Page 126 - Plant design and economics for chemical engineers

102 PLANT DESIGN AND ECONOMICS FOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERS

The major movement of liquid and gaseous raw materials and products
within a plant to and from the point of shipment is done by pipeline. Many
petroleum plants also transport raw materials and products by pipeline. When
this is done, local and federal regulations must be strictly followed in the design
and specification of the pipeline.
Movement of raw materials and products outside of the plant is usually
handled either by rail, ship, truck, or air transportation. Some type of receiving
or shipping facilities, depending on the nature of the raw materials and
products, must be provided in the design of the plant. Information for the
preparation of such specifications can usually be obtained from the transporta-
tion companies serving the area.
In general, the materials-handling problems in the chemical engineering
industries do not differ widely from those in other industries except that the
existence of special hazards, including corrosion, fire, heat damage, explosion,
pollution, and toxicity, together with special service requirements, will fre-
quently influence the design. The most difficult of these hazards often is
corrosion. This is generally overcome by the use of a high-first-cost, corrosion-
resistant material in the best type of handling equipment or by the use of
containers which adequately protect the equipment.

PATENT CONSIDERATIONS
A patent is essentially a contract between an inventor and the public. In
consideration of full disclosure of the invention to the public, the patentee is
given exclusive rights to control the use and practice of the invention. A patent
gives the holder the power to prevent others from using or practicing the
invention for a period of 17 years from the date of granting. In contrast, trade
secrets and certain types of confidential disclosures can receive protection under
common-law rights only as long as the secret information is not public knowl-
edge.
A new design should be examined to make certain no patent infringe-
ments are involved. If the investigation can uncover even one legally expired
patent covering the details of the proposed process, the method can be used
with no fear of patent difficulties. Although most large corporations have patent
attorneys to handle investigations of this type, the design engineer can be of
considerable assistance in determining if infringements are involved. An engi-
neer, therefore, should have a working knowledge of the basic practices and
principles of patent law.?

Watutes and general rules applying to United States patents are presented in the two pamphlets
“Patent Laws” and “Rules of Practice of the United States Patent Office in Patent Cases,” U.S.
Government Printing Office.