PBL: Pipes, Fittings, and Instrumentation Check-Off

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

Signature: ______

(Instructor, Lab Manager, or Assistant Lab Manager)

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