Chemical Process Design

Subject 1. Introduction to chemical process design

Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

Tamkang University
Outline
• What is Chemical Engineering?
• Chemical Process Industry
• Plant Project and Process Design Stages
• Major Steps in Process Design
• Flow Diagrams
• Other Common Diagrams

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What is Chemical Engineering?
Chemical Engineering is a broad discipline dealing with processes
(industrial and natural) involving the transformation (physical, chemical,
or biological) of matter or energy into forms useful (and so more
valuable) for mankind, economically and without compromising
environment, safety, or finite resources.
Chemistry
Air Mathematics

Natural Gas

Coal
Economics
Minerals

Energy
Physics
Biology 3
What is Chemical Engineering?
“Scientists investigate that which already is;
Engineers create that which has never been.” Creativity
Albert Einstein

“Scientist asks WHY?, and engineer asks Synthesis

WHY NOT?”
Jeffrey Siirola

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What is Chemical Engineering?
The SUCCESS require access to four essential elements

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ChE (Chemical Engineers) Curriculum
• Basic Sciences
Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry
• Engineering Sciences
Thermodynamics (Heat, work, phase equilibrium, chemical equilibrium)
Transport Phenomena (heat transfer, fluid mechanics, mass transfer)
Numerical Analysis
• Engineering Design
Computer-Aided Design
Chemical Reaction Engineering
Separation Processes
Process Control
Process Design

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What are the fields of ChE?
• petrochemicals, petroleum and natural gas processing
• plastics and polymers
• pulp and paper
• instrumentation and process control
• energy conversion and utilization
• environmental control
• Biotechnology
• Biomedical and Biochemical
• food processing
• composite materials, corrosion and protective coatings
• manufacture of microelectronic components
• Pharmaceuticals

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Chemical Process Industry (CPI)
• Petrochemicals, Industrial Organic Chemical Producers
Producers of olefins, alcohols, ethylene and ethylene-based chemicals such as ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol,
propylene, methanol and related products.
• Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (Specialty Chemicals)
Major companies engaged in the production of acids, compounds (sodium, phosphate, etc), activated carbon, chemical
catalyst, peroxides, and similar chemicals.
• Industrial Gases
Manufacturers of hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, argon and other industrial gases.
• Agricultural Chemical Industry
Bulk liquid and solid (granular, powder) agricultural product producers, including fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides,
fungicides, and intermediates, such as urea, ammonia, nitric acid, and ammonium nitrate.
• Plastics, Rubbers, and Resins Manufacturers
The manufacturing of synthetic resins, plastic materials (polyethylene, polypropylene and similar commodities),
nonvulcanizable elastomers, synthetic rubber by polymerization or copolymerization.
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Chemical Process Industry (CPI)
• Chemicals
• Oil and Gas (upstream and downstream)
• Pulp and Paper
• Rubber and Plastics
• Food and Beverage
• Textile
• Electronics/IT
• Metals, mineral processing
• Electronics and microelectronics
• Agricultural Chemicals Industries
• Cosmetics/ Pharmaceutical
• Biotechnology/Biomedical
• Environmental, technical, and business consulting
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Development of a new chemical process
– a case history

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Development of a new chemical process
– a case history

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Stages of Plant Project
IMPORTANCE OF EARLY STAGE-DESICISONS

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Process Design Objectives
• Maximize profits by transforming raw materials into useful products
• Product specifications: quality, rate.
• Safety
• Operational constraints
• Environmental regulations - on air and water quality as well as waste
disposal.

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Process Design Stages

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What is a Process?
A process is some operation carried out to modify input(s) to
output(s) – based on physical, chemical or biological changes

Inputs Outputs

“feeds” Process “products”

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Major steps in Process Design

Problem Specification Concept Generation

Synthesis Generation of Alternatives

Optimization
Analysis Mass and energy balances; Sizing

Evaluation Design Criteria

Iterative process – improvement by optimization

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Major steps in Process Design
Problem Specification:
Key: Identification of needs, specifications and process technology
Challenge: Often incomplete information (open-ended)
Tools: Meetings, literature, internet, link business (marketing)

Synthesis Process Strategy:

Define: Flowsheet structure
Challenge: Very large number of alternatives
Tools: Literature, patent, heuristics (rules of thumb), superstructure
optimization (mathematical programming)
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Major Steps in Process Design
Analysis  Mass and energy balances; Sizing:
Key: Predict performance  needs models (simple – complex)
Challenge: Complexity of models
Tools: Rules of thumb, short-cut method, process simulating

Evaluation: Design Criteria

Define: Evaluate “goodness” design
Challenge: Multiple criteria
Tools: Economic evaluation, Exergy analysis, reliability analysis, HAZOP
(safety analysis), environmental impact, controllability, flexibility, life
cycle assessment

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Flow Diagrams
The most effective way of communicating information about
a process is through the use of flow diagrams.
• BFD: Block Flow Diagram
• PFD: Process Flow Diagram Conceptual
Complexity
• P&ID: Piping and Instrumentation understanding
increases
Diagram (Mechanical Flow increases
Diagram)

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Flow Diagrams - BFD
• Toluene and hydrogen are converted in
a reactor to produce benzene and
methane.
• The reaction does not go to completion
and excess hydrogen is required
(prevent carbon formation).
• The noncondensable gases are
separated and discharged.
• The benzene product and the unreacted
toluene are then separated by
distillation.
• The toluene is then recycled back to the
reactor and the benzene removed in the
product stream.

