Chemical Engineering April 2012 - 71

Gulf Coast Special Advertising Section
These blast-resistant buildings are tested for real
A Box 4 U supplies blast-resistant buildings that have been tested in real explosions -
unlike those of some other manufacturers, points out Dr Ali Sari, PE
and we set out to create a blast resistant building based on the
shipping container form factor.
There were other companies selling blast resistant buildings,
so we researched their products, only to find that none had actually
been blast tested. I was amazed to learn that some petrochemical
plants were buying them based on interior amenities
like attractive lighting fixtures and even glass mirrors in the restrooms,
which could injure or kill personnel in a blast. This is still
true of many blast-resistant buildings.
We worked through the engineering process, adding reinforcements
to the basic shipping container model, and ultimately created
what has evolved into a custom design that can be either
portable or permanent, plain or elegant.
Then we did something unprecedented in the field of blastTested
at 10 psi: a blast-resistant building from A Box 4 U
W
hen my team investigated the Texas City, Texas, refinery
disaster in 2005, I immediately noticed two things: one,
where wood-frame office trailers had stood, only splinters
remained; and two, a number of shipping containers in the blast
zone were still standing.
Around the same time, ConocoPhillips approached Kansasbased
company A Box 4 U to ask if they could build a more rugged
office to protect personnel in blast zones. A Box 4 U contacted me,
resistant buildings: we blast tested the product (rated at 10 psi
using a high explosive charge at a standoff distance of 100 feet).
We needed to be confident that our building could actually save
lives. It can. Everything inside our building was unharmed: the
lights, furniture, computers and test dummies. The blast test videos
on our website speak for themselves in terms of the product's
ability to survive close-proximity explosions.
Hopefully there will never be an opportunity to find out how
they perform in a real disaster, but if I'm ever close enough to witness
an explosion at a refinery or chemical plant, I know where I
want to be.
50 years of leadership in heat transfer
HTRI this year celebrates half a century of helping companies in the chemical process
industries effectively use heat transfer technology
H
eat Transfer Research, Inc. (HTRI) is a leading global provider
of process heat transfer and heat exchanger technology,
research, and software. Founded in 1962, this industrial research
and development consortium serves the engineering needs of
over 1200 corporate member sites in 57 countries. In 2012, HTRI
proudly celebrates 50 years in business.
HTRI's proprietary research is currently conducted on seven
rigs at the organization's state-of-the-art Research & Technology
Center. These industrially relevant studies are augmented by the
use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and quantitative flow
visualization. HTRI uses the proprietary data from these efforts to
develop methods and software for the thermal design and analysis
of heat exchangers and fired heaters.
HTRI Xchanger Suite®, the most advanced software for the design,
rating, and simulation of heat exchangers, brings HTRI's rigorous
research to end users in an integrated graphical environment.
It delivers accurate design calculations for:
* shell-and-tube heat exchangers;
* jacketed pipe and hairpin heat exchangers;
* plate-and-frame heat exchangers;
* plate-fin heat exchangers (coming in Xchanger Suite® Version 7);
* spiral plate heat exchangers;
* fired heaters;
* air coolers and economizers;
* tube layout and vibration analysis.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING||||WWW.CHE.COM||||APRIL 2012||||||71
Additionally, HTRI provides technical support to all members and
offers training, consulting, and contract services to both members
and non-members.
HTRI's dedication to excellence assures customers of a distinct
competitive advantage and a high level of operating confidence in
equipment designed with HTRI technology.
www.htri.net
www.abox4u.net
http://www.abox4u.net http://www.htri.net
Chemical Engineering April 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering April 2012
