What's New
These new products and services will be featured at the Regional Process Technology Conference (RPTC), organized by AIChE's South Texas Section, which will be held in Galveston, TX, Oct.7-8.Programs Estimate Physical Properties and Design Molecules to Meet Application Needs
Synapse helps engineers to design molecules and formulations with desired physical properties. Constraints, such as minimum solubility limits, maximum volatility, minimum flash point, and the need to form an azeotrope with water, are first entered as input. Synapse then generates thousands of candidate molecules, computationally assembling each one atom-by-atom. Candidate formulations are similarly generated by permuting hundreds of possible components and enumerating thousands of compositions. Synapse next estimates the physical properties of each of these candidates and evaluates each design constraint, identifying those candidates that satisfy all input requirements. It has been used to design solvents, aircraft de-icing fluids, novel heat-transfer fluids, jet fuel additives, and improved rocket fuels. Cranium is an advanced physical property estimation software system that predicts values for more than 40 properties of pure components and mixtures. The user can draw a molecule’s structure or enter a mixture’s composition, and the software will automatically select the best estimation methods from a knowledge-base of hundreds of techniques. It can predict boiling point, flash point, octanol-water partition coefficient, viscosity, thermal conductivity, bubble-point temperature, dewpoint pressure, activity coefficient, and vapor pressure. The program stores physical property data, estimates, graphs, references and notes in a central location from which they can be exported to word processors, spreadsheets and process simulators.
Appeared In Issue: September 2010
Molecular Knowledge Systems, Inc.
www.molecularknowledge.com
Customizable Probe Hot-Taps Gas or Liquid Streams
The retractable Sample Probe Assembly can be used to hot-tap into almost any type of liquid or gas stream. Its typical applications include process analysis, flare stack emissions monitoring, oxygen sampling, potable water quality analysis, wastewater sampling, and chemical injection. The assembly features a plasma-welded stop collar and a variety of probe ends, as well as an optional retaining chain kit. Materials of construction include Type 316L stainless steel, Type 316 National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) stainless steel, nickel-copper alloy (Monel 405), high-performance alloy (Hastelloy C276), and nickel-chromium-based alloy (Inconel 600), among other options. Standard available sealants include polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and other soft sealants such as Grafoil.
Appeared In Issue: September 2010
Conax Technologies
www.conaxtechnologies.com
Rugged Mobile Phone Works in Extreme Conditions
The X.com H20x–Ex GSM mobile phone has rugged construction that protects it from explosion. Based on the well-known Sonim XP3.2 Quest Pro, this mobile phone can be dropped from 6.5 ft onto concrete, submerged in water, covered in dust, and exposed to a temperature range of –5°F to 130°F. It can be used for weeks without charging, and its keyboard touch buttons are tested to function beyond 500,000 pushes. It is certified for Class 1, Division 2 classified areas and features a shockproof Gorilla Glass Lens for scratch and smash resistance. It also is equipped with a 2 MP camera with built-in LED flash, GPS, a flashlight, an FM radio, a 2 GB memory slot, enhanced Java applications, an Opera Mini browser, and Bluetooth. This phone is compatible with a wide range of off-the-shelf car kits and headsets and comes with a belt clip, charger and headset.
Appeared In Issue: September 2010
ecom instruments
www.ecom-ex.com
Audit Service Makes Realistic Energy Comparisons
The developer of EnergyWarden now offers an energy audit service that uses this tool. This software mines data from distillation towers, heaters and boilers to generate useful reports, quantifying and displaying losses and gains in Btu, percentages, and dollars. The audits can be performed in as little as one hour per distillation tower. Reports take information from the client’s data historian to make comparisons of feedrates on days when the data are truly comparable — energy reporting data can be skewed by changes in tower efficiency due to feedrate changes, and the EnergyWarden factors out this phenomenon
Appeared In Issue: September 2010
EP Monitoring
www.epmonitoring.com
Tray Valve Design Prevents Vapor Surges
The PROVALVE has no moving parts, and its rugged, durable construction ensures long tray life. Its design prevents valve leg or deck wear and eliminates the potential for popped, fouled, or stuck valves. Its tapered cover provides a forward lateral push to the liquid across the tray and directs and deflects the vapor. This creates a uniform liquid and vapor distribution with a low, even spray height across the entire deck — preventing liquid backflow, suppressing jet flooding, and accommodating a wide operating range and high vapor rates. The large opening size and cleansing action from the liquid push protect the tray deck from fouling. The sheltered valve design provides a large open area, which promotes lower pressure drop and protects against vapor surges
Appeared In Issue: September 2010
Koch-Glitsch
www.Koch-Glitsch.com