occurs. The malodor
addition may either prevent odor- compost or some other material, then either naturally biodegrades in
causing chemicals from forming or such as a substrate for bacteriologi- the droplet or an acid/base reaction
may react with the odorous com- cal population. The microbes remove takes place, producing a non-hazard-
pounds to produce a safer, non- odors from the air through the media. ous organic-salt and water.
odor-causing species. Engineers In order for the microbes to interact Natural odor-control solutions often
may be able to take advantage of with the odorous compounds, there use plant oils. These products have
other benefits with this technique; must be a large residence time in the capability of neutralizing a broad
namely, corrosion control. For in- the media. By lowering the velocity spectrum of odorous chemicals, in-
stance, hydrogen sulfide will react of the air going through the media, cluding hydrogen sulfide, mercap-
with many of the liquid-phase chemi- longer residence times result. Biofil- tans, VOCs, ammonia and amines.
cals, resulting in hydrogen sulfide not tration works on odors that are both These solutions can be atomized into
being released into the air stream. biodegradable and water-soluble, the air at WWTPs via air atomization
Therefore, hydrogen sulfide will not including hydrogen sulfide and other systems, hollow bladed fans or by va-
corrode the WWTP equipment. sulfur-containing compounds. They por-phase systems. The air atomiza-
Liquid-phase chemicals include, do not work effectively on chemicals tion systems use water and nozzles to
but are not limited to, oxidizers, pH containing nitrogen. atomize the product into the air. The
modifiers and bactericides. Oxidizers Activated carbon. Activated car- nozzle system can be suited to most
typically react with hydrogen sulfide bon works by having the contami- applications at a WWTP. The hollow-
and other sulfur compounds. Bac- nated air stream pass through this bladed fan system is a uniquely de-
42 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
signed system that dispenses the minimize complaints. Overall, the “Hazardous Substance Factsheet: Ethyl Mercaptan,”
nj.gov/health.
product into the open air. best solution would be one that re-
9. U.S. EPA, “Toluene – Hazard Summary,” www.epa.gov/
Current vapor-phase systems offer moves a broad spectrum of odors, sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/toluene.pdf.
a simple, effective and economical and is safe for both the community 10. Lebrero, R., Bouchy, L., Stuetz, R. and Muñoz, R.,
delivery system specifically devel- and the environment. ■ “Odor Assessment and Management in Wastewater
Treatment Plants: A Review,” http://www.tandfonline.
oped to disperse the water-based Edited by Scott Jenkins com/doi/abs/10.1080/10643380903300000.
odor-eliminating neutralizers. Vapor- 11. U.S. EPA, “Detection, Control and Correction of Hydro-
phase units are designed to produce References gen Sulfide Corrosion in Existing Wastewater Systems,”
sub-micron droplets of products. This 1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Reference https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/200045MK.
Guide to Odor Thresholds for Hazardous Air Pollut- PDF?Dockey=200045MK.PDF.
is accomplished by a centrifugal pres-
ants Listed in the Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990.” 12. Zhang, L., DeSchryver, P., DeGusseme, DeMuynck, W.,
sure blower that intakes atmospheric https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/2000BHG5. Boon, N. and Verstaete, W., “Chemical and Biological
air. The intake air stream is sprayed PDF?Dockey=2000BHG5.PDF Technologies For Hydrogen Sulfide Emission Control
with product, pulled through the 2. Mayo Clinic, “Diseases and Conditions Hyponatremia.” In Sewer Systems,” http://www.sciencedirect.com/sci-
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypo- ence/article/pii/S0043135407004745.
blower and finally dispersed on the natremia/basics/definition/con-20031445
outlet side of the blower. Additional 3. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Author
water is not required. The sub-micron Health (NIOSH), “Ammonia (Anhydrous),” https://www. Laura Haupert is the director of
size droplet allows for a more effec- cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng0414.html. research and development for OMI
Industries (1300 Barbour Way,
tive dry vapor that absorbs more odor 4. Leonardos, G., Kendall, D., Barnard, N., “Odor Threshold Rising Sun, IN 47040; Phone:
Determinations of 53 Odorant Chemicals,” http://dx.doi.
molecules than atomization systems. org/10.1080/00022470.1969.10466465.
1-812-438-9218; Email:
In recent years, WWTPs have [email protected];
5. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Website: odormanagement.com).
come under an increasing level of “Hydrogen Sulfide” Definition, https://www.osha.gov/ At OMI, Haupert helps develop
scrutiny from their respective sur- SLTC/hydrogensulfide/hazards.html. natural solutions for the treatment
6. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Occu- of industrial odors, and supports
rounding communities. The percep- the company’s Ecosorb technology, which is designed to
pational Health Guidelines for Hydrogen Sulfide,” https://
tion of odors coming from WWTPs www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/81-123/pdfs/0337.pdf. eliminate odors without hazardous chemicals. Haupert
has resulted in many complaints earned her B.S. in chemistry (biochemistry concentra-
7. National Academy of Science, “Hydrogen Sulfide Acute tion) from Manchester College and holds a Ph.D. in
from the community. Investigating Exposure Guideline Levels,” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. physical chemistry from Purdue University, where she
the various odor-control methods gov/books/NBK208170/. worked in the area of solvated clusters. Haupert also
described in this article can help 8. New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services, completed post-doctoral research at Purdue.

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 Feature Report

Smart Water-
Management Strategies:
The Time is Now
Considering water-management strategies as a central component of infrastructure design at
industrial facilities will unlock cost savings throughout the operation
Schneider Electric

M
Jürgen Engert ounting water
Schneider Electric shortages
and resulting
regulations
across the globe are fu-
IN BRIEF eling the need for seam-
WATER RESOURCE less and smarter water-
CHALLENGES management methods
— particularly in indus-
IMPACT ON INDUSTRY
trial manufacturing en-
FILLING THE VOID vironments where water
IMPLEMENTATION
usage, treatment and
STRATEGIES disposal is a critical part
of all processes. In these
settings, water control
and management should
not be isolated or treated
as an afterthought, but
rather included in plant
infrastructure strategies
from the onset. If water
quality is poor, it com-
promises everything that
follows, and can also af-
fect the life expectancy
of a plant’s water sys-
tems, product quality and
overall infrastructure. A
strategy is needed that
thinks beyond SCADA
(supervisory control and
data acquisition) systems
to render all aspects of
an industrial facility view- FIGURE 1. The increasing scarcity of water as a resource is driving change in the pro-
duction processes used by industrial companies
able as a single pane of
glass, enabling manufacturers to access all dustry challenges, such as aging and fail-
information in one place for a “smarter” ap- ing infrastructure, tightening regulations,
proach to water and product management. pressing needs for water conservation and
Achieving a smarter water-management quality, among others (Figure 1). Despite the
strategy requires addressing some key in- challenges, new monitoring and manage-
46 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
ment technologies are readily avail- agement; and using innovative tech- water issues in the future?
able today to optimize your assets, nologies to achieve smarter water In much the same way that petro-
including both human assets and management. leum was a 20th-century resource-
hardware availability, delivery, use management issue, water is quickly
and quality. These technologies help Water resource challenges becoming our next resource chal-
drive operational and maintenance The author Mark Twain once said, lenge, and will likely be how the
efficiency, reduction of waste in en- “Whiskey is for drinking; water is for 21st-century is remembered, with
ergy, material and operation, and im- fighting over.” While the statement far-reaching impact. With the real-
proves the bottom line. came from a much earlier time pe- ization that there are no renewable
This article provides an overview riod, it’s becoming increasingly rel- alternatives to water, it is a scarce
of best practices related to gaining evant today. resource that cannot be simply
a centralized perspective for an en- Current forecasts suggest the “manufactured.” We need to use
tire process network that includes possibility of a global water crisis is water without using it up — we must
water, in order to better manage highly probable in the not too distant protect what we have, become more
human, hardware and stranded as- future. According to the United Na- efficient and continue to push the
sets, reduce water leakage and re- tions, by 2030 the world water sup- boundaries of technology to secure
duce energy costs — all contributors ply will fall short by at least 40%, as a water-safe future.
to a plant’s bottom line. Cost savings detailed in the World Water Develop- This realization — in conjunction
can then be re-invested back into ment Report 2015. The report can with increased water-related regula-
the network and infrastructure for be found at www.unesco.org. Those tions across the globe — is fueling
further efficiency and performance who have better prepared for this the need for seamless, smart water-
gains. The article discusses five key inevitability will fare better than the management strategies, particularly
best practices, including: increas- rest. The impact of a 40% shortfall within city infrastructures, highly pop-
ing operational efficiency; optimizing will be felt well before 2030. What ulous regions and across industrial
energy consumption, continuity of can be done today to minimize the manufacturing environments, where
service and regulatory compliance; likelihood of a business disruption or water usage, treatment and disposal
improving asset performance man- unexpected cost escalation due to are critical needs. In these settings,

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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 47

 water control and management Impact on industry power generation companies must
should be carefully considered as The increasing scarcity of water will accelerate innovation to transform
part of industrial processes and plant be accompanied by cost increases, processes to be more eco-friendly
infrastructure strategies from the environmental hurdles and increased to better manage and reduce trace
onset. If water quality is poor or water competition to simply find and secure impurities in wastewater. Chemical
is wasted, all operations that follow available water. Operators of indus- and petrochemical facilities with ex-
are compromised, which negatively trial facilities should anticipate tighter tremely large wastewater streams
impacts operational performance, regulatory scrutiny across the world. must adapt to minimize liquid dis-
costs and the life expectancy of a These challenges will be far reach- charge and reduce water dependen-
plant’s water systems and output. ing and will have serious impacts cies as costs escalate.
on many organizations. Mining and Although these challenges vary
in nature and magnitude across in-
dustrial facilities, significant oppor-
tunities for improvement are closely
connected. For instance, the volume
of data collected around consuming
and discharging water is expected
to grow dramatically, as the use of
smart meters and sensors spreads
in the industry. However, it is not
just about collecting, managing and
analyzing data, but rather about
improving the quality and speed of
decision-making to transform the
way water and water infrastructures
are managed and used. Data-driven
insights have great potential to
transform the way both utilities and
industrial manufacturers think about
water as a resource and how the in-
dustry plans, invests and manages
its water footprint.
Now is the time to rethink how
smart water solutions can be im-
plemented today to reduce the
pending water availability con-
straints of our future. The first step
is to change how we think about
water — it is no longer a limitless
resource that simply needs to be
managed. The future will require a
much closer examination of how
water is collected, utilized and re-
cycled in order to minimize the po-
tential disruptive effects now on the
horizon. Moving beyond SCADA
solutions will be necessary, to not
only react to how water is used, but
to proactively engage with water-
consumption processes as a po-
tential to optimize and significantly
transform the role water will play in
industrial operations.
New intelligence extracted from an
increasing reliance upon the indus-
trial internet of things (IIoT) will reveal
new tips that manufacturing facilities
can adopt to achieve a more holistic
approach to optimize water manage-
Circle 15 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-15
48 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
 Consider the following questions:
• When an alarm occurs, does your
workforce have enough informa-
tion to act accordingly?
• What do you do with the data
collected from daily maintenance
rounds?
• Does your SCADA system allow
you to perform maintenance when
it is needed, or only when some-
thing breaks?
• Are all of your systems integrated
to provide a single version of the
truth?
• Can you determine whether your
processes today are better or
worse than last week? How about
between locations?
• Can you guarantee an event re-
sponse is conducted as a stan-
dardized process? Or, if not, do
you have visibility to understand
FIGURE 2. The role of mobile devices has greatly what happened?
expanded to better visualize system performance • Is your workforce accountable in a
and improve worker efficiency
measurable way?
• Is your workforce properly trained
ment. This “beyond SCADA” mind- to handle any situation? The German Way of
set will underscore best practices • Can your SCADA system help to
that will allow industrial organizations capture and analyze energy con- Joint Innovation
to better manage water as a pre- sumption data, in context, to then
cious resource through all produc-
tion stages, from site assessment
recommend suitable responses
that are actionable?
Horizontal
to the supply chain, and from raw
material stages to production and
All of the data necessary to an-
swer these questions flow in and out
Thin Film Dryer
distribution strategies that are highly of your SCADA system at near real-
Efficient drying of
focused on the recycling or reclaim- time speed. Going beyond the tradi-
ing of wastewater. tional mindset delivered by SCADA municipal and
systems is what the term “beyond industrial sludges.
Filling the void SCADA” is all about. Beyond SCADA
SCADA systems have been around solutions can provide longterm value,
for decades. Yet despite the many and a tremendous return on invest-
technology improvements that have ment. Such solutions can achieve
occurred in automation, collabora- this through the following:
tion and application development, a • Empowering your workforce with
large proportion of SCADA devices increased mobility, communication
and applications provide the same and intelligence (Figure 2)
level of operational functionality as • Enforcing operational standards
what was available 20 years ago. with workflows and mobile, intel-
From a control room perspective, ligent rounds More information at
data acquired from control devices • Enabling return on investment by
lets operators visualize what is hap- reducing maintenance and energy PowTech 17 • Nuremberg
pening in the field. When an out- costs
of-tolerance event occurs, alarms • Energizing businesses with col- Hall 2 • Stand 2 - 413
are triggered to elicit an appropri- laborative data in one environment
ate response. Once this transac- delivering one version of the truth
tional data has been acted upon, it • Ensuring consistent and accurate
is often discarded. Or, it is retained data to protect against compliance
www.sms-vt.com
within the system, but is never ac- concerns
cessed again. More importantly, a “beyond Circle 09 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-09

Buss-SMS-Canzler GmbH
Kaiserstraße 13 – 15 • 35510 Butzbach, Germany
49
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Tel: +49 60 33 / 85 - 0 • Fax: +49 60 33 / 85 - 249
 SCADA” strategy can begin to re- improvements to be readily ap- as industry best practices that
veal new levels of detail on how plied across all operations, con- enhance sustainable water man-
resources are consumed within sistently, to help amplify the effects agement and water quality stan-
production processes — includ- of improved performance to much dards, then significant results can
ing water. Process innovation can higher levels, as operational agility be achieved. It will only be with this
be tested and readily compared to increases accordingly. level of collaboration and sharing
past performance to identify op- Going one step further, if there of best practices that the forecast
portunities for improvement and is a shift in how water resources 40% reduction of water availability
reduced resource requirements. are managed individually by busi- can be reached without disastrous
Enhanced visibility from across all nesses or utilities, and the ele- consequences to industry.
operations can then allow these ments of that shift are crystallized
Implementation strategies
Here are a few practical implementa-
tion practices that you should con-
sider to be part of your company’s
global water strategy. These should
then be revisited as a part of your
continuous improvement and water
optimization strategy:
Increase operational efficiency.
Centrally monitor and manage all
plants and assets, including water
usage, water and wastewater treat-
ment and water infrastructure. This
allows plants to maintain continuity of
supply and quality, enable benchmark
consumption and save electricity with
Chemical Engineering’s storage and analytics of key param-
eters. These actions help avoid un-
scheduled downtime and identify op-
premium product portunities for process improvement.
Regular analysis of asset status and

showcase for the data can also help identify parts of the
network that may be under stress and
predict early failures.

latest products Optimize energy consumption.

Expand visualization, modeling,
analysis and reporting at an asset

and technologies or site level for smarter energy con-

sumption. The design, simulation,
monitoring, reporting and equip-
in the chemical ment for water networks can op-
timize water delivery with full leak
detection to minimize non-revenue
processing industries. water. For instance, better capabili-
ties to gain insight on the root cause
of leaks and remediate issues more
quickly can help reduce the impact
of disruption.
Improve continuity of service and
regulatory compliance. There
to subscribe to the e-letter, are plenty of applications with ad-
please visit: vanced data analytics tools to help
www.chemengonline.com/eletter-signup gain visibility for operations staff,
including historical data, alarms,
events and reporting, including
automatic notifications that help
26033
maintain regulatory compliance for
the lowest possible cost, with the
50 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
highest continuity of service. Such and scarce resource that must be organizations that invest today in
models can also help better simu- treated accordingly. smart water strategies will avoid
late future risk scenarios and im- The road ahead is long and will potential business disruptions and
prove intervention response. not be easy. But early adopters of unexpected cost increases. It all
Establish closed-loop solutions these best practices are now see- starts with SCADA. Now is the time
for asset performance manage- ing efficiency improvement at levels to do something with the data, to
ment. The IIoT is empowering or- not previously considered possible. be proactive and add intelligence
ganizations to shift to a holistic, Investment in these types of solu- for a smarter future, by looking “be-
operations-centric view where tions can have a break-even point yond SCADA.” n
condition-based, proactive and in shorter periods of time than previ- Edited by Scott Jenkins
predictive maintenance strategies ously considered.
let frontline staff act before costly The benefits from implement- Author
failures occur. As a result, com- ing this strategy can extend years Jürgen “Rudy” Engert is the in-
panies can establish closed-loop into the future, while at the same frastructure business manager for
Schneider Electric Software
solutions to monitor and control time providing cause for celebration (26561 Rancho Parkway South,
individual assets, improve opera- when scarce water resources are Lake Forest, CA 92630; Phone:
tion of key processes and access better preserved and recycled. Em- (949) 727-3200; Email: jurgen.
[email protected]).
to enterprise wide information for ployees working at industrial com- Engert has been part of the
improved decision making. panies will be proud of the progress, Schneider Electric team for nearly
20 years, in a business develop-
Invest in operator training. Each as will your customers. ment role, providing consultation to a wide scope of in-
of these initiatives can yield sig- Collaboration across entire in- dustries, focused primarily on government and infra-
nificant results, but only if they are dustries on water-related issues structure. As a business development manager, his role
is to understand the unique nature of each customer to
actually executed upon and ad- will transform business processes, then map an innovative software and services solution.
hered to consistently across all of and help avert significant environ- By leveraging existing data, resources and systems, he
your operations. The mindset must mental and cost ramifications. And, has had a successful track record of extrapolating
greater value through continuous improvement in pro-
evolve within industrial compa- with the evolving global regulations cess, maintenance and operations.
nies that water is a shared, global certain to be in the future, those

Circle 10 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-10

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 51
 Feature Report

An Overview of
Vacuum System Design
The design of vacuum systems deserves careful attention — there are multiple facets that
affect efficiency, operability and cost

U
Patrick Govoni nderstanding vacuum and de- NOMENCLATURE
DPS Engineering signing vacuum systems can ACFM Actual cubic feet per minute, ft3/min
be difficult, and there are many SCFM Standard cubic feet per minute, ft3/min
unique aspects that an engineer p Pressure, torr
IN BRIEF must take into account. Although some as- T Temperature, °R
Fa,b Mass flowrate of components a and b, lb/h
INTRODUCTORY pects of compressed-gas system design
MWa,b Molecular weight of components a and b,
CONCEPTS can be translated to vacuum-system de- lb/lbmol
VACUUM PUMPS
sign, for the most part they are two entirely qpV Throughput, torr.ft3/min
separate subjects. This article discusses V Volume, ft3
VACUUM SYSTEM common misconceptions, such as units t Time, min
COMPONENTS of measurement and calculation of flow. It m Mass, lb
also covers methods of producing vacuum R Universal gas constant, 1,545 lbf.ft/(lbmol.°R)
PIPE SIZING
C Conductance, ft3/min
METHODOLOGY and design aspects, such as minimizing air ∆p Pressure differential, torr
leakage, pressure drop, condensation and S Pumping speed, ACFM
OTHER DESIGN
a specific approach to sizing vacuum pip- p0 Pressure prior to pumpdown, torr
CONSIDERATIONS
ing. The design of vacuum systems is cer- p1 Pressure after pumpdown, torr
tainly a topic that deserves careful attention L Length, ft
given that there are multiple facets that af- fD Darcy friction factor
r Density, lb/ft3
fect efficiency, operability and cost. After a
v Velocity, ft/s
few key changes in perspective, the reader D Hydraulic diameter of pipe (internal pipe diameter
will find the subject is not as intimidating as of a circular section), ft
it first appears. W Piping air leakage, lb/h
w Valve air leakage, lb/h
Introductory concepts Q Volumetric flowrate, ACFM
Defining vacuum. The common definition A Pipe flow area, ft2
describes vacuum as a space void of mat-
ter. However, at the current level of technol- sure difference for lifting, reducing heat or
ogy, scientists have not demonstrated that electrical energy transfer for insulation, or
it is possible to remove all gas from a given removing dissolved gas or volatile liquid
space. The practical definition would be from materials for freeze drying.
that vacuum is a space where the pressure Units. Understanding units is the first chal-
is lower than atmospheric pressure. In ca- lenge encountered when learning about
sual conversation, the definition of vacuum vacuum. For most common pressure units,
is often incorrectly defined as the pressure a particular pressure lower than atmospheric
differential or the force created between an can be described in three distinct ways: an
area of lower pressure and an area of higher absolute pressure (4.7 psia), a gage pressure
pressure. Whichever way it is defined, the (–10 psig), and a vacuum pressure (10 psi
functions and applications of vacuum are vacuum). This ambiguity is prone to cause
myriad and span across industries. The headaches, especially if more than one of
core applications include removing active these units are used in the same conversa-
atmospheric components that could cause tion or document. The torr unit (1 torr = 1
physical or chemical reactions for dairy mm Hg) is therefore often preferable, be-
packaging applications, achieving a pres- cause it is defined on an absolute scale and
52 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
We re on board.

