WEEKLY MEETING 8

Participants
1) Natpaphanon Jirayuthanyawat (61011292)
2) On-napak Lokitsangtong (61011302)
3) Ruangladda Limpongsawat (61011327)
4) Sirada Ampornsittikul (61011332)
5) Thanyaporn Sae-tong (61011347)

Meeting Agenda
Topic 1: Change configuration of separation units

• Change the condenser type.

• Change recoveries and reflux ratio to get the desired DME purity (>98.5%).
Topic 2: Sizing of heat exchangers and pressure changers

• Check conditions of the process streams to decide where to put the heat
exchangers.
• Select utility
• Heat transfer area to size heat exchangers.
• Multi-compressor and pump sizing
Topic 3: Storage vessel sizing

• Storage conditions and phase of raw material and product.

• Storage time
• Storage tank sizing (D, L, volume)

1
Progress
• Distillation column:
o Change the configuration of the first distillation column to partial vapor
condenser to separate the light gases from liquid DME and methanol + water.
o Second column to separate CO2 from DME that’s still left over.
o Third column to further purify DME from methanol.
• Heat exchangers
o All sizing of heat exchangers using shell-and-tube.
o Choose utilities from reference of books and paper
• Pressure changers
o Increase pressure of methane that’s stored as liquid phase under low
pressure.
o Sizing by finding pump head and C/H factor.
• Storage tank
o Store all materials (raw material and product) as liquid.
o Find max volume of each pressure vessel and find how many we need.

Conclusion
Finished sizing all equipment and checking the conditions for the reactions and
separation to get pure DME to sell. Also divided parts of the report and presentation for
each member to finish by the deadline.

Responsibilities
Members Responsibilities
Natpaphanon • Find heating value of fuel to heat
furnace
• Finish report and
• Further calculate the heating value of
presentation
vapor streams from heat exchanger
for heat integration next time.
2
Members Responsibilities

• Market analysis
On-napak • Simulate all units in ASPEN
• Sizing all units in ASPEN
Ruangladda • Find the price of DME, LPG and Diesel
to calculate for current DME market
price.
• Composition of biogas (methane).
• Draw flow sheet.
Sirada • Help simulate units in ASPEN
• Furnace sizing in excel.
Thanyaporn • Draw flow sheet.
• Calculate mass and energy balance.