26/07/2017

CHE4170: DESIGN PROJECT 2017

Chapter 1: Problem Definition

Burrup Ammonia Plant, WA

Overview
• What is the objective of this report?

• Who will read this report?

• What information should be included?

Chapter 1 is the “re-written” Design Brief, with

details specific to each group

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Content*
Section headings may include:
• Introduction (10%)
• Sustainability Policy (10%)
• Scope of Design (10%)
• Processing Objectives (10%)
• Feedstock & Product Specifications (10%)
• Plant Availability and Capacity (10%)
• Terminal Points and Storages (10%)
• Utilities (5%)
• Site Characteristics and Constraints (20%)
You can include sub-headings as appropriate within each section.
Think about where certain information should be placed.
*: Rubric marking on content, clarity, and presentation

Introduction
• Provides relevant background information

• Problem statement

 What is the problem?

 Why is it important?

 Who are the stakeholders – what will be of interest to them?

• Preview of sections to come – how you are going to

approach this problem

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ISO 14001 requirements on

Sustainability Policy

• defined (and owned) by top management

• appropriate for the nature, scale, impacts of the
activities, products, services
• commitment to continuous improvement and
prevention of pollution
• framework for objectives and targets
• documented, implemented, maintained,
communicated to all employees/stakeholders
• available to the public

Past feedbacks to Introduction:

“… readers do not need to know in details ALL the steps

that will be implemented to produce the conceptual
design.”

“Introduction should only give a brief overview of the

problem…”

“Good introduction – providing concise background and

motivation for the project…”

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Design Scope
• What has Andrew asked you to do?
– What is included (IBL / OBL)
– Flowsheets / Layouts / Level of detailed design
– What accuracy are the economics? (30%)
– What accuracy is the carbon footprint ???
– How much time has been allowed? ~1500hrs

• Define system boundary

• Define aspects to be considered for viability
• Sustainability – how do you assess this?

Processing Objectives
• Are the processing objectives similar to the
overall aim of this report?
“A major aim…to create a financial return from this once wasted
resource”
A noble aim, but not a processing objective nor the report‘s

“…whether to implement such a process based on the calculations

and information within this report”
Not a processing objective

• Specific Processing Objectives

- To produce…
- To optimise…
- To reduce…

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Feedstock & Product Specifications

• Refer to Project Brief
• Type of feedstock  depending on availability on your site
and partner’s operation

Ethane Availability (near your location?)

Synthesis gas (based on biomass)

Is co-product process a good option (methanol & formaldehyde

cheaply available and partner readily available?)

Plant Availability & Capacity

90% Availability
How many days of operation / year?
Constraints?

In Ch1-3 we often make rather large assumptions to get

started.
We re-address these points in Ch12 Project Viability.

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Terminal points
• All material streams crossing system boundary
• Explain how material streams are transported IN and OUT
of system boundary
• Define sources of material streams (internal and external)

Sources are generally

•Tanks / Bunkers / Hoppers
Normally they are not pipes (exception is NG supply)

Destinations are normally

•Storage tanks / Hoppers etc
Normally they are not pipes
Tie in points are different – they are generally flanges on specific pipes at
battery limit

Common problem in terminal point in

previous years
Terminal Points
About 50% really misunderstood this concept
which is “Site” rather than “IBL” based.
Too many groups referred to pipes from the
IBL.
Examples are
Import/Export Storage Transport

New Catalyst Import Warehouse Road

Methanol Export Storage Ship

tanks

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Storages
• Storage requirement – for feedstock, products, etc
• Associated hazards?

Common storage problem in previous year

Storage
Too many groups did not mention how many
storage tanks were required nor what size.
– Storage safety information provided, but this
could have been given in the appendix
– Minimum 2 storage tanks required (normally
one tank is being filled while one is waiting to be
shipped)
– As production rate is known, storage volume is
also known

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Site Characteristics and Constraints

• Location, climate, etc
• Effects on processing capacity of the plant? Water availability

Hints for 2017

Availability of feedstock on each site (Andrew’s first lecture)

What business can you do with Hoadley Enterprises?

Common problems in site

characteristics in previous years

Characteristics of your location

You needed to think a bit more the competition with other
excellent locations. What are the advantages of Darwin over
Moomba, Rockhampton (used in previous year), … ?
We have 16 locations this year and only 6 last year. So more to
think about.

what about the surrounding infrastructure?

1.Location of roads, airport, nearest town for accommodation
2.Population not given (is it likely to support construction/operation
of the plant?)

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Utilities
• Major utilities: electricity, air, water, steam
• Explain how these will be generated / supplied to the plant
• Other utilities?
Some detailed data can be placed in an Appendix.
An effective use of appendices makes the logic and flow of a report
easier to follow.

Clarity and Presentation (5%) *

Language: concise, accurate, clear, objective
Sentence structures:
•Use direct and concise sentences
•One piece of information per sentence
•Avoid multiple statements in one sentence

Grammar:
•Avoid abbreviations
“…My rule of thumb is that if there
•Eliminate redundant phrases are more than 6 grammatical errors
in the abstract, then I don't waste
•Proofread!
my time carefully reading the rest.”
(Elsevier Editor)

* Tips adapted from Elsevier Author Workshop 2014

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Clarity and Presentation (5%)

References:
•Pick one style and be consistent throughout the report.
•Use EndNote or other referencing programs.
•Referencing internet sources (date sighted).

Consistent style for the entire report

Good layout:
•Avoid blank spots.
•Apply page breaks judiciously – avoid tables cut-off between pages,
figure caption separated from figure, etc

Avoid using casual / ambiguous terms – examples?

*: Rubric marking on content, clarity, and presentation

Other tips
• Write a professional report – in content
and presentation. Write as if the report will be
submitted to a company board, and not as a piece
of assignment.

• Convey your enthusiasms in tackling the

brief, but beware of too much ‘ad-speak’
“This firm prides itself on integrating sustainable engineering solutions…”

“This review will hearten our “PLAN DO CHECK ACT” concept to integrate
sustainability with continual improvement.”

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