Pilot plant studies

After years of bench-scale and pilot-plant studies, constmction was begun on a gca 1600 m /d (10,000 bbl/d) unit in Sarawak, Malaysia, by Shell in a... 

Pilot-plant studies have been conducted by Petrobras on many of the different oil shales from around the world. Tests indicate that many oil shales could be processed using the PETROSIX retorting technology (67) (Fig. 12). 

Boron is found in two underground ores, ulexite and colemanite. Research and pilot-plant studies have been completed to solution mine these ores, but as yet it is not done commercially. Boron is found in many different evaporite deposits (17). 

Figure 14-12 illustrates the influence of system composition and degree of reaetant eonversion upon the numerical values of for the absorption of CO9 into sodium hydroxide solutions at constant conditions of temperature, pressure, and type of packing. An excellent experimental study of the influence of operating variables upon overall values is that of Field et al. (Pilot-Plant Studie.s of the Hot Carbonate Proce.s.s for Removing Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen Sulfide, U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 597, 1962). 

Figure 1.3.2 gives another perspective for scale-down to recycle reactor studies. In this actual case, after preliminary studies in a recycle reactor, a 5-stage adiabatic reactor was envisioned (Betty 1979.) Scaling down the proposed commercial reactor, a 3 diameter tube was designed with elaborate temperature compensation (heating and insulation) for pilot-plant studies (Betty 1968, 1969.) Small squares in the proposed reactor represent side views of cylindrical catalyst cutouts for the recycle reactor... 

A pilot plant is built and operated in series or in parallel with studies of individual process steps if needed. There are several reasons for pilot-plant studies ... 

The reactor performance may be specified independently of the detailed design of the reactor. The conditions for the optimum, or near optimum, performance may be known from the operation of existing plant or from pilot plant studies. 

Collect together all the kinetic and thermodynamic data on the desired reaction and the side reactions. It is unlikely that much useful information will be gleaned from a literature search, as little is published in the open literature on commercially attractive processes. The kinetic data required for reactor design will normally be obtained from laboratory and pilot plant studies. Values will be needed for the rate of reaction over a range of operating conditions pressure, temperature, flow-rate and catalyst concentration. The design of experimental reactors and scale-up is discussed by Rase (1977). 

Mutalib MIA, Zeglam AO and Smith R (1998) Operation and Control of Dividing Wall Distillation Columns Part II Simulation and Pilot Plant Studies Using Temperature Control, Trans IChemE, 76A 319. 

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is produced by a batch process. Since it is usually cheaper to produce chemicals if a flow process is used, the development department proposes a new process and has a process engineer assigned to design it and estimate its cost. If it is only slightly less expensive than the batch process, the new method will be dropped. If it appears that substantial savings can be realized by using the continuous process, further research and pilot-plant studies will be. insfituted to make certain it will work before the board of directors is asked to authorize the construction of the plant. 

Model parameter estimation by laboratory, microcosm, or pilot plant studies followed by field application. 

Pilot plant studies. The reactors used in these studies are significantly larger than those in bench scale laboratory experiments. One... 

In the design of an industrial scale reactor for a new process, or an old one that employs a new catalyst, it is common practice to carry out both bench and pilot plant studies before finalizing the design of the commercial scale reactor. The bench scale studies yield the best information about the intrinsic chemical kinetics and the associated rate expression. However, when taken alone, they force the chemical engineer to rely on standard empirical correlations and prediction methods in order to determine the possible influence of heat and mass transfer processes on the rates that will be observed in industrial scale equipment. The pilot scale studies can provide a test of the applicability of the correlations and an indication of potential limitations that physical processes may place on conversion rates. These pilot plant studies can provide extremely useful information on the temperature distribution in the reactor and on contacting patterns when... 

Gasior, S.J. et al., Production of synthesis gas and hydrogen by the steam iron process—Pilot-plant study of fluidized and free-falling beds, Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations, Pittsburgh, PA, 5911,49,1961. 

As with all of the processes described, these are first studied in detail in the laboratory with an industrial application as the objective. Those processes which pass the criterion of economic potential are used in a pilot plant study, and then, if successful, at the production level which must be optimized. The materials which are produced are mainly, in the present instance, for application in the electronics industry where relatively high costs are acceptable. It will be seen that the simple kinetic theory of gases is adequate to account for the rates of these processes, and to indicate the ways in which production may be optimized on the industrial scale. 

A part of the test plan must include testing for the consequences of equipment malfunction, deviations in process conditions, and human error. Bench-scale equipment, for example, the RC1, is quite suitable for such experiments. By analysis of the process, critical conditions can be defined, which then need to be tested in order to be able to proceed safely from the laboratory to pilot plant studies. In testing abnormal conditions or process deviations, caution is required to assure that no uncontrollable hazard is created in the laboratory. Typical deviations, including impact on the process, are discussed in the following paragraph. 

For a gas-liquid reaction which is gas-phase controlling, the chemical kinetics must be well understood. The importance of laboratory studies must therefore be emphasized. However, for successful scale-up, pilot plant studies are very critical because of the difficulties in reliably modeling gas behavior on a small scale (due to hydrodynamics) and its influence on reaction rates. 

FIGURE 6.11. Sulfide production rates in sewers versus wastewater quality characteristics. The results originate from pilot-plant studies (A and B) and field investigations (Cand D) in Japan, Kawasaki town (O) and Oga city ( ). 

Laboratory and pilot plant studies [14] on the Stillwater ore showed that the molecular weight of the CMC affected both PGM grade and recovery. Figure 18.3 shows the effect of molecular weight of CMC on PGM grade-recovery relationship. 

Bulatovic, S., Process Development for beneficiation of Complex Apatite—Ilmenite Ore from Quebec, Canada, Laboratory and Pilot Plant Studies, Report of Investigation, 1997. 

An ultrafiltration plant is required to treat 50 m3/day of a protein-containing waste stream. The waste contains 0.5 kg/m3 of protein which has to be concentrated to 20 kg/m3 so as to allow recycling to the main process stream. The tubular membranes to be used are available as 30 m2 modules. Pilot plant studies show that the flux J through these membranes is given by ... 

A. B. Mindler and S. T. Bateman, Pilot Plant Study on Marine Microorganisms and Organic Matter, Permutit, May 1980,... 

Wang, L.K. Continuous pilot plant study of direct recycling of filter backwash water. J. Am. Water Works Assoc. 1973, 65 (5), 355-358. 

The result of a pilot plant study of PAC-fed activated sludge process is given in the following table. 

Donahue, R.T. Single stage nitrification activated sludge pilot plant study on a bulk pharmaceutical manufacturing wastewater. Proceeding of the 38th Industrial Waste Conference, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 1984 173-180. 

The electric furnace process (Fig. 11) for the conversion of phosphate rock into phosphorus was described by Horton et al. [15] in a paper that also presented the results of a pilot plant study of treating the wastes produced. The process, as well as the handling of the various waste streams for pollution control, are discussed in Section 9.5.2. In processing the phosphate, the major source of wastewater is the condenser water bleedoff from the reduction furnace, the flow of which varies from 10 to 100 gpm (2.3-22.7 m /hour) and its quality characteristics are presented in Table 7. 

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