Activity

  • Reducing Chemical Over‑Injection and CapEx Through Control‑Grade Injection Strategies

    Jim Cahill
    In upstream Oil & Gas operations, chemical injection is one of those critical processes that rarely gets much attention—until something goes wrong. Corrosion, scale formation, and flow assurance issues can quickly turn into costly production disruptions, safety risks, and unplanned maintenance. As a result, many operators take a conservative approach: inject more chemical than necessary […] The post Reducing Chemical…

  • Turning Flow Data into Operational Advantage: Inside the Micro Motion™︎ Coriolis Transmitter Portfolio

    Jim Cahill
    Across industries—from chemical and energy to life sciences—operators are being asked to do more with less. Processes must run reliably, systems must integrate smoothly, and regulatory expectations continue to rise. At the same time, traditional approaches to flow measurement verification often introduce downtime, site visits, and uncertainty that teams can’t afford. As product managers for […] The post Turning Flow…

  • 4 reasons why radar level sensors are superior to ultrasonic level devices

    Jim Cahill
    4 reasons why radar level sensors are 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 post 4 reasons why radar level sensors are superior…

  • Final Control Innovations for European Chemical Producers’ Net-Zero Goals

    Jim Cahill
    Competitiveness requires the ability to offset higher energy costs and additional regulatory requirements on the path to Net-Zero. Valve selection and lifecycle management play a significant role in operating these production processes with higher availability, greater reliability, and lower emissions. The post Final Control Innovations for European Chemical Producers’ Net-Zero Goals appeared first on the Emerson Automation…

  • Measuring an Unseen Danger: Real-Time Corrosion Monitoring Warns of Metal Loss, Before it’s Too Late

    Jim Cahill
    Owners and restorers of old cars know that blistering paint on a door or fender is a tell-tale sign that rust has penetrated through the metal and a hole will soon form. Industrial maintenance teams also look for signs of corrosion, but often they aren’t visible until it’s too late. There are various ways to […] The post Measuring an Unseen Danger: Real-Time Corrosion Monitoring Warns of Metal Loss, Before it’s Too…

  • Measuring an Unseen Danger: Real-Time Corrosion Monitoring Warns of Metal Loss, Before it’s Too Late

    Jim Cahill
    Owners and restorers of old cars know that blistering paint on a door or fender is a tell-tale sign that rust has penetrated through the metal and a hole will soon form. Industrial maintenance teams also look for signs of corrosion, but often they aren’t visible until it’s too late. There are various ways to […] The post Measuring an Unseen Danger: Real-Time Corrosion Monitoring Warns of Metal Loss, Before it’s Too…

  • Emerson Delivers A Process Gas Analytical Solution for the World’s Largest Blue Ammonia Plant

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson recently delivered a fully engineered analyzer house solution to support gas analysis applications at the world’s largest blue ammonia facility, setting a new benchmark for integration, performance, project certainty, and customer collaboration. Tackling Complexity with Confidence As the global energy landscape shifts toward low-carbon innovation, precision and reliability in process analytics have never been…

  • How Measurement Instrumentation Enables the Future of Carbon Capture and Sequestration

    Jim Cahill
    As governments, industries, and investors converge on net-zero strategies, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has emerged as a necessary tool—not just to limit future emissions, but to actively remove and store existing CO₂ for the long term so it no longer poses a threat. However, scaling CCS from promising pilots to global infrastructure hinges on […] The post How Measurement Instrumentation Enables the Future…

  • Designing for Reliability: Engineered Solution in Powder Discharge Systems Podcast

    Jim Cahill
    Polyethylene and polypropylene are polymer plastics that are widely used in packaging applications. Powder discharge systems handle polyethylene and polypropylene powders during the discharge process. The valves used in this process are challenged due to high-speed requirements, frequent cycling, and the abrasive and intrusive presence of the powder particles. In this episode , Emerson’s Ashwin Kannan joins me to discuss…

  • Designing for Reliability: Engineered Solution in Powder Discharge Systems Podcast

    Jim Cahill
    Polyethylene and polypropylene are polymer plastics that are widely used in packaging applications. Powder discharge systems handle polyethylene and polypropylene powders during the discharge process. The valves used in this process are challenged due to high-speed requirements, frequent cycling, and the abrasive and intrusive presence of the powder particles. In this episode , Emerson’s Ashwin Kannan joins me to discuss…

  • Raising the Bar for Flow Measurement: My Conversation on Control Amplified

    Jim Cahill
    Flow measurement may not always make headlines, but for industries like oil and gas, chemical manufacturing, and life sciences, it’s the cornerstone of operational excellence. I recently had the pleasure of joining Len Vermillion on the Control Amplified podcast to talk about how Emerson’s Micro Motion ELITE Coriolis flow meters are redefining what’s possible in this space. Listen to the episode here . Precision That…

  • How to Make Carbon Capture More Efficient and Less Expensive

    Jim Cahill
    Systems to combat air pollution from combustion processes generally inject a chemical into the gas stream that is designed to neutralize a specific pollutant. For example, limestone slurry is sprayed into sulfur-dioxide-laden flue gas to neutralize the potential acid and form gypsum . There are other similar combinations, but one pollutant just won’t cooperate: carbon dioxide. There’s no way to turn carbon dioxide into…

