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CHE
491
Plant Design
The capstone Chemical Engineering design course is run as a workshop in which small groups of students apply previously learned knowledge to design and cost a typical chemical plant, the exercise, which simulates real-life experience, involves the following elements: process selection, synthesis, screening of alternatives, safety and environmental issues, construction of a detailed flow sheet using a chemical process simulator, material and energy balances, conservation of material and energy flows, detailed design of equipment: size, construction details, materials of construction, instrumentation and control, process economics: capital cost estimation, manufacturing cost estimation, profit forecast, return on investment.
Prerequisites:
0640351,0640391,0640440
0640491
(1-6-3)

Prerequisites by Topic:

  • Fluid mechanics
  • Thermodynamics
  • Heat transfer
  • Mass transfer
  • Reaction engineering
  • Process control
  • Process Synthesis
  • Engineering economics

Textbook(s):

  1. Analysis, Synthesis, and Design of Chemical Processes. Turton, Bailie, Whiting, Shaeiwitz, Bhattacharyya, 4^th edition, Prentice Hall PTR, 2014
  2. Coulson and Richardson's Chemical Engineering. Sinnott, R.K., 6^th edition, Elsvier. Volume 6.

Reference(s):- Perry's Chemical Engineer\'s Handbook, Perry and Green.

  • Product & Process Design Principles. Seider, Seader, Lewin, and Widagdo, 3^rd edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2009.
  • Plant Design and Economics for Chemical Engineers. M. Peters , K. Timmerhaus and R. West, McGraw-Hill, 5^th Edition, 2002.
  • ASPEN HYSYS and SUPERPro designer Reference Manuals.
  • Other books related to equipment design.

Topics Covered:

The students undertake a capstone design project involving the following aspects:

- Literature survey -- process options, product use, world markets and price trends, physical and chemical data.

- Process Synthesis and Creation

- Preparation of process flow sheet by using commercial process simulation software

- Material and energy balances.

- Preliminary design of process equipment's.

- Material of construction -- Main 2: Chapter 7

- Equipment Selection -- Main 2: Chapter 10

- Distillation Design -- Main 2: Chapter 11

- Heat Exchanger Design -- Main 2: Chapter 12

- Cost estimation and analysis of process equipment using different methods including CAPCOST program.

- Related Safety and Environmental Issues

- Risk Assessment -- Main 1: Chapter 26 (26.1)

- Environment issues -- Main 1: Chapter 26 (26.2)

Assessment Criteria:

  1. Written and/or Oral examinations
  2. Participation
  3. Presentation
  4. Written reports
  5. Engineering Design Exhibition

Course Objectives:

  1. To use library, etc, to research technical/commercial data [1,2,3]
  2. To construct and/or create a process flow sheet using heuristics and by using commercial process simulation software [1, 2]
  3. To design a range of process equipment [1, 2, 3]
  4. To estimate the total capital cost, manufacturing costs, and profitability of their design project [1, 2, 3]
  5. To know advance level in safety, health and environment issues. [3]

Performance Criteria:

Objective 1:

Students will be able to:

1. Identify relevant sources of technical and commercial information (7)

2. Extract, identify, and summarize information relevant to their project (7)

Objective 2:

Students will be able to:

1. Create process flow sheet from heuristics and compare it with the information and data obtained from literature survey. (1, 7)

2. Construct a process flow sheet using commercial process simulation software (1, 2, 5, 7)

Objective 3:

Students will be able to:

1. Select equipment appropriate to the specified requirements (2)

2. Size specified items of equipment using a combination of fundamental principles, computer-aided methods, shortcut techniques, etc. (1, 2, 4)

3. Determine the material of construction based on process conditions (1, 2)

4. Specify outline control scheme for specified items of equipment (2)

5. Safety, environmental, and social analysis (2)

6. Participating in Engineering Design Exhibition (3, 4, 5)

Objective 4:

Students will be able to:

1. Obtain a current estimate of the total capital investment using cost indices and factors (2,4,)

2. Estimate the purchase cost of specified items of process equipment (4)

3. Estimate the manufacturing costs and sales revenue (2,4,)

4. Perform profitability analysis on the whole process; Return on Investment (ROI), Payback period (PBP), and Discounted Cash Flow Rate of Return (DCFR) (2,4)

Objective 5:

Students will be able to:

1. Perform Risk assessment to a process (2, 4)

2. Know environmental regulations applied to its project (2, 4)

3. Complete selected topics in level 2 and level 3 of SAChE safety online courses (2, 4, 7)

ABET Category Content:

Engineering Design 3 Credits or 100%

Course Classification

Student Outcomes Level (L, M, H) Relevant Activities
1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics. H Develop a process based on engineering and scientific information. Solve design problems for unit operations. Design Heat exchangers, Distillation columns, and other equipment as needed with using many complex methods to obtain a fair design without any violation to design requirements.
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors. H Design a whole chemical plant with consideration of social, economic, safety, and environmental factors and constrains.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences. H Write a project report. Perform Oral Presentations on the project. Summarize the project in one-page brochure for general audience. Explain the project in the exhibition for a range of audiences from layman people to professionals.
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts. H Perform fundamentals of economic analysis on designed plant including: 1) Capital Cost Estimation, 2) Manufacturing Cost Estimation, 3) Profitability Analysis.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives. H Perform the project in a team. Make regular progress meetings with documenting it. Select a project leader efficiently. Fair project tasks Distribution Perform final presentation in a team format. Submit one final design report as a team.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies. H Perform literature survey for the project. Acquire design techniques for rarely used equipment. Obtain SAChE online certificates (level 2 and 3): namely Understanding Hazards and Risk. Hazards and Risk: What Can Go Wrong?. Hazards and Risk: Introduction to Pressure Protection. Hazards and Risk: Safeguards Other Than Relief Systems. Inherently Safer Design. Process Safety Lessons Taught from Experience. Runaway Reactions