CHEN20011/CHEN64011 Process Design and Simulation

Sample examination uestions

!ecture 1" #$e Nature o% C$emical Process Design
Intended learning outcome: Students should be able to reflect on significant issues pertaining to
process design and associated projects.
&uestion 1'1
Chemical products may be classified as bulk, fine and specialty chemicals.
i) Provide an example of each class of chemical.
Bulk Chemicals: Sulphuric Acid, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Ethylene
Fine Chemicals: Pharmaceutical intermediates, Perfumes, Dyes and la!or intermediates
Specialty: Pharmaceuticals, Pesticides, "extiles, Perfumes, Dyestuffs, Pigments
[1 mark
ii) !riefly discuss the main characteristics of each class of products.
Commodity/Bulk Chemicals: Produced in large !olumes, purchased on the basis of
chemical composition, purity and price# $sually undifferentiated i#e no difference bet%een
one manufacturer and the other
Fine Chemicals: Produced in small !olumes, purchased based on chemical composition,
purity and price so as to be used as intermediates for manufacture of agricultural
chemicals, perfumes and dyes
Specialty Chemicals: Purchased because of their effect &function' rather than chemical
composition# Differentiated
[" marks
iii) Compare the priorities for design for bulk and specialty chemicals.
!ulk Chemical# "end to be produced in !olumes greater than ())) t*y# +igh !olume, lo%
added !alue#
Specialty Chemical# "end to be produced in !olumes less than ())) t*y# ,o% !olume, high
added !alue
Commodity Chemicals Fine and Specialty Chemicals
-eep Operating .ost ,o% Priority gi!en to product rather than process
since uni/ue function must be maintained#
Since consumers purchase specialty product
based on their function, if that function is
compromised, then sales %ill plummet
+igh .apital .ost0large incenti!e to lo%er
operating cost
Operating cost less important since small
scale
,o% capital cost relati!e to the commodity
cost
"ime to market is important because of
patent protection# Dra% a graph that
explains the four type of products0 poor
product, patent expired product,
reformulated product and commodity
product
[$ marks
&uestion 1'2
i) %ist three factors that can influence the definition of a chemical process design problem&
discussing briefly their potential impact on the overall project economics.
' Product Specification: 1hat is the product you are trying to make2 does it ha!e a purity
specification3 4mpurity specification# 1hat is the product flo%0rate3 4f a %ell defined
chemical product is to be manufactured, then product specification is easier# +o%e!er, if
a specialty product is being manufactured, then functional properties are important than
the chemical properties and %ould re/uire a product design stage
' 5yproducts that cannot be sold#
' Accuracy of calculations
' 6arket, the yield
' Problem (efinition
[" marks
&uestion 1'(
i) )ive an example of ho* contingency should be built into a design. +xplain the potential
conse,uences of providing both too little and too much contingency.
.ontingency is %hen a plant is o!erdesigned through the application of safety factors or
allo%ance for cost differentials# or example the feed of the unit is not exactly specified# 4f
too little contingency is pro!ided the plant %ill be !ery expensi!e or might not %ork, %hich
%ould lead to no formation of product# 4f you add too much contingency &o!erdesign, the
plant might be difficult to operate and might lead to a less efficient plant#
[" marks
&uestion 1'4
i) Provide a sketch that presents a hierarchy for process design.
Displayed in additional Sheet
[$ marks
ii) +xplain three significant links *ithin the hierarchy& noting their potential impact on a
process design.
7eactor: "his is central to the synthesis problem
7eactor8Separator: Determines the energy re/uirements of the design problem
7eactor8Separator8+eat reco!ery: Determines ho% much external utilities are re/uired#
"his %ill in turn determine the process economics of the design#
[" marks
&uestion 1')
i) +xplain the difference bet*een process synthesis and process simulation& commenting on the
roles of each in process design.
