Pilot scale studies

The objectives of this particular experiment are divided into three major themes  

Optimal sensor positioning on a semi-indnstrial granulator. 

Monitor the overall granulator process state, to detect critical situations and to visualize these situations as early warnings in an operator-friendly fashion (lump formation and clogging of the bottom plate are the most important mishaps in the industrial production setting). 

Sensor A is mounted onto an orifice plate inserted in the main supply pipeline for liquid urea. The orifice has a smaller hole diameter than the pipeline, which induces turbulence in the flowing urea downstream of the orifice. The vibrations produced by this turbulence will be detected by sensor A. Sensors B, C and D are mounted on the vertical wall on the granulator, about 30 cm above the perforated bottom plate to detect vibrations produced by the granules when they impact the reactor wall. Thus sensors B, C and D are used to monitor the process conditions inside the granulator, while sensor A is used to monitor the liquid supply of urea. The sensors used in this trial are all high temperature accelerometers. 

The acoustic spectra were recorded simultaneously as other process experiments, in themselves not related to acoustic chemometrics, were carried out. This resulted in many days with stable conditions in the reactor, and no particular variations in the acoustic signals. Therefore there were only a limited number of days (hours) which displayed significant variation in process parameters, which are necessary for successful multivariate analysis and calibration. 

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In order to maintain a definite contact area, soHd supports for the solvent membrane can be introduced (85). Those typically consist of hydrophobic polymeric films having pore sizes between 0.02 and 1 p.m. Figure 9c illustrates a hoUow fiber membrane where the feed solution flows around the fiber, the solvent—extractant phase is supported on the fiber wall, and the strip solution flows within the fiber. Supported membranes can also be used in conventional extraction where the supported phase is continuously fed and removed. This technique is known as dispersion-free solvent extraction (86,87). The level of research interest in membrane extraction is reflected by the fact that the 1990 International Solvent Extraction Conference (20) featured over 50 papers on this area, mainly as appHed to metals extraction. Pilot-scale studies of treatment of metal waste streams by Hquid membrane extraction have been reported (88). The developments in membrane technology have been reviewed (89). Despite the research interest and potential, membranes have yet to be appHed at an industrial production scale (90). 

Bench- or pilot-scale studies are necessary to demonstrate the ability of a technology to effectively treat a specific waste. Waste characteristics vary from site to site and because of this, the effect of a treatment technology with that particular waste may not be known, given the site-specific factors and conditions. Also, the proposed treatment technology may be new or unproven. 

Pilot-scale studies for demonstrated technologies can cost from 25,000 to more than 100,000 and typically require 2-12 weeks. For innovative technologies, the cost for pilot testing can start at 100,000 and exceed 1,000,000 and require 3 to 12 months. 

Pareek, V., M.P. Brungs, and A.A. Adesina, Photocausticization of Spent Bayer liquor A Pilot-Scale Study. Advances in Environmental Research, 2003. 7(2) p. 411-420. Bertola, F., M. Vanni, and G. Baldi, Application of Computational Fluid Dynamics to Multiphase Flow in Bubble Columns. International journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering, 2003. 1 p. A3. 

Matamoros V, J Gardla, JM Bayona (2005) Behavior of selected pharmaceuticals in subsurface flow constructed wetlands a pilot-scale study. Environ Sci Technol 39 5449-5454. 

Ruas Madiedo, P., Bada Gancedo, J. C., Fernandez Garcia, E., Gonzalez de Llano, D., and Reyes Gavilan, C. G. D. L. (1996). Preservation of the micobiological and biochemical quality of raw milk by carbon dioxide addition a pilot-scale study. /. Food Prot. 59, 502-508. 

Because these factors can vary from site to site, typically, field analyses of these parameters and bench- and pilot-scale studies are conducted to determine the type and amount of oxidant required for a specific application. 

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... 

The process steps have not received as much attention, except the third step. As of now, a commercial process has not been developed although one pilot scale study has been conducted. This section will describe the research efforts conducted to date and report on the process options considered for biodesulfurization. 

Pilot-scale treatability studies are enlargements of bench-scale tests, which more closely approach the full-scale project. The objective of pilot-scale tests is to verify treatability outside of a laboratory setting and verify the actual field conditions. Many pilot-scale studies are performed at the actual project site. Data from pilot-scale studies are used to design full-scale field operations. A pilot test may include the following ... 

Differences in reactivity between wood species have been observed, which can be attributed to a number of factors. Rowell etal. (1986c) acetylated southern pine and aspen flakes under identical reaction conditions, and found that the softwood species exhibited a higher rate of reaction. Beckers and Militz (1994) performed a pilot-scale study of the acetylation of beech, eucalyptus, poplar, pine, Douglas fir and spruce, finding considerable differences in reactivity between the woods studied. 

