H. P. BROOM, Catalytic Development Company, Marcus Hook, Penna.
T
HE Catalytic Development Company, developer of the Houdry process for the catalytic conversion of petroleum fractions, has recently completed a laboratory installation at Linwood, near Marcus Hook, Penna., designed to provide facilities for fundamental physico-chemical catalytic investigations, including small-scale preparation and testing of experi
mental catalysts; study of catalytic processes in pilot units essentially duplicating commercial installations, and associated chemical engineering problems; and analytical and testing laboratories and shops. There are one building housing re
search and test laboratories and offices, a development labora
tory, a shop, and a sample storage building. A knock test laboratory is under construction. The plot of 7 acres allows for expansion of the research and test laboratory building, duplication of the development laboratory building, and ex
tension of the shop and sample storage facilities. Particular attention has been paid to obtaining ample window space in all buildings. Total floor area is approximately 35,630 square feet.
The entrance to the research and test laboratory build
ing is emphasized by an aluminum and glass panel extending
from the ground to an equipment penthouse above the second story. In the entrance lobby, which is modernly utilitarian in design, the telephone operator serves as a receptionist. In the short wing to the left on the first floor is a general office, 40 X 25-feet, for maintenance engineer, purchasing agent, stenographers, etc., which is equipped with an acoustic ceiling.
To the right are six offices occupied by supervisory engineers and liaison men with other departments of the company. The right-hand half of the ground floor is the test laboratory where conventional petroleum inspections are carried out. Im
proved controlled reflux distillation towers are here installed, in place of the Hempel type, for the separation of gasoline from synthetic crude in quantities sufficiently large for test
ing. Two of the latest design Podbielniak Robot distillation columns are part of the test laboratory equipment.
On the second floor are offices for the head of the labora
tories division and of the research department, and the li
brary, and research laboratories for organic analysis, inorganic analysis, preparation of experimental catalysts, routine testing of experimental catalysts, etc. In one room, assigned to dis
tillation, are a 100-plate column still and several stills of 25 to
In t e r i o r o f De v e l o p m e n t La b o r a t o r i e s
G e n e r a l a rra n g e m e n t o f six la b o r a to r ie s , th r e e o n e a c h s id e , w ith la rg e r o o m a t fa r e n d . I n ce n te r, tr a v e lin g c ra n e a n d h o is t w ith g u id e ch a in h a n g in g d o w n .
778
DECEMBER 15, 1940 ANALYTICAL EDITION 779
De v e l o p m e n t a n d Te s t La b o r a t o r i e s 1. E n tr a n c e t o b u ild in g . 2. S e c tio n o f te s t la b o r a to r ie s , s h o w in g la m p s u lfu r s e tu p , d o o r t o b a la n c e r o o m , c o r k s o fte n e r a n d b o r e r s , a n d o v e n . E n c lo s e d flash a n d fire r o o m b e h in d o v e n . 3.
O n e o f sm a lle r resea rch la b o r a to r ie s . 4. R e s e a rch l a b o r a t o r y , s h o w in g m a n a t p a n d r y e r , h ig h -te m p e ra tu rc e le ctr ic fu rn a ce , r a c k f o r fil
te r in g a n d m ix in g , a n d sm a ll b a ll m ill. 5. D e v e lo p m e n t l a b o r a t o r y . C o n tr o l p a n e l (b a c k v ie w ) a t e x tr e m e left, p i lo t u n it w ith o p e r a to r , v e n tila tin g e q u ip m e n t a b o v e o ffic e d o o r . 6.
S h o p in resea rch l a b o r a t o r y . H o s e s o f glass b lo w e r o n le ft. M a n o p e r a tin g sm a ll d r ill p ress.
S m a ll la th e in ce n te r, fin ish ed g la ssw a re, t o o l r a c k , a n d v is e a t r ig h t
780 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY VOL. 12, NO 12
DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY
RESEARCH BUILDING SECOND FLOOR 30 plates, all with controllable variable reflux.
There are also a small storeroom and a shop for glass blowing and small-scale machine work.
In one of the laboratories a hole in the floor leads to an open spot in the test laboratory which has already been used for packing of tall distillation columns.
In the basement are 85 lockers, a shower room with 6 showers, a complete washroom, and a recreation, smoking, and lunch room.
In a room at one end is machinery for the ex
perimental production of small batches of catalyst. A storeroom, glassware laundry, print machine, and utilities service room are along one side. The first floor is well above ground level, allowing plenty of light to enter the basement. A stair well is located near each end of the building; in one is a dumb waiter for moving heavy cylinders and other equip
ment from the basement to the test or research laboratory floors.
The entire building is ventilated by forced draft. Recirculated and fresh air is filtered and sent to the offices; it may be cooled by the installation of a simple refrigeration unit.
Fresh air is blown into all the laboratories and exhausted through the hoods to the out
side. Flake ice is produced by a 1-ton-per-day refrigeration machine in the test laboratory and distributed to the other laboratories in insulated boxes as needed. Distilled water is prepared in a still in the penthouse above the second floor and piped to the analytical labora
tories. Small carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are in each laboratory and larger ones are in the
halls. Emergency showers are placed by the door of each labo
ratory and fire blankets are hung on the walls. A steel balcony runs around the outside of the second floor, providing a means of escape in case of fire in one of the laboratories between a man and the door. All laboratory doors open out to the halls.