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 American Soc. of Plumbing Engineers
psig torr kPa in Hg vac mbar in Hg abs psia
0 760
100 29.9 14.7 (0 PSIG)
1000 P
14
-1 2 28 P
700
90 900 13
-2 4 26

-3 24 12
80 6 800 SCFM
600
ACFM
-4 22 11
8
70 700 10 Figure 2. Shown here is the gas expansion that takes place upon entry into
-5 500 10 20
piping under vacuum
-6 12 18 9
60 600

-7 14 16 8 To account for this volumetric sensitivity to pressure, it

400
50 500 is helpful to view flow using throughput, qPV, as given in
-8 16 14 7
Equation (3):
-9 300 40 18 12 6
400
p V m R T
-10 20 10 5 q pV = =
30 t MW t (3)
22 300 4
-11 200 8

-12 20 24 6 3 Throughput, which is equal in value at all points of a

200
closed system, is generally used to illustrate overall mass
26 4 2
-13 100 flow through a system. The addition of the pressure term
10
-14 28 100 2 1 adds context to the volumetric flow and often provides a
29.9 0
better representation of system demand than a simple vol-
-14.7psig torr kPa in Hg vac mbar in Hg abs psia umetric flowrate. However, the temperature must be con-
FIGURE 1. This graphic shows the different units one can use when discuss- stant throughout the system for throughput and mass flow
ing vacuum [1] to be related, unless one wishes to use significantly more
complicated adiabatic flow equations. To understand flow
eliminates any ambiguity. The most common pressure at certain points in a system at a particular pressure, con-
units and their relative values are shown in Figure 1. ductance, C, is used, as shown in Equation (4):
Flowrates. Flowrate is another main area that may con-
fuse engineers new to the topic, namely the relationship q pV
C=
between standard volumetric flow in standard cubic feet p (4)
per minute (SCFM), pressure, and actual volumetric flow
at the system pressure in actual cubic feet per minute As with electrical conductance, vacuum conductance
(ACFM), as given by Equation (1): is a reciprocal of flow resistance and indicates the ability
760 T + 460 to allow passage. Resistance in vacuum flow is caused by
ACFM = SCFM (1) friction between gas molecules and the wall surface and
p 520 friction between the gas molecules themselves, resulting
(Note: all parameters are defined in the Nomenclature in pressure differences and volumetric flowrate losses.
box on p. 52). Conductivities can also be connected by following the
For multiple-component gas mixtures, a slightly differ- same rule as its electrical counterpart, adding individual
ent equation must be used since condensable vapors, conductivities when in parallel and adding the reciprocals
such as water, can significantly alter flow. This is shown of the conductivities, or resistances, when in series.
in Equation (2) for a two-component mixture: Pumpdown. Implementation of vacuum principles is
very different based on application, such as whether the
Fa F 359 760 T + 460 system flows or is closed. Where filtering or drying de-
ACFM = + b
MWa MWb 60 p 520 (2) mands a constant flow of vacuum, evacuating and main-
taining vacuum in an enclosed space demands a lower
Higher-pressure gas entering a lower-pressure piping volumetric flowrate as the ultimate vacuum pressure, a
system expands as a result of the pressure difference, parameter determined by the efficiency of the vacuum
thus ACFM will be larger than SCFM (Figure 2). But at the pump, is approached.
lower end of vacuum pressures, it becomes apparent The ultimate vacuum pressure of a vacuum pump is
this relationship is exponential. One standard volume of specific to the design of that particular pump and de-
gas expands 7.6 times upon entry to a 100 torr system, pends on characteristics such as the vapor pressure of
15.2 times to a 50 torr system, and 76 times to a 10 torr the oil or other sealing liquid and the degree to which the
system. By contrast, in compressed gas systems, the system leaks. The logarithmic rate at which a vacuum
pressure term changes less than 0.06 for every change pump approaches its ultimate vacuum pressure, how-
of 50 torr. Consequently, this is why vacuum piping is ever, can be explained by a simple concept that applies
often much larger than compressed-gas piping, even if to all types of mechanical vacuum pumps. The density
flow demand is lower for the former. of a vapor decreases as pressure decreases, and me-
54 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
(Torr) Exhaust Inlet Exhaust
10-3 10-2 10-1 1 101 Inlet
100 50
Effective pumping speed 50 Hz

10
10 5
(m3/h) (cfm)
1
1 0.5

0.1
0.1 Diaphragm
Up stroke
10-3 10-2 10-1 1 101 102 Down stroke
(mbar)
Pressure
Figure 4. This diagram illustrates the operating principle of a diaphragm
Figure 3. This graph shows the relationship between pumping speed and vacuum pump
pressure of a typical rotary-vane vacuum pump [2]
sidered when making the best choice for a specific appli-
chanical vacuum pumps are constant-volume devices. cation. A vacuum pump is essentially an air compressor
Thus, the number of molecules that are displaced in each operating in reverse, where it compresses the air or gas
successive volume is gradually less as a vacuum pump in the vacuum system and discharges it into a vent.
reaches the lower-pressure regime. Diaphragm pumps. The simplest vacuum pump is a
A simple illustration of this phenomenon would be diaphragm pump, which consists of an inlet valve, outlet
a vacuum pump curve that shows a decrease in inlet valve, and diaphragm that sucks in gas on expansion
capacity as inlet pressure decreases until the ultimate and pushes gas out on contraction (Figure 4). Mostly
vacuum pressure is reached, such as shown in Figure used for laboratory benchtop or other small applications,
3. An estimate of the time required to pump down from diaphragm pumps are oil-less and water-less, with the
a specific pressure, p0, to another pressure, p1, is given pump mechanism sealed off from process fluids. These
by Equation (5): are best for low-flow applications (pressure greater than
100 torr) and for those with a fluid with contamination or
v p other chemical sensitivities.
t= ln 0
s p1 (5) Rotary-vane pumps. Rotary-vane pumps are used
in many different situations and can handle pressures
However, this time estimate is often shown to be con- below 10–3 torr. A rotary vane pump (Figure 5) consists
sistently lower than the actual evacuation time due to of a single eccentric rotor with vanes inside a larger cav-
leakages and pump inefficiencies. ity. During suction, a vane brings in the gas, rotating
until the other vane closes off a volume of gas from the
Vacuum pumps vacuum system. There is further compression as the
There are several types of vacuum pumps and each type vanes rotate, eventually expelling the gas through the
has its own benefits and drawbacks that must be con- outlet valve.

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Circle 30 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-30

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 55

 Edwards Vacuum

2. Isolation

1. Induction 3. Compression

Figure 6. This illustration shows the operating principle of a rotary-lobe

4. Exhaust vacuum pump [4]
the exhaust and filtration for contaminants that become
trapped in the liquid may be needed. These pumps are
quite amenable to a large condensable load; while tem-
perature loss due to condensing vapors can lower ef-
ficiency, corrosion is not an issue as it would be for oil-
sealed or dry pumps.
Figure 5. This drawing shows the operating principle of a rotary-vane vacuum Rotary-lobe pumps. Rotary-lobe pumps, also called
pump [3]
Roots blowers or booster pumps, consist of two lobed
This type of pump requires lubrication oil that may rotors that spin in opposite directions in a casing with
require an oil separator for exhaust. If the pump is tight clearances (Figure 6). This type of pump is limited
pulling potential condensables, a gas ballast can be by its design, in that a high pressure differential between
included that reduces the pressure needed to open inlet and outlet causes a significant amount of heat gen-
the outlet valve, thus reducing the likelihood of vapors eration in the rotors, which can cause contact or seizure.
condensing in the pump cavity. A high volume of con- This attribute is why a rotary lobe pump does not ex-
densables, especially solvents, can negatively impact haust directly to atmosphere and is often paired with a
these pumps, as they have a tendency to mix with mechanical backing pump. Although an overflow valve
the seal oil and can corrode the pump internals if not can be added to prevent this heat build-up, its addition
handled properly. would further limit the maximum possible pressure dif-
Liquid-ring pumps. Liquid-ring pumps are common ferential of the pump, making the backing pump even
vacuum pumps; they attain pressures down to 25 torr, more necessary.
and are preferred from a reliability perspective because However, the maximum pumping speed of a rotary-
of their low-friction design. Similar to rotary-vane pumps, lobe pump is limited to pressures between about 50
liquid-ring pumps consist of a single eccentric rotor that and 0.1 torr, which is where other mechanical pumps
pulls gas with an initially expanding and later contract- typically start to slow down and where water vaporizes at
ing cavity using a ring of liquid, usually water, that acts the highest rate. This is quite convenient on both counts,
as the boundary between the gas volumes. Solvents as water can add an excessive workload and increase
such as hydrocarbons and other liquids can be used as pumpdown time considerably on single-pump systems.
well, depending on the application. A liquid separator on Rotary-lobe pumps are often paired with a backing pump
to accelerate startup to steady state in sensitive appli-
TABLE 1. AIR LEAKAGE RATES FOR VARIOUS SEALS, cations where speed is critical. Because these pumps
CONNECTIONS, AND VALVES IN ROUGH VACUUM [7] are most efficient in the lower pressure regime and the
Component  = specific leak
rate*, lb/h/in.
Static seals High-pressure 2nd stage suction head
steam inlet 2nd
O-ring construction 0.002 stage
Conventional gasket seals 0.005 Discharge
Thermally cycled static seals 2nd stage
steam 2nd stage 2nd stage
T ≤ 200°F 0.005 chat
Steam steam combining
strainer nozzle throat
200 < T < 400°F 0.018
T ≥ 400°F 0.032
1st stage
Motion (rotary) seals combining throat
O-ring construction 0.10
Mechanical seals 0.10
Conventional packing 0.25
Threaded connections 0.015
Access ports 0.020
Viewing windows 0.015 1st stage
steam nozzle
Valves used to isolate system Suction
Ball 0.02 1st stage
Gate 0.04 suction head
Steam strainer
Globe 0.02
1st stage
Plug-cock 0.01 steam chest High-pressure steam
inlet 1st stage
Valves used to throttle control gas into vacuum system 0.25
*Note: Assumes sonic (or critical) flow across the component Figure 7. This cutaway diagram shows the operation of an ejector pump

56 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

potential heat build-up, these pumps choices, so pump capacity must between high conductance when
are not started until the pressure has take this into account. fully open and low or zero conduc-
been reduced enough so that their Ball valves are inexpensive, have a tance when fully closed. Depend-
motor is not overloaded. fairly high conductance, and a mod- ing on the application, an O-ring
Ejectors. As an alternative to a est leak rate. Despite these favorable can be included on the disc to give
vacuum pump, a simple ejector (Fig- parameters, for inexplicable reasons, zero conductance when the valve
ure 7) can be an elegant solution to ball valves are not often used in many is closed or not included to give a
vacuum generation. Ejectors, often vacuum applications. fixed, low conductance.
called steam-jet ejectors, are inex- Butterfly valves are mostly used Angle valves are often used on top
pensive and simple to install, oper- for conductance control, where of tanks or in other situations where
ate and maintain. Instead of using the travel of the valve’s disc varies space is an important consideration.
electricity for power, a motive gas
must be supplied, usually steam or
compressed gas, to create the suc-
tion force that generates the vac-
uum. The motive gas approaches
the nozzle at a high pressure and
Dependable seals
low velocity. As it passes through the
nozzle, the gas expands, dropping in
pressure and increasing in velocity.
start with DeWAL
The suction gas, at a lower pressure Seals, gaskets and diaphragms can all leak, so DeWAL
and low velocity, is drawn into the Industries has developed a broad range of durable,
chamber via the high-velocity motive bondable PTFE and UHMW ilm and tape compositions
gas and is combined. The two fluids that create dependable seals despite abrasion, harsh
travel through the throat and begin
chemicals, high temperatures or irregular surfaces.
to expand along the diffuser outlet,
gradually decreasing in velocity and
increasing in pressure to a slightly
higher velocity and much lower pres-
sure relative to that of the motive gas
at the inlet.
Ejectors can be placed in series,
both to increase and widen the op-
erating range of vacuum level or
flow. Condensers can be included
before, in between, or after ejectors
More than a dozen DeWAL PTFE and UHMW ilms and
to increase the efficiency of recap-
tapes are designed speciically for gaskets, expansion
ture of the motive fluid. An ejector
is particularly desirable over pumps joints, valve seals and diaphragms.
in fast-cycling applications due to
its lack of moving parts and speed
to establish vacuum. If a constant,
high-vacuum flow is required, how-
ever, ejectors may not be as energy
efficient as a pump.

Vacuum system components

Valves. Valves used in vacuum ap-
plications are differentiated mainly
by their conductances and leak-
age rates. Gate valves have a very Let DeWAL engineering
high conductance in that they have help you with your most
an unobstructed, straight-through dificult challenges.
orifice and a short distance between
Quality of Product...First
ends. Because of their high conduc-
Narragansett, RI 02882
tance, gate valves are often placed www.dewal.com • [email protected]
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between the vacuum system and
the pump. However, these valves
have higher leakage rates than other Circle 14 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-14

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 57

 Emerson Electric Co.
760 torr 2 in. 10 torr
Header
1 SCFM 76 ACFM

760 torr 1 in. 50 torr 10 torr 2 in.

1 SCFM Header
15 ACFM 76 ACFM

760 torr 2 in. 10 torr 50 torr 1 in.

Header
1 SCFM 76 ACFM 15 ACFM

Vacuum being
regulated Vacuum source Figure 9. This drawing illustrates different design options for delivering two
distinct pressures in a single system

provide a barrier between vacuum generation and pip-

ing system for both condensables entering through inlets
and for liquid pump sealant traveling to the distribution
network. Often, such a tank will have baffles or some-
thing similar to provide more surface area and a longer
flow path for vapor to condense. A receiver should be
sized based on pump capacity, piping system volume,
desired operating pressure range, and desired vacuum
storage time.
Condensers and traps. Condensers or traps should
be considered if there is potential for a large amount of
condensable generation in a given system. As pressure
Vacuum tank decreases, the rate of evaporation for any given material
Vacuum
pump increases, and this continues until the saturated vapor
pressure is reached, where evaporation becomes much
more rapid. As long as such material exists anywhere in
Figure 8: These diagrams show the priciples behind a vacuum regulator and a
vacuum breaker [6]
a vacuum system, the minimum pressure attainable is
limited to that saturated vapor pressure.
These valves are simple to maintain and install, have low Furthermore, condensables can cause considerable
leak rates, but a lower conductance than similar, straight- problems for vacuum pumps. Condensation due to
through valves. condensable gases entering a liquid-ring pump results
There are two main valves used for vacuum control: in a temperature rise, negatively affecting both the low-
vacuum regulators and vacuum breakers (Figure 8). est pressure attainable and the capacity of the pump.
Vacuum regulators work by limiting decreases in vac- A high condensable load for oil-sealed and dry pumps,
uum level, essentially as pressure-reducing regulators on the other hand, can lead to corrosion and eventual
in reverse. When the inlet reads a loss of vacuum, or failure. A receiver, as discussed above, can provide a
an increase in pressure, beyond the setpoint, the valve simple gravity and surface-area separation method for
opens. And the opening valve allows the lower pres- handling condensables.
sure, downstream vacuum to restore the upstream Vacuum traps work on one of two principles: sorption
vacuum to its original level. Vacuum breakers essen- and condensation. Sorption traps use either adsorption
tially work in an opposite fashion, by limiting increases or absorption to trap and hold liquid molecules. The ef-
in vacuum level. fectiveness of sorption traps depends on the interaction
Receivers. A receiver, or knock-out pot, is a tank in between the particular condensables in that system and
between a pump (or pumps) and a piping system that the trap media, and on the operation of the vacuum sys-
serves as both a vacuum pressure-stabilizing element tem. For example, while alumina balls can efficiently trap
and a liquid-catch tank. As the largest volume in a vac- oil molecules, any water molecules that pass would be
uum system, a receiver effectively increases the time selectively absorbed over the oil and effectively displace
required to both lower and raise pressure. By increas- any oil molecules that may be trapped. Condensation
ing the time required to change pressure, it provides a traps rely on a cold surface to condense vapor mole-
vacuum storage time in between pump operation and cules. These traps would only be effective if the dewpoint
rising or falling demand from opening or closing inlets. In of the vapor is greater than the cooling medium tem-
addition to steadying the vacuum level of the system, a perature and the pressure is greater than the vapor pres-
well-designed receiver increases pump reliability by re- sure of the cooling medium. Furthermore, consideration
ducing pump short-cycling. must be taken that the temperature is not low enough
A receiver also provides a catch-tank for liquids to to freeze any liquid that may collect on the cold surface.
58 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Pipe sizing methodology
Presented here is a step-by-step approach for sizing the W = 0.032 p 0.26 V 0.60 ; 10 p < 100 torr (8)
piping in a vacuum system.
1. Identify and count the number of inlets. W = 0.106 V 0.60 ; 100 p < 760 torr (9)
2. Determine the required flowrate for each inlet. Ap-
proximately 1 SCFM can be assumed for laboratory 10. Determine approximate valve locations.
inlets. 11. Estimate valve air leakage rates, w, by using Equa-
3. Select the location of the supply source, taking into tions (10), (11) or (12), depending on the pressure
account process piping, venting routes, drainage of values from Table 1.
condensables, and electrical routing.
4. Map out the piping layout from each inlet to header w= D p 0.34 ; 1 p < 10 torr (10)
to source and approximate the location of all elbows.
5. Determine the system operating pressure. This var- w = 1.20 D p 0.26 ; 10 p < 100 torr (11)
ies widely according to the application.
6. Calculate the equivalent run of pipe by adding friction w = 3.98 D ; 100 p < 760 torr (12)
losses of individual fittings or adding a flat percent-
age, usually 15–50%. 12. Calculate the velocity through the pipe by using
7. Approximate line sizes to provide a base value. Equation (13):
8. Calculate pressure loss using the Darcy-Weisbach
equation, given by Equation (6): Q
v= (13)
p 760 v2 A
= fD (6)
L 14.7 2 D 13. Iterate until final pressure, leakage and velocity val-
9. Estimate piping air leakage rates, W, by using Equa- ues are reached.
tions (7), (8) or (9), depending on the pressure: 14. Increase line size when the velocity through a par-
ticular run of pipe exceeds 5,000 ft/min, or 4,000 ft/
W = 0.026 p 0.34 V 0.60 ; 1 p < 10 torr (7) min if noise would be an issue.

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Circle 50 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-50

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 59

 15. Increase line size when pres- Diversity factor. In the majority of method of system design, flowrate
sure drop over entire system applications, vacuum is not a utility in downstream would be identical with
exceeds 10% of the pressure at constant demand. A diversity factor or without a regulator, as shown in
the source. is often used to lower an estimated Figure 9.
flowrate to a more reasonable level. Alternatively, the system can be
Other design considerations However, there is a misconception designed for the higher pressure,
Piping design. General design of on how to use a diversity factor that and booster pumps can be added
vacuum system piping closely fol- seems to trouble engineers new to to decrease pressure at inlets that
lows two main variables: pressure vacuum design. require a higher level of vacuum.
drop and condensables. Wherever A diversity factor is a ratio of the This method would allow for lower
possible in the design of a vacuum sum of individual maximum de- pipe sizes and a less expensive
system, pressure drop is minimized. mands of various system subdivi- primary pump; however, it would
Bends in the system should be sions to the maximum demand require purchase and maintenance
kept to a minimum, and all bends of the whole system. Applying a of additional vacuum pumps. A
that must be installed should be diversity factor to a network of third option would be to design
long-radius. To account for any liq- vacuum inlets does not imply that two separate systems for the two
uid that could get into the system, the flow through each inlet on the vacuum levels. Two separate sys-
piping should be slightly sloped to- network drops by a certain per- tems would require two primary
ward the receiver tank on both sides centage. Instead, it is to illustrate pumps and oftentimes more pip-
of the system. Drainage should be that the stated percentage of the ing, but it may be worthwhile if the
provided at any points in the sys- inlets have full flow through them at inlets are located at a distance or
tem where this favorable slope is a given time while the other inlets volume demanded at each of the
not possible. Pump exhaust should are closed. Applying the diversity two levels is substantial. n
Edited by Gerald Ondery

References
1. “Vacuum Systems,” Continuing Education from the Ameri-
The general design of vacuum system piping closely can Society of Plumbing Engineers, December 2012;
Reprinted with permission from “Plumbing Engineering
follows two main process variables: pressure drop and Design Handbook,” Vol. 2, American Society of Plumb-
ing Engineers, 2014.
condensables. 2. Agilent Technologies, Inc., Agilent Rotary Vane Pumps,
DS-102 Rotary Vane Pump Speed Curve, 2015, re-
produced with permission.
3. Herring, Dan, “Oil Sealed Rotary Vane Pumps, Part 1,” Vac
Aero International Inc., 8 February 8, 2016.
be directed outside with as little im- factor correctly results in maximum 4. Curati, Marino, others, Renewable Power with Rotary
pediment as possible with insula- flow through the sections of vac- Lobe Pumps, Pumps & Systems, April 2013.
tion to guard against condensation uum pipe where inlets are all open 5. Walas, Stanley, “Chemical Process Equipment Selection
and Design,” Butterworths, 1988.
and a low-point drain valve. As an and zero flow through sections
6. Emerson, “Vacuum Control,” Technical. Vacuum Regula-
additional consideration concern- where inlets are closed, whereas tor Installation Examples.
ing pumps, two pumps capable of incorrect application would lead to 7. Taken from: Coker, A. K., “Ludwig’s Applied Process
the entire load are recommended undersized pipes. Design for Chemical and Petrochemical Plants,” 4th
for critical systems, whereas one or In addition to applying a diver- ed. Vol. 1, Elsevier, Burlington, Mass., 2007; Original:
Ryans J.L. and Croll, S., Selecting Vacuum Systems,
two pumps designed for a percent- sity factor, flowrate and pressure Chem. Eng., Vol. 88, No. 25, 1981: 72.
age of the load is acceptable for drop can be reduced by eliminat-
non-critical systems. ing unnecessary valves to reduce Author
As much as generating and main- air leakage, raising system vacuum Patrick Govoni is a process engi-
taining vacuum is an issue, keeping pressure, or simply eliminating neer for DPS (959 Concord St,
Framingham, MA 01701; Phone:
unwanted components out, such use-points. 508-861-3773; Email: patrick.
as particulate matter and oxygen, Design for two-pressure delivery. [email protected]),
can also be a challenge. Sealing of Delivering vacuum at two different which predominantly deals with
design of biotech manufacturing
piping systems and pump flanges pressures poses an interesting prob- facilities. He has experience gen-
should be considered to avoid lem, and there are a few potential erating P&IDs and PFDs, specify-
ing equipment and designing util-
drawing oxygen into a flammable design options (Figure 9). One op- ity systems. Prior to work at DPS, he worked as a
mixture, for example, as well as to tion would be to design the distri- manufacturing engineer at DSM and led to over
minimize pressure drop. Finally, cau- bution for the lower pressure, and $200,000/yr in cost savings. Govoni holds a B.S.Ch.E.
from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and is an
tion should be given to the materials place regulators downstream of in- active member of the Education Planning Committee
of construction, piping thickness lets that require a lower level of vac- with the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engi-
and pressure rating of the system to uum. Although such a system could neering (ISPE).
avoid caved-in lines. be initially perceived as an efficient
60 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Water management
special advertising section

CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING
ESSENTIALS FOR CPI PROFESSIONALS
 Water Management 2017 Special Advertising Section

Every plant needs water First Iranian order

Water and wastewater are at the heart of almost every after sanctions
process, as this Special Advertising Section reflects BUTTING supplies piping
components for seawater
Inside:
Acrison 64
AUMA 62
Badger Meter 68
Butting 62
MARK MICHAELIS/FLICKR

Charles Ross & Son Co. 65

CR Clean Air Group 67
DeWAL 68
Endress+Hauser 66
Flottweg 63
Wastewater treatment, Hamburg, Germany GEMÜ 63
Inline Industries 69
F rom the purest water for pharmaceuti-
cal and semiconductor plants to the
most intractable organics-laden wastewa-
Myron L Co.
Rosedale Products
69
67
These piping components are en route for
the new desalination plant being built at
a large Iranian petrochemical complex
SEEPEX 66
ter stream, the effective management and – BUTTING’s first order in that country
processing of water are essential to practi-
The New York Blower Co. 65 after the relaxation of trade sanctions
cally every industry, process, and plant. In Yokogawa 64
the following pages, this bumper Special
Advertising Section reflects that importance
and diversity. We have essential basic com-
tors. We have hoppers and conveyors for
treament chemicals, the industry’s largest
O ne of Iran’s leading manufacturers of
petrochemical products is adapting to
increasing demand from the country’s do-
ponents such as fans and static mixers, decanter, exhaust scrubbers, instruments mestic market by constructing new central
pipes and hoses, pumps, valves and actua- and control systems. Enjoy the mix. ■ supply units and systems for producing
energy and waste water treatment, notes
German pipework specialist BUTTING.

