Process capacity

The batch cycle time has been reduced from 2.6 to 1.3 hours. This means that a greater number of batches can be processed, and hence, if there are two reactors each with the original capacity, the process capacity has increased. However, the increase in capacity has been achieved at the expense of increased capital cost for the second reactor. An economic assessment is required before we can judge whether the tradeoff is justified. 

In such cases the development scheme for the original reserves may have to be modified to make processing capacity available for the new hydrocarbons. The economics of such a scheme can be affected negatively if substantial engineering modifications have to made to meet new safety legislation. For more background to ERD refer to Section 3. 

For the 1994 crops, 33 beet sugar factories in the United States processed 28.8 X 10 t of beets from 586,000 ha into 4.23 x 10 t (93 x 10 Cwt) of sugar 56% of the domestic production and 47% of the U.S. market. Cwt or hundred-weight of sugar is 100 lbs and is the common unit of commerce in the United States. This is a record level of production, an increase of 12% from the 1990 and 1991 crops. The average factory has a daily processing capacity of 4885 t compared to <3700 t in 1982. Since 1994, three factories in California have been closed and the constmction of one new factory has been announced for central Washington State. European factories process 10,000—15,000 t/d. 

Fig. 4. Bomb reactor for the reduction of UF with Mg by the Ames process (capacity 144.2 kg uranium metal) A, steel cover flange with lifting eye B, bolt and nut C, top flange of bomb D, graphite cover E, liner of fused dolomitic oxide F, steel bomb, and G, charge, where represents steel, D liner, ...

Of the several leaded nickel—silveis, C782 is one of the most commonly used. This alloy is not hot piocessible and has limited cold processing capacity. It is usually available as strip for appHcation as keystock, watch parts, and plates because of its excellent corrosion resistance, hardness, and machinabihty. 

A longer column is preferred because of a greater processing capacity nd an increased number of plates, as long as the back pressure does not exceed the upper limit and the nonuniform displacement of the solution and the solvent is not serious. The theoretical plate in HOPC is defined as a section in the column in which equivalently full exchange of all of the polymer components... 

Approximately 350 cat crackers are operating worldwide, with a total processing capacity of over 12.7 million barrels per day [1]. Most of the existing FCC units have been designed or modified by six major technology licensers ... 

In the U.S., the crude processing capacity is expected to increase modestly, at a projected rate of 0.5 percent per year. No new refinery... 

Processing capacity This can be readily calculated on either the basis of weight or area by the following equations ... 

The target output capability for such a multiplex extrusion line is 25,000-30,000 treads per day. This results in a rubber processing capacity of 10,000 kg/h. 

Figure 11.1 Scale-up versus numbering up for microchannels. All critical channel dimensions remain constant in a microchannel system independent of the overall process capacity.

In other words, these equations show that if the production of both products does not absorb the full capacities of both steps, then the slack capacities of these two processes can be represented by the variables 5j and S2. Since slack capacity means that a certain amount of process capacity remains unused, it follows that the economic value of slack capacity is zero. Realizing that negative production rates and negative slack variables are infeasible, the problem can be formulated as ... 

Perhaps the additional capacity might not be needed. If it is not needed then the size of the reactors, evaporator and stripper can be reduced. Keeping the original process capacity with parallel operation of the reactors would mean a tradeoff between the increased capital cost of two (smaller) reactors versus reduced capital cost of the evaporator and stripper. An economic comparison would be required to judge whether this would be beneficial. 

Figure 9-4 Process investment versus process capacity correlation.

In this list, the first five processes are among the most important commercial catalytic processes in terms of total processing capacity. 

Continuous flow reactors are almost invariably preferred to batch reactors when the processing capacity required is large. Although the capital investment requirements will be higher, the operating costs per unit of product will be lower for continuous operation than for batch reaction. The advantages of continuous operation are that it ... 

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