Process Engineering articles from October 2005

Process Engineering archives from October 2005

COMMENT.
October 27, 2005... Water, water, everywhere? The ancient mariner's problem is one that many in the process industries will recognise - abundant supplies of water, but rarely of the right quality for the purpose. Producing water of the desired quality for...

BP to sell Innovene to Ineos for $9bn.
October 27, 2005... BP is to sell its olefins, derivatives and refining group, Innovene, to the UK speciality petrochemical company Ineos in a cash sale worth $9billion. Subject to regulatory approvals, the sale includes all Innovene's manufacturing sites in...

Triconex module adds to safety system debate.
October 27, 2005... While distributed control systems (DCS) suppliers such as Emerson Process Management, Yokogawa and ABB have recently been promoting the perceived benefits of their respective safety instrumented systems (SIS), one of the leading players in the...

Bruce platform to be upgraded.
October 27, 2005... The Bruce platform in the North Sea is to be upgraded following the award of a contract by its operator, BP Exploration, to Yokogawa for the design, engineering, supply and installation of a new integrated control and safety system. The...

New man in charge at PPMA.
October 27, 2005... The Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA) has appointed Chris Buxton (above) as its new chief executive, following the departure of the long-serving Andrew Manly to the Manufacturing Technologies Association earlier in the...

Making more of plant asset management.
October 27, 2005... The worldwide market for plant asset management (PAM) systems is set to grow by around 10% a year over the next five years, according to a study by the ARC Advisory Group. The market is currently worth more than $1.1billion and is forecast to...

ABB evolves for growth.
October 27, 2005... As part of its targets for the five-year period from 2005 to 2009, ABB is to restructure its organisation. One layer of management is being removed, with the current two core divisions - power and automation - to be replaced by their...

IN BRIEF: AMEC WINS OVERHAULS.
October 27, 2005... AMEC has been awarded two long-term asset support contracts worth over #100million. A five-year contract with Innovene is for all cycle-ending plant overhauls at Grangemouth, Scotland. And on Teesside AMEC has won a similar four-year...

IN BRIEF: AKER KVAERNER IN CHINA.
October 27, 2005... Aker Kvaerner has signed a contract with PetroChina International for the basic engineering and supply of equipment for a new full density polyethylene plant due for start-up in late 2008 at Dushanzi, Xinjiang, China. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: CEMS FOR CORYTON.
October 27, 2005... Emerson Process Management is to supply Rosemount continuous emissions monitoring (CEMS) systems to the BP Coryton refinery in Essex. The systems employ the MCERTS-approved NGA2000 multi-component gas analysers. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: BROTHERHOOD IN SWEDEN.
October 27, 2005... Peter Brotherhood is to supply a gas compressor system to Nynas Refining for use at its refinery on Nynashamn, Sweden. The skid-mounted H2 recycle compressor will be delivered in March 2006. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

IN BRIEF: K-TRON LOOKS TO PROCESS.
October 27, 2005... K-Tron International has formed the K-Tron Process Group, merging the company's pneumatic conveying group into its feeder group. In the UK, K- Tron GB, Pneumatic Conveying Systems and Colormax will now become one business unit, K-Tron PCS GB....

IN BRIEF: SIMSCI SUITS EXXONMOBIL.
October 27, 2005... Invensys has signed a perpetual licence agreement with ExxonMobil for the supply of its SimSci-Esscor dynamic simulation software, Dynsim. Invensys also now becomes the oil company's preferred operator training simulator (OTS) provider. ...

IN BRIEF: PSE OPENS JAPAN OFFICE.
October 27, 2005... Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), supplier of the gPROMS process simulation and ModelEnterpise modelling software, is to open an office in Yokohama, Japan, where the market already accounts for nearly 20% of PSE's worldwide sales. ...

BASF unveils new strategy for Europe.
October 27, 2005... Presenting its new Europe Strategy 2015 in Ludwigshafen, Germany last month, the chemical company BASF emphasised the importance of Europe to the group's future. 'BASF's roots are in Europe,' said vice chairman Eggert Voscherau. 'If we look...

Red Book goes global.
October 27, 2005... The Institution of Chemical Engineers' renowned 'Red Book', otherwise known as Form of Contract, Lump-Sum Contracts, has been launched on the global stage. Put together by a team of senior professionals from the international contracting...

