Meet Process Engineer Sundara Viswanathan January 14, 2019Learn about the career path that led Sundara to Fluor Corporation and about the challenges and rewards of his career as a process engineer.
Meet Process Engineer Delia Contreras September 7, 2018Welcome to the tenth in a series of AIChE blog posts profiling process engineers, a diverse group of professionals spanning multiple industries and regions.
Meet Process Engineer Denis Fallon June 21, 2018Want to know more about process engineering? Hear about this process engineer's career and profit from his insights on finding success in industry.
Gayle Gibson: Featured LGBTQ ChemE Professional May 16, 2018A Texas A&M graduate and newly retired engineer, Gayle discusses working in various areas at DuPont, including engineering design, plant improvement, and manufacturing as well as her experiences as an LGBTQ professional.
Meet Process Engineer Venkat Subramanian May 14, 2018Learn about this process engineer's diverse career experience working in the hydrocarbon industry.
Meet Process Engineer Monica Wilson April 20, 2018Monica Wilson discusses what led her to the career choice of process engineer and talks about her work at Union Carbide and AkzoNobel.
December 2018 CEP Preview December 12, 2018This month CEP looks at pharmaceutical manufacturing trends in addition to articles on electric heat tracing systems, process intensification, distillation tower inspections, and much more.
Inspecting Distillation Towers Part 2: Revamps and Other Inspections December2018Back To BasicsDoug BouckProcess engineers are responsible for inspecting distillation columns. Follow this guide to prepare for a column revamp and other inspections.
New Products: November 2018 November2018New ProductsBioprocessing Sensor Performs Real-Time Cell Monitoring CITSens MeMo is an electrochemical, enzyme-based sensor that allows continuous online, in situ measurement of glucose and lactate. It is designed for use in cell culture media as well as in...
A Matter of Frequency: The Benefits of 80 GHz Radar for Liquid Level Measurement Archived Webinar Oct 17, 2018 Radar technology has advanced swiftly in the past 20 years and the trend is toward instruments with higher tranmission frequency. The advent of 80 GHz radar sensors represents the latest sea change...
New Products: October 2018 October2018New ProductsMaterials and Chemicals Acrylates Are Suitable for Food Packaging Applications Designed for use in indirect food contact applications, these four low-migration (LM) acrylate monomers and oligomers comply with Swiss Ordinance, Nestlé Guidance Notes...
September 2018 CEP Preview September 18, 2018This month, a guide to distillation tower inspections, a close look at epigenetics, challenges for rare earth elements and other specialty metals, and much more.
Inspecting Distillation Towers Part 1: Turnarounds September2018Back To BasicsDoug BouckProcess engineers are responsible for inspecting distillation columns. Follow this guide to prepare for a column inspection during a turnaround.
Challenges and Opportunities in Big Data Archived Webinar Aug 8, 2018 Big Data promises opportunities for diagnostic, prognostics and decision making. But with it comes challenges that first must be resolved.
Turnarounds: Strategic Opportunities to Improve August2018Plant OperationsTimothy OlsenTo be successful, both capital projects and turnarounds need to be planned and implemented as one event.
When Is It Time for Fresh Catalyst? Archived Webinar Jul 18, 2018 Is the performance of catalysts in your plant declining with age?
New Products: July 2018 July2018New ProductsSoftware Detection Algorithm Improves Data Analysis LabSolutions Insight software for liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography analysis uses i-PeakFinder, an advanced peak-detection algorithm with high-precision automated...
June 2018 CEP Preview June 18, 2018This month, CEP looks at the neural networks of deep learning and delves into Fourier transform infrared (FITR) spectroscopy, plus much more.
Reboilers with Plate-Fin Brazed Aluminum Heat Exchangers: Best Practices and Considerations for Design and Operation Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 25, 2018Brazed Aluminum Heat Exchangers (BAHX) are used in cryogenic reboiler applications for natural gas processing and ethylene production industries. In...
Tune Your PID Loops Please! Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 25, 2018âWho looks after PID tuning at your site?â This is a question I often ask many professionals. The answers vary...