Process synthesis in!ol!es selecting a series of processing steps %hich %ill take a feed from
its initial state to the product stage# "hese process steps can be reaction, separation, mixing,
heating, cooling and pressure change# Process synthesis also in!ol!es determining the
connecting steps bet%een the processes# A diagrammatic representation of the process
synthesis is the process flo% sheet# A mathematic model of the process flo% sheet is the
process simulation %hich tries to predict the beha!iour of the process#
"he process simulation predicts process re/uirement and the output from the process
-hat are possible process evaluation considerations.
.onsider the economic performance, en!ironmental impact, health and safety0 process must
meet re/uired criteria, operability and control, flexibility, a!ailability &operating hours in a
year'
Structural and parameter issues are important#
[" marks
&uestion 1'6
i) +xplain briefly the main differences bet*een a batch and continuous process plant.
4n batch processes the main steps operate discontinuously# "he batch process does not
deli!er its products continuously but in batches# "herefore heat, mass, temp, and
concentration !aries %ith time# 5atch processes consist of a series of batch and semi0
continuous steps# 4f recycling is re/uired, storage may be necessary since not all operations
occur at the same time# .ontinuous processes are the opposite0 operate continuously, %ith
products being deli!ered continuously, and so the parameters are constant# No need for
storage of recycled products# +eat reco!ery is not possible in a batch reactor
[$ marks
ii) %ist three advantages and three disadvantages of batch'*ise production of chemicals.
Ad!antages
' "hey are economical for small !olumes
' Are flexible in accommodating changes in product formulation, and the conditions and
parameters can be altered
' lexible in changing the production rate by changing the number of batches made in
any period of time
' Allo% the use of standardi9ed multipurpose e/uipment for the production of multiple
products# Are also amenable to direct scale ups#
' "hey allo% for product identification
Disad!antages
' 7e/uires significant storage and products cannot be made in large /uantities
' ,onger time for product formation, and %ould re/uire significant maintenance and
obser!ation#
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iii) )ive one example each of a typical batch process and a typical semi'continuous process.
7eactor filling and feed heating is semi0continuous process# 7eactor pumping and product
cooling is semi0continuous# +eating, cooling and reaction in reactor !essel is a batch
process#
[$ marks
iv) +xplain the interaction bet*een cycle time and e,uipment si/e and comment on ho* may
this impact on the process economics.
.ycle time is the time taken from the start of one batch to another batch, %hile the make0
span is the total number of time to produce a certain amount of batches# 4f the cycle time is
for a se/uential operation, the time takes longer than the cycle time for an o!erlapping
operation# "his is because in an o!erlapping operation, the batch starts before the next
batch process has been completed# "his hal!es the recycling time for most single0product
plants, and hal!es the e/uipment si9e for a gi!en production !olume# "his %ould reduce the
capital cost of the e/uipment, is more efficient, and gi!es more production in a gi!en time of
operation#
[0 marks
&uestion 1'*
i) +xplain the concept of retrofit in a chemical production facility.
4t is the addition of ne% technology to a pre0existing plant# Design is carried out to re!amp
an existing plant# "he retrofit can be done to impro!e capacity, allo% for different feed or
product specifications, reduce operating costs, impro!e safety or reduce en!ironmental
emissions#
[$ marks
ii) Present three examples of ho* the design problem for retrofit is different to that for a ne*
plant.
' "he design problem attempts to impro!e capacity, reduce operating costs and impro!e
safety#
[" marks
iii) 1he objective of a retrofit is to expand plant capacity. Comment on ho* the scale of the
expansion can impact on the design and the associated process economics.
' .onnections bet%een e/uipments as %ell as e/uipment modification should be made#
7eusing e/uipment could cut do%n in!estments costs# 4nstalling the retrofit
modifications re/uire a do%ntime, and production has to be stopped# ,ost production is
the highest cost of retrofit# Place the ne% unit in series and parallel to a!oid loss of
production, and modifications should be done %hile the plant is running# 6odify
connections bet%een existing e/uipment, placing a ne% item in series or parallels, and
the plant capacity %ill reach its thresholds# +a!e to decide and %eigh the cost of
building a ne% plant or :ust modifying it to produce a larger capacity#
[" marks