  • New and Improved Severe Service Urea Valves

    Jim Cahill
    The urea process poses extreme challenges for control valves, including high pressures and pressure drops, elevated temperatures, and corrosive carbamate solutions. Our article in the June 2025 issue of Hydrocarbon Processing , titled “New alternatives for severe service urea letdown valve applications,” describes recently introduced control valve designs that extend service life, simplify maintenance, and are more readily…

  • Forging a New Value Chain: Advanced Solutions for Carbon Dioxide Measurement in CCUS

    Jim Cahill
    Over the last century and more, a few industries have developed large-scale integrated production and distribution systems, covering the span from source to final consumer. Oil and gas are the most obvious, covering all aspects of industrial, commercial, and consumer applications. We’ve come to call these systems value chains. With the growth of environmental concerns, we can now add carbon dioxide to this list as its…

  • Emerson Provides the Only Flow Measurement Solution for Carbon Dioxide

    Jim Cahill
    Over the last century and more, a few industries have developed large-scale integrated production and distribution systems, covering the span from source to final consumer. Oil and gas are the most obvious, covering all aspects of industrial, commercial, and consumer applications. We’ve come to call these systems value chains. With the growth of environmental concerns, we can now add carbon dioxide to this list as its…

  • Wireless Pressure Relief Monitoring for MON Mandate Compliance

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Andrew Cureton presented Don’t Overthink It–Wireless for Chemical Industry MON Mandate Compliance at the 2025 Emerson Exchange Conference. His session explored the monitoring requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules for pressure relief valves. Here is Andrew’s presentation abstract. Can wireless sensors be used to meet EPA monitoring requirements? It sure would eliminate a lot of the…

  • Upgrade or Get Left Behind: The Hidden Risks of Old Wireless Field Gateways

    Jim Cahill
    In a world where field operations depend on fast, reliable, and secure data transmission, sticking with outdated wireless field gateways can silently sabotage your performance. Legacy devices will still in operation, but they’re often the weak point — exposing systems to cybersecurity threats, limiting your ability to scale or integrate new digital services, sensors and assets monitoring solutions. This note highlights…

  • Control Valves for Ammonia Production Efficiency

    Jim Cahill
    Ammonia is well known for being a base ingredient for numerous chemical products and fertilizers. In recent years, amid growing emphasis on sustainability and decarbonization, ammonia has emerged as an energy source and an efficient energy storage and transportation medium. It offers significant logistical advantages over hydrogen, such as easier storage and transportation, positioning it as a practical carrier for hydrogen…

  • The Growing Sophistication of Instrumentation Makes In-House Servicing Less Practical. Here’s an Alternative.

    Jim Cahill
    I work with a lot of engineers and other mechanically minded people, but I don’t know many that work on their own cars. Maybe an oil change here or there, but the sophistication of today’s engines and internal networks makes DIY work so impractical that it really must be left to specialists. The same idea applies to much of the technology used in process manufacturing today. Think of the differences between a mechanical…

  • Driving Quality and Safety in Electric Vehicle Battery Production

    Jim Cahill
    Most of today’s electric vehicles (EVs) rely on lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries due to their high-energy density. As these batteries have become increasingly more advanced, so has the manufacturing process required to produce them—a complex interplay of chemical production and intricate assembly. To meet the stringent production requirements, ensuring quality, safety , and reliability is paramount in the manufacturing…

  • Improving Ammonia Production Sustainability

    Jim Cahill
    Ammonia production, a cornerstone of global food security, carries a significant environmental footprint. While its output is essential for producing fertilizers to feed billions, it accounts for 1.8% of global CO 2 emissions, releasing around 500 million tonnes annually. The energy demands are also significant, consuming 3% – 5% of global natural gas and 1.8% of total energy output. Finding sustainable, less carbon-intensive…

  • Chemical Recycling of Plastic Waste via Conversion

    Jim Cahill
    Global plastic waste by waste management category. More than 90% of plastic is never recycled. Source: OECD Global Plastics Outlook (2022). Only about 9% of the world’s plastic waste is recycled, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) . Many post-consumer plastics are considered unrecyclable via traditional mechanical methods and end up in landfills, get incinerated, or pollute…

  • Quad Flow Meter Design Addresses Both Safety Concerns and Process Control

    Jim Cahill
    If a trip to the doctor for a routine checkup resulted in a call for a drastic and costly medical procedure, there would be a legitimate reason to request a second opinion. If we apply the same concept to a major process unit in a refinery or chemical plant, an alarm triggered by a single field instrument could cause a complete shutdown with production grinding to a halt. This may be caused by an actual emergency and…

  • Rugged, Reliable Valves for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing

    Jim Cahill
    At the Valve World 2024 Conference , Emerson’s Knut Riegel presented Selecting Valves for Chemical Process Applications. His presentation addressed the chemical industry’s role in Germany, key principles to meet the needs of this industry, and the engineered valve solutions to address these needs. Valves are essential in chemical manufacturing and play a central role in the drive for greater sustainability. Sixty…

  • Micro Motion™︎ Coriolis Flow Meters Are Now Easier to Select and Install, Providing Even More Value to Chemical Industry End Users

    Jim Cahill
    One aspect of consumer electronics that we all appreciate is how designers have worked to make things easier to use. It wasn’t that long ago when adding some peripheral device to a computer called for fiddling with drivers and configuration, whereas today many devices are plug and play. The same also happens with industrial equipment, and we can use Micro Motion Coriolis mass flow meters as an example.   Coriolis flow…

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