Process Heating articles from April 2008

Process Heating archives from April 2008

I'll do it, but i won't like it: April showers ... yada, yada, yada.(Commentary)
April 1, 2008... At the risk of tempting the snow fairies to dump even more precipitation on the Chicagoland area, I will assert that winter seems to be nearly over. In my humble opinion, spring cannot come soon enough--and certainly could have come 50" or more...

Solutia selects software for Pensacola plant inner workings.(Inner Workings)
April 1, 2008... A producer of nylon 6,6--from intermediates to polymers, plastics and fibers--St. Louis-based Solutia Inc. selected ProSimPlus HNO3 software to enhance the nitric acid production process at its Pensacola, Fla., plant. Solutia operates a...

Chemistry keeps Brewer's product cool and consistent.(Inner Workings)
April 1, 2008... "Keeping cool" is not a lightly used phrase for brewers of beer; instead, it is critical for business. Craft brewer Bell's Brewery understands that subtle differences in batch-to-batch brewing temperatures, particularly during primary and...

Technology helps to advance clean coal.(Inner Workings)
April 1, 2008... A growing consensus asserts that increased demand for electricity will cement coal's place in the energy portfolio. In fact, more than half of the electricity produced in the United States comes from coal. With demand for electricity expected...

Petro-Canada offers engineering assistance.(Inner Workings)
April 1, 2008... To help customers select a heat transfer fluid suited to the application, Chicago-based Petro-Canada America Lubricants Inc. released Calflo Engineering Assistant Version 4.2. Calflo is a line of heat transfer fluids that provides thermal and...

Research laboratory to focus on material, component integrity.(Inner Workings)
April 1, 2008... A newly formed collaborative research facility will examine the critical link between materials science and power plant component performance and degradation. The International Materials Aging Institute was jointly created by Palo Alto,...

Metso to expand boiler service business.(Inner Workings)
April 1, 2008... Metso Power, a part of the Jyvaskyla, Finland-based Metso Paper business area, will expand its boiler service capacity in the United States with investments valued at approximately $15.4 million (EUR 10 million). The investment supports the...

Selas completes two projects.(Inner Workings)
April 1, 2008... Two major projects initiated to improve deliveries of thermal processing components have been completed at Selas Heat Technology Co.'s Montgomeryville, Pa., headquarters. A new kiln, completed in December 2007, was the first project and is...

ABP and Pillar combine operations.(Inner Workings)
April 1, 2008... New Brunswick, N.J.-based ABP Induction LLC, and Brookfield, Wis.-based Pillar Induction Co. LLC, have combined operations into ABP Induction LLC. Both companies are owned by CM Acquisitions, a Chicago-based investor. Pillar and ABP have been...

Cleaver-Brooks donates boilers to Technical College.(Inner Workings)
April 1, 2008... Cleaver-Brooks Inc. donated two Clearfire Series boilers to Milwaukee Area Technical College's Center for Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing at the Oak Creek, Wis., campus. The boilers--estimated to be worth a combined...

Plastics events to co-locate.(Inner Workings)(Conference news)
April 1, 2008... The 2009 edition of Antec, a plastics technical conference, will take place during the triennial international plastics exposition, NPE. The co-located events will be held at Chicago's McCormick Place from June 22 to 26, 2009. According to...

TurboSonic receives precipitator order for the oil and gas industry.(Inner Workkings)
April 1, 2008... TurboSonic Technoloiges Inc., Waterloo, Ontario, received an order for one of its SonicKleen wet electrostatic precipitators (WESP) from a U.S. contractor valued around $1 million. The equipment uses proprietary technologies to remove...

Continental moves manufacturing to Reynosa, Mexico.(Inner Workings)
April 1, 2008... The manufacture of Eurotherm's Continental line of solid-state relays, solid-state contactors and I/O modules has been moved from Alberta, Canada, to Reynosa, Mexico. "We're fortunate to have access to the manufacturing expertise and...