China continues on chemicals expansion.
October 27, 2005... BP is planning a second world-scale PTA (purified terephthalic acid) plant at its BP Zhuhai joint-venture site in China's Guangdong province. Complementing the existing 350,000tpa PTA plant, the new 900,000tpa plant will be the first to...

Mechanicals and civils in merger talks.
October 27, 2005... Members of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Institution of Civil Engineers have voted to allow their respective trustee boards to press ahead with merger talks. Enthusiasm for the proposed merger was more evident among IMechE...

TECHNOLOGY TODAY: Try before you buy.
October 27, 2005... Niro is to install a Swirl Fluidizer unit in its product and test centre in Copenhagen. Designed specifically for transforming pastes, filter cake and highly viscous liquids into a fine, homogenous powder in a single process step, the fluidiser...

TECHNOLOGY TODAY: Bacteria success for succinate process.
October 27, 2005... A key ingredient of many plastics, drugs, solvents and food additives, succinate has become the focus of many research teams trying to create succinate-producing bacteria that can be used on sustainable feedstocks such as agricultural crops....

TECHNOLOGY TODAY: Carbene chemistry comes to catalysis.
October 27, 2005... Chemists at the University of California, Riverside have synthesised a new class of carbenes that could help deliver highly efficient catalysts. Called cyclic alkyl amino carbenes or CAACs, the molecules modulate the properties of metals such...

TECHNOLOGY TODAY: Fuel cell research heats up.
October 27, 2005... Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells are generally considered to be the most promising for portable use. However, their low operating temperature - and consequent low efficiency - have proved a stumbling block. Researchers at the...

TECHNOLOGY TODAY: Oiling the wheels with waste plastic.
October 27, 2005... According to researchers at Chevron and the University of Kentucky, recycled plastic bottles could be the source of a reliable supply of lubricating oil. The polyethylene-derived oils could help improve fuel economy and reduce the frequency of...

TECHNOLOGY TODAY: Switchable solvents solve waste problem.
October 27, 2005... Each step in a chemical process can often require a different solvent, creating a great deal of waste and potential harm to the environment. Now researchers from Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario and the Georgia Institute of Technology...

PROCESS OPTIMISATION: Simulation in operation.
October 27, 2005... Simulation models are playing an increasing role in plant operations. Suresh Sundaram explains how the advent of new modelling environments based on open standards will make it easier to build and use these complex models across the plant...

SOLID PROCESSING: Moving bulk solids.
October 27, 2005... Renowned for its solids handling expertise, Greenwich University's Wolfson Centre has moved from its old home in Woolwich to new research premises on the Medway Campus. Paul Gay looks at some of the research underway at Chatham Marine ...

SOLIDS PROCESSING: Pin mill features cryogenic grinding.
October 27, 2005... Processors of heat sensitive materials, such as polymers, caoutchouc natural rubber, elastomers and many pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs, now have an option of cryogenic ultrafine grinding in Hosokawa Micron's Alpine Contraplex 160C...

SOLIDS PROCESSING: Giving Guinness a final polish.
October 27, 2005... Alfa Laval has completed the installation of a complete system for clarifying Guinness at Diageo's brewery in Waterford, Ireland. Based around a BRPX 617SFV solids-ejecting centrifuge, the installation also comprises a process module, a...

SOLIDS PROCESSING: Getting out of a fine mesh.
October 27, 2005... At the UK site of a major chemical company a polymer gel is chemically formed into crystals in a reactor. In normal operation the crystals can agglomerate together into larger pieces that require gentle deagglomeration. During process...

SOLIDS PROCESSING: On-line optimisation of silica sand milling.
October 27, 2005... At its ball mill facility in Derbyshire, HIM processes hard minerals such as silica sand to fine powders for use in the ceramic, glass and refractory industries. Product consistency and mill control have recently been transformed following...

SOLIDS PROCESSING: Ensuring safety of pneumatic tankers.
October 27, 2005... Portasilo has developed an independently vetted test rig to evaluate the effectiveness of pneumatic pressure relief valves used in pressurised tanker filling from silos. The rig has confirmed the effectiveness of Portasilo's own PRV350...