Actuators solve tight space problem Water for the entire installation is supplied
in the form of seawater from the neigh-
boring Persian Gulf. The seawater, with a
AUMA modular actuators were the answer for a space- relatively high salt content of 4%, passes
constrained upgrade at a Pittsburgh water treatment plant through a desalination plant to prepare it
for use in the petrochemical complex.

T he Allegheny County Sanitary Authority

(ALCOSAN) had problems with manual
valves controlling the flow of raw sewage
For both wastewater treatment (brackish
water) and the seawater desalination plant,
the operator is purchasing piping compo-
into primary treatment tanks at its facility nents from BUTTING. These have nominal
in Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S. The original 24-inch bores from 25 to 400 mm, and are made
(600 mm) gate valves had non-rising stems from UNS S32750 superduplex as well as TP
whose exposed threads collected debris, 316L. The scope of delivery includes several
making the valves hard to operate. The so- hundred meters of pipes, elbows, reducers,
lution was to convert the valves to rising- flanges and distributors. All circumferential
stem types; at the same time, ALCOSAN welds are subjected to a 10% X-ray test, and
decided to fit electric actuators. all fillet welds must be 100% checked. For
In January 2017, AUMA supplied 72 SA piping components without site welds, the
multi-turn actuators with GK gearboxes, Thanks to their compact design and specification prescribes a pressure test.
floor stands, new stainless steel valve flexible positioning, AUMA actuators BUTTING is one of the leading proces-
stems and thrust blocks. All the actuators fit the narrow space between the sors of stainless steels. The company’s
are equipped with AC controls and Modbus valve stems and the wall products include corrosion-resistant pipes,
RTU communications. clad pipes, special pipes and components
The ability to fit into tight spaces was design, which offers flexible mounting posi- ready for installation, spools and welded
an important reason why ALCOSAN chose tions, the compact GK multi-turn gearboxes components, vessels, tanks, columns, and
AUMA actuators. The center of each valve fit neatly into the narrow space. assemblies. Its core competences are in
stem is less than 4 inches (100 mm) from a Price and previous experience were also forming and welding techniques and in ma-
concrete block wall. With other suppliers, significant factors behind ALCOSAN’s deci- terials engineering. BUTTING products meet
ALCOSAN would have had to make signifi- sion. AUMA is the company’s preferred ac- the highest quality standards. Customers all
cant changes to the wall structure to get the tuator supplier and there are around 300 over the world use the products of this fami-
actuators to fit. Thanks to AUMA’s modular AUMA actuators on site. www.auma.com ly-owned company. www.butting.com

62 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

Water Management 2017 Special Advertising Section

World’s largest 3,000 ×g sludge dewatering centrifuge

At WEFTEC 2017, a century of German engineering from Flottweg supports centrifuge
technologies that are leading the world’s wastewater sludge remediation efforts

F lottweg Inc. has been perfect-

ing centrifuge technol-
ogy for 60 years. At this
A company built on constant invention
and innovation, Flottweg continues to work
to perfect centrifuge technology, refining
year’s WEFTEC exhibition scroll design, incorporating adjustable
(Chicago, Ill., October impellers, developing tougher wear pro-
2–4), the company says tection, and other engineering enhance-
it will prove the validity ments. Flottweg has also had 60 years
of this claim in the form to develop the best service and parts
of the new C8E Decanter. availability in the centrifuge industry; to
The company draws The water prove this, the company suggests readers
on a century of precision engi- industry’s largest should ask other centrifuge manufacturers
neering focused on spin, speed and 3,000 ×g decanter: about their in-stock parts availability and
propulsion, from the earliest biplanes to Flottweg’s C8E turnaround time on a machine overhaul, be-
the first motorcycles. A spin-off of the com- fore calling Flottweg.
pany’s engineering capabilities became the in large centrifuges. This Flottweg concept At this year’s WEFTEC show, CE readers
Bayerische Motoren Werke, more commonly has since been adopted throughout the are invited to visit the Flottweg booth (3416)
known today as BMW. “Move quickly” be- centrifuge industry. to learn how a history of invention, speed
came the company motto. Another core centrifuge technology, the and spin has led to the fastest, most power-
Over the past 60 years, Flottweg has fo- Recuvane, literally uses spin to create more ful wastewater sludge centrifuge decanter
cused on advancing centrifuge technology. spin. The Recuvane recovers rotational en- in the industry: the Flottweg C8E Decanter.
A key breakthrough was the company’s in- ergy from liquid centrate discharge to mini- Visitors will be able to see the C8E in action,
vention of the Simp Drive, developed to in- mize the machine’s energy consumption. and to ask the Flottweg team about how the
dependently control the differential speed This innovation is incorporated into virtually highest-performing wastewater centrifuge
between the bowl and scroll of a centrifuge, all municipal wastewater centrifuge applica- in the world was engineered.
accommodating higher speeds and stability tions today. www.flottweg.com

Plastic diaphragm valves are precise and versatile

GEMÜ plastic diaphragm valves are available in a wide range of configurations that share
the virtues of simplicity, precision, and durability

G EMÜ plastic diaphragm valves are avail-

able with a variety of high-quality plas-
tic body materials and connections. The
phragm valve operates
by pressing the dia-
phragm tightly against
GEMÜ plastic diaphragm valves are ideal
for applications requiring pure media

plastic diaphragm valves support a large the weir, making a fluid- tion, turbulence, debris and trapped air in
range of industries and applications in- tight seal that prevents mind. The GEMÜ plastic diaphragm valve is
cluding chemical, environmental systems, flow of the medium. flow-optimized by incorporating a smooth
power generation, water treatment, solar, Alternatively, the media transition structure which promotes
semiconductor, microelectronics, food and diaphragm is lifted low friction and low turbulence, and
beverage, and processing – just to name a away from the weir leaves no projections or dead spots that
few. Many of the plastic diaphragm valves to allow partial to could cause air pockets to form or debris
are supported by an extensive line of pneu- full flow. Operation to collect within the valve body.
matic operators that can be fully integrated of a diaphragm Additionally, GEMÜ plastic dia-
into automated systems, allowing indus- valve is very phragm valves utilize highly dura-
tries to save time and money on their op- simple, as is ble, low-maintenance pneumatic
erations, while increasing accuracy and the accom- membrane actuators that give
efficiency in their performance. modation precise flow control even in high-
The structure and function of the dia- of various cycle operation.
phragm valve is that of a completely en- stages GEMÜ plastic diaphragm valves
closed connection with a weir and short of full or also take account of industry needs by
intercepting shaft that accommodates the restricted having the same mounting height planes
operation of a movable seal known as the media flow. over multiple nominal sizes, compact de-
diaphragm or membrane. This diaphragm GEMÜ leaves nothing to chance in the sign, low compressed air consumption for
is the essential part of the valve that con- development and manufacture of plastic the pneumatically operated versions, and a
trols the movement of media through the diaphragm valves. The plastic diaphragm variety of optional accessories for measure-
system the valve is integrated into. The dia- valve is designed with the challenges of fric- ment and control. www.gemu.com

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 63

 Water Management 2017 Special Advertising Section

Bulk silos for high rates Think SCADA for water

Acrison silo systems use positive flow- Yokogawa’s open architecture simplifies
inducing mechanisms for reliable feeding water management system upgrades
sized to store thousands of
cubic feet of material, which
provides weeks, if not months,
of uninterrupted operation be-
fore the silos need to be refilled.
Any silo system can store
dry chemicals. Ensuring reliable
flow out of the silo, into the
metering and dissolving equip-
ment beneath, and then into
the process, is another matter.
Here, Acrison’s over 50 years of
experience in the dry chemical
metering and handling industry Used in conjunction with magnetic flow meters and analyzers
makes a critical difference. By for such properties as conductivity, pH and turbidity, an
using proven mechanical de- all-in-one SCADA solution could be a very cost-effective
signs and control system strat- addition to a chemical process DCS for water management
egies, an Acrison silo system
ensures positive flow of the
dry chemical into the feeder as
needed, avoiding the issues
I ncreasingly often, chemical
process operators are facing
requirements to update their
geographical areas, supervisory
control and data acquisition
(SCADA) systems have evolved
typically created by other meth- control systems in order to to incorporate many new tech-
ods. Material flows from the silo enhance water management, nologies such as Industrial
into an Acrison rugged-duty, notes process control specialist Internet of Things (IIoT) archi-
dissimilar-speed, double- or Yokogawa. tecture. They can drop into
triple-auger/agitator metering Many chemical processes plant processes just as easily as
mechanism. Here it is condi- use distributed control systems pipelines and utilities.
tioned to a consistent state for (DCSs). Ideally, spare I/O that The SCADA solutions offer
reliable metering with accuracy is sufficient for the water man- multiple, open communications
on the order of ±1–2 percent. agement process is available in alternatives such as OPC UA and
Acrison silo systems are large based on weight measurements the DCS, but that is often not a variety of industry-standard
enough to run for weeks or at one-minute intervals. the case. Alternatively, the DCS protocols. Like PLCs, which are
even months between refills Based on various param- can be readily expanded with very commonly applied through-
eters, including the location of network I/O. Either way, con- out the water and wastewater

A crison silo systems uti-

lize positive flow-inducing
mechanisms to ensure consis-
the application point in refer-
ence to the silo, it is also im-
portant to choose the correct
siderable engineering could be
required to add the water man-
agement process. Is there a
treatment industries, SCADA
solutions offer pre-configured
applications that reduce engi-
tent and accurate feeding of dry type of dissolving equipment less-expensive alternative? neering project hours.
chemicals into dissolving equip- to ensure a continuous supply Although systems that are Unlike a PLC system, the
ment at high rates. of homogeneous solution to dedicated to water and waste- SCADA solution supports in-
When a treatment plant is the process. Most applications water control applications are formation requirements such
required to feed a dry chemical are able to utilize Acrison’s ro- widely available, integration of as asset management and pre-
such as hydrated lime or pow- bust dissolving tank assem- the water operations with the dictive maintenance that are
dered activated carbon at high blies. These use mechanical DCS remains a key issue. As typical in the chemical process
rates, it typically isn’t prudent agitation to dissolve the chemi- one operator stated, “install- industry, but not as often used
to have operators devote valu- cal, while an integral dust and ing a PLC in conjunction with in the water and wastewater
able time to frequently reload- vapor remover ensures a clean, a magnetic flowmeter and an industries. The SCADA solution
ing a small storage hopper. If maintenance-free installation. array of analyzers is the easy includes all the capabilities of a
the rates are high enough, even Separately, Acrison’s high-ca- part. However, not only does PLC. In addition, alarm manage-
a super-sac system can require pacity wetting cone system can the PLC system need to inter- ment, asset management, histo-
too-frequent bag changes. An be used for most applications face with our DCS, it must also rian, reporting capabilities and
Acrison bulk storage silo and involving powdered activated fully support our requirements thin-client HMIs are integral.
feed system, complete with in- carbon. This device employs in terms of asset management, As an open-architecture
tegral dissolving equipment wash-down nozzles and an cybersecurity, IT and reporting.” addition to a DCS, a SCADA
and controls, offers an efficient eductor to create an activated One feasible solution is an solution could be a very cost-
solution to this problem. Such carbon slurry quickly and effec- open architecture SCADA add- effective alternative for water
systems are custom-designed tively, with active dust control. on. Formerly applied only to management.
for each application, and often www.acrison.com operations that covered broad yokogawa.com/us

64 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

Water Management 2017 Special Advertising Section

Custom-designed fans for heavy-duty applications

The New York Blower Co. designs and builds fans for the
commercial, industrial, and highly specified markets

T he New York Blower Co. (NYB) realizes

that in the heavy industrial market, every
job is unique, and each requires its own
the harshest applications. NYB’s AMCA-
registered laboratory allows for fans to
meet the highest standards in product de-
specifications and attention. For this rea- velopment and product performance test-
son, NYB offers a comprehensive range of ing. All NYB products undergo extensive
NYB designs
customizable options to create the perfect air performance, sound and quality assur-
fans for optimal
heavy-duty fan for every job. From chrome ance testing prior to release to the market.
performance in
carbide overlays to abrasion-resistant con- That’s why for over 125 years, New York
their intended
struction, NYB fans are durable and reliable Blower has always had the right answer,
applications
enough to handle even the most demanding even for the most demanding operations.
of applications. The company’s reputation for technical
NYB is a world leader in manufactur- excellence is fueled by:
ing premium-quality, engineered fans and • unmatched experience and manufactur- fans for containment applications. Gas tur-
blowers to the industrial marketplace; ing expertise; bine cooling modules use both axial and
fulfilling the need for reliable air move- • consistent capital investment that results centrifugal designs for turbine ventilation
ment and timely delivery. The New York in the most modern equipment and facili- systems. Quarry trucks and draglines re-
Blower Co. operates fan fabrication plants ties in the industry; and quire cooling fans for their large DC traction
in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky and • embracing uncompromising product motors. Crushing and grinding phases of
Illinois. International subsidiaries fabricate quality as an everyday, company-wide ore processing use many types of NYB fans
products in Australia, New Zealand, the commitment. in environmental and ventilating systems.
Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan. NYB fan Durable fan structures are designed for long Some ore processing goes into a wet cycle
designs provide the highest aerodynamic life in the harshest and most demanding in- where spray dryers and particle sizing sys-
efficiencies compatible with specific sys- dustrial applications. Both U.S. Department tems direct products to chemical and food
tems and gas stream requirements. Durable of Energy (DOE) and new-build nuclear fa- industries. New York Blower offers fans for
fan structures are designed for long life in cilities use a variety of New York Blower all of these applications. www.nyb.com

Static mixers with low pressure drop

Ross LPD Low Pressure Drop Static Mixers are ideal for effective fluid mixing in water and
wastewater treatment processes

T he Ross Low Pressure Drop (LPD) Static

Mixer enables more efficient dosing
of flocculants, disinfectants, neutralizing
agents and pH conditioners into a water
stream. This simple-to-install heavy-duty
device completely mixes treatment chemi-
efficient and repeatable mixing with mini-
mal pressure loss. During turbulent flow,
the baffles enhance the random motion
cals within a short length of pipe. When of molecules and the formation of eddies.
used in conjunction with automated instru- In most water and wastewater processes,
mentation, the LPD delivers predictable four or six elements are more than suf-
quality control based on a virtually mainte- ficient to completely disperse treatment
nance-free operation. chemicals and create a very uniform solu-
The LPD Static Mixer consists of a series tion or suspension.
of baffles or “elements” discriminately posi- Small LPD/LLPD mixers of 1 in. through
tioned in series. Each element comprises a 2.5 in. in diameter are welded to a central
pair of semi-elliptical plates set 90 degrees rod, while larger elements are welded to
to each other. The next element is rotated four outside support rods for maximum
90 degrees about the central axis with re- rigidity and stability. Available in a wide
spect to the previous baffle set, and so range of sizes up to 48 in. in diameter, these
on. For even lower pressure drop, an LLPD mixers can be supplied as pipe inserts or as
model is also available, in which the plates complete modules with housing and injec-
of each element are oriented at 120 degrees tion ports.
relative to each other. In addition to Static Mixers, Ross also
As the fluid moves through each LPD manufactures High Shear Mixers and Multi-
Four or six mixing elements are or LLPD element, flow is continuously split Shaft Mixers used in the production of
usually more than sufficient for into layers and rotated in alternating clock- water treatment chemicals. The company
effective mixing under turbulent flow wise and counterclockwise directions. offers no-charge mixer testing services and
conditions, Ross says. Diameters This method of subdividing the stream an extensive trial/rental program.
range from 1 in. through 48 in. and generating striations leads to highly www.mixers.com

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 65

 Water Management 2017 Special Advertising Section

Level transmitter eliminates troublesome capillaries

Endress+Hauser’s Deltabar level transmitter eliminated level measurement problems a
customer had with a capillary system

L evel measurements in process or stor-

age tanks are often made with sensors
that measure pressure at the top and bot-
sure and transmits the level, volume or
mass as a standard two-wire loop-powered
device.
tom of the tank, notes instrumentation One sensor module measures the hy-
specialist Endress+Hauser. Capillary tubes drostatic pressure (HP) and the other one
or impulse lines connect the high- and low- the head pressure (LP). Each sensor sends
pressure sensors to a transmitter that mea- a digital signal to the transmitter corre-
sures the differential pressure (dP) and sponding to the temperature-compensated
calculates level. measured pressure. This electronic system
One specific customer had a dP sys- eliminates issues of traditional differential
tem with capillary tubes that was produc- pressure measurements by doing away with
ing incorrect level measurements. Small impulse lines or capillaries and their related
level ranges and ambient temperature fluc- issues of icing, clogging, leaks, condensa-
tuations were causing errors. The small- tion, and changing ambient temperatures.
diameter impulse lines were clogging from The FMD71 offers a standard 4–20 mA
freezing or contaminants solidifying in the The Endress+Hauser FMD71 uses HART capable output. The dP level mea-
line. These problems were hard to trace, as electronics, not troublesome capillaries, surement is the default 4–20 mA signal,
the measurements looked reasonable until to connect the pressure sensors while dP level, head pressure and sensor
the line clogged completely. Because of the temperature can all be assigned as HART
plant’s location in a northern latitude, the FMD71 electronic dP level transmitters, variables. Each sensor in the FMD71 sys-
customer needed a durable and reliable which use two pressure sensor modules, tem has 0.075% reference accuracy, a maxi-
product to make accurate level measure- each connected electronically to a single mum nominal measured pressure of –15
ments during harsh environmental condi- transmitter. Using a Ceraphire ceramic sen- to +600 psig, and a –40°F to 302°F process
tions and changing ambient temperatures. sor in the pressure sensor modules, the temperature capability.
Endress+Hauser supplied Deltabar transmitter calculates the differential pres- www.us.endress.com/FMD71

Precision progressive cavity pumps for process control

The unique design of a progressive cavity dosing pump has several advantages compared
to traditional metering pumps, due to the simple pumping principle, says SEEPEX

T he environmental industry assumes that

chemical metering pumps must always
be subject to heavy monitoring, frequent
pumping principle. A single helical metal
rotor turns inside a double helical elasto-
mer stator, forming compression-fit sealed,
parts replacement, and disposal on a regu- uniform cavities that progress from suction
lar basis. Pumps are expected to pulsate, to discharge. The sealing aids process con-
allowing a greater opportunity for unstable trol because the flowrate is proportional to
flow as operators are forced to over- or motor speed. This pumping characteristic
under-feed chemicals. All this causes un- provides precise, repeatable metering ca-
planned variances, water quality issues, pabilities with very minimal pulsation and
and increased cost and downtime. no vapor lock. Slip is minimized even
Yet it doesn’t need to be this way. when fluid temperature,
SEEPEX, a leading provider of progressive viscosity, or discharge
cavity pumps and services, offers NSF/ pressure fluctuates.
ANSI 61-certified dosing pumps, the most Progressive cavity dos-
popular of its product line. For far too long, ing pump users experi-
compromises were made to accommodate ence complete accuracy
traditional chemical metering pumps that for process control, haz- Stable, consistent, and minimal pulsation:
leak, lock up, and have erratic flowrates. ardous by-product minimiza- advantages of SEEPEX dosing pumps
SEEPEX progressive cavity dosing pumps tion and chemical consumption reduction.
are the exceptions to these universally ac- Vincent Munn, a County Operations wear predictably and give the best results
cepted, detrimental norms. Manager with 37 years in the field, states, with analytical equipment. I consider my-
SEEPEX dosing pumps provide several “I’ve used progressive cavity (PC) pumps of self a traditionalist, but I’ve found that what
advantages compared to traditional chemi- all sizes for chemical metering, slurries and once worked in the past is always subject
cal metering pumps due to the progressive sludges. PC pumps provide better stability, to evolving requirements. SEEPEX helps me
cavity pump’s unique design and simple consistent flow and a steady stream. They adapt.” www.seepex.com

66 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

Water Management 2017 Special Advertising Section

Portable filtration systems are clean and versatile

A portable filter cart with integral pump makes transferring liquid process ingredients,
coolants and cutting fluids easy, clean, and reliable, explains Rosedale Products

