Thanks for your help and suggestions.

A plant needed to replace a shell and tube preheater due to plugging.  Kam suggested to use a welded plate and frame exchanger for this service.  The unit is performing above expectations, costs less and requires less space than a shell and tube exchanger.  Business plans to monitor the performance of this exchanger and leverage the design to several of our other existing plants.

A plant could not achieve the desired vacuum in the devolatilizer at high rates.  Result was product with high residuals at high rates.  Kam completed a study of the condensing and vacuum system and recommended to modify the baffles in the partial condenser, replace the final condenser, and relocate the first stage vacuum blower.  The vacuum in the devo is now sufficient at high rates to achieve the desired residual levels in the product.     

I would like to recognize you for the work you did in helping our production plant to successfully put in service the partial condenser after being of line for 30 years. Your expertise and technical support helped us convincing the plant that this was a good deal. Now everybody is happy and most importantly we are seeing benefits: compliance with Tech Center guidelines, less reactor tube fouling and lower raw material losses. Great work!

Folks:

I think the review by Kam uncovered issues which we have resolved. I think the final design is more robust than the original proposal, with only minor changes.

Thank you all for your professionalism and patience on the issue of the review of the design of the ethane vaporizer.

I have an apology...I should have involved Kam several weeks earlier.

Anyway, GOOD WORK!

Thanks to Kam's design of the vacuum condensing system, the new production train is able to pull a vacuum of 2.3 mbar(abs) or 1.7 mmHg(abs) in the devolatilizers (this represents 99.8% of total vacuum!) resulting in a residual monomer level of 50 ppm.  This is the best ever achieved by any of our similar production plant in the world.  Congratulations to Kam for being able to deliver this incredible value to the business. 

Thanks again for your help on our project.

Needless to repeat that I and many others will miss your expertise and willingness to share it.

Yours sincerely,

I want to thank you VERY much for working as part of our project team and helping my very green engineers with the exchangers (49 of them).   Without you we would be in big trouble.   Real big trouble.  I wish there was something meaningful I could do for you both to show my appreciation (can't afford two new BMW's).    I'll try to think of something.

Have a good day eh,

Thanks for dropping what you were doing to help our operating plant in an emergency situation. The plant went down due to a failed tantalum heat exchanger. Engineering was called to provide support. Three options were being perused in parallel to help the plant make the correct decision. Within one day, all three options were evaluated and the plant was able to make a decision before the other exchanger was removed. Thanks you for helping in the decision making process.

Thank you for the prompt and helpful review.  I know our production plant is anxious to get the exchanger purchased so it can be installed in time for summer use, so your speed and knowledge are appreciated.

Regards,

Great work - thanks for your attention to detail and your diligence in investigating all of the options.  I know it required a lot of effort from each of you.