NEWS
JEROEN HUIZINGA, SENIOR DIRECTOR,
JOHN CRANE J
eroen Huizinga, Senior Director, Auxiliary Products and New Energy Solutions, answers questions about filtration and separation under extreme conditions Q. How do filtration and separation systems maintain performance under extreme vibration, temperature swings and pressure changes? A. In environments where intervention is not an
option, such as space applications, filtration and separation systems must be engineered to perform reliably under combined mechanical, thermal and pressure loads. The priority is maintaining stable, predictable flow behaviour, even when operating conditions are inherently unstable. Under extreme vibration, the focus is on preventing small dynamic movements from developing into failure mechanisms. This is achieved through mechanically robust structures, secure retention of filter media, and engineered interfaces that resist loosening, fatigue and the formation of unintended bypass paths. Flow paths are designed to promote stable and predictable distribution, even under sustained dynamic loading. The objective is not to eliminate movement entirely, but to ensure it remains controlled and repeatable. Temperature cycling introduces additional complexity. Differential thermal expansion between materials can lead to misalignment, loss of sealing integrity and the formation of leakage paths. To mitigate this, designs prioritise material compatibility, compliant sealing elements and structural features that maintain alignment across the full operating envelope. Pressure fluctuations are managed by minimising transient loading.
Where appropriate, separation processes are staged and flow transitions are controlled to avoid shock effects. Systems are designed to maintain required levels of integrity and performance under repeated pressure cycling, rather than optimised solely for steady-state conditions. Ultimately, performance is validated through combined-environment testing, ensuring systems maintain required levels of integrity and functional consistency over time, not just under isolated test conditions. Q. What can space-grade filtration teach process industries on Earth? A. Space programmes operate on a simple principle: assume intervention will not be possible, and design accordingly. This mindset translates directly to critical industrial applications on Earth. A key discipline is the explicit understanding of failure modes. This includes how performance degrades over time, how early warning indicators present themselves, and how systems behave at the limits of their operating conditions. Applying this approach allows process industries to better qualify filtration systems against the real-world events that drive failure, including vibration, thermal cycling, pressure excursions, contaminant variability and frequent start-stop operation. Space-grade engineering also sets a high bar for manufacturing consistency. Tight tolerance control, rigorous inspection regimes and full material traceability reduce variability across components and assemblies.
Equally important is a system-level perspective. Filtration and separation do not operate in isolation; they interact continuously with fluid properties, phase behaviour and upstream and downstream process conditions. Designing with these interactions in mind helps prevent localised deviations from escalating into wider operational issues, which could lead to unplanned downtime. This level of engineering discipline improves reliability and operational confidence in systems where performance margins are limited and the cost of failure is high.
www.johncrane.com
6 PROCESS & CONTROL ENGINEERING | MAY 2026
TACKLING CHEMICAL ENGINEERING CHALLENGES
T
he Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) has
opened registration for ChemEngConnect 2026, a free-to-attend, two-week virtual conference running from 15 to 25 June. For the first time, the event expands beyond its origins in the Australia and New Zealand
community to become a truly global gathering, bringing together more than 30 speakers from across Europe, Asia-Pacific and beyond for 28 sessions covering the most pressing issues facing the profession today. Topics include artificial intelligence, carbon capture, energy transition, decarbonisation, sustainability, safety and water, alongside professional development sessions on ethics, diversity and inclusion, and communication skills. Attendees can earn up to 28 CPD hours across the programme. Sessions are scheduled to run during UK morning hours, making them accessible across both European and Asia-Pacific time zones. The conference is open to members and non-members alike, and recordings will be available to IChemE members after the event. “ChemEngConnect 2026 represents a significant moment for our
profession,” said Yvonne Baker OBE, CEO of IChemE. “Chemical engineers are tackling some of the defining challenges of our time – from the energy transition to the responsible adoption of AI – and those conversations need to be global ones. With 28 sessions, more than 30 speakers and free access for anyone to attend, we’ve removed every barrier we can. There is no reason not to be part of this.” Registration is now open. For the full programme and to register free of charge, visit
www.icheme.org/training-events/chemengconnect/
REVISE COOLING STRATEGIES IN EXTREME WEATHER
F
ollowing warnings from scientists that current climate conditions are brewing extreme weather in the months ahead, engineered energy and temperature control solutions provider, Aggreko, is calling upon
process engineers to revise their cooling strategies ahead of time or face the consequences.
Global sea temperatures of 21°C were reported last month – the second highest on record for the month of April – with scientists now pointing to another El Niño warming cycle that could significantly intensify extreme weather.
Chris Smith, Head of Temperature Control at Aggreko, said: “The main thing to look out for is ageing assets, as these are at the greatest risk of lower efficiency, overheating, and failure. Engaging with a specialist temperature control partner can help implement temporary cooling and industrial HVAC solutions to bridge gaps during equipment failures, manage seasonal demand peaks, and provide N+1 redundancy for greater operational resilience.” Aggreko’s latest research report, ‘Temperature Check: Is UK Manufacturing Keeping its Cool?’, revealed that a staggering 99% of UK manufacturers surveyed had faced downtime in the past 12 month due to cooling equipment failures, with 43% facing more than 3 weeks of downtime. In the face of this challenge, hybridised packages consisting of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and temporary chillers or cold storage units are becoming an increasingly popular option for the process industry.
www.aggreko.com/en-gb
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