F ilter specialist Rosedale Products manu-

factures portable filtration systems for
applications requiring flexibility in opera-
and 10-ft. inlet/outlet hoses with quick-dis-
connect couplings. Rosedale offers a four-
wheel cart as an option.
tion. The company’s standard portable fil- The company also makes a special-
tration cart, with a nominal flowrate of ized version of the filter cart for coolants
25 gpm, provides efficient, clean filtration and metalworking fluids with viscosities of
for batch processing or when transferring 300 SSU (65 cP) or less that are compatible
liquids from tanks or drums. with aluminum and steel. The two-wheel
The bag filter features a carbon or stain- hand-truck system features a bag filter and
less steel housing rated to 125 psi, with a a high-flow, industrial-quality centrifugal
compatible filter basket, and O-ring seals pump driven by a 0.5-hp motor. It can pre-
made from Buna N, EPR, or Viton. The hous- filter and transfer fluids quickly and eco-
ing accepts large #12 size bags, with a nomically from a holding tank to a reservoir
surface area of 5.6 sq. ft., for greater dirt- or from drum to tank.
holding capacity. Quick-opening clamp cov- The system is ideal for controlling par-
ers require no special tools and cut time ticulate problems, Rosedale says, before
spent cleaning or replacing bags. they damage critical production equipment.
An air-operated double-diaphragm Most new fluids are unfit for use in hydrau-
pump, optionally in polypropylene, con- lic and lube systems, the company notes,
nects to the filter housing via a 1-in. NPT because contamination enters the fluid
port. Side-entry design prevents contami- during processing, mixing, handling, and
nant bypass around the filter bag, as well as storage. As a result, solid particulate may
spills and messes when opening. be present in unacceptable levels. Use of
The cart has a built-in drip pan, 9-in. air- Portable filtration cart a portable filtration unit helps keep fluids
filled tires, a compressed air filter/regulator, with air-operated pump clean. www.rosedaleproducts.com

These scrubbers tackle a wide range of applications

From odor mitigation to acid gas removal, CR Clean Air has the solution to meet almost any
emission challenge

C R Clean Air has been providing wet

scrubbing systems across a wide array
of process industries for almost 70 years.
– be it a standby scrubber to handle an
emergency release of toxic vapor or an odor
control unit that needs to run 24–7. From
From the initial jet venturi fume scrubbers small manually controlled units to large au-
the company developed in the 1950s to the tomated systems with complex instrumenta-
fully skidded packages it offers today, CR tion and built-in redundancy, the company’s
Clean Air has always been driven by engi- team of electrical, chemical and mechanical
neering the best possible solution to meet a engineers are able to assist in developing
plant’s emission control needs. Experienced customized solutions. Offerings are avail-
in a wide range of applications, be it odor able in a wide range of materials, both metal
mitigation by removing H2S and mercap- and non-metal, including carbon steel, stain-
tans, control of acid gases such as HCL less steel, corrosion-resistant alloys, FRP,
and SO2, and even the removal of fine and polypropylene, PVDF, and dual laminates.
sub-micron particulates from contaminated CR Clean Air has systems installed
vapor streams, CR Clean Air’s depth and across a wide range of industries, including
breadth of experience is unmatched. As a aerospace, chemical, municipal wastewater,
leader in clean air technology, the company pharmaceutical, and pulp and paper. The
has been at the forefront of dealing with range of pollutants is also as varied, includ-
many complex chemistries and challenging ing HF, HBR, NH3, silicates, dust and certain
pollutants, from ethylene oxide mitigation VOCs. CR Clean Air has a range of approach-
to NOx emissions. es in its arsenal, from once-through water
CR Clean Air has the experience to engi- to chemically scrubbed systems complete
neer a system that will work first time, and with recirculation. From arsenic to zirconi-
the commitment to quality that ensures it um tetrachloride, CR Clean Air scrubs gases CR Clean Air high-energy venturi
will continue to work for decades to come others won’t touch. www.crcleanair.com scrubbers can tackle almost any pollutant

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 67

 Water Management 2017 Special Advertising Section

Smart actuator optimizes control valve performance

Badger Meter’s new smart electric valve actuator (SEVA) stands up to extreme conditions
while providing exceptional position accuracy

S ince 1905, Badger Meter has been rec-

ognized as a leader in the development
and manufacture of flow management solu-
Full Open, Hold Position, or
Target Value. The device also
features four positions when
provided once the set points
of the limit switches are met.
Furthermore, the electric ac-
tions. The company has now unveiled its ad- there is a loss of signal: Full tuator can split the incom-
vanced SEVA (Smart Electric Valve Actuator) Closed, Full Open, Hold ing 4–20 mA signal and use
solution. SEVA employs cutting-edge tech- Position, or Target Value. either the lower or higher
nology while providing a cost-competitive Both the Full Closed and range of the signal for full
solution. The actuator is designed for Full Open positions are de- stroke operation. A hyper
extreme conditions, with military-grade fined during setup. terminal server makes it
components, while delivering exceptional In addition, SEVA has an possible to change the type
accuracy and repeatability. internally powered (active) of split range.
The initial SEVA release includes both feedback signal, which actively SEVA was specifically de-
100-lb. and 200-lb. thrust models. SEVA communicates stroke position to signed to minimize the number of
utilizes the Industrial Ethernet Protocol the control system. Its feedback models needed to work with different
(EtherNet/IP) and is certified by the Open sensors are crucial in more precise electrical demands. Its Universal AC
DeviceNet Vendors Association (ODVA). It applications. SEVA even provides Input with voltage protection will work
offers a dual-port Industrial Ethernet card a manual override capability to with 115 V AC, 230 V AC and 24 V DC power
for customers who demand a higher level of help the operator in loss-of-power supplies. This feature ensures confi-
information in their systems. The actuator situations. dence that the actuator will provide a
allows for both linear and Device Level Ring The SEVA assembly has the op- single source for different process needs.
(DLR) ring network topologies. tion to include two user-adjustable SEVA can receive analog input signals from
SEVA provides an exceptional level of limit switch outputs. An external signal is 4–20 mA, 0–5 V DC or 0–10 V DC. Lastly, SEVA
position accuracy (±1% of full scale) with has a maximum speed at maximum thrust
five available positions when there is a loss Badger Meter’s SEVA actuator of 0.153 in/s (SEVA100) and 0.073 in/s
of power: Continue Operations, Full Closed, (photo) is accurate, yet tough (SEVA200). www.badgermeter.com

Why hoses are made with UHMW-PE

DeWAL, a specialist producer of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE),
explains why this is the best material for hose linings and coverings in the water industry

A ll kinds of hoses are used in water management. They may be

vertically braided, with rubber or polymer layers between braids.
They may be spiral hoses, with plies laid at different angles. They
may be knitted, with seamless knit jackets covering extruded tubes.
Whatever kind of hose is best for a particular water manage-
ment solution, one special film is preferred: UHMW-PE – ultra-high
molecular weight polyethylene – used for both lining and covering
all kinds of hoses.
UHMW has a number of benefits important in water
management:
• It has a very low coefficient of friction, so water flows easily
through it, reducing energy requirements.
• It has excellent temperature, abrasion and chemical resistance,
so it is durable, despite harsh environments, flexing hoses or
granular liquids. DeWAL manufactures high-performance UHMW films from 3 to 30
• It vulcanizes, chemically bonding directly to rubber or polymers, mil and up to 48 in. wide for lining and covering hoses and belts
eliminating the need for costly or undependable adhesives.
• Importantly, when water management involves food process- are black (DW 406BF) and white (DW 406WF). Custom colors are
ing or potable water, UHMW carbon filler can be Food and available.
Drug Administration compliant as reported by the raw material All UHMW films and tapes, like DeWAL’s many PTFE films and
supplier. tapes, are manufactured in DeWAL’s Narragansett, RI, facilities.
DeWAL, part of the Rogers Corp., has been manufacturing dozens Sales offices are located around the world. DeWAL films and tapes
of high-performance UHMW films and tapes for more than 40 years. are used not only in water management and CPI but in aerospace,
Films can be 3 mil to 30 mil thick, in sheets as narrow as 0.25 in. or automotive, electronics, oil and gas, rubber and plastic, thermal
as wide as 48 in., the widest sheets in the industry. Standard colors spray, and wire and cable. www.dewal.com

68 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

Water Management 2017 Special Advertising Section

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Inline Industries has a proud tradition as a vertical manufacturer, designing and building
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I nline Industries is a pioneer in design-

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Inline can provide a variety of valves
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the National Sanitary Foundation’s NSF 61
plant operations and potable water users. specification for use in potable and feed
The company has been providing in- water applications.
novative valve solutions to the treatment Direct-mount electric and pneumatic
industry for over 24 years. Offering manual actuators are readily available and can be
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rials and are designed and tested to ASME Inline offers a wide range of valve styles over 90% of all orders complete within a
B16.34 specifications to assure buyers that including valves with flanged, threaded or day or two after receipt of an order.
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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 69

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30525
Engineering Practice

Addressing Pumping Issues in

Biopharmaceutical Operations
Quaternary diaphragm pumps deliver the low pulsation and shear that is critical to
these biopharmaceutical and continuous-manufacturing operations
Quattroflow Fluid Systems
Glenn Hiroyasu and
Sueli Roel Backes
Quattroflow Fluid Systems GmbH

B
iopharmaceutical, pharma-
ceutical and nutraceutical
manufacturing may come in
a wide variety of forms, but
every iteration of unit operation must
adhere to an unbending set of op-
erational parameters and structures
if the desired outcome — a viable,
contaminant-free drug suitable for
human or animal administration — is
to be realized. It is all about “con-
trolled fluid transfer.”
Three of the more common unit
operations within the biopharma-
ceutical-manufacturing universe are
chromatography, virus filtration and
tangential flow filtration (TFF). In order FIGURE 1. Shown here is a chromatography application utilizing three quaternary diaphragm pumps
for these unique operations to be im- (center, right)
plemented successfully, though, the tive and delicate (and, in many The unit operations
operator must be aware of their spe- cases, expensive), meaning that Let’s start by taking a closer look
cific operating characteristics. For the pumping action must be low- at three of the more popular unit
example, chromatography requires pulsating and low-shear, lest the operations in biopharmaceutical
constant fluid flowrates during their material be damaged. manufacturing:
operations, but may have varying This article examines the mate- Chromatography columns. A
pumping pressures. Virus filtration, rial-handling challenges pertaining typical chromatography column,
on the other hand, will feature con- to flowrate and pressure in chro- whether it is glass, steel or plastic, is
stant pumping pressures, but flow- matography, virus filtration, TFF filled with resins that are compressed
rates will change as the filters be- and inline blending processes, and in a certain format through which
come clogged or fouled. And in TFF, illustrates why the design and op- the product-containing feedstream
the main challenge is attempting to eration of the quaternary diaphragm flows and purifies the product by
keep the flowrate and pressure un- pump — rather than other technol- selective adsorption to a station-
changing throughout the process. All ogies, such as the lobe or peristaltic ary phase (resin). Chromatography
these characteristics are also funda- (hose) pump — make it suitable for columns contain complex target-
mental for inline blending, a process use in critical biopharmaceutical- product adsorbing media that need
commonly used not only in the bio- manufacturing applications. Addi- careful handling. Protein A resin,
pharmaceutical segment, but also in tionally, the article shows how the for example, can cost as much as
the chemical, pharmaceutical and quaternary diaphragm pump’s abil- $10,000/L, making proper feeding
food and beverage industries, where ity to operate consistently whether of the resin extremely important.
constant flow and pressure ensure in a fixed stainless-steel production Some chromatography systems
the quality of the mixture. regime or in the increasingly popu- require buffer gradients in order to
While fluid transfer is taking lar single-use applications gives it achieve purification of the proteins.
place in any of these specific unit the versatility to optimize biophar- Buffers are compounds that are im-
operations, it is important to know maceutical-manufacturing mainte- mune to changes in their pH level
that the materials that are being nance, downtime, changeover and when limited amounts of acids or
transferred can be highly sensi- operational costs. bases are added to them. For exam-

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 71

 DETERMINING FLOW AND PRESSURE PULSATION OF QUATERNARY ple, buffering salts have a wide pH
DIAPHRAGM PUMPS range and can effectively stabilize
Using water at ambient temperature as the medium, pressure and flowrates were recorded the pH level of the material.
for a quaternary diaphragm pump at free flow, 2 bars, 4 bars and 6 bars (29, 58 and 87 psi) Quite often, more than one buffer
pressure and at motor speeds of 250, 1,000 and 2,000 rpm. The measuring frequency was is required, which creates the need
one measuring point per second (1 Hz), and the duration measuring point was approximately to use two or more pumps. In this
five minutes. Figure 2 shows the results that were observed. application, high- and low-salt buf-
The maximum flow pulsation measured by the quaternary diaphragm pump was 13 L/h (3.4 fers are mixed continuously and with
gal/h), which was approximately 1.2% of the average flowrate. Regarding pressure pulsation,
changing ratios in order to affect the
the maximum value was 0.17 bar (2.5 psi), which is 4.2% of the average pressure. These
results indicate that operation of quaternary diaphragm pumps is quite capable of minimiz-
adsorption of the target molecule to
ing harmful pulsation in critical biopharmaceutical-manufacturing and handling applications. the chromatography resin. Because
Quattroflow Fluid Systems
of this, precise pumping is required
1,400 7 to achieve the right pH/conductiv-
A
ity conditions for specific adsorption
1,200 6 and high-resolution purification. For
example, a Buffer A and a Buffer B
1,000 5
can be used to create a gradient

Pressure, barg
Flowrate, L/h

800 4 that ranges from a low-salt buffer to

a high-salt buffer in a linear fashion.
600 3 Specifically, the process will begin
with Buffer A producing 95% of the
400 2
flow and Buffer B the remaining 5%.
200 1
Over the course of the operation, the
flowrates of Buffer A and Buffer B
0 0 will decrease and increase in a linear
0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400
Time, s fashion (90% for A and 10% for B,
— Flowrate — Pressure 75% for A and 25% for B, all the way
to 5% for Buffer A and 95% for Buf-
1,400 B 7 fer B) [1].
This requires a pumping technol-
1,200 6
ogy that can produce a highly ac-
1,000 5
curate flow with a high turndown
ratio that can deliver low and high
Flowrate, L/h

Pressure, barg

800 4 flowrates as the elution stage con-

tinues, and ensure constant flow.
600 3 Pump pulsation should also be
400 2
minimized to prevent disturbance of
the packed column [2]. If the pump
200 1 is not able to meet these require-
ments, the correct buffer concen-
0 0
0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 tration may not be attained. Also,
Time, s
— Flowrate — Pressure
if the pumping action produces
excessive pulsation, the buffers
1,400 7
can be susceptible to experiencing
C
spikes in their conductivity.
1,200 6 This can affect the purification
level of the product, as the salt
1,000 5 level in the buffer could be com-
promised. Also, during the loading
Flowrate, L/h

Pressure, barg

800 4
of the sample, it is not uncommon
600 3 for the system’s backpressure to in-
crease. Pumps that do not slip offer
400 2 benefits in these situations since
their flowrates will remain consistent
200 1
and the linear velocity will remain
0 0 stable. Simply put, a pump with
0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 minimal slip will have a more eas-
Time, s
— Flowrate — Pressure ily controlled flowrate that will need
only incremental adjustments to the
FIGURE 2. These graphs show the flow behavior of a quaternary diaphragm pump as pump’s speed.
at different pressures for three different pump speeds: 250 rpm (a), 1,000 rpm (b) and Virus filtration. In biopharmaceu-
2,000 rpm (c) (see sidebar text for details)
tical manufacturing, virus-filtration
72 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Quattroflow Fluid Systems
scalability from bench to age amount of pressure that is ap-
manufacturing scale and plied to the membrane). Maintaining
vice versa [3]. Spiking a constant TMP is critical because if
0 studies for virus-filtration it is too high, it can cause gel-layer
1,20 use a pressure vessel formation that cannot be removed
with a small surface area, by recirculation, and if it is too low,
which can be as little as it results in low flux that will reduce
Flow, L/h

5 cm2 and demand a process efficiency (for more infor-

pump that has low-shear mation on crossflow filtration, see
and low-pulsation opera- “Crossflow Membrane Filtration Es-

6
a rs tion if commercial-scale sentials,” Chem. Eng., April 2017,
b
0

u re, production levels are to pp. 49–59).

ss
Tim
e*, Pre replicate the small-scale Inline blending. Also known as
yr
studies. The use of low- continuous blending or inline mix-
1
5

pulsing pumps in these ing, inline blending systems, as well

n A quaternary diaphragm pump (QDP) at maximum speed (pump is only circumstances can en- as inline buffer dilution, correspond
slightly influenced by pressure and wear over time)
n The same quaternary diaphragm pump at half speed (pump is only slightly sure that pressure con- to a new standard for just-in-time-
influenced by pressure and wear over time; pump is able to match a lobe
pump that slips at maximum speed ditions during validation production and reflect the next step
n Larger traditional lobe pump slips and needs to be oversized of the particular filter are in the evolution of continuous-pro-
n Smaller traditional lobe pump does not have needed flowrange (turn-down)
to meet flow not outside of the vali- duction technology. In this type of
*Note: For applications that experience loss of performance from pump wear.
dated range. process, liquid ingredients are fed
Tangential flow filtra- proportionally to one main stream
FIGURE 3. This graph compares the performance of a quaternary tion (TFF). Also known and are instantly mixed, since they
diaphragm pump with a lobe pump as cross-flow filtration, are being transferred within a com-
in TFF the biologic feed- mon manifold.
systems are used to ensure the vi- stream flows tangentially across the In order to obtain exactly the right
ability and safety of the drugs that filter membrane at positive pres- product, this process requires good
are produced through the removal sure. As it passes across the mem- metering and volumetric efficiency
of potential contaminants from prod- brane, the portion of the feedstream capabilities that can facilitate the
ucts that are created using cell cul- that is smaller than the membrane’s automation of the system. This is
tures. Whereas chromatography pore size passes through the mem- different from batch blending, where
features constant flowrates and brane. This is different from what the product in the tank can be ad-
variable pressures, the operation of is known as normal-flow (NFF), or justed after measurement in the
virus-filtration systems is the oppo- “dead-end,” filtration, in which the laboratory according to the param-
site — most virus-filter applications feed flows entirely through the fil- eters defined in the recipe. When
use constant pressures with variable ter membrane, with the size of the this production is continuous, the
flows. In other words, you may have pores determining which portion of blending is instantaneous and there
to raise and lower the operation’s the feed is allowed to pass through is almost no space or time available
flowrate or speed in order to main- and which will remain trapped in the for corrections.
tain a constant pressure. filter membrane. In this instance, pumps that de-
As mentioned, the flows change TFF is different from NFF in bio- liver low-pulsation flow charac-
as the virus filter becomes clogged. logic applications because the tan- teristics will perform most reliably
Most typical virus-filtration systems gential motion of the fluid across the by decreasing the fluctuation in
run at a constant pressure, for ex- membrane prevents molecules from the variables. So, in considering
ample, 2 bars (29 psi), due to the na- building up a compact gel layer on the functional design of chroma-
ture of the tight pores in the filtering the surface of the membrane. This tography columns, virus-filtration
medium, but the flowrates will de- mode of operation means that a TFF systems, TFF systems and inline
crease as the filter’s pores become process can operate continuously blenders, the common thread in
fouled. When this happens, the with relatively high protein concen- guaranteeing efficient, reliable,
flowrate will not decrease in a linear trations with less fouling or binding cost-effective operation is found in
fashion, which will adversely affect of the filter. identifying and using a pump tech-
the performance of the filter, product To scale up a TFF process, there nology that is capable of produc-
yield and overall quality. are two variables that need to be ing both low-pulsation and low-
Some virus filters have been de- successfully controlled. Recircula- shear operation despite varying
signed with a flux-decay capacity of tion (cross-flow) is required to mini- flowrates and pumping pressures
up to 90% of the starting fluxrate, mize formation of the gel layer and that are accompanied by high vol-
which requires a pump that has pressure as the driving force to push umetric efficiency.
both a high turndown ratio and the permeate through the mem-
produces minimal pulsation in the brane. The recirculation rate needs The challenge
pumped fluid. Evaluation of viral to work in conjunction with the pres- With these operational requirements
clearance strategies requires dem- sure (known as the trans-membrane in mind, over the years, various pump
onstration of the equivalence of pressure, or TMP, which is the aver- technologies have been tested and

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 73

 Quattroflow Fluid Systems

They are also known to release

some small quantity of hose mate-
rial — in a process known as “spall-
ing” — into the pumped product,
which can compromise its purity. If
the spalled hose material makes its
way to the filter, it can foul the filter,
making its operation less efficient
than it need to be, and will also lead
to contamination. Also, inconsis-
tency of flowrate will result due to
mechanical deformation of the hose
during the pumping process. In the
end, the shortcomings of lobe and
peristaltic pumps come down to two
main factors:
• If there is shear, which is common
in lobe pumps, you will damage
the pumped material
• If there is pulsation, an operational
certainty with peristaltic pumps,
you won’t have even flow, and
without even flow, you won’t have
accurate flow

