Sterilizer Chemical Emissions Solution

Client:

Confidential

Location:

Lake County, IL

Project Type:

Asset Management
Engineering & Design
Planning & Consulting

Market Type:

Energy
Industrial

Key Takeaways

Cleaner Sterilization Operations

The upgraded EtO scrubbing system helped control chemical discharge while preserving the plant’s essential medical equipment sterilization capacity.

Reliable Public Health Support

The improvements helped the plant safely sustain production of sterilized medical supplies during a period of extraordinary demand.

Creative Controls Engineering

Engineers designed a flexible, sensor-driven system that could adapt to unknown operating conditions on a compressed schedule.

About the Project

Stanley Consultants engineers work a quick fix to sterilizer chemical emissions issue

A plant in the Midwest is one of 31 across the country that employs ethylene oxide (EtO) techniques to perform the important job of sterilizing a wide variety of medical equipment, including surgical kits, masks, face shields and gloves. However, issues had arisen about emissions of the chemical used in the sterilization process. Plant management asked Stanley Consultants engineers to devise a solution that would allow it to scrub discharge of the chemical.

The existing plant had controls that monitored EtO but had no functional capability. The new system controlled variable speed fans that drew air out of different areas of the plant, as well as monitoring other parts of the system, such as air pressure in the dozens of dry bed air cleaners where air is cooled before being circulated through a cleansing media. Other piping conducts air through a new scrubber process before exiting the building’s tower. A new system of sensors and alarms were part of the design, which added another screen in the control room.

The most creative part of the controls engineering was working with the controls vendor to set up system parameters without knowing the inputs and outputs of the system after being built due to the short design timeline.

The system was operating by the end of 2019 with ongoing adjustments. It enabled the plant to play a critical role in safely sterilizing medical equipment for use during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

By The Numbers

1

Of 31 U.S. Sterilizing Plants
Dozens

Of Dry Bed Air Filters
1

Scrubber

Solutions

Engineering & Design

Engineering and design services at Stanley Consultants combine our robust technical skills with forward-thinking innovation to deliver the highest-quality results.

Engineering Asset Management

We understand that assets, whether related to infrastructure, intellectual property or goodwill, are all unique—just like the needs of our clients. That's why our asset management consulting services are tailored to each project, providing data-driven insights and strategic solutions to help clients achieve their specific goals.

Engineering Planning & Consulting

At Stanley Consultants, we understand that planning and consulting include every aspect of engineering. Using advanced tools and methods, we deliver designs and master plans focused on longevity, resilience and sustainability to address today's challenges and tomorrow's opportunities.

More Projects