Professur für Chemische und Thermische Verfahrenstechnik

Campus Straubing für Biotechnologie und Nachhaltigkeit

Technische Universität München

Cooperative Design Project

The design of a chemical plant for the production of

methanol from synthesis gas

Description

In the present project, a plant for the continuous production of methanol is to be designed.
An overall concept for the plant is to be developed and a detailed analysis is to be carried
out for the chemical reactor and the first heat exchanger (preheater).

Plant design

The production capacity of the plant is 100 t methanol/h. The feedstock is synthesis gas
from a Combined Reformer, whose condition and composition are given below:

temperature 50°C
pressure 30 bar
mole fraction CH4 0.010
mole fraction H2O 0.001
mole fraction N2 0.005
mole fraction CO 0.207
mole fraction CO2 0.087
mole fraction H2 0.690

A pressure of 80 bar is required for methanol synthesis, which is achieved by single-stage

compression. After mixing with a recycle stream (see below) in a static mixer, the stream is
brought to 250°C in a heat exchanger (pressure drop 200 mbar) and converted to methanol
in a reactor (pressure drop 3 bar) by heterogeneous catalysis. The following two reactions
take place:

CO + 2 H2 ⇌ CH3OH (1)
CO + H2O ⇌CO2 + H2 (2)

Reaction (2) reaches the reaction equilibrium. Reaction (1) reaches only 95% of the
equilibrium conversion. The reactor outlet stream is fed to a heat exchanger (pressure drop
200 mbar) to preheat the feed. Subsequently, the stream is cooled to 40°C in a further heat
exchanger (pressure drop 200 mbar). During cooling two phases are formed, which are
Professur für Chemische und Thermische Verfahrenstechnik
Campus Straubing für Biotechnologie und Nachhaltigkeit
Technische Universität München

separated by an adiabatic phase separator (pressure drop 100 mbar). The gaseous stream
is divided. 10% is removed from the process as a purge stream. 90% is compressed back
to 80 bar and recycled. The liquid stream from the separator is expanded to 3 bar and
separated in another adiabatic phase separator (pressure drop 100 mbar). The liquid stream
is crude methanol with the temperature 41.3°C and the following composition:

mole fraction CH3OH 0.773

mole fraction H2O 0.222
mole fraction CO2 0.005

This crude methanol stream is further purified in a distillation sequence. The stream is
expanded to 1.4 bar and fed into the first distillation column (evaporator, partial condenser,
1.4 bar). In the first column, 99.95 % of the CO2 is separated as a gas stream in the partial
condenser. 99.95 % of the methanol and all the water remain in the bottom product. The
second distillation column (evaporator, total condenser, 1.4 bar) achieves a methanol purity
of 99.85 wt-% in the distillate stream and a methanol content of 0.5 wt-% in the bottom
product.

Additional specifications:

 The annual operating time of the plant is 8000 hours.

 Missing numerical values are to be interpreted in a meaningful way.

Tasks

Design a methanol plant with the above specifications. Distribute the different tasks between
the members of the team and make a Gantt chart for the project timeline.
Create a process flow diagram with a stream table based on the above description in
accordance with DIN EN ISO 10628-1. Decide appropriate locations for valves in the
process. Solve all the material and energy balances for the process and each process unit
individually.
For the chemical reactor as well as the first heat exchanger (preheater), the detail
engineering is to be described (see 14-17). In addition, a technical drawing and a piping and
instrumentation diagram is to be prepared for the reactor.
Professur für Chemische und Thermische Verfahrenstechnik
Campus Straubing für Biotechnologie und Nachhaltigkeit
Technische Universität München

On the basis of the basic and detail engineering, investment and operating costs
have to be determined and a profitability analysis according to VDI 2067 or the cash flow
analysis has to be prepared.

Questions serving the basic understanding:

 Are the reactions exothermic or endothermic? How large is the adiabatic

temperature increase in the reactor? Should the reactor be cooled or heated?
 Why is the second separator needed?
 Why is there recirculation?
 Why is not all recirculated? / Why is the "purgestream" needed?
 Why does the first column have only a partial condenser, while the second has a
total condenser?

Report contents (outline):

1. Cover with title, course of study, names, matriculation numbers, start date,
submission date, supervisor, and professorship.

2. Executive summary.

3. Table of contents.

4. Task and the objectives.

5. Group structure and division of the tasks between the team members.

6. Timetable (Gantt chart).

7. State of the art.

8. Overview of the entire process.

9. Complete process flow diagram with stream table, apparatus information, heat
duties and utility needs according to DIN EN ISO 10628.

10. Detailed description of the process.

11. Description of the apparatuses and equipment.

Professur für Chemische und Thermische Verfahrenstechnik
Campus Straubing für Biotechnologie und Nachhaltigkeit
Technische Universität München

12. Mass and energy balances for the entire process and for each individual unit, using
the necessary chemical, thermodynamic, reaction engineering, and mass transport
data.

13. Experiments, analysis, results (if required).

14. Technical design of the process units according to performance requirements such
as conversion, residence time, temperature, pH, etc.

15. Technical design in accordance with the safety-related aspects such as choice of
material, corrosion, wall thickness according to e.g. AD 2000, choice of seals for
flanges, types of bearings for agitator shafts, insulation requirements, requirements
for explosion protection zones, air exchange, etc.

16. Technical design according to legal aspects such as pollutant emissions in exhaust
gases and exhaust air, noise emissions, wastewater, etc.

17. Overview of the safety analysis (HAZOP) with description of the most important
accident dangers (toxic gas dispersion, explosion, fire, leak, etc) and accident
prevention and counteracting measures.

18. Detailed technical drawings.

19. Piping and instrumentation flow diagram.

20. Material safety data sheets for the used reactant, products and utilities.

21. Capex and Opex determination and economic valuation by means of a profitability
calculation according to VDI 2067 or the cash flow consideration.

22. Bibliography.

23. Appendix.