A solution
FIGURE 4. Among the advantages of using a single-use quaternary diaphragm pump, such as the one An effective solution to the opera-
shown here, is the ability to use one pump head for one production campaign. At the conclusion of the
production campaign, the pump chamber that has come in contact with the fluids is disposed of
tional shortcomings of lobe and peri-
staltic pumps can be the quaternary
used for chromatography, virus filtra- sterility required in biopharmaceu- diaphragm pump.
tion, TFF processes and inline blend- tical handling also means that no The operating principle of the
ing. Two that are among the more outside contaminants can be intro- quaternary diaphragm pump most
popular choices when positive dis- duced into the purification process, closely resembles the operation
placement is required are lobe and which is something that pumps of the human heart, because the
peristaltic pumps. Both, however, with mechanical seals cannot reli- four-piston diaphragm technology
have been found to feature opera- ably ensure. enables a gentle pumping action
tional inefficiencies that may make Additionally, the necessary con- through soft “heartbeats.” This action
them insufficient for use in the pro- tact between a lobe pump’s inter- produces four overlapping pumping
cesses described earlier. nal parts can lead to wear and the strokes of the pistons that efficiently
Lobe pumps. Since many biophar- generation of particles that can result reduce pulsation, since each stroke
maceutical materials are contained in product contamination. Solid par- of the four diaphragms is generated
in a low-viscosity aqueous solution, ticulate matter, such as undissolved by an eccentric shaft that is con-
lobe pumps may not be a good salt crystals, can cause severe dam- nected to an electric motor.
choice because slippage can occur age to the lobes, resulting in dam- The quaternary diaphragm
during their operation. Slippage age to the entire manufacturing pump’s method of operation allows
can vary between 10% to 100%, batch. Lobe pumps may ultimately it to gently, safely and securely con-
depending on the system’s back- cost more to operate because of the vey low-viscosity aqueous solutions
pressure. Slip will also result in in- increase in power required to over- and biopharmaceutical materials
creased shear damage and energy come the pump’s slippage. that are highly sensitive to shear
consumption, and if used in a long- Peristaltic (hose) pumps. The main forces and pulsation while being
duration recirculation loop, such as shortcoming of peristaltic pumps is pumped. Since the four-piston de-
a TFF filtration system, there can also the most obvious: their method sign of the pump does not require
be noticeable heat addition to the of operation will undoubtedly pro- any mechanical seals or wetted ro-
product, which can require signifi- duce pulsation, and, as noted, pul- tating parts, total product contain-
cant cooling efforts to protect the sation is undesirable in biopharma- ment is ensured without any abra-
product from overheating. ceutical manufacturing. Peristaltic sion or generation of particulate
Lobe pumps also have mechani- pumps also have limited flow and matter. The pump’s method of op-
cal seals, which can result in a con- pressure-handling abilities. For ex- eration also produces risk-free dry-
trolled product leak and do not pro- ample, they cannot reliably produce running and self-priming capabilities
vide full containment unless special the higher discharge pressures (such with high turndown ratios. A pump
(and oftentimes expensive) seals as 4 bars, or 58 psi) that are required technology with high turndown ra-
and seal barriers are used. The in some fluid-handling applications. tios allows for the creation of a
74 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
broad flow range, which makes the • If there’s a pump failure, the old
pump applicable for utilization in a chamber can be taken out and
wide range of process applications. replaced with a new one in five
With regard to specific unit opera- minutes
tions, quaternary diaphragm pumps • Used when cleaning in place
can be used to pack chromatog- (CIP) or steam sterilization is not
raphy columns and then pump the practical or possible. This rep-
biopharmaceutical material through resents a significant simplifica-
the column, both of which are critical tion and cost reduction to the
concerns that require low pulsation
with accurate and constant flow-
overall process, as there are no
contaminated cleaning chemical
PROVEN
rates and pressures. In TFF applica-
tions, quaternary diaphragm pumps
and water solutions that need to
be treated and disposed of. The
PERFORMANCE
deliver the consistent flow control costs to properly treat and dis-
that is essential in producing optimal pose of the cleaning fluids can
filtrate yields. alone be the driver to require use
When speaking about blending, of single-use alternatives
this technology facilitates systems Of course, not every pump tech- ROTOFORM
automation due to its significant vol- nology is completely perfect for GRANULATION
umetric efficiency, while it also offers every characteristic of a specific
high turndown capabilities that grant fluid-handling application. In this
FOR PETROCHEMICALS
flexibility in handling formulations instance, the design and operation AND OLEOCHEMICALS
that require a wide range of possible of the quaternary diaphragm pump
ingredient input flows. limits it to handling fluids that have
a maximum viscosity of 1,000 cen-
Single-use pumps tipoise (cP) and that contains partic-
In today’s evolving manufacturing ulates up to 0.1 mm in diameter. n
processes, quaternary diaphragm Edited by Gerald Ondrey
pumps are also rapidly becoming a
first-choice technology in increas- References
ingly popular single-use produc- 1. Pall Corp., www.pall.com/main/biopharmaceuticals/
tion setups. Basically, a single-use product.page?id=33058 High productivity solidi cation of
pump enables biopharmaceuti- 2. Hagel, L., Jagschies, G., and Sofer, G., “Handbook of products as di erent as resins, hot
cal manufacturers to eliminate the Process Chromatography: Development, Manufacturing, melts, waxes, fat chemicals and
Validation and Economics,” Academic Press, Elsevier, caprolactam has made Rotoform® the
cost of cleaning and validating their 1997.
granulation system of choice for
pumps by using a pump with a re- 3. Aranha, H. and Forbes, S., Viral Clearance Strategies for chemical processors the world over.
placeable pump head. The result Biopharmaceutical Safety, Pharmaceutical Technology,
June 2001. Whatever your solidi cation
is not only a quicker production requirements, choose Rotoform for
process, but one that delivers pre- reliable, proven performance and a
ferred levels of product purity and Authors premium quality end product.
sterility with no chance for cross- Glenn Hiroyasu is the Americas Development Manager
batch or cross-product contamina- for Quattroflow Fluid Systems GmbH, a brand of Almatec
Maschinenbau GmbH (Carl-Friedrich-Gauß-Straße 5,  High productivity –
tion (Figure 4). 47475 Kamp-Lintfort, Germany; Phone: +49-2842- on-stream factor of 96%
The following are some additional 961-0; fax: +49-2842-961-40), which is a product  Proven Rotoform technology
advantages that can be realized brand of PSG (1815 S. Meyers Road, Oakbrook Terrace, nearly 2000 systems installed
when quaternary diaphragm single- IL, 60181; Phone: +1-630-487-2240; Fax; +1-630-
in 30+ years
487-2250; Email: [email protected]), a
use pumps are used: Dover company. Hiroyasu has 28 years of experience  Complete process lines or
• Quaternary diaphragm pumps (sin- in filtration and downstream processing, and has held retro t of existing equipment
gle-use) can be used for one prod- sales, marketing and applications positions with Pall,  Global service / spare parts supply
Smartflow and Sartorius Corp. He holds a B.S. in biology
uct or in one production campaign and a B.S. in management and human resources from
• At the conclusion of the produc- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
tion campaign, the pump chamber Sueli Roel Backes is business
that has come in contact with the development manager, EMEA Hy-
fluids is disposed of gienic segment at PSG and Alme-
tec Maschinenbau GmbH (Carl- Sandvik Process Systems
• Can be used for a set amount of Friedrich-Gauß-Straße 5, 47475 Division of Sandvik Materials Technology Deutschland GmbH
Salierstr. 35, 70736 Fellbach, Germany
time before the wetted parts are Kamp-Lintfort, Germany; Phone: Tel: +49 711 5105-0 · Fax: +49 711 5105-152
replaced, which eliminates ele- +49-2842-961-0; Fax: +49- [email protected]
2842-961-40; Email: sueli.roel@ www.processsystems.sandvik.com
vated maintenance costs psgdover.com). Roel Backes has
• If the operator needs to use a over 25 years of experience in the Nuremberg
stainless-steel pump, the plas- hygienic market, starting with filling lines at Krones AG, 26-28 September
then process systems at Van der Molen GmbH, and now Visit us at Powtech Hall 4A-107
tic pumping chamber can be re- pumps with PSG. She holds an M.B.A. degree from
placed with a stainless-steel one FOM University of Applied Science (Munich, Germany).
Circle 44 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-44

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 75

 Environmental Manager
Spill Containment:
An Often-Overlooked Hazard in Research
With proper planning, spills can be managed properly and the risk of secondary
events — which may be more dangerous and costly — can be reduced
Richard Palluzi ment is the same in all
Richard P Palluzi LLC cases — the spill pro-
tection must be large

S
pills are probably one of the enough to contain
biggest problems any labo- the maximum prob-
ratory or pilot plant opera- able spill.
tion faces. While spills are For a batch sys-
often cited as a potential hazard, the tem, this is generally
actual mitigation steps are often very straightforward. The
generic and ineffective, reflecting the volume of the larg-
often cursory nature of the hazard est single component
analysis and risk assessment in this (tank, reactor, sample
area. After all, spills happen and just cylinder, piping and
need to be cleaned up. so on) must be con-
Spills — defined here as an un- tained. However,
controlled release of liquids or solids splashing and fluid
into the operating space — are very impulse (waves) that
common, due to accidents that hap- can occur when a liq-
pen during transportation, material uid is released from its
transfer, maintenance, equipment containment requires FIGURE 1. The plastic spill-containment basin shown here will not
failure and human error. Spills may additional volume to withstand even a small fire
involve hazardous or non-hazard- be included in the spill-containment
ous materials. Hazardous materi- vessel, to prevent transient effects
als (those harmful to people or the from overflowing the containment
environment due to their flammabil- vessel. Typical industry guidelines
ity, toxicity or corrosivity) are clearly suggest this volume must be in-
the most dangerous. However, even creased by at least 10%. The higher
spills of non-hazardous materi- the distance the spill may fall, the
als can create operating problems, greater the velocity it will attain, and
damage equipment, and cost time thus, the higher the containment vol-
and money to clean up. ume necessary.
Fortunately most spills in laborato- The closer the spill-containment
ries and pilot plants are minor — due vessel is to the source, the more mo-
to the relatively small volume of ma- mentum it will still have and again,
terials being handled — and just re- the higher the containment.
quire some cleaning activities. How- Neither of these scenarios is sub-
ever, some have resulted in fire and ject to easy analysis, but the author’s
explosions, leading to both person- experience with small systems sug-
nel injury and significant equipment gests that sizing spill-containment
and facilities damage. So more than vessels with excess capacity that is
cursory attention is warranted to more on the order of 20–30% may
minimize the risk of an unanticipated be required for research-size labora-
hazard (Figures 1 and 2). tory and pilot systems. Paradoxically,
Whenever possible, spill protection smaller laboratory systems often re-
should be provided for all equipment quire up to 50% extra volume.
and operations. This can range from Splashing from the added height is
permanent, expensive protection, a definite issue and can result in sig- FIGURE 2. Without effective spill containment in
such as dikes and berms for tanks, nificant amounts being cast outside place, any spills that might result from these ves-
sels would likely fall to the floor and potentially
to simple pans, pails and trays for the planned containment system. find an ignition source in the vacuum pump and
smaller equipment. The key require- The amount of splashing or flow- more fuel in the solvent container located nearby
76 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
 even moderately sized pilot plants
can begin to make this difficult or
impossible. In these cases, the con-
tainment must be large enough to
let the system or the operators
respond effectively.
In the author’s experience, the
time required for this response is
often badly underestimated, particu-
larly for manual responses. For this
reason, automatic interlocks should
be provided to rapidly shut down the
source of the leak or spill, and any
attendant dependent operations,
immediately upon detection of a
release. All too often, operators are
temporarily absent or distracted, or
FIGURE 3. Shown here is an example of residual spill material remaining near a pilot plant pump. While fail to immediately recognize the prob-
trivial in itself, it does raise the potential for a fire to spread. One wonders if a simple drip pan could have
eliminated the concern
lem and take effective action quickly
enough, which leads to a larger spill.
ing over is important in determin- ing an appropriate spill-containment Systems that run unattended or off
ing safety. A few drops are unlikely system becomes much more dif- hours are particularly prone to major
to cause any issues. A few hundred ficult. Either the spill containment releases before the problem is dis-
cubic centimeters might be enough must be sized for the total system’s covered and corrected. Passing
to find an ignition source or may volume — usually a physical or finan- personnel and security guards can
pose a threat to personnel. A few cial impossibility — or an appropriate find it difficult to detect a spill until it
liters is clearly an uncontained spill alarm must be provided. Small labo- has become so significant as to be
(Figure 3). ratory systems may be able to cap- blatantly obvious.
For a continuous system, design- ture the entire system’s contents, but It is important to recognize that

Circle 33 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-33

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 77

 spills (Figure 4).
Similarly, laboratories on higher
floors of a building are potentially at
risk of causing major flood-related
damage to equipment and facilities
on lower floors. NFPA 45 Fire Protec-
tion for Laboratories Using Chemi-
cals requires that all floor openings
be sealed to prevent spills from
spreading. Most building codes re-
quire similar measures but their focus
tends to be on minimizing the spread
of smoke or fire, not necessarily
fluid spills.
NFPA 45 is careful to note that the
spill protection must be compatible
FIGURE 4. Shown here is an installation that relies on the laboratory hood for spill containment. The haz-
with the chemicals involved; if the
ard analysis that had been carried out here was shortsighted, in that it only focused on the relatively low containment system can be weak-
flowrates presented by the small volume of fluid, rather than on a potential incident that could result in ened or attacked after an exposure
an entire bottle breaking, releasing its contents to the fluids in question, it must be
repaired or replaced immediately.
utility feed streams, often overlooked event of a leak or component failure. Sadly, most laboratories this author
as non-hazardous, can also be the Laboratory hoses that feed hood has seen over the past 40 years
source of very expensive spills, as units, hoses and plastic piping have had at least some areas that
they effectively present a potentially that feed laboratory or pilot plant do not meet these criteria.
unlimited supply in the event of a equipment, and booster pumps Unsealed or compromised pen-
breach. For instance, water, chilled (or, more accurately, their seals) on etrations between or behind labo-
water, oil, steam and similar systems similar pilot plant systems, are all ratory benches go unnoticed.
can produce large releases in the potential sources of major Modifications requiring floor or wall

Circle 41 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-41

78 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
penetrations over time fail to be their position if required. Sadly, it is sources within the frame without
sealed or, at least, sealed effectively often easy for a spill container to be evaluating the effect on the existing
enough. Age and normal wear and slightly moved and not be noticeable spill containment. Problems can in-
tear result in compromised seals. although rendered significantly less clude the addition of other potential
In general, almost any large spill in effective. The best approach is to sources, which could require more
a laboratory setting tends to find its design a restraint or frame into which containment. Examples include new
way to lower floors and adjacent the container fits so that it cannot be equipment or sources of a potential
spaces unless the organization has moved out of place but can be lifted release that are placed too close to
an effective inspection and mainte- or slid out for emptying if necessary. the edge of the containment, leading
nance program in place — which is Permanent spill protection is prone to the potential for the momentum
rare (Figures 5 and 6). to being rendered less effective by of the release carrying the spill over
Many laboratories that handle only modifications that often move major the containment, or new equipment
small amounts of hazardous materi-
als fail to recognize that a break in
a cooling hose to a glass heat ex-
changer in a laboratory hood could
lead to several hundred gallons of
water cascading down to lower
floors overnight. The response
time for guard tours off hours and
even passing personnel during on
hours is almost routinely grossly
overestimated. Perfection is
First the person must recognize
the problem, then contact an in-
Better Dispersion and Control
dividual capable of taking action
or at least knowing what action to
take. That individual must locate the
source and determine how to safely
shut it off. Rarely does this sequence
take less than 15–30 minutes (often
it takes longer). Aside from the ob-
vious damage from the spilled
liquid, there is also the potential
for electrical shock if the liquid
is conductive.

Retain the spill safely

The spill-containment device or sys-
tem must be able to withstand the
normal wear, tear and abuse of daily
operations and still be viable when
required. It is common to see light-
weight pans and even permanent
rails or sides in place, but badly dam- Perfecting Particle Size
aged by routine traffic and noticeable The Sturtevant Micronizer® jet mill reduces the
bows, bends or crushed sections. particle size of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides,
Dikes and similar structures are often insecticides and dry chemicals to narrow particle
cracked. All may have unsealed pen- size distributions of 0.25 microns or larger without
etrations, penetrations with compro- heat buildup.
mised seals (for instance, seals that
are cracked, oversized, crumbling Better control properties - dispersion & reactivity
and so on) that will compromise their Particle-on-particle impact, no heat generation
effectiveness. Simple design, easy to clean
Portable spill protection (such as
Abrasion resistant for long life
trays, pans, buckets and spill pal-
lets) is subject to being bumped, 348 Circuit Street Hanover, MA 02339
moved or nudged out of its proper Phone: 800.992.0209 • Fax: 781.829.6515 • [email protected]
position due to routine operations
and, more commonly, maintenance
or modifications. Hence, the use
www.sturtevantinc.com
of portable systems should require
routine inspection and adjustment in Circle 47 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-47

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 79

 FIGURE 6. Even a well-designed pilot plant bay
with floor drains will often have residual materi-
als that could ignite near potential leaks and spill
sources. If well maintained, as in this example, the
residual risk should be minor

tory hoods are required to be fabri-

cated so as to have some spill con-
tainment (for instance, in the form of
a depression in the work surface, or
by sealing around the edges to cre-
FIGURE 5. Laboratory settings typically have multiple sources of spills and nearby ignition sources, so ate a lip), in accordance with both
relying on the hood alone for spill containment is usually not sufficient industry standards and NFPA 45.
However, many do not provide viable
or sources that are located higher off bustible products, this requires that containment. Too often, the hoods
grade, creating more kinetic energy the spill containment be able to were purchased without appropri-
to allow a spill to flow up and over withstand a fire since this is always ate spill-containment capabilities, or
the containment. a possibility. Hence glass and plas- were installed so that the contain-
In some cases, modifications tic containers, soft-soldered trays, ment is ineffective, or the existing
may extend past the spill contain- and similar low-melting temperature containment has become compro-
ment altogether. Hence, all such components are not suitable for lab- mised over time due to the loss of
modifications should be reviewed for oratory operations. A contained fire sealant, or scrapes, gouges or simi-
their effect on the spill containment is a hazard but an uncontained fire is lar damage. Relying on a hood to
and should be part of the organi- always a major hazard. contain a spill from equipment inside
zation’s management of change Portable spill containment needs its interior, unless carefully tested in
(MOC) process. to be stable, so that when it is being advance, is ill advised.
Maintenance often requires the filled or filling it cannot shift and re- Absorbent pads, mats and tempo-
removal of spill containment or at sult in liquid escaping. It must also rary berms are valuable spill-contain-
least parts of it. Yet, the potential for be able to safely hold any debris ment tools. However, their capacity
spills is often higher during mainte- that may be coincident with the spill, is limited so a careful assessment
nance-related activities. Hence the such as broken glassware or parts of of their ultimate effectiveness for the
maintenance-activity plan should as- a failed seal. duration of the spill is required. Too
sess what temporary spill-protection The work surfaces inside labora- often, this author has seen almost
measures are required.
The capacity and location of the
spill-containment system also needs
to evaluate the distance a leak or
pressurized release could travel.
Spill containment to capture a small
slop stream running down the side
of a drum or container usually does
not need to be much bigger than the
container. But spill containment for
a small hole in a drum or a broken
beaker can shoot out under head
pressure and flow a much longer
horizontal distance.

Plan for what happens next FIGURE 7. The spill containment on the left meets almost all the requirements for effectiveness, although
it still requires manual clean up with a rag or absorbent pad. The area on the right, unfortunately lacks
For potentially flammable and com- sufficient protection

80 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

total reliance on these inexpensive to be evaluated in terms of how they
and easy measures which, upon will ultimately be safely drained —
analysis, can be shown to only pro- even if this adds cost and complex-
vide limited mitigation, usually due ity to the system design. In many
to larger volumes of extended re- cases, particularly on pilot plants or
sponse periods. They are also often larger laboratory units, this may not
too easy to damage, leave gaps, or prove feasible.
move and not be replaced during When this is the case, the hazard
normal operations (Figure 7). analysis and risk assessment should
address any hazards of residual materi-
Plan for safe final cleaning als or difficulty in cleaning. At the very
Even simple laboratory pans and least, thought should be given to pro-
trays need to be selected and placed viding handles or similar means to allow
so that they can safely and easily be personnel to lift and grasp the pan, tray
removed for emptying or arrange- or container safely. The potential weight
FIGURE 8. Shown here is an example of a spill
ments can be made to allow cleaning it must carry should be evaluated and that can easily leak through the unsealed hole
in place. Larger trays and pans are this often requires a stiffer or heaver around the drain beside it
often cumbersome, bulky and easily pan to prevent it bowing or folding dur-
tipped when moving. The author has ing movement when filled. and care in their selection or design
seen numerous trays, pans and con- Trying to empty a pan or tray with- to provide them. Otherwise pouring
tainers that only transfer the spill from out a spout of similar directional out the contents frequently becomes
the source to an adjacent area due pouring mechanism makes it more a spill-producing activity itself.
to difficulties in removal and handling. difficult and often results in second- Permanent spill containment around
As the spill containers get larger ary spills. Smaller trays can often use pilot plants and support installations,
in size and volumes they become their square corners as these direc- such as tanks, requires a design that
exponentially harder to handle or tional means to empty the collected allows for easy cleaning. This usually
difficult to lift safely. Hence, prudent liquids. However, larger trays and means trying to design the contain-
analysis may suggest that they need pans often require some thought ment with a slope to a low spot or

