Water is a critical utility at process plants, often serving both as a heating and a cooling medium. Many process plants rely on this water for processing and other applications. Providing the water, usually by heating via steam coils or direct steam injection nozzles, takes significant energy. In this Chemical Processing WasteWater we take a look at water best practices including:
How to cut energy consumption in water systems in both hot and cold water applications
Polymer piping - we identify benefits over metallic systems
TOC analysis challenges - techniques that address barriers to standard online TOC measurement methods
Download your copy of this Chemical Processing Water WasteWater eHandbook now.
Economic growth, industrialization and population growth are driving the increasing demand for water, while factors such as climate change, pollution and regulation are affecting the supply and costs related to water.” The chemical industry, being highly water intensive, certainly is exposed to water-related risks. Any efforts to manage these risks and capitalize on opportunities begin with the measurement and appreciation of how water may impact business, followed by the development of strategies to protect the business both now and in the future. In this Chemical Processing Special Report we take a look at water challenges and potential solutions for chemical processors including:
Water-related risks and opportunities
How chemical makers strive to cut water consumption and improve treatment
Chemical makers increasingly are focusing on water-related issues. In particular, concern over availability is spurring leading operating companies to implement a host of novel strategies and technologies to optimize water use. In this Chemical Processing Special Report we take a look at what it takes for chemical companies to identify and implement water conservation strategies and practices including:
Operating companies step up conservation and re-use efforts - real world example
Tank cleaning - how a more-effective method can offer significant water conservation benefits
Treating and reusing process water is a multidimensional challenge for process plants. Compliance with regulatory requirements to prevent and mitigate industrial pollution can require significant capital investment as well as ongoing maintenance outlays. The increasing scarcity and cost of fresh water for production processes also compounds the problem. In this Chemical Processing Wastewater eHandbook we take a look at how to widen your perspective on wastewater including:
Optimizing water cleanup with activated carbon - including a few pointers to make the most of absorption systems
Improving plant performance with solids/turbidity monitoring - how continuous monitoring in the liquid processes stages of a wastewater treatment plant offers important benefits
How to solve partially filled pipe flow measurement challenges
How variable frequency drives can reduce installation and programming costs while providing a host of other benefits
Download your copy of this Chemical Processing Water Wastewater eHandbook now.
Operating and maintaining a reliable steam system is vital to chemical processing plants and can have significant cost impact on a plant's annual budget. Typical profit drainers in operating and maintaining a steam system include excessive fuel cost, inefficient steam generation, less-than-optimal steam utlization and poor condensate recovery. Ensuring adequate supply of steam often results in excessive capacity usage, expensive fuel choices or condensate draining to grade, leading to compromised efficiency levels and higher steam cost. Because steam systems dependency is unavoidalbe, addressing those three issues is crucial to minimizing steam costs. This Chemical Processing Steam eHandbook presents an overview, steam technologies and strategies for reducing cost associated with using and generating steam including:
Controlling steam system energy costs
Real-time monitoring - how wireless devices help cut energy losses by detecting failed steam traps
Learn how to generate savings through steam use and generation. Download your copy of this Chemical Processing Steam eHandbook now.
Breakdown of organic wastes entering a wastewater treatment plant is accomplished by using a biomass or blend of beneficial microscopic organisms, bacteria, and solids. This converts the nonsettleable solids (dissolved and colloidal matter) into settleable solids, carbon dioxide, water, and energy. This paper reviews the most common stages for measuring and controlling dissolved oxygen in a wastewater treatment plant.
Energy consumption remains one of the largest controllable costs in oil refineries. Heat exchanger fouling can have a significant impact on energy efficiency and production loss. Asphaltene Precipitation is caused when refiners blend incompatible crudes. This is a major source of fouling and leads to performance limitations within days. Heat exchanger fouling is a major challenge for refinery operations. With the increase in crude blending from opportunity crudes such as tight oil, the traditional “manual” monitoring approach may no longer be effective. This White Paper discusses how on-line monitoring and analysis can enable refineries to:
Better Understand Accelerated Fouling Due to Crude Incompatibilities
Learn How to Use Online Monitoring to Detect Fouling
Chemical plants vary widely in size and complexity yet share common goals for maximizing efficiency safely and cost effectively. This Chemical Processing Special Report tackles two areas in chemical processing - compressed air systems and powder handling - where gains can be achieved for improving efficiency. We also address the concerns of safety as it relates to drying compressed air in hazardous atmospheres.
Whether compressed air systems are centrifugal, rotary screw, reciprocating compressors or a combination, this Special Report provides and understanding of what’s involved in getting a suitable supply of compressed air.
Efficient powder handling can be achieved through optimized humidity management.
Safe drying practices in hazardous air locations
HACH BioTector 3500c Analyzer For TOC, TC, TIC and VOC Analysis
In recent years, TOC analysis has become accepted in the industry as the standard method and the only reliable online method used to determine contamination in waters, to control processes, to prevent product losses and to minimize waste. It is especially important to monitor this parameter in applications such as condensate return water, boiler/feed water, etc. In boiler/feed water and in industrial steam generating systems, carbonic acid corrosion of condensate lines is often a serious problem. Depending on the application type, analysis of only one parameter (e.g., TC) is generally not sufficient to make any useful process decisions. Multiple-parameter analysis (TOC, TC, TIC, VOC etc.), as carried out in the Hach BioTector B3500c analyzer, is proven to be more useful and always superior to single-parameter analysis in the industry.
