Engineering 4432

Chemical Plant Design

Fall 2015
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Email:

Dr. L.J.J. Catalan

CB4082B
343-8573
lionel.catalan@lakeheadu.ca

Lecture/Tutorial Hours:

Monday and Wednesday: 11:30 am-1:00 pm; Friday: 1:00-2:30 pm

Course D2L:

This course has an online D2L site. Ensure that you have access to it. You must
check the site regularly for course updates.

Textbook:

Seider, W.D., Seader, J.D., Lewin, D.R., Widagdo, S., Product and Process
Design Principles, 3rd Edition, Wiley, 2009.

Topics Discussed:
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Overview of the Design Process

Process Creation (Chapter 4)
Process Heuristics (Chapter 6)
Plant Location and Layout
Environmental Considerations
Property Prediction Methods
Mass and Energy Balances with Unisim (Chapter 5)
Separation Tower Design (Chapter 19)
Design of Azeotropic Separations (Chapter 8)
Heat Exchanger Design (Chapter 18)
Reactor Design (Chapter 7)
Design of Pumps, Compressors and Expanders (Chapter 20)
Teamwork and Reporting for the Plant Design Project

Assessment:
Numerical grades will be assigned as follows:
Assignment tests*:
Final Exam:

50%
50%

* Several take home assignments (approximately 6) will be provided for practice. Assignments need
not be returned and will not be marked. Instead, each assignment will be followed by an assignment
test that will take place during lecture or tutorial time. During an assignment test, students will be asked
to solve a problem or questions similar (but not identical) to those in the assignment. The solutions to
the assignment problems will be presented to the students before the assignment test. Assignment tests
will be closed-book (with no access to previously written assignment solutions) and will be marked.
Students will be allowed to bring a maximum of two original hand-written double-sided formula sheets
to the tests.
Absences to tests or final examination will result in a grade of zero unless justified by an official
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medical certificate presented to the instructor. No makeup test will be provided; instead the missed
test(s) will be discounted from the overall course mark when an official medical certificate is presented
to the instructor.
Evidence of academic dishonesty in tests or final examination will be prosecuted according to the Code
of Student Behaviour and Disciplinary Procedures (https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-andstaff/policies/student-related/code-of-student-behaviour-and-disciplinary-procedures).
Student Learning Outcomes:
ENGI4432:1 Prepare process flowsheets involving reactions, separations, and T-P change operations to
achieve desired products given thermophysical property data.
ENGI4432:2 Execute material and energy balances on process flowsheets using process simulation
software.
ENGI4432:3 Use appropriate methods, including process simulation software, to design separation
towers.
ENGI4432:4 Use appropriate methods, including process simulation software, to design heat
exchangers.
ENGI4432:5 Use appropriate methods, including process simulation software, to design chemical
reactors.
ENGI4432:6 Use appropriate methods, including process simulation software, to design pumps,
compressors, and expanders.
ENGI4432:7 Use appropriate methods to estimate the cost of pressure vessels, separation towers, heat
exchangers, reactors, pumps and compressors.
ENGI4432:8 Use chemical engineering principles and process simulation software to analyze
relationships between process variables, optimize process conditions, and adapt to changes in process
conditions.
ENGI4432:9 Prepare plant layouts accounting for safety, operation and maintenance considerations.
ENGI4432:10 Apply the principles of waste minimization and select appropriate effluent treatment
methods.
ENGI4432:11 Use print and electronic library resources to access information for designing a chemical
plant.
ENGI4432:12 Discuss effective teamwork strategies for plant design
ENGI4432:13 Describe the reporting requirements for plant design projects.
ENGI4432:14 Demonstrate professionalism by doing assignments and solving test problems similar to
assignment problems.