Activity

  • Managing Equipment Damage Caused by Corrosive Feedstocks Encountered with Biofuel Production (Part 2)

    Jim Cahill
    When we talk about renewable fuels to the general public, many might imagine cars running on gasoline made from wildflowers and meadow grass. However, those who work in the industry recognize that the fats and oils used to make renewable diesel can be just about anything but that, and in fact often come from more prosaic sources, such as meatpacking waste. From a process viewpoint, waste sources can cause serious problems…

  • Micro Motion™︎ G-Series: Precision in a Compact Package

    Jim Cahill
    Over many years working with end users who are trying to solve challenging flow measurement problems, I’ve often suggested that a Coriolis mass flow meter is exactly the technology solution needed, but in some cases an alternative is preferred for a variety of reasons. Just to review, let’s mention a few of the reasons why Micro Motion Coriolis Mass Flow Meters are so versatile in many straightforward and difficult…

  • Solving Corrosion Problems by Treating Metal Deterioration as a Process Variable

    Jim Cahill
    Imagine that you’re called into your plant to solve a recurring problem. The operator states: “We’ve had to replace this valve three times this year due to failures from over pressure.” Your first question is pretty obvious: “How high is the pressure?” The operator shrugs and responds with a perfectly straight face: “We don’t know. We don’t measure it.” As absurd as this scenario sounds, it happens every day in facilities…

  • Modernization and Extension of Existing Batch Production Plants

    Jim Cahill
    In his presentation at the Emerson Exchange EMEA 2024 in Düsseldorf, Sven Girgensohn, E-EMC/OT E&I Engineering at BASF Personal Care & Nutrition GmbH , described how a modernized control system is supporting the need for greater flexibility and reliability of both new and existing production lines at its plant in Düsseldorf, Germany. The Düsseldorf plant is BASF’s third-largest site in Europe. The Düsseldorf plant…

  • Retrofitting a New Transmitter to an Existing Micro Motion™︎ Coriolis Flow Meter Adds New Capabilities

    Jim Cahill
    Most of us know someone who carries a really old smartphone, or maybe just a cellphone. Some people do this deliberately as a statement, but others just can’t be bothered with doing an upgrade. Everybody doesn’t need the latest whiz-bang technology, but many truly useful capabilities don’t work on old platforms. Such can be the reality in many industrial environments, where the pinnacle of achievement for some is still…

  • Digital transformation in chemical processing: how to start small to scale big..

    Jim Cahill
    The chemical industry is facing a unique challenge: a need for growth along with environmental regulations that each day are becoming stricter and more urgent. Limited resources, an aging workforce, aging equipment: achieving both efficiency and sustainability can seem impossible. But there’s a solution: creating an ecosystem of real-time data and actionable insights. In a word, digital transformation. Unlocking Data…

  • Measurement Integrity for Improved Mass Balance

    Jim Cahill
    Based on physics and chemistry’s conservation of mass law, mass can be neither created nor destroyed. Mass balance is: The mass that enters a system must, by conservation of mass, either leave the system or accumulate within the system. I offer this as background for my communications with Emerson’s Martin McDonough , who shared with me its use in chemical plant losses and production accounting. The gain or loss is…

  • Industrial Software Helps Pipeline Operators Transition to More Sustainable Operation

    Jim Cahill
    Today, it’s not only the public calling for more sustainability commitment from industry. In many cases, investors are increasing their interest in companies’ sustainability plans as well, leading more and more organizations to make very public commitments to reaching net zero emissions within the next decade or two. But for every commitment made, there are many people supporting the company’s operations who must find…

  • Modern Software Drives Cutting-Edge Terminal Operations

    Jim Cahill
    Terminals are businesses, and, like any business, they face competition in the marketplace. A terminal that can turn vessels around more quickly provides added value to customers who in turn can use that extra time to create more value in their own businesses. So, to stay competitive, today’s terminals must maximize their throughput capacity and efficiency. However, today’s terminals are more complex than ever, just…

  • Emerson PACSystems Edge Solutions Accelerate Digital Transformation & Eliminates Software Compatibility Issues

    Jim Cahill
    Edge technology and IIoT use continues to expand, with over one-third of the industrial market adopting these technologies so far, and many more evaluating them. A recent article by editor-at-large Seán Ottewell for Chemical Processing August 2023 titled Chemical Industry Embraces Edge Computing highlighted some opportunities and challenges presented by edge used in industry, and it included my input and thoughts on the…

  • Improving Fired Heater Efficiency and Performance

    Jim Cahill
    In chemical manufacturing operations, fired heaters are used to provide heat for the desired chemical reactions. They are a significant component in energy usage—in fact, 37% of the U.S. manufacturing end use, and improving their efficiency translates directly to the bottom line. 30% to 50% of an operating budget is typically spent on energy. I caught up with Martin McDonough about ways that chemical manufacturers can…

  • Driving Safer Chemical Manufacturing Performance

    Jim Cahill
    Safety is consistently among the highest priorities for manufacturers and producers. Critical goals are to avoid safety incidents, keep site personnel safe, protect the community around you, protect the environment as a whole, and improve your corporate financial health. A robust safety culture has many facets, including occupational safety, containment safety, process safety, and functional safety. I caught up with…

  • Modern Pipeline Engineering Requires the Best Software

    Jim Cahill
    Pipeline operations are vastly different than they were just five or ten short years ago. One key area in which this is true is in the rise of renewables and sustainability. Today’s pipelines are moving new products like hydrogen or carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from carbon capture operations along with the old standards, and these changes significantly impact their operations. Fortunately, as Paul Dickerson and Dr. Jon…