Panda Ethanol receives air permit for Sherman County Refinery.(Inner Workings)
April 1, 2008... The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted an air permit for Panda Ethanol Inc.'s planned 115 million gal/year ethanol refinery in Sherman County, Texas. The facility will be designed to annually refine an estimated 38 million...

Split-range controllers.(One Input, two Outputs)
April 1, 2008... The most common split-range application is the heating and cooling of the barrel zones of plastics extruders (figure 1). On startup, the heat output of the controller takes the barrel zone up to working temperature. Heat delivery is usually...

Calendar of events.(Conference news)(Calendar)
April 1, 2008... May 5-6--IHEA Safety Standards Seminar for Industrial Ovens and Furnaces, Downtown Hilton, Indianapolis. Hosted by Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA). Call (513) 231-5613 or visit www.ihea.org. 5-6--Process Burner...

Using heat to protect valves.(Heaters)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The markets requiring valves seem to be without boundaries. For example, an arctic mining operation might utilize flow valves hundreds of feet below the surface that must withstand up to 5,000 pounds of pressure per...

Extending ethanol's environmental reach.(Insulation)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Driven by oil prices and the environmental consequences of using fossil fuels, the U.S. ethanol industry has grown its production capacity by more than 150 percent since 1999. In Torrington, Wyo., Renova Energy...

Sensor Q&A: when evaluating whether to use contact thermocouples or optical sensors for temperature measurement, consider the application.(Temperature Sensors)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When deciding how to measure the temperature of a process, one of the first questions is whether to make the measurement with a contact sensor or an optical sensor. In many applications, the answer is clear; in...

Steam scheme: use our equipment overview to find suppliers of process boilers.(Equipment Overview: Boilers)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Used for generating steam for power, processing or even for space heating, or for producing hot water for heating purposes or hot water supply, a boiler delivers steam or hot fluid to the end use point at the desired...

Tips for transformer oil pumps: pumping transformer oil is a demanding application. Understanding how to maximize pump life in this challenging operating environment can help you minimize breakdowns and unplanned maintenance.(Pumps)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Once considered to be merely a replaceable routine maintenance item, comparable to say, a valve, transformer oil pumps are now almost universally recognized as a critical component of "forced oil-cooled"...

Protecting your recirculating chiller investment.(Chillers)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Recirculating chillers are "off-the-shelf " liquid-cooling systems that offer precise temperature control and cooling below ambient temperatures. A number of options typically are available to configure the system to...

Spray dryer guide: use this review to better understand spray drying technology.(Dryers)
April 1, 2008... Spray drying is one of the oldest forms of drying--and one of the few technologies available for converting a liquid, slurry or low viscosity paste to a dry solid (free-flowing powder) in one unit operation. Spray dryers are found in almost...

Circular tray dryer.(Product Highlights)
April 1, 2008... Turbo-Dryer can be used to calcine or sinter fine metal oxide powders. Capable of operation at temperatures up to 1,202[degrees]F (650[degrees]C), the continuous tray dryer includes an internal electrical heating system that helps remove...

Thermal limit monitor.(Product Highlights)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thermal limit monitor is suitable for applications in the packaging, plastics injection molding and extrusion, and semiconductor industries where SEMI S2 is required. A custom version of TLM-8 supports applications...

Infrared line scanner.(Product Highlights)
April 1, 2008... Model MP150 provides fast, noncontact temperature measurements in high-speed manufacturing processes. The infrared linescanner incorporates optics, communications and mirror mechanisms that produce a scan speed of up to 150 Hz. To speed up...

Miniature air heater.(Product Highlights)
April 1, 2008... Leister LE produces up to 1,380[degrees]F (749[degrees]C) and 0.35 to 1.06 [ft.sup.3]/min airflow and can be used to remove microscopic flash from injection-molded, cut and skived parts without open flames. Capable of being mounted in any...