Chemical facilities are under mounting pressure to process ever larger quantities of wastewater to increasingly higher standards while staying within a variety of cost constraints. Plant operators face the dilemma of how to maintain treatment throughput at reasonable cost even when the plant reaches design capacity. Potential changes to production mixes can compound the challenge. Fortunately, adopting the latest wastewater-treatment technology can inject new life into a plant, extending useful asset life without heavy upfront capital investment. In this Chemical Processing Wastewater eHandbook we take a look at how to boost wastewater improvement efforts including:
An exploration of an innovative system that enables wastewater capacity expansion
Why chemical makers are increasingly focusing on water-related risks and opportunities
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eHandbook: Target Energy Efficiency
Rising fuel costs have a direct impact on a chemical processors’ bottom line. How can chemical processors reduce their energy consumption thus reducing their cost to produce? It’s believed that the chemical industry potentially can vastly decrease energy use AND greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with the help of game-changing technology and strong support from policymakers. In this Chemical Processing Energy eHandbook, we take a look at global, and more local, technologies and strategies for improving energy efficiency at chemical plants including:
A roadmap that aims to catalyze better energy efficiency – learn about a international initiative that foresees catalytic processes playing a key role in cutting consumption and emissions
Saving energy by optimizing boiler loads
How the right emission control system can help meet compliance and reduce energy costs
Steam injection heating systems
Learn how improve your plants energy efficiency. Download your copy of this Chemical Processing Energy eHandbook now.
Chemical Processing’s Flow eHandbook: Master Flow Challenges
Issues related to physical properties, process parameters, electronic features and interconnections can all affect the flow of liquids and gases. Often working around the clock to process, transfer, and store sometimes hazardous and corrosive chemicals, processors must tackle issues related to physical properties and process parameters. In this Chemical Processing Flow eHandbook, we take a look at what it takes for chemical processors to master flow challenges for several types of materials with vastly different physical properties including:
How to increase process availability - coriolis mass flow meters provide reliable indication of gas entrainment
Overcoming the challenges of changing gas composition - new technology addresses need for more accurate and efficient biogas measuring
How to ensure proper control of parallel flow paths demands care
Case Study: Speed Pipe Installation - pipe-joining system eliminates need to weld or thread connections
Find out how to master flow challenges. Download your copy of this Chemical Processing Flow eHandbook now.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Works hard to be a Good Neighbor
Bristol-Myers Squibb manually monitored dissolved oxygen (DO) periodically and ran aeration blowers more than necessary to guard against variable loading rates. After upgrading the system to use online DO monitoring operators now have continuous DO readings in the aeration tanks, substantially reducing energy and maintenance costs.
Spikes in energy costs or unplanned-for capital improvement expenses can put organizations in tricky financial situations. To solve them, they often select the option with the lowest upfront cost which leads to the “pay me now or pay me later” dilemma. Over time it’s discovered that these lower-priced alternatives cost much more due to higher failure rates, wasted energy and more intensive maintenance. This Chemical Processing Steam eHandbook presents steam technologies and strategies for reducing cost associated with using and generating steam including:
How a Texas-based plant pared steam consumption - Thinking differently about energy management lead to substantial savings
Steam trap selection - A life cycle analysis approach can help reduce maintenance and prolong steam trap life
Reduce consumption with a simple formula to determine the proper steam demand for DSI heaters
Learn how to generate savings through steam use and generation. Download your copy of this Chemical Processing Steam eHandbook now.
7 Applications You Didn’t Know Were Compatible with Microwave
Microwave energy in chemical processing has really come of age over the past few years. Many companies are experiencing the benefits that microwave offers over conventional drying technologies. Other functions include: sterilization, pasteurization, cooking, tempering, dehydration and heating.
While you may have guessed a few of the applications we’re profiling, or may even work with them yourself, we hope at least one or two applications off our list will catch your eye and perhaps start you thinking.
• Analytical Chemistry
• Treatment of Biomass & Biosolids
• Powder Processing
Animal Blood Plasma
• Pyrolysis for Recycling & Waste-to-Energy
Plastics and Rubber
• Petro Chemicals
Chemical makers increasingly are focusing on water-related issues. In particular, concern over availability is spurring leading operating companies to implement a host of novel strategies and technologies to optimize water use. Chemical makers are implementing strategies and solutions to scale back on their overall usage of water, reuse water and put clean water back in to circulation. In this ChemicalProcessing Water Optimization eHandbook we take a look at how chemical companies are dealing with water challenges
Download your copy of this Chemical Processing Water Optimization eHandbook now.
For chemical processors, the use of water in their processing can correlate to significant costs. Cost, coupled with an increasing focus on the environmental impact of both water usage and wastewater creation, are challenging processors to take a closer look at both their consumption of water and production of wastewater. Wide-ranging water optimization efforts, from fixing pipe leaks to minimizing cooling tower blowdown, are providing significant savings to chemical makers, but there’s more. In this ChemicalProcessing Water/Wastewate eHandbook we take a look at how to deal with water challenges including:
• Reducing water consumption and increase recycling – including examples of achievement and strategies from BASF, Air Products, Eli Lilly & Co, and Pfizer • RO Membranes: proactive steps can maximize life and performance for water purification • More!
CP eHandbook: Use Energy Effectively
Effective energy management can help achieve more efficient use of energy without reducing production levels, product quality or employee morale, and without compromising safety and environmental standards. It should not only address higher efficiency generation, energy conversion, distribution and utilization, but also explore lower-cost energy alternatives. Simply put, energy management is optimizing the energy cost per unit of product output. In this Chemical Processing Energy Efficiency eHandbook, we take a look at how to achieve effective energy management including:
• Energy management programs – the roles and responsibilities needed to create an effective energy management program
• Internal and external resources needed for an effective energy management program including what to expect from top management
• Energy management basics – the five key activities to help reduce energy use
• Compression dryers – a review of three alternatives: heat, desiccant and refrigerant. Understanding whether the purchase “cost” outweighs the “value” in terms of energy consumption and production levels.