Chemical Engineering Plant

Design

Dr. M. Azam Saeed

 Why Site location is important?
• To minimize cost
• Access of required utilities
• Ease of transportation
• Cheap labour
Some years ago Proctor & Gamble was
considering building a plant in Massachusetts.
After looking at a number of possible locations
the team responsible for choosing the site noticed
a vacant area next to a power plant.
They immediately realized that if the power
company could supply them with steam at a
reasonable price, they would not need to build
steam generators as had been planned.
Proctor & Gamble bought the site and negotiated
a long-term contract for steam and power that
was beneficial to both companies.
An American Salt Company plant and the Dow
Chemical Company’s Midland plant also benefit
directly from each other’s presence.
Dow found that after recovering bromine from
brine it had more salt left than it desired.
American Salt Company needed salt. By locating
next to Dow’s plant it was able to buy this salt
stream for less than it would cost to mine it or
pump it from natural underground reservoirs.
In turn, Dow was able to sell an unwanted
stream that it would otherwise have had to
pump back into the ground.
General Design
Considerations
The development of a complete plant design requires
consideration of many different factors such as:

1. Transportation 9. Utilities-cost, quantity and

2. Sources and costs of raw
materials
3. Prospective markets for
products
4. Corporation long range
planning
5. Water source-quality and
quantity
6. Special incentives
7. Climatic conditions
8. Pollution requirements
(Waste disposal)
reliability; fuel-costs, reliability
and availability
10. Amount of site preparation
necessary (site conditions)
11. Construction costs
12. Operating labor
13. Taxes
14. Living conditions
15. Corrosion
16. Expansion possibilities
17. Other factors
1. Raw materials availability
2. Markets
3 . Energy availability
Site Selection
The plant should be located where the minimum cost of production and distribution can be
obtained.

The major factors in the selection of most plant sites are:

1. Marketing area
 The plant should be located close to the primary market for materials where the cost of
transport is a significant fraction of the sales price (cement, fertilizers, mineral acids, etc..)

 This consideration is much less important for low-volume production and high-priced
products, such as pharmaceuticals.

2. Raw Materials
 The availability and price of suitable raw materials will often determine the site location
 Plants that produce bulk chemicals are best located close to the source of the major raw
material, as long as the costs of shipping product are not greater than the cost of shipping
feed.

3. Transportation Facilities
 If practicable, a site should be selected that is close to at least two major forms of
transport: road, rail, waterway (canal or river), or a sea port.
4. Availability of Labors
Labor will be needed for construction of the plant and its operation.

5. Water supply
Chemical processes invariably require large quantities of water for cooling, washing, steam
generation, and as a raw material.
The plant must be located near a source of water of suitable quality. Process water may be
drawn from a river, from wells, or purchased from a local authority.

6. Energy Availability (power and fuel)

 Power and steam requirements are high in most industrial plants, and fuel is ordinarily
required to supply these utilities.
 If the plant requires large quantities of coal or oil, location near a source of fuel supply
may be essential for economic operation.
 The local cost of power can help determine whether power should be purchased or self-
generated.
 Electrical power is needed at all sites. Electrochemical processes (for example, chlorine
manufacture or aluminum smelting) require large quantities of power and must be
located close to a cheap source of power.
 A competitively priced fuel must be available on site for steam and power
generation.
7. Climate

 Adverse climatic conditions at a site will increase costs.

 Abnormally low temperatures require the provision of additional insulation and special

heating for equipment and pipe runs.

 Stronger structures are needed at locations subject to high winds (cyclone/ hurricane

areas) or earthquakes.

 Corrosive environments will need strong protection for the plant equipment. 
 Site layout and plant layout
Units should be arranged to give a smooth flow of materials through the various processing
steps, from raw material to final product storage. Process units are normally spaced at least
30 m apart; greater spacing may be needed for hazardous processes.

In addition to the main processing units, site layout includes the following items:
1. Storage for raw materials and products: tank farms and warehouses;
2. Maintenance workshops;
3. Stores, for maintenance and operating supplies;
4. Laboratories for process quality control;
5. Fire stations and other emergency services;
6. Utilities;
7. Effluent disposal plant: waste water treatment, solid and or liquid waste
collection;
8. Offices for general administration;
9. Canteens and other amenity buildings, such as medical centers;
10. Parking lots.
2D Site layout
Flare
3D Site layout
When you see flaring, please be assured that flares play a key role in keeping refineries and
chemical plants running safely.

What are flares?

Flares are important safety devices used in refineries and petrochemical facilities. They safely
burn excess hydrocarbon gases which cannot be recovered or recycled. Excess hydrocarbon
gases are burnt in the flare systems in an environmentally-sound manner, as an alternative to
releasing the vapor directly into the atmosphere.

During flaring, excess gases are combined with steam and/or air, and burnt off in the flare
system to produce water vapor and carbon dioxide. The process of burning these excess gases
is similar to the burning of liquefied petroleum gases (LPG), which some of us use as fuel for
home cooking.
There are generally two types of flares
 Elevated flares, where the flare tip is between 20 to 150 meters above ground.
 Ground flares, where the flare tip is about two to three meters above ground, which is
fenced off with a high heat-shield fencing, which also acts as a safety zone
 
What can sometimes be seen or heard in instances of flaring?
A flame or a glow:
 Members of the public may become concerned when they see flaring and mistake them
for fires.
 The elevated flare presents itself as a flame.
 The ground flare is not visible in the day. At night, it may cast an orange glow in the
night sky, depending on cloud cover.
Smoke:
 Sometimes, a white cloud may be observed around the flare. It is actually steam that is
injected into the flare system to support clean combustion.
 While we strive to achieve smokeless flaring, it may not always be possible during
operational situations.
 On some occasions, there may be black smoke from the flare.
 The smoke, which is mainly made up of carbon particles, occurs when there is
insufficient amount of air to support a complete combustion. This may happen when
there is a sudden release of excess gases to the system with a delay in response before
sufficient steam can be supplied to the burning process.
 Steam is usually added to the gases to increase turbulence in the gas flow. This
increases air intake that helps to achieve complete combustion and smokeless flaring.
Noise
• Flaring may produce a rumbling noise. It may sound like thunder.

• This is due to the turbulent mixing of gases, air and steam.  The sound is similar to what
you hear when you fan a campfire, and oxygen is mixed with the flame.
2D plant layout
3D plant layout
 The principal factors to be considered in making plant layout are:
1. Economic considerations: construction and operating costs;
2. The process requirements;
3. Convenience of operation;
4. Convenience of maintenance;
5. Safety;
6. Future expansion;
 Assignment
Problem 1: A process for preparing
acetaldehyde is by direct oxidation of ethylene.
(This process is described in Prob. 8 of Chap. 2.)
Completely analyze the various factor which
should be considered in choosing a plant site for
this process. With this information, outline
possible geographical locations for the plant,
noting the advantages and disadvantages of
each site.
 Assignment
Problem 2: The trend in the fertilizer industry
during the past few years has been toward
larger and larger fertilizer plants. In terms of
plant location, what are the more important
factors that should be considered and which
factors become even more important as the size
of the plant is increased? Are these factors of
equal importance regardless of the type of
fertilizer produced? Analyze this situation for
ammonia, urea, and phosphate fertilizer process
plants.