Adama Science and Technology

University

Chemical Engineering Program

Plant Design and Economics(ChEg5193)
lecture 2
Process design development
Introduction 2

A principle responsibility of the chemical

engineer is the design, construction, and
operation of chemical plants.

 In this responsibility, the engineer must

continuously search for additional information
to assist in these functions.

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

 3
Types of Design–Project
The methods for carrying out a design project

may be divided into the following classifications,

depending on the accuracy and detail required:
1. Preliminary or quick-estimate designs
2. Detailed-estimate designs
3. Firm process designs or detailed designs

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Cont’d 4

1. Preliminary design
 The design is based on approximate process methods, and

rough cost estimates are prepared.

 Few details are included, and the time spent on calculations is

kept at a minimum.
 Ordinarily used as a basis for determining whether further

work should be done on the proposed process.

 It can serve its main function of eliminating an undesirable

project before large amounts of money and time are expended.

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Cont’d 5

2. Detailed-estimate designs
• It will be developed, if the results of the preliminary

design show that further work is justified

• In this type of design, the cost- and-profit potential of

an established process is determined by detailed

analyses and calculations.
• However, exact specifications are not given for the
equipment

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

 Cont’d 6
3. Firm process designs or detailed designs
• When the detailed-estimate design indicates that the proposed

project should be a commercial success, the final step before

developing construction plans for the plant is the preparation of a
firm process design.
• Complete specifications are presented for all components of the

plant, and accurate costs based on quoted prices are obtained.

• Includes complete plant layout, piping diagram, blueprints and

sufficient information to permit immediate development of the

final plans for constructing the plant.
Chemical Engineering program, ASTU
Feasibility Survey 7

Before any detailed work is done on the design, the

technical and economic factors of the proposed process

should be examined.
A preliminary survey gives an indication of the

probable success of' the project and what additional

information is necessary to make a complete evaluation.
Following are a list of items that should be considered

in making a feasibility survey:

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Cont’d 8

 Raw materials (availability, quantity, quality, cost)

 Thermodynamics and kinetics of chemical
reactions involved (equilibrium, yields, rates,
optimum conditions)
 Facilities and equipment available at present

 Facilities and equipment which must be purchased

 Estimation of production costs and total investment

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Cont’d 9

 Markets (present and future supply and demand, price range

for products, number of possible customers)
 Profits (Per birr of product and per year, return on
investment, payback period)
 Competition (overall production statistics, comparison of

various manufacturing processes, product specifications of

competitors)
 Sales and sales service (method of selling and distributing)

 Plant location

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Process Development 10

 Process development on a pilot-plant is usually desirable

in order to -obtain accurate design data

In developing the process the following information are

required
 Grades of raw materials and products
Process conditions (Temperature, pressure)

Yield

 Operating conditions (batch, continuous)

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Comparison of Different Processes 11

In a course of a design project it is necessary to

determine the most suitable process for obtaining a

desired product.
Several manufacturing methods may be available for

making the same material, and various processes must

be compared in order to select the one best method.
The comparison can be accomplished through the

development of complete designs.

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU
Cont’d 12

However, in many cases all but one or two of the

possible processes can be eliminated by a weighted

comparison of the essential variable items without
conducting detailed design calculations.
The following items should be considered in a

comparison of this type:

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

 Cont’d 13

1. Technical factors 2. Raw materials

a. Process flexibility a. Present and future
b. Continuous operation availability

d. Commercial yields b. Processing required

e. Technical difficulties involved c. Storage requirements

f. Energy requirements d. Materials handling

g. Possibility of future developments problems

h. Health and safety hazards

involved

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Cont’d 14
3. Waste products & by- 4. Equipment
products
a. Availability
a. Amount produced
b. Materials of construction
b. Value
c. Initial costs
c. Potential markets and
d. Maintenance and
uses
installation costs
d. Manner of discard
e. Replacement
e. Environmental aspects
requirements

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Cont’d 15

5. Plant location 6. Costs

a. Amount of land required a. Raw materials

b. Transportation facilities b. Energy

c. Proximity to markets and c. Depreciation

raw-material sources d. Other fixed charges

d. Availability of service and e. Processing and overhead

power facilities

e. Availability of labor

f. Climate

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Design-Project Steps 16

The design-Project is achieve by the following stages

1. Establish the bases for design.

 Specification for the product (Product quality)
 Production capacity

2. Preparing a simplified Flow diagram

 Decide upon the unit operations which will be
required.
 Flow rates and stream conditions can evaluated
by complete material balances, energy balances
and Chemical Engineering program, ASTU
 17
Cont’d

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

 18
Cont’d
The chemical engineer uses flow diagrams to show the

sequence of equipment and unit operations in the overall

process
These diagrams may be divided into three general types:

 Qualitative

 Quantitative

 combined-detail.

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

 19
Cont’d
A qualitative flow diagram indicates the flow of

materials, unit operations involved and equipment

necessary
A quantitative flow diagram shows the
quantities of materials required for the process
operation.

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Cont’d 20

Example: Qualitative flow diagram (Detergent

production)
 21
Cont’d
Example: Quantitative flow diagram (50,000 Ib/year Detergent
production)
Cont’d 22

3. Design of equipment
 Equipment specifications are generally

summarized and included with the final design

report.
For example: Distillation column
 Number of plate
Column diameter
Material of construction
Operating conditions
Chemical Engineering program, ASTU
Cont’d 23

4. Economic analysis (evaluation)

 The utilities and labor requirements can be
determined
Estimates of the capital investment

 Fixed capital investment

 Working capital
The total product cost

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

 Cont’d 24
Economic evaluation plays an important part in any
process design.
 Not only in the selection for a specific process,
choice of raw materials used, operating conditions
chosen, but also in the specification of equipment.
 No detail design of a piece of equipment or a

process is complete without an economical

evaluation.

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Cont’d 25

5. Optimization
Why optimize?
 Improved yields, reduced pollutants

•Cost
 Reduced energy consumption minimization
•Profit
 Higher processing rates maximization

 Reduced maintenance, fewer shutdowns

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

Cont’d 26

6. Reporting
• The final step, and an important one in preparing

a typical process design, involves writing the

report which will present the results of the design
work.

Chemical Engineering program, ASTU

 27

Thank You