Koyuncu et al. [56] presented pilot-scale studies on the treatment of pulp and paper mill effluents using two-stage membrane filtrations, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis [56]. The combination of UF and RO resulted in very high removals of COD, color, and conductivity from the effluents. At the end of a single pass with seawater membrane, the initial COD, color and conductivity values were reduced to 10-20 mg/L, 0-100 PCCU (platinum cobalt color units) and 200-300 ps/cm, respectively. Nearly complete color removals were achieved in the RO experiments with seawater membranes. 

At the Berkeley Pit Superfund site in Butte, Montana, Humasorb was tested for removing heavy metals from groundwater. Based on pilot-scale studies, it was determined that total cleanup costs at the site using Humasorb would be 51 million. These costs included the expenses associated with pumping groundwater from the pit for treatment (D19033K, pp. 1, 2). 

Pilot-scale studies were conducted at three petroleum-contaminated sites in Hawaii. The costs for remediation were approximately 20/m of soil Long-term operation and maintenance costs are estimated to range from 1 to 3/m per year (D14784W, p. 388). 

In 1994, following pilot-scale studies on in situ corona (ISC), Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNNL) estimated that the total costs for ISC would be II2/m of soil treated. This estimate is based on the treatment of four sites per year, with each site having a soil volume to be treated of 1570 m, a treatment depth averaging 10 m, and an initial moisture content of 15% (D116405, p. 816). Results are summarized in Table 1. 

Electrokinetic soil cleaning has been demonstrated during in situ pilot-scale studies. As of September 2001, Electrokinetics, Inc., is no longer in business. The Electrokinetic soil cleaning process is not commercially available. 

In 1996, the vendor stated that the results of pilot-scale studies using simulated soil samples indicated that the energy expenditures for the extraction of heavy metals from soils may be at least 500 kWh/m at electrode spacings of 1.0 to 1.5 m. The direct cost of these studies suggests that the energy expenditure and enhancement costs for a full-scale application of the technology could be at least 50/m (D12897W, p. 183). 

EarthFax Engineering, Inc. s, version of the Intech One-Eighty process was tested by the U.S. Army on tetryl-contaminated soils. Based on bench- and pilot-scale studies, the cost of treating... 

The metals immobilization and decontamination of aggregate solids (MelDAS) technology was developed to treat organics and heavy metals in soils, sediments, and sludges. It has not progressed beyond a pilot-scale study and is not commercially available. 

Currently, a small pilot-scale study is under way, and a 2-ton (1.8-metric ton) per hour commercial demonstration is under design for treating soils contaminated with hydrocarbons or hazardous organic residues. This technology is not yet commercially available, and Recol Engineering, Ltd., is interested in pursuing joint ventures or demonstration projects. 

Based on bench- and pilot-scale studies, capital cost for a standard ACE separator with a nominal throughput of 190 liters/min (50 gpm) is estimated to 80,000, and for a 950 liter/min (250 gpm) unit, 300,000. The degree of automation, control systems, specialized materials, and the need for electrical transformation can effect the total capital cost (D121573, p. 788). 

Based on pilot-scale studies at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Superfund site near Denver, Colorado, the vendor calculated cost estimates for a full-scale B.E.S.T. unit using two separate treatment scenarios. Scenario 1 involved treating 2,840,000 yd of contaminated soil over 7 years, and scenario 2 involved treating 616,900 yd of contaminated soil over 2 years. The vendor estimated the cost of full-scale treatment would be 119 per ton for scenario 1 and 133 for scenario 2 (D15906S, p. 101). 

In 1990, Thomason estimated the cost of operating a SCWO facility based on results of MODAR pilot-scale studies and plans for a commercial facility. The primary factors influencing costs of a SCWO unit were the treatment capacity of the facility and the organics concentration of the feed material (D11985R, p. 41). MODAR technology was recently acquired by General Atomics. 

In onion bulbs, if some growth of inner buds takes place already before irradiation, the treatment causes the death and discoloration of the inner buds. The area of this discoloration depends on the size of the inner buds at the time of irradiation. Pilot scale studies in Hungary have shown that the yield of unirradiated onions prepared for drying after storage was 29% of the original compared to 55% in irradiated onions. The dehydrated onions prepared from irradiated bulbs had better quality than did the controls. No discoloration of the inner buds occurred in bulbs of cultivar Alsogodi irradiated at 0.05 kGy and stored up to 8 months [25]. Similar results were reported earlier from Egypt [26] whereas some studies in the United States have indicated that inner-bud discoloration of irradiated onions may lower the quality of dehydrated onion slices or powder prepared from them [27]. 

ATPE of proteins/enzymes was reported several years ago [350] while only recently this concept has been developed as a pilot scale by Kula and coworkers [351]. We envisage that RME, despite the fact that industrial or pilot scale studies are not reported, has the potential to develop into a new bioseparation tool for biotechnology. 

The commercial Pd/Al203 catalyst used in this pilot scale study was characterized via DRIFT spectroscopy. In situ DRIFT spectra of carbon monoxide, MIBK, acetone... 

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