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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 81

 sump that will allow collected fluids to giving the spill enough kinetic en- it is often viewed as a low-mainte-
be vacuumed or pumped out. Com- ergy to splash out or flow over the nance, easy way to minimize the risk
mon assumptions that the operators containment sides) associated with potential spills. This
can easily sweep the liquid to a collec- • Failure to consider how the resul- is often not the case. To be safe and
tion point are almost always spurious tant spill, and debris can safely be effective, a few key guidelines should
and result in significant residual spillage separated and drained to a safe be followed:
remaining after cleaning. At best this location • The hazard analysis and risk as-
is a housekeeping problem; at worst, sessment must evaluate the ef-
it can create a standing unsafe con- Review housekeeping efforts fects of any spill on all adjacent
dition. Many “portable” trays around Housekeeping procedures are an equipment and operations. At the
pumps or small tanks fall into this integral and critical part of proper least, it should evaluate the effect
category, because to actually remove spill containment. Any spill of flam- of a small fire spreading to numer-
them requires removing the equip- mable and combustible materials ous other fuel sources. This is
ment first, something rarely ever done can lead to a fire. If the fire is con- more probable if the area does not
in practice. tained, it can be extinguished more have an electrical classification as
Many laboratory spill-containment easily and with fewer consequences Class I Division 1 or 2 or Zone 0, 1
installations fail badly on this point. than if it is uncontained. In addition, or 2 (Figure 9)
For example, providing a larger pan a spill of a flammable or combus- • The construction of the area must
to hold a hot plate or stirrer plus tible liquid, if it reaches other com- address the need for sloping to
the contents of the container being bustible sources, can easily grow the floor drains, if provided, or
heated or stirred is common and much larger. This means that a spill to a sump or similar low point for
often the only practical approach. — or even a splashing — that ig- collection and ultimate removal of
However, a large number of these in- nites may be able to reach squeeze captured fluids. Often floor drains
stallations will prove to be ineffective bottles of solvents, spare flammable are poorly installed so that they ei-
due to lack of proper analysis such or combustible chemicals, papers, ther stand “proud” of the floor (that
as the following: lab notebooks, towels, or any of the is, they stick up above the floor
• Failure to account for the volume other inevitable paraphernalia in a slightly), which makes drainage
of the equipment, which leads to laboratory, causing the initial small impossible. Or they are oplaced in
overflowing fire to quickly grow into a large and small shallow depressions, which,
• Failure to recognize that the spill, dangerous conflagration. The au- in the event of a spill, would only
usually due to container failure thor once saw a 500-ft2 laboratory provide drainage for a few inches
(breakage) or upset (human error), effectively burned out from a spill of beneath the drain. Many floor areas
will almost always result in the spill only several hundred cubic centime- are essentially level or they slope
being splashed outside the con- ters of flammable liquids due to very slightly (and often imperceptibly to
tainer poor housekeeping and a failure to the eye) in several different direc-
• Failure to realize the container is recognize the numerous other “fuel” tions, making it difficult to deter-
too close to the sides of the con- sources on nearby benches. mine in advance where the spill will
tainment (leading to the liquid mo- Poor housekeeping on a pilot flow. If the area does not have floor
mentum causing the spill to splash plant (FIgure 8), particularly in terms drains, then consideration must be
over) or too high above the spill of cleaning up all the residual ma- given to where the liquid will flow.
containment (leading to the height terials from past spills, is critical in If it flows under benches, hoods,
preventing a small flash-type and fixed equipment then cleaning
fire that can easily damage will be difficult and probably poorly
other components and lead done leading to residual risk
to a larger release (either spills • If floor drains are provided, they
or leakage). Similarly, keeping must drain to a safe location that
adjacent areas clear of other can contain the spills and allow
fuel sources, such as spare them to be transferred safely for
solvents, containers of feed proper disposal. Several common
or products, combustible ma- problems are often associated with
terials and more, is also im- these systems. For instance, a
portant in all cases, to make failure to provide adequate alarms
sure a fire stays localized and allows them to overflow (usually
does not spread. The spill pan due to an accumulation of numer-
in a laboratory hood with the ous relatively trivial spills over time,
spare bottle of solvent right or one larger spill that was bigger
next to it rarely contains the than originally envisioned). Similarly,
secondary fire. placing a holding tank in a regular
Providing spill containment municipal sewer line and assuming
FIGURE 9. A risk assessment of this area would need to for an entire area, such as a that it can be isolated and taken off
address the consequences of a smaller spill leading to a laboratory or pilot plant bay, is line before any contaminants es-
larger conflagration. While appropriately electrically clas-
sified to minimize the potential for ignition sources, the a common technique. Although cape is rarely a failsafe approach.
addition of a spill containment system on each shelf might initially expensive to provide, The spill-reporting time may be lon-
significantly lower the consequences of any potential spill
82 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
 occasionally be much smaller than and evaluate are the hazards we usu-
might be required in the event of a ally mitigate effectively; the hazards we
larger spill (such as a person drop- overlook or consider trivial are usually
ping the container to be emptied). the hazards that come back to create
The potential for requiring a larger the accident. n
spill containment, to account for Edited by Suzanne Shelley
human error, should always be eval-
uated. For instance, the possibility Author
FIGURE 10. Note the modifications extending out- of dropping a container that is being Richard P. Palluzi, P.E., CSP, of
side the spill containment transferred from a bath to the bench Richard P Palluzi LLC (72 Summit
Dr., Basking Ridge, NJ 07920;
ger than expected, the spill may go next to it, overfilling a waste can Email: [email protected];
unreported, other non-hazardous or smaller container, dropping the Phone: 908-285-3782) is a con-
drainage may sweep the tank con- larger container, and similar human sultant to the pilot plant and labo-
stantly leading to contamination, or errors should be assessed. ratory research community on
safety, design and research proj-
a similar issues may arise. Finally, It is not always possible, nor is it al- ect management. He retired as a
providing a complex treatment or ways necessary, to provide spill con- Distinguished Engineering Associ-
separation system that requires tainment around every potential source ate after almost 40 years at ExxonMobil Research and
Engineering, where he was involved in the design, con-
frequent maintenance and care in a laboratory or on a pilot plant. How- struction, and support of pilot plants and laboratories for
can lead to frequent failure when ever, the hazard analysis and risk as- ExxonMobil’s research site in Clinton, N.J., as well as
it is forgotten or at least often ne- sessment should make sure to look at affiliates worldwide. Palluzi is the author of two books,
and numerous articles and presentations. He is a past
glected for a time. the potential hazards from leaks and chair of the AIChE Pilot Plant Committee, ExxonMobil’s
Spills can also occur due to leak- spills carefully — perhaps more care- Pilot Plant and Laboratory Safety Standards Committee,
age from fittings, seals, gaskets and fully than it has been done historically and ExxonMobil’s Safe Operation Team for their Clinton
similar components. And they may — to make sure that they do not cre- Facility. He is on the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) NFPA-45 Fire Protection for Laboratories Using
arise due to normal operations that ate unrecognized and unacceptable Chemicals and NFPA-55 Industrial and Medical Gases
provide frequent repetitive oppor- risks, or that providing spill protection committees. Palluzi also teaches several courses for
tunities for small, individually trivial of perhaps a different type might not the University of Wisconsin’s Dept. of Engineering Pro-
fessional Development. He has B.E. and M.E. degrees
spills to arise, as these can collec- help to further reduce an already low in chemical engineering from Stevens Institute
tively accumulate over time to even- risk with minimal cost and operability of Technology.
tually reach critical levels. Situations impacts. The hazards we recognize
in which this scenario can arise in-
clude: baths where containers or
samples are frequently removed and
often drip nearby; sampling where
residual materials may continue to
Why should you
flow for a moment after completion;
emptying containers into hazardous-
waste cans for ultimate disposal
with the attendant routine drips,
filter your water?
splashes and trivial spills, emptying
Accumulation of plastic fines in cutter water stream causes uneven
or filling smaller containers into or cooling of pellets; blockage of cooling water passages, and an
out of larger ones for ease of use increase of water temperature that results in poor pellet quality.
or process needs with similar con- The removal of plastic fines is made easy with Tekleen automatic self
sequences; and other repetitive or cleaning water filtration systems, with their specially designed screen
routine operations. technology.
Such occurrences can often make
areas around these operations less Cooling
Tower
safe, due to residual materials in-
creasing the risk of a fire spread- Shell & Tube
X-Changer
ing, increasing the risk of personnel
TG TG
contact with toxic materials, or at Cutter
Water
least creating increased slipping and Reservoir
tripping hazards. In many cases,
some local spill containment may
be prudent to both restrict the area
into which these minor spills could
spread and make cleanup easier.
This extra local containment is often
much larger than the minor spills re-
quired to allow for a longer interval
between cleaning or to address the 2672 S. La Cienega Bl vd, Los Angeles, C A 90034 USA
potential for a larger-than-normal (800) 336-1942 (310) 839-2828 www.t ekleen.com inf o@t ekleen.com
spill (Figure 10). Conversely, it may
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 Show Preview

B
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sentations and workshops on issues twin-shaft mixer and vibratory equip-
affecting the industry. Bulk solids ment. The company manufactures a
practitioners will gather at the expert complete line of dense- and dilute-
forum in Hall 2, where they can ex- phase vacuum and pressure pneu-
perience best practice examples by matic-conveying systems, process
leading manufacturers and users in equipment and vibratory equipment
the form of compact presentations. for handling a wide variety of dry bulk
Users involved in the pharmaceutical granular materials. A fully operational
sector will find themselves at home dense-phase pneumatic conveying
in the “Pharma.Manufacturing.Excel- system will be on display, along with
lence” forum in Hall 3A and will come the Bella XN double-shafted mixer in
away with useful tips on how to meet 304 stainless steel food-grade design.
Dynamic Air the challenges facing them. This mixer provides a high-quality
A sample of some new products blend in an extremely short mixing
being exhibited at Powtech are pre- time. Also on display will be its line
sented below. of vibratory equipment, including the
Stedi-Flo vibratory pan feeder and the
Pastillation-system solutions for GYRO EX bin-activating feeder and
hot melts, resins and more discharger (photo), which produces a
Exhibiting under an umbrella mes- controlled gyratory motion to positively
sage of “Go further, explore more withdraw granular materials from bins,
possibilities,” this solidification-sys- storage silos and hoppers at any de-
tems manufacturer will launch its sired feedrate for a consistent and reli-
brand new ThermoCut system, de- able discharge. Hall 3, Stand 204 —
livering increased productivity and a Dynamic Air Ltd., Milton Keynes, U.K.
better-quality end product with high- www.dynamicair.com
viscosity melts. The system works by
blasting a narrow jet of high-pressure, This tablet coater now has
heated air at the precise place where a new design
the drops are formed between the The LC series of coaters (photo),
Rotoform and steel belt (photo). This specially conceived for coating tab-
Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau
powerful blade of hot air cuts the lets, has been the subject of exten-
threads before they have chance to sive redesign. For example, a newly
develop further. As well as delivering a configured airflow now provides a sig-
more stable production process with nificant boost in efficiency and avail-
perfectly formed pastilles, the use of ability of the machines. In contrast
ThermoCut equipment also results in to the previous forced air feed via an
a substantial reduction in the need to intake boot, the air to the LC series
clean the machine. The company is of coaters flows through an air-injec-
also showcasing its specialized Roto- tion manifold over a large circumfer-
form 4G sc system, purposely de- ence of the coater drum in the direc-
signed for the pastillation of subcool- tion of the tablet bed. This enables
ing melts. Other themes will be the even, largely turbulence-free entry of
84 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
a large volume of drying air into the automatic recording of all machine data Beumer Group
drum. The innovative concept ensures saves time and provides reliable infor-
a high drying capacity and hence high mation that otherwise would not be
spraying rates. The undesirable effect assured by manual input. Using these
of spray drying, resulting in spraying precise data, the performance of the
losses during coating, is effectively systems can be compared and com-
prevented. Advanced sensors also fa- prehensively optimized — even when
cilitate optimization of the spraying and packing at multiple locations. Hall 1,
drying process, and simple and safe Stand 535 — Haver & Boecker oHG,
adjustment of the nozzle arm makes Oelde, Germany
handling easier. Hall 1, Stand 517 — www.haverboecker.com
Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH,
Paderborn, Germany Filtering iron and stainless steel
www.loedige.de from powders and bulk goods
The continuous cleaning Cleanflow
Packaging film that enables quick, magnet (photo) removes both iron and
easy opening without tools stainless steel from powders and bulk
This company’s stretch-film packag- goods, and achieves capacities of up
ing system, the Stretch Hood A, can to 200 m.t./h. The system is suitable
be used in a variety of different indus- for installation in ATEX zone 20/22 and
tries. The system can now be supplied can be cleaned without stopping the
with a newly developed, easy open- product flow. It can be installed directly
ing hood, which enables employees below the sieve or even just before the
in retail stores and logistics centers loading/packing point. The Cleanflow
to quickly and easily remove the film magnet is easy to integrate into exist- Haver & Boecker
when unpacking or repacking the ing production processes. In addition
goods, without the use of any cutting to preventing damage claims, magnets
tools. To achieve this, the company protect machines from seizure due to
partnered with a well-known film sup- iron contamination and resulting expen-
plier to develop a technology that al- sive production standstills. The magnet
lows users to open the film along a has been developed for applications
precise tear line in the center (photo), such as those found in the sugar indus-
without affecting the safety function of try, and can remove the very smallest
the stretch hood. The user can open particles (down to 10 µm) from the final
the film quickly and easily, with no tools phase of the production process. Hall
required. This considerably increases 2, Stand 450 — Goudsmit Magnetics
unpacking productivity. Hall 1, Stand B.V., Waalre, the Netherlands
627 — Beumer Group GmbH & Co. www.goudsmitmagnets.com
KG, Beckum, Germany
Goudsmit Magnetics .
www.beumergroup.com Realtime process monitoring
and rheology measurements
These packing systems continue At Powtech, this company will be dem-
to get cleaner and smarter onstrating pioneering new technology
The newly developed packing system of for in-line, realtime process monitor-
the Roto-Packer, Integra and Elemen- ing via an exclusive partnership with
tra families is said to have outstanding Lenterra Inc., manufacturers of opti-
features when it comes to cleanliness, cal flow sensor technology. Lenterra’s
intelligence and profitability. In particu- Drag Force Flow (DFF) and Wall Shear
lar, the new Roto-Lock dosing unit de- Stress (RealShear) probes (photo)
livers clean filling, reliable performance, provide continuous, realtime data, via
intuitive operation and energy saving optical fibers, enabling users to as-
function. The company is keeping pace sess processes and make decisions Freeman Technology
with the market demands for modular without the need to interrupt opera-
and future-oriented solutions for the tions. The company will also present
complete process: from stocking to fill- the FT4 Powder Rheometer, a unique
ing and loading. By using the Quattro and comprehensive powder tester that
System Monitoring (photo), companies uses patented dynamic methodology,
are better secured against long down- automated shear cells (in accordance
times and high maintenance costs. The with ASTM D7891) and a series of bulk

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 85

 amixon property tests to quantify powder be- phase, for which VR offers something
havior in terms of flow and process- extra. That will be the next step, possi-
ability. This is complemented by the bly supplemented with augmented re-
new Uniaxial Powder Tester, which ality, says the company. Hall 4, Stand
provides an accurate and repeatable 371 — Dinnissen Process Technol-
measure of the uniaxial unconfined ogy, Sevenum, the Netherlands
yield strength (uUYS) of a powder to www.dinnissen.nl
assess and rank flowability. Hall 4,
Stand 547 — Freeman Technology These butterfly valves have
Ltd., Tewkesbury, U.K. inflatable seats
www.freemantech.co.uk This company is exhibiting a heavy-
duty inflatable-seated butterfly valve
A conical mixer for particularly operating next to a typical resilient-
fast batch changes seated valve to demonstrate how
This company’s new mixing system quickly a resilient-seated valve can
(photo) features helical mixing tools wear in comparison to the air-oper-
that, despite low rotational speeds, ated valve. The inflatable seat design
achieve ideal mixing qualities within provides a better seal by utilizing air
just 20 to 60 s. A rotationally symmetri- pressure to expand the seat against
cal closing element lowers a few centi- the disc, providing more sealing area
meters and allows complete discharge and an even pressure distribution
within a few seconds. This makes it against the disc every time. The seat
possible to homogenize large volumet- automatically compensates for wear
ric flows with small mixers. The system when it inflates against the disc, ex-
has a compact, space-saving design, tending valve life considerably. The
is hygienic with regard to regular wet Series 585/586 inflatable-seated
cleaning, enables gastight execution butterfly valve (photo) is designed for
(suitable for over-pressure operation) the most severe applications. The
and is in conformity with ATEX stan- heavy-duty seat has been designed
dards. Hall 4A, Stand 304 — amixon for higher operating pressures and
GmbH, Paderborn, Germany temperatures. The valve is ideally
www.amixon.com suited for very abrasive materials
such as sand, feldspar, flyash and
Dinnissen Process Technology
Reducing failure costs most other dry, granular materials,
using virtual reality which can reduce valve life. Hall 3,
This company will be demonstrat- Stand 301. — Posi-flate, Milton
ing its virtual reality (VR) application Keynes, U.K.
at Powtech. A small group of engi- www.posiflate.com
neers is currently working with VR in
a research phase. “By applying virtual Cold grinding, recycling and
reality, we let the customer experi- flash freezing with cryogenics
ence the new system without it being With this company’s cold-grinding and
constructed. The customer sees ex- flash-freezing techniques, it is possible
actly what they can expect,” says the for a wide range of different materials
company. Because the customer can to be finely ground or recycled by using
walk virtually through the installation cryogenic gases, such as N2 or CO2.
together with this company’s engineer Materials such as thermoplastics,
in the “real environment,” they can al- elastomers, waxes and paint additives
Posi-flate ready anticipate in the design phase can be handled, as well as spices,
what they will encounter in the realiza- which would otherwise lose their fla-
tion phase, creating a more complete vors due to the high temperatures in
picture (photo). Bottlenecks become grinding processes. Furthermore, bulk
visible even before construction takes solids and pourable food products can
place, whereby commissioning times be flash-frozen in paddle screws using
are also shortened. This means that cryogenic gases to extend their shelf
a new plant will produce faster, thus life or improve their quality. This appli-
yielding revenues. Maintenance train- cation is said to be less expensive and
ing can also already be done before more efficient than conventional tech-
the installation is finished. Future-ori- niques. During the cryogenic grinding
Messer Group ented maintenance will be the next process (photo), the materials to be
86 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
ground are cooled with liquid N2 or Brabender Technologie lem because system requires GEA Group
CO2 to make them brittle resulting in it can feed a little space in the
a particularly fine grain. This allows large range oftechnical center
composite materials to be separated and, thanks to its
long fibers. Fi-
into their individual components in a berXpert can design, reliably
cost-effective and environmentally be used with afulfills even the
friendly manner. Hall 4A, Stand 531. wide range of most demanding
— Messer Group GmbH, Bad Soden/ very differenttechnical tasks,
Frankfurt am Main, Germany says the manu-
materials, as it
www.messergroup.com has many op- facturer. Combined with technolo-
gies, such as the high-pressure Pan-
tional features.
A new twist on fiber feeding Other applications include the recy- daPlus 2000 homogenizer, it belongs
for recycling cling of polypropylene (PP) and poly-to this company’s portfolio of bio-
Manufacturing carbon-fiber panels pharmaceutical manufacturing lines
ethylene terephthalate (PET) flakes or
can generate a great deal of waste, other shredded materials. Here, the and equipment. The Pathfinder GMP
which then requires disposal. Shred- is exceptionally easy to operate. The
intermediate recycling step of re-pel-
ding these panels produces flakes centrifuge delivers a force of 20,000
letizing can be eliminated if the flakes
and fibers that, when mixed together, can be fed directly into the manufac-g, enabling reliable separation of the
make feeding extremely difficult. Most turing process. Hall 4, Stand 237 — finest particles, even with slight den-
natural fibers have similar flow char- Brabender Technologie GmbH & Co. sity differences. Three bowl sizes
acteristics and difficulty feeding when KG, Duisburg, Germany are available for flowrates of 15–300
used as a renewable raw material to www.brabender-technologie.com L/h. All parts that come into contact
reinforce plastics. Similar to carbon with the product are made of high-
fibers, natural fibers mechanically in- A compact centrifuge skid for alloy stainless steel, 316L or better,
terlock, often resulting in the forma- pharma pilot testing with surface finish of 0.8 μm. Hall 3A,
tion of product bridges and starving The new Pathfinder GMP (photo) is a Stand 312 — GEA Group AG, Düs-
of the feed screw. The new FiberX- GMP-certified centrifuge skid pharma seldorf, Germany
pert (photo) helps to solve this prob- test centers and pilot plants. The www.gea.com

STOP USING TAPERED PINS

Using hammer-in tapered pins in applications

above 200 PsiG (14 BarG) puts onsite safety,
surrounding equipment and operating time at
risk as they may eject during service when
units are pressurized.

Pop-A-Plug® Heat Exchanger Tube Plugging System

Pop-A-Plug Tube Plugs are pressure rated up to 7000 PsiG (483 BarG) and conform to ASME PCC-2-2015
recommended tube plugging repair methods, offering a permanent mechanical solution to safely seal leaking
heat exchanger tubes without welding or hot work. Installation takes only minutes, providing superior
reliability for critical processes. Full material traceability documentation available.