Infrared emitters.(Product Highlights)
April 1, 2008... Omega can be individually formed to match the requirements of the finishing process. Heat is targeted where it is needed in applications such as joining, welding or riveting plastic parts; forming or bending tubes; and drawing glass or plastic...

Thermocouple thermometers.(Product Highlights)
April 1, 2008... Sturdy construction protects Oakton thermocouple thermometers from damage caused by knocks or drops, and the sealed keypad and ABS/polycarbonate case meets IP54 standards for splash resistance. A built-in stand facilitates tabletop use, and...

Control valves.(Product Highlights)
April 1, 2008... Model PVC11 offers high flow capacity and rangeability. The globe two-way control valve has a top opening to allow trim inspection without disturbing the lines and provide tight closure in extreme operating conditions. A selection of actuators...

Condensate return system.(Product Highlights)
April 1, 2008... Condensate return system includes the company's Gem steam traps, which have a venturi orifice design. The traps cannot jam open and have no moving parts, which minimizes system downtime for maintenance. The permanent steam trapping solution...

Batch Oven.(Product Highlights)
April 1, 2008... Electrically heated, standard-draw oven includes a traveling loader that utilizes a pusher/extractor mechanism for loading and unloading parts on alloy trays. The equipment is rated for a 3,600 lb gross load and designed to accept a 3 x 2.5 x...

Shell-and-tube fluoropolymer heat exchangers.(Product Highlights)
April 1, 2008... Fluoropolymer heat exchangers can be used in process applications to heat or cool highly corrosive fluids such as ammonium hydroxide and sulfuric and hydrochloric acids. A shell-and-tube design from the company has been incorporated into the...

A new corporate name and brand identity will be unveiled by Bulkflow Technologies Ltd. at the Powder Show section of the Process Technology Expo International Exhibition (PTXi) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., on May 6-8.(Places & Faces)
April 1, 2008... A new corporate name and brand identity will be unveiled by Bulkflow Technologies Ltd. at the Powder Show section of the Process Technology Expo International Exhibition (PTXi) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., on...

Omega Engineering Inc., Stamford, Conn., released Dilbert Bluecat New Horizons in Wireless Communications, Version No. 24.(Places & Faces)
April 1, 2008... Omega Engineering Inc., Stamford, Conn., released Dilbert Bluecat New Horizons in Wireless Communications, Version No. 24. The guide contains more than 95 pages of products and information for the wireless market, including the company's...

Colmac Coil Manufacturing.(Places & Faces)
April 1, 2008... Colville, Wash.-based Colmac Coil Manufacturing promoted two staffers to new duties and responsibilities. Dan Melvin was promoted to quality control manager from production engineering manager. In the new position, he is responsible for...

CPM, Waterloo, Iowa, has concluded the acquisition of Wolverine Proctor & Schwartz Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland, effecting the reunification of the U.K.- and U.S.-based operations of Wolverine Proctor to achieve new levels of global market coverage.(Places & Faces)
April 1, 2008... CPM, Waterloo, Iowa, has concluded the acquisition of Wolverine Proctor & Schwartz Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland, effecting the reunification of the U.K.- and U.S.-based operations of Wolverine Proctor to achieve new levels of global market coverage....

Yokogawa Corp.(Places & Faces)
April 1, 2008... Naoji Nagami was appointed president for the Canadian operations of Yokogawa Corp. of America, Sugar Land, Texas. Nagami has more than 30 years of experience with Yokogawa as he takes over the Calgary, Alberta, operation.

ECD.(Places & Faces)
April 1, 2008... Milwaukie, Ore.-based ECD, hired E.H. Lim to handle sales and channel management in Asia. Lim will be headquartered at the ECD office in Singapore. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Also, ECD's Mega M.O.L.E. 20 thermal profiler was selected to...

Vinyl Institute.(Places & Faces)
April 1, 2008... After more than 24 years of dedicated service to the Powder Coating Institute, Alexandria, Va., and the coatings industry, Greg Bocchi has resigned from the position of executive director, effective April 30th. Bocchi has accepted the position...