SOLIDS PROCESSING: A mile-long drive for VSDs.
October 27, 2005... One of the UK's longest quarry conveyors in variable speed operation has recently gone into service at the Old Cliffe Hill site owned by Midland Quarry Products. Over 1.5km long, the conveyor system - which carries granite from the primary...

SOLIDS PROCESSING: Sweet conveying solution for Solutech.
October 27, 2005... When specialist food-grade liquid blending contractor, Solutech, won a large contract for several 15tonne batches of sugar-related blends a week, it brought back into use a Spiroflow flexible screw conveyor which it had purchased four years...

SOLIDS PROCESSING: Solids on the level.
October 27, 2005... Endress+Hauser's Soliphant M level limit switch for fine-grained or powdery solids is said to offer reliable level measurement from 145mm to 20m in applications ranging from cement and mortar to powdered milk and sugar. Suitable for use...

SOLIDS PROCESSING: From macro to nano.
October 27, 2005... This month's Powtech exhibition in Germany embraces the wide range of bulk solids, powder and particle technologies that play such a vital role in all process industries. Here we present a snapshot of some of the highlights expected at...

WATER & WASTE: Ozone truths and myths.
October 27, 2005... A decade or so ago, ozone generation for hygiene control was greeted with some scepticism. Improvements in technology, reductions in price and a better understanding of the reaction mechanisms involved have changed all that, as Gary Heayn...

WATER & WASTE: Living with RO systems.
October 27, 2005... Reverse osmosis (RO) is widely used in process water treatment, but it calls for careful design and operation. Mark Bosley explains how to get the most from your RO plant after the installation and commissioning engineers have moved on ...

WATER & WASTE: Improve dosing control.
October 27, 2005... Chemical dosing to remove phosphate from sewage treatment works' effluent is an essential part of the Urban Waste Water Directive. Andrew Wallace shows how closed-loop feed-forward control of a dosing system can make large savings in...

WATER & WASTE: Piping on a fast-track.
October 27, 2005... In today's world of water and wastewater plant, fast-track construction is becoming the rule, not the exception. David Snodgrass shows how to manage those accelerated schedules with improved piping system construction techniques The...

WATER & WASTE: Mono munches into energy bills.
October 27, 2005... At Yorkshire Water's Knostrop Sewage Treatment Works near Leeds, the installation of five progressing cavity pumps from Mono Pumps is estimated to have saved over 40% in energy bills. The Industrial E Range pumps are driven by Brook Crompton...

WATER & WASTE: Mobile sludge dewatering.
October 27, 2005... According to centrifuge supplier Centriquip, it's now very difficult and expensive to remove and dispose of sludge produced from biological treatment, dissolved air floation or chemical reactions. Traditional disposal routes, such as...

WATER & WASTE: Siemens upgrades control for OEM.
October 27, 2005... With its range of waste solids processing equipment, Haigh Engineering of Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, helps water authorities control their wastewater streams using inlet screens, as well as maceration and dewatering equipment. Wanting to...

WATER & WASTE: Learn more about electro-deionisation.
October 27, 2005... Water treatment systems integrators and end-users wanting to know more about electro-deionisation (EDI) should visit www.cediuniversity.com, a new tutorial and reference site sponsored by Ionpure Technologies, the first company to...

WATER & WASTE: Scaling up ultrafiltration.
October 27, 2005... Already widely used in water treatment applications across the US and Asia, the Targa-10 ultrafiltration hollow-fibre membrane cartridge from Koch Membrane Systems has now been introduced to the European market. The 10in diameter design is...

WATER & WASTE: Brewery beats backflow.
October 27, 2005... Coors's Burton Brewery, the largest in the UK, has installed 15 reduced pressure zone (RPZ) valves from Honeywell to ensure water cannot flow back into the mains in the event of a failure in supply pressure. If the mains water supply...

WATER & WASTE: Samplers for hire.
October 27, 2005... Aquamatic's proven range of portable wastewater samplers is now available for hire, giving consulting engineers and contractors an alternative option for projects or feasibility studies. The samplers are supplied as a 'switch on and go'...