Functional Safety Practices for Operations & Maintenance Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 25, 2018Operation and maintenance teams bear a heavy responsibility to assure that the Safety Instrumented System (SIS) integrity and reliability is...
How to Sell the Value of Digitalization with MPC Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 25, 2018Often engineers struggle with selling the value of their ideas on solving problems. This can be compounded when the solution involves new digital...
Driving Ammonia Plant Operational Excellence through Performance Monitoring and Analytics Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 24, 2018Ammonia production is an energy intensive process consisting primarily of steam reforming, shift reactions, methanation, CO 2 absorption, and ammonia...
Improving Profitability By Solving Crude and Fuel Blending Challenges Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 24, 2018The global refining industry has faced constant change in recent years most significantly around the increased availability of opportunity crudes and...
Best Practices for Bulk and Additive Transfers in Lubricant Blending Plants Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 24, 2018The dynamics in the finished product lubricant make maintaining profit margins more difficult. In today's market, lubricant manufacturers have...
Using Advance Control to Monitor Plant Performance and Economics Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 24, 2018With thousands of applications and over a forty-year track record, multivariable predictive control has become the gold standard for advanced process...
Mole Sieve Steam Deactivation Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 24, 2018At the Dow Fort Saskatchewan hydrocarbons plant, the cracked gas dryers are critical to remove moisture from the cracked gas stream in order to meet...
Reduced Flaring Options during Ethylene Plant Start-up and Shutdown Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 24, 2018Ethylene producers and licensors are facing the challenge posed by the environmental regulations to minimize the emissions of Highly Reactive...
Decision Automation for Lubes and Asphalt Production Scheduling Using MILP with Sequence-Dependent Switchovers Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 23, 2018Hydrocarbon fractions for lubes and asphalts are produced in vacuum distillation units (VDU) by feeding reduced streams or atmospheric residue from...
The Process Plant Safety Symposium - Past, Present, and Future Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 23, 2018A number of major process incidents during the 1980s led OSHA to promulgate the Process Safety Management Regulation in 1992. Those incidents and the...
Evaluate Project Success June2018Plant OperationsNat D. SchatzTraditional methods of determining project success take into account only whether the project met its budget and schedule. A more meaningful assessment evaluates the impact of the project on the organization.
New Products: May 2018 May2018New ProductsPlant Operations and Maintenance Display Screen Improves Industrial Performance The Simatic IPC377E basic panel PC offers a platform specifically developed to optimize cost for PC-based applications in industrial environments. It has an antiglare,...
Mixer Simulations, Modeling Nonideal Reactors and Mixers Archived Webinar Apr 4, 2018 Continuous stirred tank reactors, batch reactors, and mixers are frequently used in the consumer product, food, pharmaceutical, and fine chemical industries. Processes using these devices usually...
Implement an Effective Corrosion Mitigation Program April2018Plant OperationsTim OlsenAs opportunity crude usage increases, unexpected corrosion has become a major issue in piping and process units. Corrosion monitoring is a crucial part of maintaining the operational integrity of a refinery.
Five Things to Ensure Compliance and Efficiency with Your Mechanical Integrity Program Archived Webinar Mar 7, 2018 Explore mechanical integrity and how a programmed implementation of activities can ensure that critical equipment will be suitable throughout the life of the process.
Real-Time Data and Process Simulator Integration Archived Webinar Feb 10, 2016 Start solving operational problems differently using tools you already have in your facility. In this Radix Engineering and Software sponsored webinar, you’ll explore the why and how of integrating...
Optimizing Adsorption Process Design and Operation Archived Webinar Oct 29, 2014 This webinar describes new model-based approaches that allow the rapid and accurate design and operational analysis of complex adsorption cycles. Periodic adsorption processes, such as PSA or TSA,...
Dynamic Simulation and Operability Study on Parallel Compressor Strings for LNG Application Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017New train configurations have been developed to satisfy new requirements in LNG industry in terms of availability of liquefaction plants. GE Oil&...
Dynamic Analysis of Feed Gas Control in LNG Plants Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017In an inlet facility of a natural gas plant, the feed gas or mixture of gas and condensate are received by means of high pressure pipelines. The...
