Process Design and Development

Abstract

The course is focused on the design of Chemical Processes, with emphasis on the preliminary stage of the design approach, where process creation and quick selection among many alternatives are important. The main concepts behind more detailed process design and process simulation are also examined in the last part of the course.

Objective

The course is focused on the design of Chemical Processes, with emphasis on the preliminary stage of the design approach, where process creation and quick selection among many alternatives are important. The main concepts behind more detailed process design and process simulation are also examined in the last part of the course.

Content

Process creation: decomposition strategies (reduction of differences - vinyl chloride production and hierarchical decomposition - ethanol production). Identification of the "base case design". Heuristics for process synthesis. Preliminary process evaluation: simplified material and energy balances (linear balances), degrees of freedom, short-cut models, flowsheet solution algorithm). Process Integration: sequencing of distillation columns, synthesis of heat exchange networks. Process economic evaluation: equipment sizing and costing, time value of money, cash flow calculations. Detailed Process Design: unit operation models, flash solution algorithms (different iterative methods, inside-out method), distillation column solution algorithms (BP method, SR method, inside-out method). Simulation Concepts for Process Design: modular vs. sequential approach, flowsheet analysis (partitioning, precedence ordering and tearing), numerical methods for large systems of nonlinear algebraic equations.

Resources