  • Safe, Reliable and Accurate Loading and Unloading Operations

    Jim Cahill
    Loading and unloading operations for chemical producers must be performed safely, reliably, and accurately. I caught up with Emerson’s Martin McDonough on ways to mitigate risks and improve operational performance. These operations can be some of the highest-risk operations within a facility and account for as much as 80% of transport-related incidents. In addition to mitigating risks to personnel and the environment…

  • Advancing a Plastics Manufacturing Circular Economy

    Jim Cahill
    We’ve all seen images of plastic trash floating in the oceans and huge landfill locations. A lot of work is going into how to recycle this waste to drive greater sustainability. In a ControlGlobal.com article, Automation enables a circular economy for plastic recycling , Emerson’s Don Fregelette highlights the role of automation in “creating a sustainable solution for plastic trash by improving manufacturing processes…

  • Improving Maintenance and Monitoring to Advance Sustainability Programs

    Jim Cahill
    Click to enlarge If you were to ask most people in the chemical processing industry about the kinds of steps necessary to support sustainability efforts, you’d likely get a variety of complex answers citing alternate energy sources, rethinking supply chains, and suggesting major changes to processes. These may all be valid, but let’s suggest something very practical, and doable right now: tightening up plant maintenance…

  • Achieving Repeatable Golden Batches

    Jim Cahill
    The term “golden batch” describes the ideal batch production against which all other produced batches are compared. I caught up with Emerson’s Martin McDonough about how this concept applies to chemical manufacturers with batch production processes. Martin shared some industry statistics with me. Many of these chemical manufacturers operate with a “Right-First-Time” metric between 40-70%. The bad batches increase cycle…

  • Digital Solutions for Driving More Sustainable Production

    Jim Cahill
    At the EHS (Environmental, Health & Safety) Seminar , Emerson’s Michael Machuca presented Digital Solutions to Achieve Your Sustainability and Decarbonization Goals. This conference focuses on companies within the petrochemical industry. Michael opened his presentation by citing that 37% of U.S. manufacturing energy consumption is by the chemical industry. In an analysis by Worley, opportunities to drive more sustainable…

  • 4 reasons why radar level is superior to ultrasonic level technology

    Jim Cahill
    4 reasons why radar level is superior to ultrasonic level technology: Radar and ultrasonic level measurements are both widely used in industrial and environmental applications for measuring the level of liquids and solids in lift stations, tanks, and open channel flows. Both technologies work on the principle of measuring the time of flight between the transmission of the signal and its reflection from the surface…

  • Master Liquid Storage Operations with Digital Twin Technology

    Jim Cahill
    Competing in the modern, competitive liquid storage market means keeping customers happy, a task that is difficult to accomplish using a traditional model of terminal operation. Efficiency is the name of the game, and most terminals today simply don’t have access to the high numbers of experienced personnel necessary to stay competitive. However, as Ryan Thompson explains in his recent article in Tanks & Terminals …

  • Navigate Uncharted Territory with Industrial Software

    Jim Cahill
    The hydrocarbon industry is rapidly evolving, adapting to support new product demand, increased focus on sustainability , and an increasing need for flexibility. As a result, hydrocarbon process manufacturers have needed to dramatically change the toolbox they employ to support their operations. As Dustin Beebe and Monil Malhotra explain in their recent article in Hydrocarbon Engineering magazine, hydrocarbon manufacturers…

  • Three Strategies to Implement More Cybersecure Pipeline Operations

    Jim Cahill
    Managing the cybersecurity of thousands of miles of pipelines can be difficult for even the largest teams. It used to be safe to assume that pipelines would fly under the radar for cyberattacks. Even though they are a critical infrastructure element, they weren’t something hackers focused on. However, a recent series of high-profile attacks on pipeline infrastructure has changed that outlook, and today, the organizations…

  • Three Strategies to Implement More Cybersecure Pipeline Operations

    Jim Cahill
    Managing the cybersecurity of thousands of miles of pipelines can be difficult for even the largest teams. It used to be safe to assume that pipelines would fly under the radar for cyberattacks. Even though they are a critical infrastructure element, they weren’t something hackers focused on. However, a recent series of high-profile attacks on pipeline infrastructure has changed that outlook, and today, the organizations…

  • Pick the Right Control Valves for Ethylene Service

    Jim Cahill
    Matthew Wagner , Emerson Flow Products Chemical Industry Manager recently published an article in the August 2022 issue of Hydrocarbon Engineering. It is titled “ Control Valve Selection for Ethylene Plants ,” and it describes how to choose the right combination of valve style, trim type, materials of construction, and digital positioners for critical valve application in an ethylene unit. A summary of the article follows…

  • Pick the Right Control Valves for Ethylene Service

    Jim Cahill
    Matthew Wagner , Emerson Flow Products Chemical Industry Manager recently published an article in the August 2022 issue of Hydrocarbon Engineering. It is titled “ Control Valve Selection for Ethylene Plants ,” and it describes how to choose the right combination of valve style, trim type, materials of construction, and digital positioners for critical valve application in an ethylene unit. A summary of the article follows…

This is the official online community site of the Emerson Global Users Exchange, a forum for the free exchange of non-proprietary information among the global user community of all Emerson Automation Solution's products and services. Our goal is to improve the efficiency and use of automation systems and solutions employed at members’ facilities by sharing our knowledge, experiences, and application information.

User Groups | World Areas | Community Guidelines | Legal Information | Privacy Policy | Contact Community Manager

Website translation provided by Website Translator

© 2015-2022 Emerson Global Users Exchange. All rights reserved.