Nalco, Georgia-Pacific Foundations Support Miami University's Pilot Plant Upgrade
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Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA, is modernizing the stock preparation system of its pilot paper machine using significant donations by the Nalco Foundation and the Georgia-Pacific Foundation. The grant allowed for the purchase of two pumps and associated instrumentation and controls that will further enable the pilot paper machine to use multiple stock sources.
The key objective of the project was to allow for increased process flexibility and to provide the option to meet a wide range of process needs that are the nature of a pilot paper machine. With the installation of the pump(s), a continuous flow of stock is now possible from the beater to the stock chests and then directly onto the machine chest.
The initial construction phase of the work was completed by a senior design project team with faculty oversight. The team included Joe Carlin (PSE/ChemE-paper-‘11), Tony Brusadin (ChemE-‘11), and Glen Slejko (ChemE-paper-‘12), under the guidance of Dr. Catherine Almquist.
The new system enables up to three fiber furnishes to be prepared in advance in the three 250-gal chests on the lower level, and then pumped to a custom mix tank just prior to the headbox. The result of these changes is such that rapid changes in the stock composition are now possible. Multiple addition points for filler and chemical additives are included in the design so that the influence of furnish and additive changes on product properties can be studied.
The Nalco Foundation provided a $25,000 grant that was used for digitally controlled stock pumps, process control instrumentation, and plumbing for chemical addition points. Georgia-Pacific Foundation initiated the project with a donation of $10,000 for the initial fan pump, custom blend chest, and piping.
As a result of the upgrade, it is now possible to control stock flow to the mix tank as well as to control the additive concentrations, and to control the fan pump speed, all through a single digital control panel. The learning experience was enhanced not only by having the ability to vary the production parameters and test their effects, but also by being able to play an active role in the design and assembly of the system.
The Paper Science & Engineering Foundation and the Chemical & Paper Engineering Department have expressed their "deepest appreciation" for the support provided by the Nalco and Georgia-Pacific Foundations.
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