Overview of Process Design

Chapter 4
Terry A. Ring
ChE

Where is Design used in

Industry?

Where is Design used in Industry?

De Novo Designs
Known Plants but different location or
larger size
Plant Improvement
Debottlenecking Plant
Increase Plant Capacity
Increase Plant Efficiency
Decrease Costs
Pollution Minimization

Importance of Process Design

In Preliminary Process Design
98% Operating Costs Committed
80% Capital Costs Committed

Less than 10% $ Spent

Design is Very Important

But why is this so?

How is Design Practiced

Process Conception
Preliminary Design
Process Concepts
Process Economics

Management decision to go forward

Intermediate Design
P&IDs
Ask vendors for prices major pieces of equipment
Reactor, Separators, HX, Utilities, tank farms

Process Economics

Management decision to go forward

Detailed Design
Mechanical Engineering
Equipment + Supports
Where are all the nuts and bolts

Piping elevation
Electrical/Power Engineering
Utilities
Process Economics

Management decision to go forward

Process Creation
Chemical Reaction Routes
Preliminary Database
MSDS (Health and safety info.)
Raw Materials
Reaction Products and Intermediates

Thermo/phys properties (Expts and Predictions)

Heats of Formation
VLE data, solubilities, etc.

Chemical Prices (Chemical Market Reporter)

Operating costs
Selection of Raw Materials
Selection of Reaction Path to Product
Determine Gross Profitability of Process
Examples
Vinyl Chloride Manufacture (part of PVC plant)
Example in your book

Octane Manufacture (part of refinery)

Process Economics-I
Macro View
Possible Reactions for vinyl chloride

1) C2H4 (ethylene) + Cl2 C2H3Cl (vinyl Chloride) + HCl

2) C2H2 (acetylene) + HCl C2H3Cl
3) C2H4 + Cl2 C2H4Cl2 C2H3Cl + HCl
4) C2H2 + 2HCl + O2 C2H4Cl2+H2O
C2H4Cl2 C2H3Cl +H2O
C2H2 + 2HCl + O2C2H3Cl +H2O
(overall)

5) C2H4 + Cl2 C2H4Cl2

C2H2 + 2HCl + O2 C2H4Cl2+ H2O

2 C2H4Cl2 2C2H3Cl + 2HCl

2C2H4 + Cl2 + O2 2C2H3Cl + H2O

(overall)

Gross Profitability Analysis-1

Start With Raw Material Costs and
Product Prices

Gross Profitability Analysis-1

For Each Reaction Determine the Profit to
be made
Gross Profit is
22/lb(1) +18/lb (0.583)-18/lb(0.449)-11/lb(1.134)=11.94 /lb

Gross Profitability Analysis-2

Overview of Various Reactions

Reaction 3 is most profitable!

How much do we make? Market Volume?
http://nexant.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0255-3041_ITM

Example of Market Information

http://www.ceramics.org/ASSETS/574195312DA149928805FFEA1242FECF/MaterialsReview_08_08.pdf

Process Synthesis-1
Reaction 3
Direct Chlorination
Pyrolysis

Consider Separations
VLE data
Boiling Points

Flash HCl from Rxn Products

Process Synthesis-1
Separation System

Process Synthesis-3
Task Integration
Reactor & Condenser

Separations

Onion Model of Process Design

Overall Process

Octane Reaction
2C2H4 + C4H10 C8H18
P= 5 psi, T=93C, X=98% Conversion

Preliminary
Flow Sheet
Flash
P= 2 psi
Distillation
Purge Stream

With Heat
Integration

Without Heat Integration

What else can be done?

Where is the heat duty for the Flash
vessel coming from?
Heat Exchanger coupling reactor feed to
reactor product.

Do we really need the flash vessel?

Let distillation column do all the separation.

Reactor heat duty

Exo or Endo reaction?
Where does it come from?

Onion Model of Process Design

Importance of Process Design

In Preliminary Process Design
98% Operating Costs Committed
80% Capital Costs Committed

Less than 10% $ Spent

Design is Very Important

But why is this so?

Why
In Preliminary Design
Decide on Raw Materials
Decide Process

Reactor System
Separation System
Recycle System
Heat Integration Scheme
Utilities

Operating Costs
Capital Costs
Capital Costs
Capital Costs
Capital Costs
Operating Costs