July 2019 CEP Preview July 9, 2019A look at commissioning smart technology equipment, an intro to vapor intrusion, cutting costs and emissions with combustion control, and more.
Reducing Energy Costs and Emissions with Combustion Control July2019Plant OperationsJulie ValentineCombustion in fired heaters and boilers is typically based on either volumetric flow control or pressure control of the fuel gas feeding the burner. Using mass flow control could help lower energy costs and emissions.
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 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.
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.
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...
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.
When Is It Time for Fresh Catalyst? Archived Webinar Jul 18, 2018 Is the performance of catalysts in your plant declining with age?
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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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,...
Solid/Liquid Separation: Fundamentals and Applications Archived Webinar Jan 15, 2014 This webinar outlines a strategy for process owners and support personnel to guide design and insure tight integration of process properties and objectives with solid-liquid separation technologies.
Mixing and Blending of Solids Archived Webinar Oct 30, 2013 This webinar provides an introduction to both the fundamentals of mixing processes and how to assess mixture quality and examine the qualities of industrial powder mixing equipment.
Fluid Flow Analysis- The Key to Your Success in Chemical Engineering Archived Webinar Sep 13, 2013 Learn how fluid flow analysis can be applied to solve root-cause flow problems to significantly improve plant production, profitability and environmental compliance.
Explosion Protection with In-Line Flame Arresters Archived Webinar Feb 29, 2012 This seminar educates participants on explosion protection concepts regarding in-line flame arresters. It begins by demonstrating flame arrester function with short video sequences. From there, it...
Maintenance and Reliability for Chemical Engineers - Part 3: The Tools of Reliability Archived Webinar Jan 30, 2012 Learn about reliability engineers and tools they use to determine failure causes, understand how to deploy resources, and determine the best approach to reliability improvement that impacts their...
Maintenance and Reliability for Chemical Engineers—Part 2: Asset Care Principles Archived Webinar Nov 2, 2011 This webinar initially covers our current understanding of how machines fail, focusing on the “bathtub” curves and the randomness of failure. It then goes on to cover what preventative and predictive...
Maintenance and Reliability for Chemical Engineers - Part 1: The Evolution to Asset Management Archived Webinar Aug 3, 2011 The series covers the key points of Asset Management for the process engineering and mechanical professional faced with asset life challenges across all manufacturing industries.
Introduction to Pinch Analysis Archived Webinar Apr 27, 2011 This webinar introduces the basic principles and tools of pinch analysis and shows how they can be applied in real-world applications.
Controlling Electrostatic Hazards Associated with Liquid and Powder Processing Archived Webinar Feb 23, 2011 Please note: The video of this webinar is flawed, but the audio is intact. A PDF of the slides is at the link below so you may listen to the speaker and follow along. Because of these problems, this...
Process Troubleshooting Archived Webinar Oct 6, 2010 Professor Woods acts as a coach, guiding you through a process that matches your unique style. His goal is to help you recognize and polish your current approach to solving trouble shooting problems.
Inherently Safer - The Designs of the Future? Archived Webinar Jun 23, 2010 An inherently safer design is one that avoids hazards instead of controlling them, particularly by removing or reducing the amount of hazardous material or the number of hazardous operations.
Drive Out Complexity, Streamline Operations in the Fuels Value Chain -- How BP’s integrated supply chain increases profitability and efficiency Archived Webinar Oct 1, 2009 AIChE thanks Aspen Tech for the kind donation of this Webinar. Blair Wheeler of Aspen Tech introduces Mike Knight from BP, who discusses ongoing global supply chain initiatives and how they enable...
Piping and Instrumentation Drawings Archived Webinar Jul 22, 2009 Piping & Instrumentation Drawings (P&IDs) are important communication tools for engineers. To be effective in the workplace, you must be able to read and interpret them. To facilitate your...
Process Flow Diagrams Archived Webinar Jul 15, 2009 The webinar will benefit those inside and outside the process engineering community who need familiarity with PFDs as communication tools.
NFPA Codes and their Relevance to Chemical Processes Archived Webinar Jun 3, 2009 The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has several hundred codes and standards in print designed to increase fire protection and life safety across a wide range of occupancy classifications...
Properties of Materials: How Material Safety Data Sheets Help You Perform Hazard Analyses Archived Webinar May 13, 2009 Performing hazard analyses are critical to safe operation in any chemically based operation or experiment. Often, engineers are approached with proposals for chemicals that have not been used in a...
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.
Control Column Pressure via Hot-Vapor Bypass February2015Back To BasicsDaryl Hanson, Henry Z. KisterHot-vapor bypass employs a flooded condenser located at ground level to control distillation tower pressure. It offers capital cost savings, but can be tricky to implement. This article offers guidance on designing and troubleshooting a hot-vapor bypass system.
Avoiding Static Ignition Hazards in Chemical Operations September, 1999Written by Laurence Britton, who has over 20 years' experience in the fields of static ignition and process fire and explosion hazards research, this resource addresses an area not extensively covered in process safety standards or literature: understanding and reducing potential hazards associated...
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.
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...
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.
Turnarounds: Strategic Opportunities to Improve August2018Plant OperationsTimothy OlsenTo be successful, both capital projects and turnarounds need to be planned and implemented as one event.
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,...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...