CHEN 4470 – Process Design Practice

Dr. Mario Richard EdenDepartment of Chemical Engineering

Auburn University

Lecture No. 2 – Contents of Reports

January 17, 2013

Comments about Reports

– Review literature on production, market & economics of methanol, acetic acid, and FT liquids

– Describe governing chemical/physical principles in each process including phase behavior

– Identify the principal process units necessary to achieve the desired products

– Prepare process flow diagrams for the carbon resource to fuel and/or chemicals process

– Prepare detailed material balances based on flowsheets

– Prepare preliminary energy balances for flowsheets

– Prepare economic analyses based on the preliminary flowsheets and mass/energy balances

Progress Report 1

– Use ASPEN Plus to develop improved process flowsheet(s) with refined material and energy balances and simulate the primary process equipment

– Perform preliminary economic analyses of the base case design(s)

– Identify and discuss recycle potentials and evaluate the effects on the process economics

– Identify supply and target temperatures for the process streams and perform thermal pinch analyses to identify the potential for heat recovery and reduction in utility usage

Progress Report 2

– Implement material and energy recovery strategies and optimize the design(s)

– Complete the control strategy and include on process flow diagram(s)

– Propose safety concept(s) including inherently safe design considerations

– Complete the energy assessment(s), including thermal pinch analyses

– Review literature for separation and process improvement techniques that can be used to further improve the overall process performance

Progress Report 3

– Complete the economic analysis including all process options

– Complete the detailed environmental, health and safety analysis of the suggested design

– Report results from individual team assignment

– Combine the results from all progress reports into one coherent and comprehensive report

– Make sure the headings, numbering systems for figures and tables etc. are consistent.

– Rearrange paragraphs if necessary to make the report as homogeneous as possible.

– Remember to include EH&S sections.

Final Report

• Structure and Organization– These are progress reports, i.e. they are NOT

etched in stone.

– Revisions can be made before submission of final report.

– Mass and energy balances serve ONLY to give a qualitative idea of the orders of magnitude before starting simulations.

General Comments 1:5

• Structure and Organization (Continued)– Sections may be moved around in the final

report to ensure a more logical flow of information.

– First progress report is intended to give a thorough introduction to the processes involved along with background information that you may have acquired.

– Definitions of conversion, yield and extent of reaction are different in a lot of books. Check the definition to ensure proper use of data.

General Comments 2:5

• Format and Content– Formatting is up to the individual groups. Pick a

format you like and stick to it. Less work later.

– Figures and tables should be presented as close as possible to where they are used in the text.

– Include an executive summary or abstract highlighting the main points of the report.

– Include a description of how the work was distributed within the group (for assessment purposes), i.e. who did what.

General Comments 3:5

• Format and Content (Continued)– Detailed calculations of e.g. material balance

should be placed in an appendix, while the solution strategy should be presented in the main body of the report.

– Extensive (but not excessive) use of headings helps give overview and will assist you when moving sections around in the final report.

– A frontpage is always nice

General Comments 4:5

• ASPEN– Necessary references for equipment such as

scrubbers (absorbers) and different reactors.

– Depending on the reaction data you have acquired several reactor alternatives are available (stoichiometric, conversion, yield distribution, rate-based, etc.)

General Comments 5:5

Remember, the weekly status meetings are for your benefit as well

as mine. I’m here to help

• Next Lecture – January 22– Using the Auburn University Library (bring

laptops)– Andrew Wohrley

• Lecture – January 24– Gasification of Coal and Biomass Resources– Dr. Sushil Adhikari, Dept. of Biosystems

Engineering

• Lecture – January 29– Introduction to Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis– Dr. Ray Xu, Dept. of Chemical Engineering

• Lecture – January 31– Overview of Mass Exchange Operations

Other Business

Why I am Away Next Week

Lukas Plambeck EdenMy nephew and Godson

will be baptized January 27, 2013