Pilot Plant

Name:
Pilot Plant
Detailed information:
A trial assembly of small-scale reaction and processing equipment that is the intermediate stage between laboratory experiment and full-scale operation in the production of a new product. The functions of this stage are (1) to furnish chemical engineers with design data needed to construct a large-scale plant, (2) to resolve the many problems inherent in conversion from batch to continuous production, (3) to eliminate the differences that accompany change from constant laboratory conditions to a less closely controlled environment, and (4) to provide management with a basis for cost evaluation and estimation of the capital requirements of the new product. Because the size of the pilot plant varies with the nature of the product, it must be determined on an individual basis.