BITS Pilani

Pilani Campus

Lecture-2
Nature of process synthesis and analysis
Course: Process Plant Design CE 1705/1701

Nandana Chakinala
Department of Chemical Engineering
PROCESS

Inputs Outputs

“feed” Process “products”

2
DESIGN
Definition of Chemical Process Design

Chemical
Raw Material Process Chemical
Product
??

Chemical process design is about finding a

sustainable process that can convert the raw
materials to the desired chemical products
3
Creative Aspects of Process
Design
• The Purpose of Engineering
– to create new material wealth through chemical
transformation of material to value added
products
• What ideas can be generated
– Production of purchased raw material
– Conversion of waste to value added products
– Creation of new material
– New ways of producing material
– To implement a new technology

4
Creative Aspects of Process
Design
• Process and Plant Design
– Creative activity whereby
– Generate ideas, translate them into equation and
processes for producing new materials
– or for significantly upgrading the value of existing
materials

5
How process design evolve
• At research stage
– 1 to 3% success rate
• Development stage
– 10 to 25% success rate
• At Pilot stage
– 40 to 60% success rate

Evaluate ideas at various stages, evaluation is key

aspect of process design

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Your role in the chemical
process

Process synthesis vs.

??Process analysis

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Problem Areas Synthesis and
Analysis
• Design problems are under-defined
• Missing information: make guesses, make use of
thumb rules/heuristics
• In the absence of heuristics - Use shortcut design
methods
• Synthesis activity is creative process
• Various variables of process gives rise to large no
of process alternatives as high as 106 to 104

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Objective

• We have to find the process alternative (out

of 104 – 109) possibilities
– Capital and operating cost
– Process is safe (Less hazardous chemicals)
– Satisfy environmental constraints
– Easy to start up and operate etc.
Not all alternatives satisfy all criteria. Shortcut design
is powerful tool for comparing alternatives

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Strategy for Process
Synthesis and Analysis
• Suppress at initial stage all other information except
the most essential. We look at only equipment of
process that are cost expensive
• Economic tradeoffs to reduce the overall capital and
operating cost
• Introduce changes in the design only if they give
significant improvement in any of criteria listed
earlier
• Analogy b/w process design and painting: PPD
never be completed
• PPD ceases when addition of further details does not warrant
significant return or benefit
• PPD is joint activity of scientist and Engineer
10
Levels of Engineering Design

• Order of magnitude estimates based on previous cost

data (Accuracy 50%)
• Study or factored estimate – based on broad process
design, knowledge of major process equipment
(Accuracy 25%)
• Preliminary estimate – based on more data (Accuracy
15%)
• Definitive estimate – based on almost complete
process but before exact drawings and specification
• Detailed estimate – Complete engineering drawing/site
data/market survey
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How do estimates evolve

• New process with no previous cost data, use

experience
• Design of systematic approach for cost estimation
• Design of a process through successive layers of details. With this
approach we end up as many as 100 best alternatives
• Evaluation/screening alternatives is a major aspect of
process design

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Hierarchical approach to
process design
• To develop simple solutions to process design and
then add additional details
• Evaluate the economic potential or profitability of the
process at each stage of process development
• Example of petrochemical process: HDA process

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 Typical design steps of
chemical processes
• Recognize a societal or engineering need
• Make a market analysis if a new product will result
• Create one or more potential solutions to meet this need (Literature
survey, patent, preliminary data)
• Undertake preliminary process synthesis (Reactions, Separations,
possible operating conditions, preliminary SHE concerns)
• Assess profitability of preliminary processes (if negative reject, look for
alternatives)
• Refine required design data (property data with appropriate S/W, key
unknowns of process)
• Prepare detail engineering design
• Develop base case
• Prepare process flow sheets
• Integrate and optimize process
• Check process controllability
• Size equipment
• Estimate capital cost
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 Typical design steps of
chemical processes
• Reassess the economic viability of process(if negative, either
modify process or investigate other alternatives)
• Review the process again for environmental, safety and health
effects
• Provide a written design report
• Complete the final engineering design
• Determine equipment layout and specifications
• Develop Piping and Instrumentation diagrams
• Prepare bids for equipment
• Procure equipment
• Provide assistance in the construction phase
• Assist with start up and shakedown runs
• Initiate production

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Hierarchical Approach to
Conceptual Design
Example: Hydrodealkylation of toluene (HDA Process)
– To produce benzene
– Vapor phase process
C6 H 5CH 3 + H 2 → C6 H 6 + CH 4 Rxn 1

2C6 H 6  2C6 H 5 + H 2 Rxn 2

Reaction temperatures for homogeneous reactions: 1150 – 13000F

– If T < 1150 0F the reaction rate is very slow
– If T > 1300 0F significant decomposition of toluene
– Pressure 500 psia ( ≈ 34 atm)
– Excess hydrogen (H2: aromatics = 5:1)
– Reactor effluent gas must be rapidly quenched to 11500F

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Possible flow sheet
Purge
H2, CH4
H2, CH4 HEAT COMPRESSOR

Recycle H2 Light Gases

HEAT
Partial H2, CH4
0F
Condensed
1150 – 1300 H2, CH4 Condenser aromatics +
C6H6 Light gases
REACTOR COOLANT FLASH
C6H5CH3,
Recycle Toluene Diphenyl
H2, CH4
HEAT
HEAT C6H6
(Main Product)
P S
R T
O A Boiling Point (°F)
R
D B Diphenyl 491
E
U I
Toluene (C6H5CH3) C Toluene 232
C L
Y Benzene 176.2
T I
C Methane −258.68
Z
L
E Hydrogen - 423.182
E
R
Diphenyl (unwanted) C6H5CH3, (C6H5)2 C6H6, C6H5CH3, C6H5
Boiling points

Boiling Point (°F)

Diphenyl 491
Toluene 232
Benzene 176.2
Methane −258.68
Hydrogen - 423.182

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 Thank You

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