Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Plant/Process Design
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Engineering Design
Engineering Design is the process of applying
various techniques and scientific principles for the
purpose of defining a device, a process or a
system in sufficient detail to permit physical
realization.
Engineering Design
Design involves the creation of a device, component,
mechanical system, electronic circuit, software program
or a process that meets a set of desired specifications..
The design engineer makes choices based on a
thorough understanding of the engineering fundamentals,
feasibility constraints, reliability, cost, manufacturability,
and human factors..
Good design requires experience, knowledge and a
considerable amount of intuition..
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Basic Chemical
Products
Basic Chemicals
Industrial Products
Manufacturing
Process
Basic Chemical
Products
Commodity chemicals: ethylene, acetone
Specialty chemicals: ethylene glycol, DEK
Biomaterials: pharmaceuticals
Polymeric materials: PVC, polystyrene...
Manufacturing
Process
Industrial Products
Manufacturing
Process
Consumer Products
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Example
IDEA: Plant expansion..
Example
IDEA: Plant expansion..
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Example
IDEA: Plant expansion..
Design Memo
CTE Fuels, Inc.
2004 Maize Lane
Wahoo, Nebraska
Project Manager,
Engineering Design Branch
3104 Bainer Bikeway
Davis, California
Due to the growing number of states banning the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in gasoline, our Renewable Fuels Division sees an opportunity to expand
ethanol production. Current U.S. production of ethanol is 2.8 billion gallons per year and could reach 5 billion gal/yr by 2012 if the pending energy bill, which includes a
renewable fuels standard (RFS), is passed by Congress. Thus, we are evaluating production of fuel ethanol from corn in Merrick County, Nebraska. Due the abundance
of corn feedstock in this area, this will support a 40 million gal ethanol/year facility.
To assess the commercial viability of this project we need your group to prepare a conceptual design package and economic evaluation for the production of ethanol from
corn. Although other feedstocks may also be attractive, your design should be based on corn. Corn prices vary from year to year, but a good value to use is $2.50 per
bushel (1 bushel = 56 pounds). As an initial estimate, 2.6 gallons ethanol can be produced from a bushel of corn. Wholesale price of ethanol is around $1.35/gal, but
seems to vary as well. However, tax incentives on each gasoline of ethanol produced from renewable resources allows ethanol to be used in the gasoline blending market.
We will require a minimum ethanol purity of 99.5 vol%. The final ethanol product will be denatured with 5 vol% gasoline before being shipped to gasoline blending and
terminal facilities.
In preparation for your design, please investigate current and pending legislation concerning use of ethanol in gasoline, ethanol production technology, issues of energy
balance, subsidy policy, and ethanol-water separation schemes.
My staff will assist you in developing project and process premises and you will receive further memos with additional details. We need to have your design report by
May 24th. Additionally, I plan to visit the Davis Office at that time and we can discuss your design and recommendations for the project. However, if you have questions,
please don't hesitate to contact me or my staff.
N. Zyme
Manager, Renewable Fuels Division
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Design Team
distribution of responsibilities
diversity of perspectives
utilization of expertise
inconvenient
indirect and digressive
anxiety-ridden
Does the product of a group work have a better
success than the product of an individual?
Stimulate Innovation
Corporate environment/culture
Quality control targets
Molecular structure
Product formulation
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Experiments
Laboratory
Pilot-Plant
Economic Potential
Gross profit
Reject bad designs early
Role of Simulations
HYSYS, SuperPro, Aspen...
Excel
Extensive component/property databases
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Cyclohexane is a key intermediate in the process to produce nylon and various plastics.
Production of an intracellular enzyme in yeast. The product is produced in yeast, the cells
harvested, broken open and the product obtained by a two stage fractional precipitation.
The flowsheet includes a combination of batch and continuous units. The units are
fermentation, centrifugation, homogenization, and precipitation.
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Start-up assessment
Level
Controller
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Green Design
Reaction pathways
Waste reduction, water reuse
Avoid nonroutine events
Materials characterization
Design objectives, constraints
Regulations
Intangible costs
Properties of dilute streams
Properties of electrolytes
Process Safety
Safety is a principal objective in design and operation of chemical plants.
Bhopal, India
Toxic Releases
Avoid working with toxic chemicals.
Selection of raw materials, alternate reaction paths.
Identify possible scenarios.
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Process Safety
Inerting to avoid fires and explosions.
Relief Devices
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
HAZOP
Identify all possible paths for accidents to happen.
MSDS
OSHA requires a complete set of MSDS for each chemical involved in the process.
Engineering Ethics
Engineers should uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the
engineering profession by:
1. Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare,
2. Being honest and impartial, and serving with fidelity the public, their
employees,
3. Striving to increase the competence and and prestige of the engineering
profession, and
4. Supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines.
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
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Engineering Ethics
Engineers have obligations of conduct to (1) self, (2) employer/client,
(3) colleagues, (4) public, and (5) environment.
AIChE
NSPE
Case Study: Don is employed as a chemical engineer at ABC Manufacturing.
Although he does not work with hot metals himself, he supervises workers who are
exposed to hot metals eight hours a day, five days a week. Don becomes
concerned when several workers develop respiratory problems and complain about
"those bad smelling fumes from the hot metals". When Don asks his superior, Cal,
about air quality in the workplace, the reply is that the workplace is in full
compliance with OSHA guidelines. However, Don also learns that OSHA guidelines
do not apply to chemicals that have not been tested. A relatively small percentage of
chemicals in the workplace have actually been tested. This is also the case with the
vast majority of chemicals workers are exposed to at ABC.
Should Don do anything further, or should he simply drop the matter?
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