The development laboratory is of industrial type construc
tion with a flat roof 21 feet high. It is divided by walls 8 feet high into six sections 35 X 22 feet, each housing two or three pilot units, and one larger section 50 X 35 feet for larger scale chemical engineering equipment. An office connecting with each development laboratory provides desk space for two development division engineers. The pilot units are all steel, operate at commercial cracking temperatures and pressures, and have throughputs ranging from 1 to 20 gallons per hour. A table and sink in each laboratory provide a place for record notebooks, weighing and measuring charge and products, etc. Room is left behind all pilot units for making repairs easily. Control panel boards are an inte
gral part of each unit with switches mounted for electrical heat control as well as temperature and pressure recorders and indicators.
No container of oil over 5 gallons’ capacity is permitted in
side the laboratory; a porch runs along each side of the build
ing to cover drums and larger auxiliary equipment from which oil can be pumped to the pilot units. In the roof over the large room are four panels 4 X 5.5 feet to permit running towers or other tall equipment up through the roof. A truck can be backed into this room and a 2-ton crane can pick up equipment from the truck and deliver it to any spot in the laboratory. There are 18 feet of headroom under the crane.
Ventilating and heating are by 16 blowers spaced around the walls of the laboratory. Air is exhausted by 8 fans in the roof and by 16 outlets to a duct in the floor. In this way the accumulation of hazardous heavy vapors is avoided
and hot air rising to the roof is removed. At one end of the development laboratory is a hot room where, by use of a cabi
netlike arrangement, drums of heavy oil are kept at 150° F.
while the rest of the room is not uncomfortably warm. Across from the hot room light oil samples are kept at 50° F. by a unit which also provides 50° F. cold water around the labora
tory for uniform condensing conditions. All the develop
ment laboratory equipment is electrically heated, and 4000 amperes at 110 volts are distributed through a copper bar
“ Buss-Wa” system which may be tapped at any point around the laboratory. A central vacuum system operated by a steam jet gives a dependable vacuum equal to the best that can be obtained in normal commercial installations.
No house vacuum is supplied in the research laboratory, it being felt that better results could be obtained by individual pumps.
The knock test laboratory will house two convertible C. F. R. engines to run either A. S. T. M. or ’39 research method octane tests. An A F D -lC aviation test engine will also be installed and humidity-regulated air will be supplied.
The shop is well equipped to produce most of the apparatus needed for either the research or development laboratory.
Machine tools and welding equipment are allotted about equal space. The shop also houses locker room and lavatory for the mechanical force, an instrument shop, storeroom, fire equip
ment, garage, electrical metering equipment, and air com
pressors. Steam is obtained at 450 pounds pressure from the Sun Oil Co. near by and a reducing valve for the steam supply is also in the shop.
The storage building is of Transite and is designed to store oil, catalyst, and miscellaneous samples. An adjacent roofed section provides storage for quantities of light oil drums, while heavy oil drums are stored in an adjoining uncovered area.
An oil separator is provided for surface sewage.
DECEMBER 15,1940 ANALYTICAL EDITION 11
A N E W S A R G E N T C O N S T A N T
T E M P E R A T U R E W A T E R B A T H
Guaranteed accuracy and uniformity, ±0.25°C. All immersed vessels fu lly visible through walls of bath
This new bath has just two compact operating units—
a linear expansion t y p e thermoregulator and a heating and circulating tower. The illustration clearly shows how this concentration o f parts leaves a high percent
age o f the total bath space entirely free o f obstructions, and so materially increases the amount o f space that can be used for insertion o f vessels.
From the standpoint o f convenience, there are fewer elements to assemble, adjust and care for. Both the thermoregulator and heating and circulating tower are integrally mounted on a one-piece lightweight alumi
num casting which rests on the rim o f the heavy Pyrex glass container. The entire unit can be lifted out o f the bath when desired— there are no clamps o f any kind.
Performance is guaranteed— accuracy o f regulation and uniformity o f temperature at every point in the bath are ± 0 .2 5 °C . The circulating and heating tower contains a turbine impeller and all heating units. Heat is thus correctly applied to the water at the point o f its
most rapid circulation. The uniformity o f temperature produced by this bath is directly dependent upon this type o f heating and circulating system which is the same as that used in the 0.01° Sargent Constant Temperature Water Bath.
8-84860 W A T E R B A T H — Constant Temperature, Full Visibility, 0.25°C., Sargent. Complete with heavy molded Pyrex glass container, 12 inches high and 12 inches in diameter; circulating and heating unit with motor; linear expansion type thermoregulator with temperature reference dial, and cord and plug. Water depth, 11 inches. For operation from 110 volt 60 cycle single phase circuits... $75.00
5 H R G E H T
L R B O R R T O R V 5 U P P L I E 5
E . H . S a r g e n t A Co. • 1 5 5 - 1 6 5 E a s t 5 u p e r i o r S t . , Chicago
12 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY VOL. 12, NO. 12
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