Chemical Process Design and Qualification

DEI has extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of inorganic and organic chemistry, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, chemical kinetics, and catalysis. This expertise has positioned us well for completing more than 60 chemical process design and qualification projects for commercial and government clients in the electric power and chemical process industries.

Our services in this area include expert consultation, laboratory testing, equipment design and specification, and field support during startup testing or ongoing operations. We can provide turnkey pilot plant systems or assist in the design and construction of large-scale operations.

Some examples of our work in this area include:

Nuclear steam generator chemical cleaning
Biological waste treatment
Comparative study of catalytic processes

Nuclear Steam Generator Chemical Cleaning
Accumulation of corrosion products and impurities in nuclear steam generators—commonly composed mainly of metals and metal oxides—can result in corrosion of pressure boundary materials, thermal-hydraulic instabilities, heat-transfer fouling, and reduced electrical generation. Chemical cleaning processes are often used to remove these unwanted deposits. Our engineers have supported U.S. and foreign electric utilities, research organizations, and government agencies in the development, qualification, optimization, and implementation of such processes since 1980.

We have provided on-site consulting support at more than twenty field chemical cleaning applications since 1997, with our role ranging from independent process review to provision of on-line corrosion monitoring services. Some of the many ways we support clients in this area include:

Preparation of bid specifications
Evaluation of cleaning vendor proposals
Process design
Site-specific laboratory testing
Corrosion assessment
On-site support during implementation

Biological Waste Treatment
DEI is exploring novel technologies for the destruction of organic wastes by bacterial digestion. The advantages of biological treatment over conventional disposal methods include lower cost, lower energy consumption, and no generation or use of hazardous byproducts. One project that has now reached pilot plant scale is the treatment of chelating-agent wastes using thermophilic bacterial strains.

Catalytic Processes
The use of catalysts in chemical, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries is extensive. DEI can provide support by independently reviewing catalyst selection and use.

One of our recent projects involved such a review of a novel cracking catalyst with extremely high selectivity and resistance to fouling and poisoning. We also performed independent analysis of the laboratory and pilot plant studies and submitted a detailed list of recommendations to our client for confirmatory tests and evaluations. These tests verified that, while the successes observed in the laboratory were legitimate, similar performance on a large scale would be unlikely. Nevertheless, even at slightly lower performance, the catalyst was an attractive alternative to those available to date commercially.