Maximize uptime by visiting cw-estgroup.com/ce09 today! EST Group

Circle 20 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-20

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 87

 Romaco Group This laboratory-scale processor tenance. One of the pumps, which
has reduced batch times can be combined for one DZM, op-
The laboratory-scale version of the erates in a speed-controlled manner,
Innojet Ventilus V 2.5 (photo) is used so that the generated vacuum can
for granulating, drying and coating be adapted exactly to the require-
particle sizes from 10 µm to 2 mm. ments. This efficiency improvement
Due to its special design and en- reduces the necessary power and
hanced processing efficiency, the therefore the energy consumption
Ventilus V 2.5 allows up to 25% and CO2 emissions. A final pressure
shorter batch times, says the com- of up to 140 mbar is achievable.
pany. The homogeneous flow condi- Hall 4, Stand 357. — Atlas Copco
tions inside the cylindrical product Kompressoren und Drucklufttechnik
container enable extremely gentle GmbH, Essen, Germany
intermixing of the batch. The pro- www.atlascopco.com
cess air is controlled by the Orbiter
booster, which is a unique container Reduce blower’s energy costs
bottom consisting of overlapping cir- with this air controller
cular plates. Together with the Roto- The Sigma Air Manager 4.0 master
jet, the central bottom spray nozzle, controller, which previously revolu-
the Orbiter booster forms an innova- tionized the rotary screw-compres-
tive functional unit that meets all the sor segment, is now also available
requirements for linear scaleups. The for blowers. The SAM 4.0 (photo)
airflow bed technology ensures ac- benefits from “Industrie 4.0” services
curate control of the product move- and forms the heart of this com-
ment and equally precise application pany’s blower stations. This central
of the spray liquids. The resulting for- controller acts intelligently to control
Atlas Copco Kompressoren und Drucklufttechnik mulations can achieve the required the individual machines for optimal
release profile with between 10 and efficiency and adjusts their flowrate
15% less spray liquid. Hall 3, Stand accurately to the overall flowrate
327. — The Romaco Group, Karl- demand profile. The SAM 4.0 ana-
sruhe, Germany lyzes operating data in a matter of
www.romaco.com seconds, simulates alternative man-
agement scenarios and selects the
A new vacuum system for most efficient option. These pow-
conveying bulk solids erful capabilities can only be har-
Among other products, this com- nessed when the components of a
pany will exhibit its new DZM series, station deliver consistently efficient
a dry-running multi-claw vacuum performance, which is what users
pump system (photo), which is par- can expect from the DBS, EBS and
ticularly suitable for the conveyance FBS screw blower series. Compared
of bulk material. It is characterized by to conventional rotary blowers, the
low-noise operation, as well as user- new screw blowers are up to 35%
friendly plug-and-play installation. more efficient, while also offering sig-
The DZM pumps achieve a pumping nificant double-digit energy advan-
speed of up to 1,260 m³/h and can tages over many commonly available
also be used as a central vacuum screw and turbo blowers on the mar-
supply for handling tasks or extrusion ket, says the company. Hall 4, Stand
processes. Since the claw-shaped 236 — Kaeser Kompressoren SE,
rotors in the pump chamber, which Coburg, Germany
rotate in opposite directions, neither www.kaeser.com
touch each other nor the chamber
wall, the vacuum pumps are very Pre- and fine grinding in
durable and reliable. The DZM mod- a single instrument
els combine two to four DZM claw The variable-speed rotor mill Pulveri-
vacuum pumps in a compact hous- sette 14 premium line (photo, p. 89)
ing, depending on the required de- offers impact, shearing and cutting
livery capacity. The pumps operate comminution in one instrument. Its
oil-free and air-cooled and also in powerful motor is ideal for the par-
Kaeser Kompressoren harsh environments with little main- ticularly fast comminution of soft to
88 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
medium-hard, brittle and fibrous ma- The damper absorbs the enormous Fritsch
terials, as well as temperature-sensi- repulsive forces of the explosion
tive samples with an extremely fast energy and guides the flames and
sample throughput of up to 15 L/h, shock wave in the desired direction.
depending on the material and pa- Depending on what is required, the
rameter settings. Features include: flames and shockwave are diverted
grinding speeds up to 22,000 rpm; at a defined angle of approximately
AutoLock grinding chamber for safe 30 to 45 deg upwards or to the side.
operation; final fineness down to d50 Facility operators can therefore mini-
< 40 μm; efficient cooling of material; mize the safety areas around the
and ease of cleaning. Hall 2, Stand vent opening. The top module is
227. — Fritsch GmbH, Idar-Ober- made in all the typical bursting disc
stein, Germany sizes, so that retrofitting in existing
www.fritsch.de units can be undertaken without a
problem. The system is made from
An add-on module that cushions maintenance-free stainless-steel
forces from bursting disc materials and, in combination with
Targo-Vent (photo) is an opening the company’s bursting discs and
angle limiter developed especially pressure relief panels, is type-tested
for bursting discs that guides the in accordance with the ATEX Direc-
pressure relief specifically into areas, tive 94/9/EC (ATEX 114) and au-
in which there is no danger for the thorized in accordance with FSA
adjoining infrastructure. Targo-Vent 13 (ATEX 1637). Hall 3, Stand 244.
dynamically and progressively cush- — Rembe GmbH Safety + Control,
Rembe
ions the bursting disc situated be- Brilon, Germany
neath it, and can therefore also as- www.rembe.de n
similate large kinetic forces resiliently. Gerald Ondrey

Circle 43 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-43

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 89

 Show Preview

F
rom September 30 to Octo- tanks also help prevent cross-con-
ber 4, the Water Environment tamination, and eliminate possible
Federation (Alexandria, Va.; dangers of co-mingling of reactive
www.wef.org), will host the chemicals. Linear polyethylene tanks
Weftec 2017 Conference and Exhibi- are certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61
tion (www.weftec.org) at McCormick for potable water, and the high-den-
Place in Chicago, Ill. Focused on all sity crosslink resin tanks are certified
aspects of water treatment and con- by NSF for chemical storage. Booth
servation, this year’s event will feature 5041 — Assmann Corp. of America,
more than 900 exhibitors and a com- Garrett, Ind.
prehensive technical program with www.assmann-usa.com
emphasis on a wide range of areas,
including: membrane technologies; A double-containment piping
odor and air emissions; residuals and system with easier installation
biosolids; laboratory practices; and The Double-See Vinyl double-con-
more. The following presents a selec- tainment piping system (photo) is a
Rotork Controls
tion of the products that will be show- pressure-rated system with a primary
cased at Weftec’s exhibit hall. (inner) and secondary (outer) pipe de-
signed for safely transporting hazard-
These valve actuators ous liquids. Both primary and second-
provide flexibility ary pipes are cut to the same length
The CK range of modular electric and can be joined simultaneously,
valve actuators (photo) is designed which saves time with installation and
to meet diverse actuation applica- prevents potential mistakes caused
tions in the water-treatment industry. by staggered pipe-cut measurement
The design provides configurability errors, according to the manufacturer.
of stock components to meet user Double-See is available in both poly-
needs. Maximum multi-turn output vinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated
Assmann Corp. of America torque is 10,800 Nm and part-turn PVC; either material may be primary
output is 205,600 Nm. Options and or secondary, with clear PVC always
features range from a basic actua- an option for the containment pipe.
tor requiring separate motor con- The system provides a complete se-
trols to more sophisticated versions lection of pipes, fittings, leak detection
equipped with an integral digital and access tees, closure couplings
control unit that combines intelligent and termination fittings. Other fea-
control and data-logging with inte- tures include a 3-D thermal-expan-
gration to distributed control sys- sion compensation centralizer, and
tems (DCS) using hardwired, analog a valve-in-valve design that provides
or digital control. Booth 6944 — full pressure rating in the containment
Rotork Controls Inc., Rochester, N.Y. piping. Booth 4052 — GF Piping Sys-
GF Piping Systems
www.rotork.com tems Inc., Irvine, Calif.
www.gfps.com
Double-walled tanks prevent
spills and keep debris out A new flowmeter for
This company’s line of double-wall biogas applications
tanks (photo) includes sizes from 20 This company has introduced the
to 8,850 gal and eliminates chemi- new biogas-handling version of its
cal spills without the expense of lined Optisonic 7300 ultrasonic flowmeter
concrete containment. A heavier-top (photo), which is suitable for methane-
sidewall and dome prevent dome col- gas applications in wastewater-treat-
lapse, while a primary inner tank and ment facilities. The two-beam flowme-
a secondary locked-on outer tank ter is now Class 1, Div. 1 approved,
ensures against chemical spills. The and provides repeatable measure-
inner tank dome also overlaps the ments over a wide bi-directional flow
outer tank sidewall to help prevent range of ± 30 m/s with 1% accuracy.
rainwater, snow and debris from en- The standard model uses titanium for
tering secondary containment, mak- optimized signal processing in chal-
ing these systems ideal for outdoor lenging applications. Stainless-steel
Krohne storage of chemicals. Double-wall transducers are available on request.
90 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
The Optisonic 7300 biogas flowmeter 475 gal/min with suction lift to 30 ft, Phoenix Contact

features a maintenance-free full-bore and they are dry-running and revers-

flow sensor with no moving parts ible. The pumps are also suitable
and robust construction with no ex- for applications that require pro-
posed cables. The converter features cessing abrasive materials. Bredel
a variety of measurement diagnos- hose pumps do not require ancil-
tics and available methane content laries, such as degassing valves or
output. Booth 916 — Krohne Inc., backpressure valves, to operate,
Peabody, Mass. which lowers overall costs, says the
www.us.krohne.com manufacturer. Booth 3116 — Wat-
son-Marlow Fluid Technology Group can issue alarms and notifications
Heavy-duty pumps for (WMFTG), Falmouth, U.K. via email or text message. Existing
sludge and abrasive media www.watson-marlow.com systems can be seamlessly inte-
grated so that data can be recorded
Monitor water-treatment and evaluated. The data are subse-
systems via cloud computing quently collected and can be stored
The cloud-based Eaglei technology or transmitted to a control system.
(photo) reduces the time and effort The integrated mobile interface en-
required for onsite inspection of de- ables communication with the vir-
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group
centralized water and wastewater tual control system via a private
Bredel heavy-duty sludge pumps treatment systems. The solution mobile network. This ensures that
(photo) are designed for centrifuge is accessible via web browser, en- data manipulation and unauthor-
and belt-press feed. They have suring that it is possible to access ized access from outside the net-
only one wearing part — the hose system data from anywhere. The work is impossible. Booth 7918 —
— so there are no rotors, stators or status of the system can be viewed Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG,
lobes to replace, and no mechani- remotely, and the set parameters Blomberg, Germany
cal seals or packing to leak. Bredel can be edited via tablet, smartphone www.phoenixcontact.com ■
pumps can handle flows as high as or laptop. At the same time, Eaglei Mary Page Bailey

Circle 34 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-34

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 91

 Duo 11 ATEX – the new magnetically
coupled rotary vane pump
The Duo 11 ATEX rotary vane pump, which meets ATEX directive
2014/34/EU, was brought to the market by Pfeiffer Vacuum for
processes taking place in potentially explosive atmospheres or
conveying explosive gases and vapors. As such, it satisies the
most stringent explosion protection requirements.
The ATEX certiication applies for both the interior and exterior of
the pump. The Duo 11 ATEX is classiied as equipment category
3G and temperature class T4. It can convey all gases up to and
including explosion group IIC. The pumping speed is 9 m³/h at 50
Hz and 10.5 m³/h at 60 Hz. The Duo 11 ATEX is equipped with a
frictionless magnetic coupling.

Pfei er Vacuum GmbH

https://www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com

Circle 01 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-01

Versatile Diverter Valve for Pneumatic

Conveying Applications
The precision machined PT45 diverter valve is designed to pro-
vide line switching for either dilute or dense phase conveying. As
a two-way valve the PT45 can operate as a 1 to 2 way diverting
valve or a 2 to 1 way converging valve in a pneumatic conveying
system for powdered or granular materials.
The PT45 features a tunnel that rotates 45˚ port to port, which provides
easy positioning of the tunnel to the diverter ports or the straight-
through ports. A hard anodized aluminum housing provides excellent
wear resistance.

Schenck Process
www.schenckprocess.com/us

Circle 02 on p. 102 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-02

92 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

Europe
special advertising section

Berndorf Band Group

Beumer Group
Bungartz
Buss-SMS-Canzler
C.D.R. Pompe
Ekato
GEA Group
Italvaccuum
Jacob
Plast-O-Matic Valves
Pompetravaini
Sandvik CHEMICAL
Siemens ENGINEERING
ESSENTIALS FOR CPI PROFESSIONALS
 Europe 2017 Special Advertising Section

Top-quality pump and compressor packages

Pompetravaini has created a new company, FuturEng, to design and supply skid-mounted
pump and compressor systems for industries including oil, gas, and nuclear

M odest in size yet proudly international in its outlook, Italian

company Pompetravaini has been in business since 1929.
Throughout its almost 90 years, the company has specialized in
pumps and compressors for gases and liquids. These equipment
items always require motors, piping, valves and instrumentation
to carry out their roles within process plants, so it was natural that
Pompetravaini should add rotating equipment packages to its core
business of pumps and compressors. In fact, the company started
producing industrial skids at the beginning of the 1960s, always de-
signing these to customers’ specific requests.
Within the last decade, after acquiring Pompetravaini-NSB and
Pompetravaini-BORA, Pompetravaini has grown its activity in skid-
mounted equipment. This now covers fully engineered packages for
the oil, gas, nuclear, and aerospace sectors, representing the most
advanced levels of technology and engineering.
To better support these new challenges, in 2014 Pompetravaini
created a new company named FuturEng. This is a team made up
purely of engineers and project managers, with solid experience
in plant design and focused on rotating equipment. The industry- FuturEng is dedicated to engineering excellence
specific skills of the FuturEng engineers combine with the de-
cades of knowledge of pumps and compressors to be found within every year. They range from small to huge, and from simple to the
Pompetravaini – one of the world’s oldest companies to continue in most complex designs for the oil, gas, and nuclear industries –
its original line of business in pumps and compressors. with all the necessary inspection, testing, and documentation. At
Today, the Pompetravaini Group produces skids in Italy, the Pompetravaini, a commitment to stay ahead is not just an empty
U.S., Canada and Switzerland, delivering over 1,000 packages slogan. It is the company’s creed. www.pompetravaini.com

State-of-the-art efficiency in powder separation

Featuring an improved design fine-tuned through CFD, the Cyclone Extra Efficiency is a
leap forward in cyclone performance, claims GEA

B ased on extensive computational fluid

dynamics modeling of a well-known yet
complex unit operation, GEA has developed
considerably higher than that of standard
cyclones. All comparisons were made with
the same pressure loss over the units. The
the CEE (Cyclone Extra Efficiency) for food, efficiency was tested for a range of particle
dairy, chemical and pharmaceutical applica- sizes and cyclone capacities; superior per-
tions. Improved cyclone performance and formance was verified for all combinations.
the resulting higher separation efficiency Exhibiting this year at POWTECH
increase yield, reduce emissions, and have in Nuremberg, Germany, from 26–28
the potential to reduce the complexity of September 2017, GEA will highlight its in-
spray drying plants by minimizing the num- novative solutions and manufacturing ex-
ber of powder separation unit operations. pertise, showcasing new products and
The new cyclone design is currently under- developments for a wide range of industries
going large-scale tests in industrial spray and applications. You can find GEA at Booth
drying plants. 312 in Hall 3A.
The CEE is taller and slimmer than its GEA is one of the largest suppliers of
predecessor. It features an improved scroll process technology for the food and other
inlet and an optimized powder outlet. These industries. The international technology
features support the formation of a strong group focuses on process technology and
and robust vortex that facilitates separa- components for sophisticated production
tion. In addition, optimized positioning of processes in various end-user markets. In
clean-in-place (CIP) nozzles and a reinforced 2016, GEA generated consolidated revenues
vortex finder provide reliable performance of about EUR 4.5 billion, of which around
under industrial conditions. 70% came from the food sector. The compa-
In real-life tests the powder separation The tall, slim design of the CEE cyclone ny employs about 17,000 people worldwide.
efficiency of the CEE was verified as being improves separation efficiency www.gea.com

94 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

Europe 2017 Special Advertising Section

Securely bagged and wrapped

BEUMER supplies complete packaging lines for the chemical industry: from form-fill-seal
machines for bagging, through palletizers, to stretch hood units that secure the load

T he BEUMER GROUP supplies complete

packaging lines which fulfill the complex
requirements of manufacturers in the chem-
section to the BEUMER fillpac FFS (form fill
seal) system. This bagging machine is fit-
ted with an integral, high-precision weigh-
ical industry. These include highly efficient er which ensures the accuracy of the bag
filling, palletizing and packaging systems. weights. High-performance palletizers from
Customers also get comprehensive support. the BEUMER paletpac range then stack
When the BEUMER Group implements the bags quickly and accurately on pallets.
a packaging line in the chemical industry, Depending on the product requirements,
here is how it typically works: The bulk ma- the palletizers are fitted with a rotary clamp
terial passes from the silo along a conveyor or double-belt turning device which moves
the filled bags into the required position.
Even bags filled with granulates can be
gently palletized, remaining dimensionally
stable when stacked. Customers use the
high-performance packaging systems in the BEUMER stretch hood machines
BEUMER stretch hood series to secure the create compact, stable pallet loads
load. For businesses in the chemical indus-
try, efficient packaging of palletized goods can be read without difficulty. When a cover
is a crucial competitive factor. The film fits film is placed over the top of the pallet, this
snugly over each product on the pallet, en- solution also protects the goods against ex-
suring safe transport and good load stabili- ternal influences from all six sides.
ty. The film is highly stretchable and secures Customers get a complete solution from
the material as it contracts. It is also very a single source and have a reliable point of
BEUMER fillpac FFS machines seal transparent and permits a clear view of the contact for the whole job.
product quickly and accurately into bags packaged goods. Barcodes on the products www.beumergroup.com

Weighing module for dosing and filling applications

The Siwarex WP251 electronic weighing module from Siemens combines power and
accuracy in a small footprint, and integrates seamlessly with Simatic systems

T he Siwarex WP251 electronic weigh-

ing module from Siemens integrates
seamlessly into the TIA Portal engineering
When integrated into a Simatic S7-1200,
any customer-specific or plant-specific re-
quirements can be simply added and pro-
framework. The Siwarex WP251 is capable grammed using the S7-1200 CPU, creating
of performing completely independent a freely programmable weighing solution
batching and filling tasks and comes with using standard Simatic components. In
all the right credentials typically required stand-alone mode, all the parameters and
for this type of process, such as accuracy functions can be accessed and edited using
and speed. Its features enable fast and easy the Modbus RTU or Modbus TCP/IP commu-
commissioning and control of the scale. nication protocol. A trace recording mode
With a measuring rate of 100/120 Hz and is available for scale optimization. Stored
a resolution of up to one part in 4,000,000, weighing values and the relevant status-
the Siwarex WP251 offers very high accura- es can also be displayed and analyzed in
cy. Thanks to its compact design, it takes up Microsoft Excel using Siwatool V7 param-
little space in the cabinet. eterization software.
The weighing module can also operate Control of the coarse and fine flow sig-
independently when used in stand-alone The Siwarex WP251 weighing nals or the emptying signal can take place
mode without a CPU. It comes with four dig- module is powerful, yet compact via the four available digital outputs on the
ital inputs, four digital outputs, one analog module. Maximum accuracy is achieved
output, an Ethernet port (Modbus TCP/IP), sample application comes free of charge, since the weighing process is controlled
an RS484 interface (Modbus RTU) and the simplifying start-up and commissioning of completely independently of the CPU and
S7-1200 system bus as standard, opening the scale. This allows scales to be commis- its cycle time. This means that the CPU can
up wide scope for applications and integra- sioned, adjusted and operated using only be used at the same time to manage recipes
tion – without added costs. a touch panel or CPU. The Siwarex WP251 and material parameters, for example.
The “ready-for-use Siwarex WP251” also offers an extended application range: www.siemens.com/siwarexwp251

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 95

 Europe 2017 Special Advertising Section

Modular, flexible, Revolutionary idea for vacuum dryer

safe, economical The Planex System from Italvacuum sets new standards for
JACOB modular pipework low energy consumption and gentle product handling
systems are easy to use
D rying is a special art which has to meet
increasingly severe requirements,

J ACOB modular pipework systems are the

lifeline of modern production systems.
They transport raw materials and products,
notes vacuum pump and dryer specialist
Italvacuum. To offer the highest levels of
quality and productivity while minimizing
direct exhaust and extract dust. The ap- energy consumption, Italvacuum has devel-
plications are as diverse as the spatial re- oped the Planex System. This patented vac-
quirements, making each pipework system uum dryer won the Dry Trophy Innovation
unique. But they are identical in their effi- Award 2016, organized by NWGD (Dutch
cient design, economical maintenance, and Working Group on Drying), sponsored by
safe, hygienic operation. the Dutch government. It is ideal for the
The modular pipework system devel- production of active pharmaceutical ingre-
oped by JACOB is based on more than 8,000 dients, fine chemicals and intermediates.
Planex System is a horizontal paddle
dryer with an eccentric agitator featuring
two independent movements, allowing it Moving on two axes, the Planex System
to simultaneously revolve around its own agitator mixes effectively yet gently
axis and to rotate tangentially to the drying
chamber. The combined rotations of the agi- ucts are treated with maximum care. The
tator and its small size ensures perfect mix- dryer takes is designed so as not to form
ing – with energy consumption reduced by lumps, and avoids the heat damage that
a factor of at least three compared to a con- can occur when product rubs against the
ventional paddle dryer. Since this means a chamber walls. Dedicated control software
threefold reduction in mechanical and ther- aids the drying of small batches.
mal stresses, even the most delicate prod- www.italvacuum.com

Continuous cleanroom pastillation

The Sandvik Rotoform system is designed and built for
reliable performance under GMP conditions

A successful pharmaceutical audit for

cleanroom pastillation requires a GMP-
compliant production unit along with pro-
fessional documentation. The Sandvik
Rotoform granulation system meets these
Quick-connect rings make the JACOB requirements, and can convert liquid melts
system easy to install and dismantle into solid pastilles in less than a minute.
A pump delivers the molten product
standard items, most of which can be sup- from a tank to the dropformer via heated
plied immediately. The possible range of piping. The Rotoform itself consists of a
different configurations is enormous. JACOB heated cylindrical stator, which is supplied
will also make any special part needed to with liquid product, and a perforated shell Uniform pastilles from Sandvik’s Rotoform
meet individual requirements. Assembly is that rotates concentrically around the sta-
simple, too: Standard modular parts with tor. The nozzle bar deposits droplets of is maintenance-free. All contact parts are
lipped ends are fitted with a U-shaped seal product across the operating width of a con- made from stainless steel with very low sur-
and joined together with a pull-ring. The tinuously running stainless steel belt. face roughness, for easy cleaning and maxi-
system is fast, airtight, and flexible. Heat released during solidification is mum hygiene, and all gaskets are made
It is also robust, as evidenced by the transferred via the steel belt to cooling from approved materials. Hoods cover the
ability to withstand explosion overpressures water sprayed underneath. This indirect whole machine, and a fan extractor avoids
of either 3 or 10 bar. The QUICK CONNECT cooling eliminates any risk of cross-contam- pollution of ambient air.
pull-ring requires only a single hand move- ination between product and cooling water. The Sandvik Rotoform system is widely
ment for both assembly and dismantling, so Every aspect of the Rotoform system has used across the food, cosmetic and phar-
maintenance and cleaning are easily done. been designed to ensure GMP compliance. maceutical industries for products such as
The result is a tailored solution suited to All piping connections are quick-release chocolate, lipstick and suppository mass.
any challenge. www.jacob-rohre.de type for easy cleaning, and the drive belt www.processsystems.sandvik.com

96 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

Europe 2017 Special Advertising Section

Protect mag-drive pumps from dry running damage

The RunSafe SiC coating system from CDR Pompe offers a proven solution to greatly
increase the reliability of magnetically coupled pumps under critical working conditions

C DR Pompe is a leading Italian

manufacturer of magneti-
cally driven centrifugal pumps
made by laying down a strong and
tightly-adhering coat of synthetic
diamond on top of SiC. The dia-
for chemical and pharmaceuti- mond surface is extremely
cal industry applications. Today smooth, dramatically re-
the company is fully focused on ducing the coefficient of
pump reliability, especially when friction (by about 80%)
dry running is a possibility. Mag- compared to traditional
drive pumps are extremely safe SiC components. This de-
and reliable, but they have a weak creases the amount of heat
point in the case of dry running: generated under conditions
the silicon carbide (SiC) bushes of poor lubrication, and gives
and shafts traditionally used in RunSafe SiC pump wider security margins during RunSafe SiC is available on all
this type of pump have poor resis- components have difficult start-up operations, pumps from CDR Pompe
tance to dry running, cavitation, a low-friction when operating with low-boil-
and other conditions leading to diamond coating ing liquids, and in the case of • significant increase in mean time be-
poor lubrication. dry running. tween failures under critical conditions;
In the absence of liquid, heat generated RunSafe SiC provides the following • unchanged chemical resistance compared
by friction causes the temperature of the advantages: to traditional SiC; and
SiC components to increase. The resulting • reduced risk of failure from incorrect • fast return on investment.
thermal shock causes bushings to fail rap- pump start-up or priming failures; RunSafe SiC is available on all CDR pumps,
idly, with severe consequences for other • during dry running, the chance to stop including fluoropolymer-lined and stainless
components too. The CDR Pompe solution the pump before severe damage occurs; steel models. Top benefits may be achieved
is RunSafe SiC – silicon carbide coated with • greater range of application when work- using RunSafe SiC combined with suitable
diamond. RunSafe SiC components are ing with liquids with low boiling points; instrumentation. www.cdrpompe.it

