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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best distillation column temperature controller tuning? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Mar 19, 2025

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best distillation column temperature controller tuning?

Greg's Response:

Dynamic simulations running faster than real time are key to ensuring the best column temperature controller tuning. Except for high purity

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best distillation column temperature control strategy? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Mar 12, 2025

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best distillation column temperature control strategy?

Greg's Response:

Dynamic simulations running faster than real time are key to ensuring the best column temperature control strategy. The manipulation of separ

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best distillation column pressure control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Mar 06, 2025

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best distillation column pressure control?

Greg's Response:

Dynamic simulations can be help ensure distillation column pressure does not cause instability from operation at the weep point or flood point. The opera

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best crystallizer temperature control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Feb 26, 2025

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best crystallizer temperature control?

Greg's Response:

Batch-operated stirred cooling crystallizers are the most common type in the industry, but they tend to yield poor quality, primarily due to the high cooling

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best dryer temperature control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Feb 09, 2025

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best dryer temperature control?

Greg's Response:

The basic loop arrangement for dryer temperature control would use cascade control of outlet temperature to set inlet temperature. However, a constant outlet temper

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best kiln and calciner temperature control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Jan 12, 2025

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best kiln and calciner temperature control?

Greg's Response:

In kilns and calciners, there are typically four zones. First is a drying zone of constant temperature, followed by a heating zone of rising temperature

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best vessel temperature control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Dec 16, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best vessel temperature control?

Greg's Response:

A vessel is defined here as storage, recycle, blend, or surge volume where there is no heat of reaction and no agitator. Fortunately, most vessel volumes are so la

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best heat exchanger temperature control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Dec 04, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best heat exchanger temperature control?

Greg's Response:

Flows much lower than design causes a high process gain and high process deadtime that can lead to temperature oscillations and possible instability. Low v

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best temperature measurement installation? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Nov 18, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best temperature measurement installation?

Greg's Response:

Temperature RTD sensors should use 4 wires and TC sensors should use extension wires of same material as sensor with length as short as possible to minim

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best temperature measurement selection? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Nov 07, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best temperature measurement selection?

Greg's Response:

Temperature is often the most important of the common measurements because it is an indicator of process stream composition and product quality. Temperature

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best lime system design for pH control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Oct 22, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best lime system design for pH control?

Greg's Response:

Lime feeders have a transportation delay that is proportional to the length of the feeder divided by its speed. This transportation delay may be several min

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best liquid reagent dilution for pH control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Oct 02, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best liquid reagent dilution for pH control?

Greg's Response:

A common misconception is that the slope of the titration curve and, therefore, the system sensitivity can be decreased by reagent dilution. Reagent di

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best liquid reagent delivery for pH control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Sep 25, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best liquid reagent delivery for pH control?

Greg's Response:

If the reagent pipeline is partially filled or empty or a dip tube is backfilled with process fluid, the regent delivery delay becomes the biggest sour

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best reagent selection for pH control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Sep 18, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best reagent selection for pH control?

Greg's Response:

For a reagent dose to be precise enough, the reagent’s logarithmic acid dissociation constant (pKa) should be close to the pH set point so that it tends to f

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best control valve deign for pH control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Sep 10, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best control valve deign for pH control?

Greg's Response:

Stick and slip generally occur together and have a common cause of friction in the actuator design, stem packing, and seating surfaces. Rotary valves with

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best static mixer use for pH control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Sep 02, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best static mixer use for pH control?

Greg's Response:

Static mixer have noisy pH measurements. Signal filtering can help but a downstream volume is needed to provide smoothing of pH oscillations that can be large

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best vessel design for pH control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Aug 27, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best vessel design for pH control?

Greg's Response:

pH systems are extremely sensitive to the vessel design. A poor design can make good pH control impossible in nearly all systems despite the use of the most adva

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best titration curve critical for pH system design? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Aug 05, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best titration curve critical for pH system design?

Greg's Response:

The titration curve is the most important piece of information for designing, commissioning, and troubleshooting pH control systems. Lab titrati

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best minimization of pH system cost? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Jul 29, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best minimization of pH system cost?

Greg's Response:

Because of the pressure to minimize capital costs, a project may sell itself short on the number of stages required. The basic rule from the 1970s was that a w

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of developing the best maximization of reactor production rate? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Jul 22, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of developing the best maximization of reactor production rate? 

Greg's Response:

Production rate can be maximized by a valve position controller (VPC) monitoring coolant valve position. The VPC setpoint is the maxim

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of developing the best fluidized bed gas reactor temperature control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Jul 16, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of developing the best fluidized bed gas reactor temperature control? 

Greg's Response:

For gas reactants and a gas product, a pressure loop controls the material balance and provides the time available for reaction

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of developing the best liquid multiphase reaction completion control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Jul 09, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of developing the best multiphase reaction completion control? 

Greg's Response:

For both batch and continuous reactors, reaction completion control seeks to provide a complete conversion of all reactants and consequ

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of developing the best liquid single phase continuous reactor composition control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Jul 01, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of developing the best liquid single phase continuous reactor composition control?

Greg's Response:

For reactions that are all in one phase (gas, liquid, or solid), inventory control (pressure or level control) canno

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Ask Greg McMillan - What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of developing the best liquid single phase continuous reactor temperature control? automation test systems greg mcmillan multi-purpose dynamic simulation Jun 24, 2024

We ask Greg:

What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of developing the best liquid single phase continuous reactor temperature control?

Greg's Response:

Temperature loops control the energy balance and the reaction rate through the Arrhenius equation. A cascade tempera

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