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Free to Die Special Report

electricity consumption for air condi- Making profi ts fl ow: How continuous manufacturing
tioning and save by not having to paint
the huge vertical wall. The glass sur- can intensify chemical processes while simultaneously
face does not discolour, does not deve-
lop algae and deposition of dust can be enhancing process safety
avoided by inclining the panels forward
by 2-3°, which also potentially reduces
the maintenance cost. he chemical industry, a major seek to design the machinery around
cornerstone of the modern manu- the chemistry. By giving the chemis- DR. CHANDRAKANTH GADIPELLY
Environmental dust pollution in Principal Research Scientist,
space in a 25-27 story building. I notice the walls from transmitting unwanted India is much higher compared to other Tfacturing economy, feels beset on tries the respect they deserve, fl ow R&D, Amar Equipment Pvt. Ltd.
some buildings do not have any open- heat inside the home. parts of the world. This is partly due to all sides. While it faces intense pressures processes win exceptional synergies. Email: Chandrakanth.gadipelly@
ings (like windows or gallery) on the our pace of faster development and partly to deliver intricate chemistries cost Taking the example of lithiation again, amarequip.com
South-facing wall. There is no structure The energy effi ciency of a verti- poor practices in construction. Covering effectively, it simultaneously must com- in a high-specifi c-heat-transfer-area
obstructing light in the vicinity. Since cally installed solar panel is lower by unused land with wood chips as practiced ply with increasing stringent safety and millireactor, the lithiation can be exe- DR. VISHWANATH DALVI
the buildings are tall, the roof is small, about 30%. That means, in place of in many developing countries can mitigate environmental regulations. Processes cuted within seconds of residence Advisor – Flow Technology,
and the capacity of the rooftop solar generating 1,500 units annually, a the problem to some extent. must be intensifi ed with every ounce of time, continuously and at temperature Amar Equipment Pvt. Ltd.
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plant may not suffi ce to serve even the vertical panel may generate 1,000-1,050 synergy identifi ed and won – while still of ~0 C – resulting in tremendous sav- Institute of Chemical Technology,
needs of a lift in the structure. units per year. In spite of this, the All east, south and west facing being absolutely safe and hazard-free ings in utility (chilled brine vs cryo- Mumbai
opportunity that vertical installation walls can be covered with solar panels, to operate. Business-as-usual is now a genic utility), tremendous increases in Email: Vishwanath.dalvi@amar-
It is recommended that solar panels present outperforms the potential from even though the aesthetics of the build- pathway to go out of business. production rates (a few litres of reactor equip.com
be cleaned every week to obtain maxi- the roof. Whereas a rooftop solar plant ings may be somewhat disturbed. Con- volume can achieve the same through-
mum effi ciency. This requires water, may at the most generate 300 units per sidering the fi nancial benefi t that will In this relentless, competitive put as a 20 kL batch tank) and tremen-
cleaning chemicals and manpower. In day, due to space restrictions, the verti- accrue, residents may agree to covering environment, the industry is shedding dous improvements in process safety limitations can impede reaction
short, it costs money. Delays in clean- cal plant is capable of generating up to the exteriors. Authorities should also the comfort of the stirred batch tanks. (tiny in-process inventory means that rates and yields, particularly in
ing lead to lower electricity production. 2,500 units per day due to unhindered consider offering subsidies for vertical These technologies have long been the risks and downsides of even con- multi-phase reactions.

It is possible to install panels facing light for most of the day, most of the solar panels installation. favoured for their fl exibility and long tainment failure can be managed with  Expansive reactor footprints:
downwards to prevent dust deposition, year. This is possible by using a larger experience enabling rapid scaleup. great facility). Batch processes typically require
as shown in my window. number of panels on vertical walls. In Washable Two sided They are still the go-to technology large reaction vessels and signifi -
addition, the reduced heating on the white surface panel for rapidly bringing new products to Limitations of traditional batch cant fl oor space to accommodate
Vertical installation also insulates walls also helps the residents to reduce market. However, they are not a manufacturing processes the required production volumes.
sustainable solution for products with Batch processing has been the This translates to higher capital
established markets. workhorse of the fi ne chemical and investment in infrastructure and
pharmaceutical industries for bit more increased operational costs associ-
This is because the stirred batch than a century now: offering fl exibility ated with maintaining these large
tanks necessarily force fi t chemistries for producing a wide range of products facilities.
to equipment. Chemistries are varied in varying quantities. However, this  Large inventories of hazardous

as lithiations, nitrations and fermenta- established methodology suffers from materials: Batch operations often
tions are all carried out in essentially several inherent limitations that hinder involve the storage and handling of
Drain the same confi guration. This fl exibility both process intensifi cation and safety substantial quantities of hazardous
comes by sacrifi cing synergy. A parti- in the face of modern demands: reactants, intermediates, and pro-

Some special arrangements may cularly egregious example is carrying  Suboptimal heat and mass transfer: ducts. These large inventories in-
be considered for installation of bifa- out lithiations (normally a fast reac- Batch reactors, particularly at larger crease the potential severity of any
cial solar panels (see above fi gure). If tion with time constants of the order of scales, often struggle with ineffi - accidental release or thermal event.

necessary, white parabolic refl ectors seconds at room temperature) at cryo- cient heat transfer due to their large  Higher operational costs and
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with larger area than of the panel can genic temperatures of -70 C to slow volumes and limited surface area- energy consumption: The ineffi cien-
be used for refl ection. Since diffused them down so that the heat removal to-volume ratios. This can lead to cies in heat and mass transfer, cou-
light is also as effective, the refl ectors rates can be managed by the heat the formation of hot spots in exo- pled with the need for large-scale
need not be optically pure. Bright, non- transfer surfaces (jackets, and coils) of thermic reactions, increasing the equipment and extensive material
stick, white surfaces that can be easily the large stirred batch tanks. risk of thermal runaway incidents handling, contribute to higher ope-
cleaned with air or water, can be used. and the generation of unwanted rational costs and elevated energy
V.C. Malshe On the other hand, fl ow processes by products. Similarly, mass transfer consumption in batch manufacturing.

186 Chemical Weekly April 22, 2025 Chemical Weekly April 22, 2025 187

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