Eliminate entrapped air from liquid piping systems

A new combination air release/degassing valve from Plast-O-Matic Valves boosts pump
efficiency and avoids any risk or airlocks by removing trapped air from pipework

T here are three ways that air enters a liq-

uid piping system, notes Plast-O-Matic
Valves. First, and most common, is air en-
until the system is shut down again. The
second type of valve is designed to repeat-
edly open and close during operations to
tering during fill and drain cycles. Second is allow trace amounts of air to escape; this is
air that comes in through pumps, fittings, called the Degassing Valve.
seals, pipe threads, and bearings whenever A recent, patent-pending development
a partial vacuum occurs. The third way is by Plast-O-Matic Valves combines both
through the liquid itself: for example, the operations in a single, all-thermoplastic
average water system contains 2% dis- design called a Combination Air Release/
solved air. Degassing Valve. This valve contains both
As air outgasses in a piping system, it functions in one unit, for convenience and
collects at elbows and high points and cre- cost reduction. The combination valve is
ates pockets of air. At minimum, these air best installed at a high point in the system
pockets increase head loss and reduce sys- to provide air release during filling, continu-
tem efficiency. At worst, air pockets result ous degassing during normal pressurized
in water hammer, pump deadheading, cor- The Combination Air Release/ operations, and vacuum protection while
rosion, and erratic operation. All of these Degassing Valvefrom Plast-O-Matic draining.
can potentially damage a pump or filter and Valves is an elegant way to maintain the Through proper use and selection of this
even destroy an entire system. performance of fluids handling systems new combination valve, operators can im-
To maintain a safe, efficient system, this prove system efficiency and safety in their
air or gas must be removed in two stages: mounted at high points in the pipeline. liquid piping systems.
air release at system start-up, followed by The first type is an Air Release Valve, Founded in 1967, Plast-O-Matic designs
and continuous degassing during system which is open at system start-up and allows and manufactures a wide range of specialist
operations. Usually, these functions are pro- air to escape as the pipeline fills. Once liq- thermoplastic fluids handling products.
vided separately by single-purpose valves uid reaches the high point, the valve closes www.plastomatic.com

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 97

 Europe 2017 Special Advertising Section

Higher process reliability with Austrian technology

The Berndorf Band Group is an expert in steel belts and associated technology for the
production of high-quality filter membranes and pastillated chemical products

T he Berndorf Band Group is committed

to optimizing chemical processes and
ensuring long-term success by means of in-
processing of the material used – NICRO
85 super-duplex – Berndorf belts also excel
when it comes to corrosion resistance. The
novative technologies. Berndorf Band is a high-end material offers high static and dy-
long-established firm with over 90 years of namic strength as well as resistance against
experience in belt production and develop- chloride-induced stress corrosion.
ing plant to meet the specific requirements Drawing on its extensive expertise, the
of its customers. Berndorf Band Group develops casters for
Only manufacturers with efficient pro- precise, high-quality production of chemi-
duction facilities will remain competitive in cal products such as filter membranes.
the future. Optimizing the effectiveness of Specially manufactured upstream feeding
existing production lines is therefore cru- systems and downstream processing com-
cial. International chemical industry manu- ponents optimize manufacturing processes
facturers rely on the Berndorf Band Group’s in terms of quality and productivity. The Quality belts yield quality products
innovations and comprehensive know-how. Berndorf Band Group also offers a virtual
Precise belt tracking is particularly caster for complete process control, which ers benefit from detailed consultations with
important in chemicals production. The can be used to perform a range of process experienced engineers, custom solutions
Berndorf Band Group’s process belts stand optimization calculations. and swift, expert repair services as well as
out for their exceptional flatness, dimen- To fully satisfy the needs of its custom- steel belt and belt system maintenance. Belt
sional stability and flawless running charac- ers, in addition to innovative technology, the systems can easily be adapted and upgrad-
teristics – the results of intensive research Berndorf Band Group offers a unique portfo- ed to meet new production requirements.
and development. Thanks to high-quality lio of worldwide services. Berndorf custom- www.berndorfband-group.com

SPECIAL REPORT

Digitalization
in the Chemical
Process Industries

More and more, companies are talking about “going digi-

tal.” This includes concepts of interconnectivity described by
the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 that are
enabled by advances in sensors, data analytics, computing networks,
software and other technologies.

This special report contains recent news articles (2017) from Chemical Engineer-
ing magazine that give a timely and informative overview of digitalization as well as
a number of articles (2016) on related cybersecurity issues..

Visit store.chemengoline.com for more information.

30400

98 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

 Europe 2017 Special Advertising Section

No guesswork for Pilot plant for hydrogenation tests

hazardous liquids EKATO has opened a new test center dedicated to scale-
Bungartz builds submersible up work on its customers’ hydrogenation reactions
pumps for critical duties
T he EKATO Hydrogenation Test Center is
located at the company’s headquarters
Additional reactors with working volumes
of 3 l increase experimental flexibility and

B ungartz: the name is synonymous

worldwide with custom-built centrifugal
pumps that work for decades under tough
in Schopfheim, Germany. It was constructed
within a year and with a budget of €2 mil-
lion. The centerpiece is a hydrogenation
allow process parameters to be determined
even with small product quantities.
“Our customers’ requirements have
conditions. Safe and self-regulating, the changed, and binding commitments on
MPATAN universal mag- costs, productivity, and product quality are
netically coupled pump now essential if we want to continue getting
is a vertical submersible orders”, said Werner Himmelsbach, Head
design for potentially ex- of R&D at EKATO Rühr- und Mischtechnik
plosive or otherwise haz- GmbH. “To this end, we have to test hydro-
ardous fluids. MPATAN genation processes under realistic condi-
pumps are typically used tions at pilot scale. The new Hydrogenation
to remove boiling, Test Center allows us to do just that.”
solids-laden or EKATO has been active in hydrogenation
toxic liquids EKATO’s new Hydrogenation Test Center for more than 80 years, and offers a com-
from pits or slop prehensive product and service portfolio
tanks. reactor made of Alloy C22, with a working for hydrogenation with more than 500 ac-
Standard centrifu- volume of 60 l. This can be operated at up to tive references. EKATO is a single source for
gal pumps cannot safely 100 bar and 250°C. testing, scale-up, plant design, mechanical
run dry because their The flexible design of the Test Center al- design, detailed engineering, and the sup-
sleeve bearings rely on lows realistic simulation of industrial hydro- ply of critical system components.
the pumped medium genation processes at pilot scale, including www.ekato.com/en/products/
or an external water catalyst handling and catalyst separation as process-plants/pilot-plants/
supply for lubrication. well as the actual hydrogenation reaction. hydrogenation-test-center
The MPATAN pump,
in contrast, is safe for
dry running, even with
hazardous media. It Hygienic horizontal thin-film dryer
uses roller bearings
that are lubricated for The flexibility of the CONTIVAC thin-film dryer makes it ideal
life, and protected from for continuous processes, says Buss-SMS-Canzler
contact with the pumped
liquid by a hydrodynamic

The MPATAN submersible

seal created
by vanes on
T he special CONTIVAC horizontal thin-
film dryer from Buss-SMS-Canzler is
well suited for use in production processes
pump is ideal for toxic, the back of the with special hygienic requirements. The
solids-laden, boiling, gas- impeller. CONTIVAC processor provides all the usual
entrained, explosive or A mechani- advantages of continuous thin-film drying,
highly contaminated media cal seal or gas- such as minimum product holdup and ex-
sealed lip seal tremely short residence times, which results
keeps product vapors away from the bear- in a considerable reduction of side reactions
ings. The vertical layout prevents product and color changes. In comparison to a con-
contact with the seal, even if the sealing gas ventional batch dryer, the residence time in
supply should fail. a CONTIVAC thin-film dryer is reduced by a Short residence times, minimum
On the atmospheric side, a magnetic factor of up to 500. product holdup, and a highly flexible
coupling and ceramic containment can cre- Fast drying is only one of the advantages process configuration are the main
ate a hermetic seal and allow the pump to of the CONTIVAC. For manufacturers in the advantages of the CONTIVAC
run dry without damage. Monitoring equip- pharmaceutical, fine chemical, food and pet
ment can be installed outside the pit, away food industries, it offers new possibilities for be added at several positions. This allows
from the hazardous atmosphere. process optimization and quality improve- an extremely flexible design when handling
For highly corrosive or abrasive media, ment, which are not available with conven- thermally sensitive products.
Bungartz offers strong and durable materi- tional batch machines, the company says. For pharmaceutical customers SMS de-
als such as super-duplex alloys. The result Additional ingredients can be evenly sprayed livers the required engineering, services
is a maintenance-free pump that can com- onto the thin film within the CONTIVAC using and documents, all in compliance with
pletely empty tanks at submersion depths rotating nozzles. For additional flexibility, GMP requirements and based on the User
up to 5.5 m and medium temperatures up to the heating jacket can be split into different Requirement Specification (URS).
280°C. www.bungartz.de heating zones, and further feed nozzles can www.sms-vt.com

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 99

 Software
Product Showcase

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100 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

New & Used Equipment

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FREE PRODUCT INFO 14 Engineering, Design & Construction 30 50 to 99 Employees 48 Pumps

(please answer all the questions) Firms 31 100 to 249 Employees 49 Safety Equipment & Services
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16 Equipment Manufacturer 33 500 to 999 Employees ment
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17 Energy incl. Co-generation 34 1,000 or more Employees 51 Solids Handling Equipment
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18 Other——————————— 52 Tanks, Vessels, Reactors
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11 Rubber & Misc. Plastics 45 Motors, Motor Controls
28 Less than 10 Employees 59 Compressors
12 Stone, Clay, Glass, Ceramics 46 Piping, Tubing, Fittings
13 Metallurgical & Metal Products 29 10 to 49 Employees 47 Pollution Control Equipment & Systems
1 16 31 46 61 76 91 106 121 136 151 166 181 196 211 226 241 256 271 286 301 316 331 346 361 376 391 406 421 436 451 466 481 496 511 526 541 556 571 586
2 17 32 47 62 77 92 107 122 137 152 167 182 197 212 227 242 257 272 287 302 317 332 347 362 377 392 407 422 437 452 467 482 497 512 527 542 557 572 587
3 18 33 48 63 78 93 108 123 138 153 168 183 198 213 228 243 258 273 288 303 318 333 348 363 378 393 408 423 438 453 468 483 498 513 528 543 558 573 588
4 19 34 49 64 79 94 109 124 139 154 169 184 199 214 229 244 259 274 289 304 319 334 349 364 379 394 409 424 439 454 469 484 499 514 529 544 559 574 589
5 20 35 50 65 80 95 110 125 140 155 170 185 200 215 230 245 260 275 290 305 320 335 350 365 380 395 410 425 440 455 470 485 500 515 530 545 560 575 590
6 21 36 51 66 81 96 111 126 141 156 171 186 201 216 231 246 261 276 291 306 321 336 351 366 381 396 411 426 441 456 471 486 501 516 531 546 561 576 591
7 22 37 52 67 82 97 112 127 142 157 172 187 202 217 232 247 262 277 292 307 322 337 352 367 382 397 412 427 442 457 472 487 502 517 532 547 562 577 592
8 23 38 53 68 83 98 113 128 143 158 173 188 203 218 233 248 263 278 293 308 323 338 353 368 383 398 413 428 443 458 473 488 503 518 533 548 563 578 593
9 24 39 54 69 84 99 114 129 144 159 174 189 204 219 234 249 264 279 294 309 324 339 354 369 384 399 414 429 444 459 474 489 504 519 534 549 564 579 594
10 25 40 55 70 85 100 115 130 145 160 175 190 205 220 235 250 265 280 295 310 325 340 355 370 385 400 415 430 445 460 475 490 505 520 535 550 565 580 595
11 26 41 56 71 86 101 116 131 146 161 176 191 206 221 236 251 266 281 296 311 326 341 356 371 386 401 416 431 446 461 476 491 506 521 536 551 566 581 596
12 27 42 57 72 87 102 117 132 147 162 177 192 207 222 237 252 267 282 297 312 327 342 357 372 387 402 417 432 447 462 477 492 507 522 537 552 567 582 597
13 28 43 58 73 88 103 118 133 148 163 178 193 208 223 238 253 268 283 298 313 328 343 358 373 388 403 418 433 448 463 478 493 508 523 538 553 568 583 598
14 29 44 59 74 89 104 119 134 149 164 179 194 209 224 239 254 269 284 299 314 329 344 359 374 389 404 419 434 449 464 479 494 509 524 539 554 569 584 599
15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 165 180 195 210 225 240 255 270 285 300 315 330 345 360 375 390 405 420 435 450 465 480 495 510 525 540 555 570 585 600

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102 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
Advertisers Index
Advertiser .............. Page number Advertiser .............. Page number Advertiser .............. Page number
Phone number Reader Service # Phone number Reader Service # Phone number Reader Service #

Abbe, Paul O............................43 GEMÜ Valves, Inc. .................50d Pompetravaini ............................6

1-855-789-9827 1-678-553-3400 +39.0331.889000
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-37 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-25 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-39
Acrison Inc. ..............................27 H. Butting GmbH & Co. KG .....43 Quest Integrity Group, LLC ......59
1-201-440-8300 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-26 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-40
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-04 Heat Transfer Research, Inc. RedGuard ................................78
AUMA USA............................. 21d (HTRI) ......................................23 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-41
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-05 +49 5834 50-408 Rembe GMBH .........................47
*AUMA .....................................21i adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-27 1-704-716-7022
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-03 Inline Industries ...................... 31d adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-42
Badger Meter, Inc. .................29d 1-800-568-8998 Rosedale Products, Inc ...........89
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-06 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-28 1-734-665-8201
*Berndorf Band GmbH ............. 9i Italvacuum ...............................55 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-43
+39 0331 864 841 +39 011 470 46 51 Ross, Charles & Son Co. .......... 11
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-07 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-30 1-800-243-ROSS
Beumer Group GmbH *Fr. Jacob Soehne GmbH adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-11
& Co.KG......................................... 13 & Co. KG..................................19i Sandvik Process Systems........75
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-08 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-23 +49 711 5105-0
Bungartz, Paul GmbH Load Controls .......................... 81 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-44
& Co. KG..................................47 1-888-600-3247 Schenck Process .....................92
+0211 57 79 05-0 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-31 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-02
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-36 Magnetrol ................................33 Seepex, Inc. ........................... 19d
*Buss-SMS-Canzler GmbH..... 49i 1-800-624-8765 1-937-864-7150
+49 60 33/ 85-0 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-32 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-45
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-09 Material Transfer & Storage ..... 77 *Siemens AG............................17i
CDR Pompe s.r.l. ..................... 51 1-800-836-7068 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-46
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-10 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-33 Sturtevant, Inc..........................79
Check-All Valve Mfg. Co. .........38 Myron L Corporation................ 91 1-800-992-0209
1-515-224-2301 1-760-438-2021 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-47
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-12 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-34 Swagelok ...................................3
2017 Chem Show ............... 44-45 The New York Blower adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-48
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-29 Company ...............................C4 Team Industrial Services ......... C3
The Clean Air Group, LLC ........9d 1-800-208-7918 1-800-662-8326
1-973-947-8787 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-35 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-49
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-13 Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH ............92 Tekleen Automatic Filters Inc. ..83
Curtiss-Wright, EST Group ......87 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-01 1-800-336-1942
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-20 *Plast-O-Matic Valves, Inc. ..... 29i adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-50
DeWal Industries Inc. ...............57 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-38 Yokogawa Corporation
1-800-366-8356 of America ...............................53
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-14 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-51
Dickow Pump Company ..........48
1-800-880-4442 Classiied Index September 2017
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-15 Advertiser Page number
Dräger Safety .......................... C2 Phone number Reader Service # Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-16
Engineering Software............. 100 Equipment, New & Used . . 100
Eastman Chemical
1-301-919-9670 Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Company ...............................24b adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-242
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-17
Genck International................ 100 Advertiser Page number
Ekato Process Technologies 1-708-748-7200
GmbH ......................................35 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-243
Phone number Reader Service #
1-201-825-4684 x222 Indeck Power Equipment Universal Flow Monitors......... 100
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-18
Company ................................ 101 1-888-569-3090
Endress+Hauser ........................4 1-800-446-3325 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-246
1-888-ENDRESS adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-244 Vesconite Bearings ................. 101
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-19
Neuhaus Neotec ................... 100 1-866-635-7596
Flottweg ................................... 41 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-201 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-247
Ross, Charles & Son Co. ........ 101 Wabash Power Equipment .... 100
+49 8741 301-0
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-21 1-800-704-2002
1-800-243-ROSS
Fluid Line Products, Inc.......... 15d \adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-241 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-248
Tri-Mer Corporation ................ 101 Xchanger, Inc. ......................... 101
1-440-946-9470
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-22 1-952-933-2559
1-989-321-2991
*GEA Group ............................ 37i adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-245 adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-249
adlinks.chemengonline.com/66432-24

* International Edition Send Advertisements and Box replies to: Diane Burleson
Chemical Engineering, 11000 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77042 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 512-337-7890

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September 2017; VOL. 124; NO. 9
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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 103
 Economic Indicators
2015 2016 2017

Download the CEPCI two weeks sooner at www.chemengonline.com/pci

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PLANT COST INDEX (CEPCI)

625

(1957-59 = 100) June '17 May '17 June '16 Annual Index:
Prelim. Final Final
2009 = 521.9 600
CE Index ______________________________________________ 567.1 567.3 540.9
Equipment ____________________________________________ 684.5 684.6 645.3 2010 = 550.8
Heat exchangers & tanks _________________________________ 603.4 603.5 558.9
2011 = 585.7 575
Process machinery _____________________________________ 681.9 682.0 651.1
Pipe, valves & fittings ____________________________________ 873.5 873.5 801.0 2012 = 584.6
Process instruments ____________________________________ 403.5 403.5 385.4 2013 = 567.3 550
Pumps & compressors ___________________________________ 979.6 979.6 970.5
Electrical equipment ____________________________________ 516.4 516.4 506.8 2014 = 576.1
Structural supports & misc. ________________________________ 737.1 737.1 708.4 2015 = 556.8 525
Construction labor _______________________________________ 325.5 326.1 326.0
Buildings _____________________________________________ 559.6 559.7 544.0 2016 = 541.7
Engineering & supervision _________________________________ 313.0 313.6 315.1 500
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Starting with the April 2007 Final numbers, several of the data series for labor and compressors have been converted to
accommodate series IDs that were discontinued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

CURRENT BUSINESS INDICATORS LATEST PREVIOUS YEAR AGO

CPI output index (2012 = 100) ____________________________________________________ Jul. '17 = 102.1 Jun. '17 = 101.8 May '17 = 101.0 Jul. '16 = 99.6
CPI value of output, $ billions _____________________________________________________ Jun. '17 = 1,794.1 May '17 = 1,803.4 Apr. '17 = 1,826.6 Jun. '16 = 1,728.9
CPI operating rate, % __________________________________________________________ Jul. '17 = 76.5 Jun. '17 = 76.4 May '17 = 75.9 Jul. '16 = 75.3
Producer prices, industrial chemicals (1982 = 100) ____________________________________ Jul. '17 = 244.0 Jun. '17 = 251.3 May '17 = 257.3 Jul. '16 = 225.2
Industrial Production in Manufacturing (2012=100)* ____________________________________ Jul. '17 = 103.4 Jun. '17 = 103.4 May '17 = 103.2 Jul. '16 = 102.1
Hourly earnings index, chemical & allied products (1992 = 100) ____________________________ Jul. '17 = 180.0 Jun. '17 = 174.5 May '17 = 174.7 Jul. '16 = 169.6
Productivity index, chemicals & allied products (1992 = 100) ______________________________ Jul. '17 = 102.4 Jun. '17 = 103.1 May '17 = 102.6 Jul. '16 = 101.3

CPI OUTPUT INDEX (2000 = 100)† CPI OUTPUT VALUE ($ BILLIONS) CPI OPERATING RATE (%)
110 2300 80

105
2200 78
100
2100
95 76
2000
90
74
1900
85
72
80 1800

75 1700 70
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

*Due to discontinuance, the Index of Industrial Activity has been replaced by the Industrial Production in Manufacturing index from the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.
†For the current month’s CPI output index values, the base year was changed from 2000 to 2012
Current business indicators provided by Global Insight, Inc., Lexington, Mass.

CURRENT TRENDS

T he preliminary value for the June CE

Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; top; most
recent available) dipped slightly compared
Managing Vapor and
Hot Topics Particulate Emissions
Guidebook
to the previous month’s value, and al-
Valves though the decrease was small, it ends a
in the Selection, Operation and Troubleshooting

Optimal Pump string of eight straight months of increas-

Chemical Management ing values. All four of the major subindices
(Equipment, Construction Labor, Buildings
Processing CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING
CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING
and Engineering & Supervision) saw small
decreases from their previous month’s
Industry Valves Selection: Optimal Pump Managing Vapor values. The preliminary overall monthly
Operation and Management and Particulate CEPCI value for June 2017 stands at
Troubleshooting Emissions 4.9% higher than the corresponding value
from June 2016. Meanwhile, the latest
Current Business Indicators (CBI; middle)
Find these and other related CPI titles in the saw the CPI Output Index rise by a small
Chemical Engineering Store. store.chemengonline.com margin in July, while the CPI value of out-
put fell slightly in June. Producer prices for
industrial chemicals fell in July.
104 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2017
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