Dust Explosion Hazards: Housekeeping Quantified Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017DUST-EXPLOSION HAZARDS: HOUSEKEEPING QUANTIFIED Richard W. Prugh, PE, CSP Principal Process Safety Engineer Chilworth Technology, Inc., a Dekra...
The Role of APC in Industry 4.0 Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017The process industry is undergoing a significant transformation that will change the way plants are controlled, operated and maintained. This...
New Guidelines for Managing Asset (Mechanical) Integrity Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017Ensuring the initial and ongoing integrity of process equipment, including instrumentation and safety systems, has become known as asset integrity...
Recent Developments in the Optimisation of Crude Oil Distillation Systems Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017Crude oil distillation is an energy intensive process that is central to petroleum refining. Over time, the distillation unit and the associated heat...
Impact of Light Tight Oils on Distillate Hydrotreater Operation Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017Light Tight Oil (LTO, also known as Shale Oil) formations are providing a new crude source to North America and soon to the world, with the recent...
Beyond Being Proactively Reactive Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017In the last 20 years, Industry has made great strides in utilizing tools to manage the day-to-day business of equipment failure in order to minimize...
“Getting More Out of Your PHAs with Data Analytics” Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 28, 2017Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) studies are required to identify process and operations risks for process plants. PHAs enable management and...
Tailoring Big Data Analytics for Optimizing Ethylene Plant Asset Performance Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 27, 2017Getting the best out of the existing ethylene assets is a key result area for manufacturers. Enhancing the capability to run the plant reliably and...
Using Ethics to Support Excellence in Reliable and Safe Operations Archived Webinar May 4, 2016 Working to improve your organization and achieve excellence? Trans-formation begins with an understanding of the relationship between ethics, safety and good operations. In 60 minutes, you’ll...
It's All about the Money, Reducing Operating Costs in Heavy Metals Wastewater Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 13, 2016It’s all about the Money Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is naturally occurring water that continues draining from mines after they are closed. This...
Acetylene Hydrogenation Tutorial Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 13, 2016Acetylene Hydrogenation Tutorial Author: Edgar Mohundro – Acetylene hydrogenation is a very important step in most olefins plant operations...
Manage Risk and Improve Production Start-up of Capital Projects Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 13, 2016In the final phases of a capital project, there are periods of high risk and several opportunities to shorten the time to full, on-spec production...
Use of Hitran Tube Side Enhancement in Revamps to Improve Operability and Efficiency Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 13, 2016Over the past decades various innovations in the design of heat exchangers have been major driving forces in the improvement of thermal process...
Hydrates in Ethylene Plant Cold Section Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 12, 2016Ethylene plants are at risk of hydrate formation due to the very nature of the process: wet hot section followed by high-pressure, cryogenic...
Carbon Disulfide (CS2): A New Challenge for Steam Cracker Complexes Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 12, 2016Chemical companies are continuously exploring new opportunities in order to increase competitiveness. In today’s market this can be attained...
Improving Temperature Measurement and Control Using the Exactus Optical Thermometers Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 11, 2016Offering excellent accuracy, resolution, repeatability, and stability, EXACTUS® optical thermometry technology provides significant performance...
Pressure Relief System Design of Reactive Systems Archived Webinar Oct 14, 2015 This webinar covers the basics of pressure relief system sizing for reactive systems; review of the operating procedure, adiabatic calorimeter test design, how to apply data generated to design the...
European Efforts in Process Intensification Archived Webinar Aug 19, 2015 European Union (EU) efforts to develop Process Intensification (PI) for the chemical industry have been more focused and organized than US efforts. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is...
The Dow Chemical Story Archived Webinar Jun 25, 2015 Dow Chemical was founded in 1897 by Herbert Henry Dow. Learn about the history of this chemical giant as it grows and merges into the top company it remains more than 100 years later, and hear some...
Flare Mitigation Approach during Abnormal Process Operations By Integrating Thermal Membrane Distillation Networks and Cogeneration Unit for an Existing Process Plant Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 30, 2015Flare Mitigation Approach during Abnormal Process Operations by Integrating Thermal Membrane Distillation Networks and Cogeneration Unit for an...
