Emerson Exchange 365

Activity

Jim Cahill
- 14 Sep 2020
Extending Existing WirelessHART Networks to Improve Worker and Plant Safety

In a Hydrocarbon Engineering article, Emerson’s Amanda Alexander describes two ways to extend existing wireless networks for worker location and toxic gas monitoring. Emerson colleagues who were around back at the dawn of Wireless HART tell me the earliest deployments were usually limited to monitoring applications. At that time there wasn’t a long enough track record of reliability for us to suggest this still-new...
Jim Cahill
- 2 Sep 2020
Multiple Systems Working Together Prevent Tank Overfill Disasters

In Hydrocarbon Engineering’s Tanks & Terminals Supplement , Emerson’s Helena Hjortsberg looks at all the elements of a comprehensive overfill prevention system in her article, A Coordinated Strategy. Overfilling a tank storing hydrocarbons or other flammable chemicals can cause an environmental incident under the best circumstances, but also a high probability of an explosion and fire. Given the costs in lost product...
Jim Cahill
- 31 Aug 2020
Building Digital Transformation, One Step at a Time

In a Flow Control magazine article, Seven Digital Transformation Myths Exposed, Emerson’s Brian Joe offers advice on starting a digital transformation program. When we talk to companies about digital transformation, especially companies that have yet to launch a program, we frequently hear two kinds of responses representing two extremes. Either they don’t think the technologies work, or they have inflated expectations...
Jim Cahill
- 26 Aug 2020
Building Lines of Defense Against Hydrocarbon Releases and Fires

In a Chemical Engineering article, Emerson’s Nick Pinto offers strategies for improving tank farm safety with more effective gas release and flame detection In countless war movies, the heroes, whether in trenches or spaceships, have to stop the enemy advance at some particular point, providing the last line of defense to avoid disaster. This may be overly dramatic, but designing an overall safety strategy for large...
Jim Cahill
- 10 Jul 2020
Choosing the Right Gas Analyzer for Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) Emissions Monitoring

NO x is probably the most ubiquitous combustion-created air pollutant since it can be generated by any process burning any fossil fuel, and it is tightly regulated by the U.S. EPA and other regulatory bodies around the world. Plants with relevant combustion processes, including most refineries and chemical processing plants, must monitor NO x output continuously any time fuel is burning. How plants choose to do this...
Jim Cahill
- 6 Feb 2020
Compressor Anti-Surge Control Value Improvement Practice

Pete Sharpe Author: Pete Sharpe An ethylene plant has a number of very large, very critical compressors which will cause the entire plant to shutdown if they ever trip. The cracked gas compressor increases the entire cold-side feed from around 3 psig to ~475 psig, typically through 5 stages. The two refrigeration compressors are the next biggest compressors that can also shut down the entire plant if they trip...
Jim Cahill
- 28 Jan 2020
Driving Safer and More Secure Refining and Chemical Operations

According to the United States Energy Information Administration , the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast refiners and petrochemical producers accounted for 50.5% of the U.S. total finished petroleum products as of October 2019. So with over half of America’s refining and petrochemical production, running these facilities as safely, efficiently and reliably as possible is critical. For refiners and chemical producers in...
Jim Cahill
- 28 Jan 2020
Driving Safer and More Secure Refining and Chemical Operations

According to the United States Energy Information Administration , the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast refiners and petrochemical producers accounted for 50.5% of the U.S. total finished petroleum products as of October 2019. So with over half of America’s refining and petrochemical production, running these facilities as safely, efficiently and reliably as possible is critical. For refiners and chemical producers in...
Jim Cahill
- 23 Jan 2020
Ethylene Furnace Automation, Control & Optimization

Pete Sharpe Author: Pete Sharpe Cracking furnaces are one of the most crucial parts of an ethylene complex. They set the production and yield for the entire plant. For furnace-limited plants, when a furnace is down, whether for maintenance or decoking, production is lost. Poor control and sub-optimal furnace operations lead to lower yields, more frequent decoke cycles, increased energy costs, and higher health...
Jim Cahill
- 7 Jan 2020
Digital Transformation and Top Quartile Performance for Petrochemical Producers

Pete Sharpe Marcelo Carugo Authors: Pete Sharpe and Marcelo Carugo Digital Transformation is a buzz word that seems to be on everyone’s mind and lips these days. Most companies have one or more digitalization initiatives underway as demonstrated in this survey conducted at the 2019 Emerson Exchange during the Chemical Industry Forum session. Companies are already spending money on digitalization projects, but...
Jim Cahill
- 30 Oct 2019
Optimizing Energy Consumption and Overall Reliability

Sam Thiara I heard a great story from Emerson’s Sam Thiara of a polymer producer in the Middle East region that was looking to improve energy efficiency across the facility’s steam system. They wanted to reduce energy costs and their carbon footprint, while also improving the stability and reliability of the process. The plant staff worked with Emerson industrial energy consultants to benchmark existing operations...
Jim Cahill
- 16 Sep 2019
Successfully Implementing State-Based Procedure Automation

Continuous processes still must go through startups, planned and unplanned shutdowns, upset recovery and other events. These operations have traditionally been performed manually. Eddie Lane At the October 14-16, 2019 AFPM Operations & Process Technology Summit in San Antonio, Texas, Emerson’s Courtney E. (Eddie) Lane will present with a Global Process Automation Technology Leader for a major chemical manufacturer...
Jim Cahill
- 16 Sep 2019
Successfully Implementing State-Based Procedure Automation

