Unit Operations Laboratory 1

PBL: Pipes, Fittings, and Instrumentation Check-Off

ChEn 475 – Knotts

Background

Most chemical engineering students have had very little experience with the tools, equipment, practices, and methods needed to construct a system involving a unit operation. You will be taught the fundamentals during the first part of the PBL Lab experience.

Expectations

You will be required to pass off your ability to either perform the skills or explain the concepts found below before beginning to construct your apparatus. Moreover, a portion of your final grade on the project pertains to the quality of the design of your apparatus. The skills, concepts, and practices found below will be a portion of the quality evaluation.

Skills and Concepts

Pipes and Fittings

  1. Proper tightness (no over/under fitting)
  2. Wrenches and Vises
  3. No leaks
  4. Flanges
  5. Gaskets
  6. Teflon tape
  7. No Teflon tape should end up in flow meter.
  8. Valves
  9. Proper type matched to purpose
  10. Proper installation direction

Apparatus Design

  1. Proper isolation
  2. Easy maintenance
  3. Tank outlet isolation
  4. Stability
  5. Needs to be stable but don’t go overboard.
  6. Make sure to leave materials for other groups.
  7. Off the ground
  8. Pump secured to tank
  9. Adequate flow development around instruments
  10. Plumb and levelness of pipes, pumps, fittings, and instruments
  11. Adequate return into tank

Instrumentation

  1. LabVIEW control and measurement
  2. Input
  3. Output
  4. Electrical Safety
  5. Pressure transducer
  6. Installation
  7. Level
  8. Placement
  9. Need to subtract out the major losses if measuring losses around fittings.
  10. Bleeding
  11. Pumps
  12. Installation
  13. Wiring/Control
  14. The pump is turned on through a motor starter housed in the “blue room” that sends the high current needed to start and run the motor to the box where you plug in the pump.
  15. The motor starter has a solenoid in it that physically moves a “switch” in the motor starter to complete the circuit connecting the building electricity to the box with the pump plug.
  16. You power the solenoid through LabVIEW. One module in your cDAQ sends power to the solenoid.
  17. You need to connect the positive from the LabVIEW module to the positive wire coming from the motor starter that is found in the junction box. You will do the same for the negative.
  18. You will then program LabVIEW to send power to this current when you click the button.
  19. Flowmeter
  20. Installation
  21. Direction
  22. Placement
  23. Not before pump (cavitation)
  24. Entrance Lengths
  25. Wiring
  26. Two wire loop.
  27. Powers the meter and relays the signal.
  28. You need to figure out the (+) and (-) on the meter and on the LabVIEW module and connect them.
  29. See the documentation.
  30. Thermocouples
  31. Installation
  32. Tees, ferrules, etc.
  33. Wiring

Check Offs

Pipes & Fittings
1. Proper tightness / 3a. Valve selection
2a. Flanges / 3b. Valve installation
2b. Gaskets / 4a. Wrenches & Vises
2c. Teflon tape / 4b. Brass Fittings
Apparatus Design
1. Proper isolation / 5. Flow development
2. Stability / 6. Plumb and level
3. Off ground / 7. Tank return
4. Pump/tank security / 8. Electrical Safety
Instrumentation
1a. Labview input / 4a. Pump installation
1b. Labview outlet / 4b. Pump wiring
2a. PT installation / 4c. Pump control
2b. PT bleeding / 5a. TC Installation
3a. FM installation / 5b. TC Wiring
3b. FM Wiring

Signature: ______

(Instructor, Lab Manager, or Assistant Lab Manager)

ChEn 475 – Knotts Page 1 of 3 Pipes, Fittings, Instruments Check-off