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Flow Diagrams - BFD
• Operations shown by blocks.
• Major flow lines shown with arrows giving direction of flow.
• Flow goes from left to right whenever possible.
• Light stream (gases) toward top with heavy stream (liquids and solids)
toward bottom.
• Critical information unique to process supplied
• If line cross, then the horizontal line is continued and the vertical line
is broken.
• Simplified material balance provided.
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Developing a BFD

• Target product is 37% formaldehyde in water. Known as formalin

• Occurs of a silver catalyst at 200 oC and 2 – 3 atm pressure
• Reaction 1 is the predominant reaction
• Develop a block flow diagram that describes the process
• B.P. Pure formaldehyde = -19.3 oC
B.P. Formalin = 96 oC
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Flow Diagrams - PFD

Fig. 1.5
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Process Description of the Toluene
Hydrodealkylation Process

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Process Description of the Toluene
Hydrodealkylation Process

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Process Description of the Toluene
Hydrodealkylation Process

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Flow Diagrams - PFD
Table 1.2 : Conventions Used for Identifying Process Equipment
Process Equipment General Format XX-YZZ A/B
XX are the identification letters for the equipment classification
C - Compressor or Turbine
E - Heat Exchanger
H - Fired Heater
P - Pump
R - Reactor
T - Tower
TK - Storage Tank
V - Vessel
Y designates an area within the plant
ZZ are the number designation for each item in an equipment class
A/B identifies parallel units or backup units not shown on a PFD
Supplemental Additional description of equipment given on top of PFD
Information 29
 Flow Diagrams - PFD

Symbols for Drawing

Process Flow Diagrams

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Flow Diagrams – Utility Streams

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Flow Diagrams – Stream Information

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Information in a Flow Summary
Essential Information
Stream Number
Temperature (°C)
Pressure (bar)
Vapor Fraction
Total Mass Flow Rate (kg/h)
Total Mole Flow Rate (kmol/h)
Individual Component Flow Rates (kmol/h)
Optional Information
Component Mole Fractions
Component Mass Fractions
Individual Component Flow Rates (kg/h)
Volumetric Flow Rates (m3/h)
Significant Physical Properties
Density
Viscosity
Other
Thermodynamic Data
Heat Capacity
Stream Enthalpy
K-values
Stream Name
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Flow Diagrams – Stream Information
A portion of Table 1.5
Stream Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Temperature (°C) 25 59 25 225 41 600 41 38 654 90

Pressure (bar) 1.90 25.8 25.5 25.2 25.5 25.0 25.5 23.9 24.0 2.6

Vapor Fraction 0.0 0.0 1.00 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.0

Mass Flow (tonne/h) 10.0 13.3 0.82 20.5 6.41 20.5 0.36 9.2 20.9 11.6

Mole Flow (kmol/h) 108.7 144.2 301.0 1204.4 758.8 1204.4 42.6 1100.8 1247.0 142.2

Component Mole Flow

(kmol/h)

Hydrogen 0.0 0.0 286.0 735.4 449.4 735.4 25.2 651.9 652.6 0.02

Methane 0.0 0.0 15.0 317.3 302.2 317.3 16.95 438.3 442.3 0.88

Benzene 0.0 1.0 0.0 7.6 6.6 7.6 0.37 9.55 116.0 106.3

Toluene 108.7 143.2 0.0 144.0 0.7 144.0 0.04 1.05 36.0 35.0

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Flow Diagrams – Basic Control Loops

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Flow Diagrams – Equipment Descriptions

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Flow Diagrams - Equipment Summary
A section of Table 1.7
Vessel V-101 V-102
Temperature (ºC) 55 38
Pressure (bar) 2.0 24
Orientation Horizontal Vertical
MOC CS CS
Size
Height/Length 5.9 3.5
(m)
Diameter (m) 1.9 1.1
Internals s.p. (splash plate)

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Flow Diagrams - Piping and Instrumentation Diagram

Fig. 1.7

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Flow Diagrams - Piping and Instrumentation Diagram

Exclusions from P&ID

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Flow Diagrams - Piping and Instrumentation Diagram

Conventions for P&ID

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 Flow Diagrams - Piping and Instrumentation Diagram
Conventions for Instrumentation on P&ID

The final control element in nearly all chemical

process control loops is a valve.

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Flow Diagrams - Piping and Instrumentation Diagram

V-102 contains an LE (Level Element)

• LE senses liquid level in separator and adjusts flow rate

leaving
• LE opens and closes a valve depending on liquid level
• LE and valve represent a feed-back control loop

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Other Common Diagrams
• Plot Plans – plan or map drawn looking down on plant (drawn to scale
with all major equipment identified)
• Elevation Diagrams – show view from side and give information about
equipment distance from ground

Section of Elevation Diagram

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Section of Plot Plan
Other Common Diagrams
• Piping Isometrics (等距) – show piping in 3-dimensions
• Vessel Sketches – show key dimensions of equipment and locations of
inlet and outlet nozzles etc.

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Other Common Diagrams

3D Plant Layout

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