Continuous processes still must go through startups, planned and unplanned shutdowns, upset recovery and other events. These operations have traditionally been performed manually. Eddie Lane At the October 14-16, 2019 AFPM Operations & Process Technology Summit in San Antonio, Texas, Emerson’s Courtney E. (Eddie) Lane will present with a Global Process Automation Technology Leader for a major chemical manufacturer...
Jim Cahill
- 24 Aug 2018
Improving Chemical Industry Manufacturing Performance

One look at the economic news and you see that trading relationships among countries are changing from longstanding norms. For manufacturers, this uncertainty requires flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions. In a Process Engineering article, Connectivity can safeguard the chemicals sector , Emerson’s Patrick Deruytter shares ways that chemical producers and other manufacturers can better adapt. For...
Jim Cahill
- 24 Aug 2018
Improving Chemical Industry Manufacturing Performance

One look at the economic news and you see that trading relationships among countries are changing from longstanding norms. For manufacturers, this uncertainty requires flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions. In a Process Engineering article, Connectivity can safeguard the chemicals sector , Emerson’s Patrick Deruytter shares ways that chemical producers and other manufacturers can better adapt. For...
Jim Cahill
- 10 Aug 2018
A Novel Thermodynamic-Based Metric: The Magic Bullet for Resource-Efficiency?

Author: Ana Gonzalez Hernandez In my previous post , I introduced the concept of resource efficiency: the integrated efficiency with which energy and materials are transformed in industrial processes. I mentioned that improvements in resource efficiency are considered indispensable to achieving globally agreed CO 2 emission and energy reduction targets. This is because trends in production volumes are predicted to...
Jim Cahill
- 10 Aug 2018
A Novel Thermodynamic-Based Metric: The Magic Bullet for Resource-Efficiency?

Author: Ana Gonzalez Hernandez In my previous post , I introduced the concept of resource efficiency: the integrated efficiency with which energy and materials are transformed in industrial processes. I mentioned that improvements in resource efficiency are considered indispensable to achieving globally agreed CO 2 emission and energy reduction targets. This is because trends in production volumes are predicted to...
Jim Cahill
- 10 Aug 2018
A Novel Thermodynamic-Based Metric: The Magic Bullet for Resource-Efficiency?

Author: Ana Gonzalez Hernandez In my previous post , I introduced the concept of resource efficiency: the integrated efficiency with which energy and materials are transformed in industrial processes. I mentioned that improvements in resource efficiency are considered indispensable to achieving globally agreed CO 2 emission and energy reduction targets. This is because trends in production volumes are predicted to...
Jim Cahill
- 7 Mar 2018
Petrochemicals-a Growth Area for Hydrocarbons

As alternative energy sources and energy storage technologies continue to advance, will the decrease in transportation fuel demand be mitigated by the growth in petrochemical demand? At CERAWeek 2018, Emerson’s Jamie Froedge joined a panel, Petrochemicals: Future pillar of growth for hydrocarbons?, to explore the role downstream hydrocarbons will play in overall demand. The panelists included leaders from Dow Chemical...
Jim Cahill
- 7 Mar 2018
Petrochemicals-a Growth Area for Hydrocarbons

As alternative energy sources and energy storage technologies continue to advance, will the decrease in transportation fuel demand be mitigated by the growth in petrochemical demand? At CERAWeek 2018, Emerson’s Jamie Froedge joined a panel, Petrochemicals: Future pillar of growth for hydrocarbons?, to explore the role downstream hydrocarbons will play in overall demand. The panelists included leaders from Dow Chemical...
Jim Cahill
- 7 Mar 2018
Petrochemicals-a Growth Area for Hydrocarbons

As alternative energy sources and energy storage technologies continue to advance, will the decrease in transportation fuel demand be mitigated by the growth in petrochemical demand? At CERAWeek 2018, Emerson’s Jamie Froedge joined a panel, Petrochemicals: Future pillar of growth for hydrocarbons?, to explore the role downstream hydrocarbons will play in overall demand. The panelists included leaders from Dow Chemical...
Jim Cahill
- 6 Mar 2018
Petrochemicals-a Growth Area for Hydrocarbons

As alternative energy sources and energy storage technologies continue to advance, will the decrease in transportation fuel demand be mitigated by the growth in petrochemical demand? At CERAWeek 2018, Emerson’s Jamie Froedge joined a panel, Petrochemicals: Future pillar of growth for hydrocarbons?, to explore the role downstream hydrocarbons will play in overall demand. The panelists included leaders from Dow Chemical...
Jim Cahill
- 12 Dec 2017
Reliable Control Valve Performance in Ethylene Production

Olefins, also known as alkenes, are unsaturated hydrocarbons, use to make many petrochemical products such as plastics. Olefin production, including ethylene, propylene and butadiene products, requires tight control for higher throughput, more energy efficient, and more reliable operations. Blake Coleman In an article from The Chemical Engineer, Increasing Ethylene Conversion and Plant Reliability , Emerson’s Blake...
Jim Cahill
- 12 Dec 2017
Reliable Control Valve Performance in Ethylene Production

Olefins, also known as alkenes, are unsaturated hydrocarbons, use to make many petrochemical products such as plastics. Olefin production, including ethylene, propylene and butadiene products, requires tight control for higher throughput, more energy efficient, and more reliable operations. In an article from The Chemical Engineer, Increasing Ethylene Conversion and Plant Reliability , Emerson’s Blake Coleman describes...
Jim Cahill
- 12 Dec 2017
Reliable Control Valve Performance in Ethylene Production

Olefins, also known as alkenes, are unsaturated hydrocarbons, use to make many petrochemical products such as plastics. Olefin production, including ethylene, propylene and butadiene products, requires tight control for higher throughput, more energy efficient, and more reliable operations. In an article from The Chemical Engineer, Increasing Ethylene Conversion and Plant Reliability , Emerson’s Blake Coleman describes...