2011 Conference Schedule

From less common alternatives such as nuclear, biofuels, solar and wind, to the primary sources of energy that comprise the larger energy source allocation (i.e. oil, gas and coal), this session is intended to raise the audience's awareness on:

This session contains a collection of presentations that outline novel but proven concepts and techniques for process optimization, such as: filter cake washing, quench tower cleaning, bulk solids gravity-flow processing vessels, and fuels and chemicals from industrial gases.

With increasing water scarcity, the need for water treatment and reuse is becoming more important. This session will address emerging technologies for water treatment, conservation, and reuse.

This session covers ways to lower plant rental equipment costs, (CMMS) maintenance Management systems data in litigation, proven methods to benchmark, monitor and mitigate as well as how to deal with corrosion under insulation

This is the first time in American history that four generations are working together. How do you transfer knowledge across all these generations and train the incoming generation? What are leading companies doing to train and develop the new generation of technical workforce and how is academia preparing the new generation for the workforce?

The changing economic environment has also led to a smaller workforce, different work functions being outsourced, and changing attitudes and motivations in the people we work with everyday.

This session attempts to bring understanding to the changing environment and how we can effectively transition the new workforce and retain years of accumulated knowledge.

This session focuses on novel ways to reduce operating costs and achieve higher efficiencies through application of micro-reactors, micro-channel distillation, reactor optimization, and co-flow entrainment separation.

This session will address the management strategies and technology options for capturing and destroying pollutants and ensuring compliance with maintenance, start-up and shutdown regulations.

This session covers tank polymer liners in solvent service and electromagnetic flow meter operation and applications.

This paper session will highlight the advantages of using technologies that improve energy efficiency in petrochemical and chemical processing facilities.

Earlier this year, the U.S. EPA issued new, stricter air emission standards for owners of industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers and then

postponed enforcement of the regulation agreeing that more time was needed for public input.

The EPA estimated that the revised Boiler MACT (maximum achievable control technology) would affect about 200,000 boilers, of which 187,000 are small boilers. “Justice,” the EPA action states, “requires postponing

the effectiveness of these rules.” It found that the proposed rule changes to boilers and incinerators could put nearly 800,000 jobs at risk.

The panel consists of stakeholders in this debate who will share their perspectives on ways to re-craft the regulations that will serve to protect the environment while not hurting business and jobs.

This session will focus on distillation systems in operating units with a particular emphasis on troubleshooting operating issues, revamp projects, and dealing with fouling services.

This session will address solutions for sustainability and optimization of processes toward a more sustainable and effective operation.

The EPA’s Refinery Residual Risk Information Collection Request (ICR) represents an EPA initiative to collect information that will enable the agency to review and propose environmental regulations.

This panel discussion of expert speakers will discuss how the Refinery ICR has impacted the refining industry and what the chemicals industry can learn from this effort in order to prepare itself for a similar initiative.

This session will address the significant hidden threat of failing passive fire protection along with a proactive approach to maintaining it.

In the chemical process industries (CPI), energy expenditures are influenced by a complex interaction between process technologies, operating scenarios and type of energy supply.

In this panel discussion emerging technological options and best operational practices in perspective with statistical analysis of the CPI’s recent energy consumption and the expected energy landscape of the short-, mid- and long-term.

The why and when of intellectual property: discussion on what needs to be protected, how to protect, when to protect, protection duration, and recovery of damages. Intellectual property areas covered are trademarks, patents, copyrights, and trade secrets.

These presentations offer innovative solutions to the most pressing maintenance and performance problems that are associated with harsh and aggressive fluid handling in the CPI. Problems addressed include alloys for improved corrosion resistance and methods for prevention of leakage in pumps and piping.

This seminar satisfies the Texas Board of Professional Engineers requirement for one hour of Engineering Ethics. Despite much talk about ethics, most training avoids any talk of an underlying ethical foundation, thereby promoting situational ethics. What is ethics and why it is needed? What foundation can be used as a guidepost? What logical tests can be used to determine whether my action is ethical or not? This seminar develops a foundation framework and from that, derives a means to determine whether a particular decision is ethical or unethical. Use of interactive case studies allows hands on application of knowledge learned.

Learn how advances in CFD simulation and procedural automation can help you achieve new levels in process design and control.

This session will address implementation, operation and maintenance of safety systems in various industries.