Emissions Testing of Pressure Assisted Flare Burners Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 30, 2015The flare system for a new US Gulf Coast propylene production unit will be a multipoint ground flare utilizing pressure assisted burners. The...
Flare Regulatory Trends and Impact on Ethylene Manufacture Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 30, 2015Global attention on improving oil and gas, refinery, petrochemical, and related industrial flaring practices continues its forward advance intimately...
Advanced Control of Wild Loads to or from Multiple Units Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015Advanced Control of Wild Loads to or from Multiple Units Darwin Logerot , ProSys, Inc., Houston, TX In many situations in refineries and chemical...
Bhopal 30 Years Later Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015On the early morning of December 3rd 1984 a large release of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas occurred in a pesticide production plant located in Bhopal,...
Reducing Emissions from Olefin Production Via Chemical Looping Odh Technology Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015Olefin production is the largest emitter of CO 2 and NO x in the organic chemical industry. With worldwide ethylene production at ~4,500 MT/yr, the...
Cangrejera Learnings Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015Process safety management systems should be in place to ensure repeatability in operations. A good system consists of higher level procedures that...
Lessons Learned from an Incident at a Cryogenic Gas Processing Faciltiy Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015In September 2009, a fatal incident occurred in a cryogenic gas processing plant. The investigation of the incident indicated a number of potential...
Regulators Versus Control Valves: What's the Best Fit? Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015This session will review the selection criteria for consideration of pressure regulators vs. control valves for uses on various applications to...
Crude and Condensate Export - Distillation Requirements Defined and Explained Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015Refiners are calling foul when it comes to the definition of “distillation” as it appears it is being applied to exportation of condensate. It is a...
Emergency Relief System Design for Reactive System Using Direct Scale-up Method Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015Emergency relief system design for reactive system using direct scale-up method Surendra K. Singh, Michelle R. Murphy and Joshua Gordon ioKinetic,...
Hybrid Models of Distillation Towers for Plant Optimization Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015Real time optimization of plant operations started in 1980s and expanded rapidly during 1990s and early 2000s. Such applications have brought...
Mitigating Variable TDS Levels in Wastewater Biotreatment Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015Wastewaters characterized by elevated Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) levels and high organic content are produced by food, petroleum, and petrochemical...
Shale Oils - Design Approach for Improved Reliability and Performance in the Crude Preheat Train Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015Refiners are continuing to maximize processing of shale crudes in existing assets and building new crude units to take advantage of the spread that...
Process Safety Opportunities for the Refining and Petrochemical Industries Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) Advancing Process Safety (APS) Programs were...
Analysis of the Capabilities of Cybersecurity Defenses Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015The threats to our critical infrastructure continue to evolve. As new cyberattacks are created and discovered, it is incumbent upon us to evaluate...
Case Study: Laser-Based Gas Detection Technology and Dispersion Modeling Used to Eliminate False Alarms and Improve Safety Performance on Terra Nova FPSO Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015Suncor Energy is the operator of the Terra Nova FPSO, which is located in the Grand Banks, off the East Coast of Canada. In 2010, a multi-...
Improving Risk-Based Decision Making By Connecting PSM Systems to Day-to-Day Plant Operations Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015Deficiencies in safety management systems have potentially catastrophic effects to an organization's facilities. That’s why smart companies have...
Optimization Methodology of Bog Rate for the LNG Carriers Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015A new propulsion system, such as Dual Fuel Diesel Engine (DFDE), has replaced the conventional steam propulsion system. Even though Main Engine Gas...
Integrating Wastewater Reuse with Seawater Desalination Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 29, 2015Freshwater shortages are forcing industrial customers to rethink water supply options. Industrial facilities located near oceans or saline aquifers...
How to Size a Rupture Disk Vent Line for Two-Phase Gas/Liquid Flow Based on Current Engineering Practices Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 28, 2015In the chemical and petrochemical industry, vessels and pipes are protected against overpressure with safety relief devices, typically a rupture disk...