WATER & WASTE: Uniform dewatering for difficult effluents.
October 27, 2005... Multi-processing plants are now the norm in paint and pigment manufacturing, but the nature of multi-processing brings with it inherent problems in the handling of the wide range of resulting effluents, sedimented sludges, preflocculated...

CES NORTH 05: Northern exposure.
October 27, 2005... Next month (16-17 November) sees the launch of the Chemical Engineering Show North 05, a dedicated exhibition aimed at meeting the needs of the UK's chemical manufacturing industries in the region. Here we give a flavour of what visitors to...

PRODUCT NEWS: TDR technology proving popular.
October 27, 2005... The Eclipse Model 705 2-wire, loop powered Guided Wave Radar transmitter from Magnetrol is probably the world's most popular replacement for displacer level transmitters in the oil and gas industries, according to one of the largest test...

PRODUCT NEWS: Fieldbus interface will suit any host.
October 27, 2005... Emerson Process Management has released the Rosemount 3420 fieldbus interface module (FIM), which can be installed with any host system. The product has been designed for users in facilities without fieldbus I/O. This latest release provides...

PRODUCT NEWS: ATEX-compliant condition monitor.
October 27, 2005... An intrinsically safe condition-monitoring data collector allows fast and easy data collection from mechanical equipment operating in Class 1 Division 1 environments - while helping manufacturers and industrial users meet ATEX Petrochemical...

PRODUCT NEWS: New seals offer high performance.
October 27, 2005... An extended range of polyurethane sealing compounds has potential applications in the food, water, offshore, chemical and process sectors. Launched by Ceetak, the PDF Ultrathan range of compounds have been developed by Parker Worldwide Seal...

PRODUCT NEWS: GE Fanuc reveals Proficy future.
October 27, 2005... GE Fanuc Automation has revealed the concept for its Proficy software family, which spans from programming and control, through HMI/Scada, historian and MES, to a real-time information portal. Later this year, the company will deliver an...

PRODUCT NEWS: Pressure transmitter is designed for hygienic duty.
October 27, 2005... Designed to meet the requirements of the food and beverages and pharmaceutical industries, the Sitrans P300 pressure transmitter from Siemens Process Instrumentation and Analytics has a stainless steel housing and flush measuring diaphragm....

PRODUCT NEWS: Pump range suits hygienic uses.
October 27, 2005... Responding to the requirements of hygienic applications, SPX Process Equipment has introduced a new addition to its ProCam range of Bran+Luebbe diaphragm pumps for the pharmaceutical, food, beverages and cosmetics industries. In the...

PRODUCT NEWS: Safety saves money.
October 27, 2005... A thermal oil reconditioning service from Heat Transfer Systems (HTS) has been launched to protect safety, save money and maintain production. The mobile HTFluid Fix Reconditioning Unit is designed to extend the life of heat transfer...

PRODUCT NEWS: Flame detection for extreme duty.
October 27, 2005... Intended for use in extreme environments of the oil, gas and petrochemicals industries, Draeger Flame Detectors offer high sensitivity, no fail-to-danger modes and no false alarms. Operating with ultra-violet (UV) and infra-red (IR), as well as...

PRODUCT NEWS: Vacuum pump has oil-less design.
October 27, 2005... Being able to tolerate moderately aggressive media, the Series 2207 double diaphragm vacuum pumps from Rietschle Thomas can be used as vacuum holding devices in sawdust extraction, medical suction and mild chemical mixing applications. The...

PRODUCT NEWS: Dosing pumps are interchangeable.
October 27, 2005... Featuring a tough, cast iron housing to withstand arduous duty, mRoy XA hydraulically actuated diaphragm dosing pumps are fully interchangeable with other models in the range. So it is possible to retrofit a Milton Roy UK pump into existing...

PRODUCT NEWS: BS seals in a flash.
October 27, 2005... Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE) has upgraded its web site www.prepol.com to simplify seal selection. In addition to chemical compatibility, the new site features an easy to use, O-ring and groove dimension look-up wizard, which allows...

UK and International Plant Cost Indices.
October 27, 2005... First appearing in Process Engineering in 1973, our long-running UK and International Plant Cost Indices provide important data for process design and project engineers. For the benefit of new readers, a brief explanation of the...