Capital problems

A capital problem in the domain of purines, upon the study of which the introduction of the all-valence electrons methods had a particularly striking impact, is their tautomerism indeed, the calculation of the total molecular energies en-... 

Having established that there is apparently a mechanism whereby the problems of sequencing and heat integration can be decoupled for simple columns on the basis of energy costs, it is interesting to consider whether there is any conflict with capital cost. A column sequence that handles a large amount of heat must have a high capital cost for two reasons ... 

Considering the capital/energy tradeoff for threshold problems, two possible outcomes are shown in Fig. 6.12. Below the threshold... 

If the problem is dominated by equipment with a single specification (i.e., a single material of construction, equipment type, and pressure rating), then the capital cost target can be calculated from Eq. (7.21) with the appropriate cost coefficients. However, if there is a mix of specifications, such as different streams requiring different materials of construction, then the approach must be modified. 

Having to readjust the capital/energy tradeoff after every process change would be a real problem if it were not for the existence of the total cost targeting procedures discussed in Chap. 7. 

Targets for number of shells, capital cost, and total cost also can be set. Thus remaining problem analysis can be used on these design parameters also. 

The development and improvement of scientific-technical level of NDT and TD means for safety issues is connected with the necessity to find additional investments that must be taken into account at the stage of new technogenic objects designing, when solving new arising problems in social, economic, ecological and medical safety. It is not accidental, that the expenses for safe nuclear power plants operation cover 50% of total sum for construction work capital investments. That is why the investments for NDT and TD have to cover 10% of total amount for development and manufacturing of any product. 

Although many problems still remain to be overcome to make the process practical (not the least of which is the question of the corrosive nature of aqueous HBr and the minimization of formation of any higher brominated methanes), the selective conversion of methane to methyl alcohol without going through syn-gas has promise. Furthermore, the process could be operated in relatively low-capital-demand-ing plants (in contrast to syn-gas production) and in practically any location, making transportation of natural gas from less accessible locations in the form of convenient liquid methyl alcohol possible. 

A low temperature of approach for the network reduces utihties but raises heat-transfer area requirements. Research has shown that for most of the pubhshed problems, utility costs are normally more important than annualized capital costs. For this reason, AI is chosen eady in the network design as part of the first tier of the solution. The temperature of approach, AI, for the network is not necessarily the same as the minimum temperature of approach, AT that should be used for individual exchangers. This difference is significant for industrial problems in which multiple shells may be necessary to exchange the heat requited for a given match (5). The economic choice for AT depends on whether the process environment is heater- or refrigeration-dependent and on the shape of the composite curves, ie, whether approximately parallel or severely pinched. In cmde-oil units, the range of AI is usually 10—20°C. By definition, AT A AT. The best relative value of these temperature differences depends on the particular problem under study. 

The most common method of converting iron ore to metallic iron utilizes a blast furnace wherein the material is melted to form hot metal (pig iron). Approximately 96% of the world s iron is produced this way (see Iron). However, in the blast furnace process energy costs are relatively high, pollution problems of associated equipment are quite severe, and capital investment requirements are often prohibitively expensive. In comparison to the blast furnace method, direct reduction permits a wider choice of fuels, is environmentally clean, and requires a much lower capital investment. 

Tubular Modules. Tubular modules are generally limited to ultrafiltration appHcations, for which the benefit of resistance to membrane fouling because of good fluid hydrodynamics overcomes the problem of their high capital cost. Typically, the tubes consist of a porous paper or fiber glass support with the membrane formed on the inside of the tubes, as shown in Figure 24. 

Particle Segregation Mechanisms. Segregation is the process by which an assembly of soHd particles separates as it is being handled. This often results in cosdy quaUty control problems due to the waste of raw or finished materials, lost production, increased maintenance, and capital costs required to retrofit existing faciUties. 

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