Assignment 1 CCB40003

1. Explain 3 differences between chemical process design and plant design.

(6 marks)

2. Figure 1 shows the process in the development of a design. Based on this figure, develop
a project plan of a novel process for production of biofuels from food waste. Describe the
activities that involve in the process and estimate the overall time required for each
process.
(15 marks)

3. Project: To design a plant to produce 40,000 metric tons (tonnes)/year of 2-ethylhexanol

from propylene and synthesis gas, assuming an operating period of 8,000 hours on the
stream.

Process: The first stage of the process is a hydroformylation (oxo) reaction from which
the main product is n-butyraldehyde. The feeds to this reactor are synthesis gas (CO/H2
mixture) and propylene in the molar ratio 2/1, and the recycled products of
isobutyraldehyde cracking. The reactor operates at 1308oC and 350 bar, using cobalt
carbonyl as catalyst in solution. The main reaction products are n- and isobutyraldehyde
in the ratio of 4:1, the former being the required product for subsequent conversion to
2-ethylhexanol. In addition, 3% of the propylene feed is converted to propane while some
does not react. Within the reactor, however, 6% of the n-butyraldehyde product is
reduced to n-butanol, 4% of the isobutyraldehyde product is reduced to isobutanol, and
other reactions occur to a small extent yielding high molecular weight compounds (heavy
ends) to the extent of 1% by weight of the butyraldehyde/butanol mixture at the reactor
exit. The reactor is followed by a gas liquid separator operating at 30 bar from which the
liquid phase is heated with steam to decompose the catalyst for recovery of cobalt by
filtration. A second gas-liquid separator operating at atmospheric pressure subsequently
yields a liquid phase of aldehydes, alcohols, heavy ends, and water, which is free from
propane, propylene, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen.

This mixture then passes to a distillation column which gives a top product of mixed
butyraldehydes, followed by a second column which separates the two butyraldehydes
into an isobutyraldehyde stream containing 1.3% mole n-butyraldehyde and an n-
butyraldehyde stream containing 1.2% mole isobutyraldehyde. A cracker converts
isobutyraldehyde at a pass yield of 80% back to propylene, carbon monoxide, and
hydrogen by passage over a catalyst with steam. After separation of the water and
unreacted isobutyraldehyde the cracked gas is recycled to the hydroformylation reactor.
The isobutyraldehyde is recycled to the cracker inlet. The operating conditions of the
cracker are 2758oC and 1 bar. The n-butyraldehyde is treated with a 2% w/w aqueous
sodium hydroxide and undergoes an aldol condensation at a conversion efficiency of
90%. The product of this reaction, 2 ethylhexanol, is separated and then reduced to 2-
ethylhexanol by hydrogen in the presence of a Raney nickel catalyst with a 99%
conversion rate.In subsequent stages of the process (details of which are not required),
99.8% of the 2-ethylhexanol is recovered at a purity of 99% by weight.

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Assignment 1 CCB40003

According to the project described above, determine the scope of work required for the
project planning development that needs to be done by the following roles;
(9 marks)
a) Process designer
b) Chemical engineer
c) Mechanical designer

Figure 1

4. Figure 2 shows the process flow diagram of Dimethylether (DME) process. The DME
process flow diagram has been separated into three subsystems. Choose one subsystem
and develop an overall plot plant of the DME subsystem.

(10 marks)

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Assignment 1 CCB40003

Figure 2

5. Figure 3 shows the plan view of a process. An operator found that the heat exchanger E-
1 was leaking and affecting the operation of the process plant. The current equipment
arrangement has limited space for the maintenance activity thus it is difficult for the
operator to repair the E-1. Suggest 3 modifications that need to be done to the
arrangement of the equipment.
(10 marks)

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Assignment 1 CCB40003

Figure 3