PBOJECT CONCEPTION AND DFINITION

In the incineration-heat recovery scheme explored in step 2, capacity was fi1ed

either by the availability of refuse or by heating requirernents of the university. This
is typical ol commerciai processes, as weli, which are iimiie<i in capacity erther by
raw material availability or by product demand. If limits are broari, anaiysis of
several cases, using different capacities, may be necessary. In an approximate
estimate typical ofihe predesign stage, it is rather easy to extrapolate costs from one
capacity to another as discussed in Chapter Fi';e.
I#ith
feed or effluent flows lixed, many of the remaining entering or leaving
streams can be established by sirnple material balances.'Next, temperatures,
pressures, and other process propenies must be defined. For entering sirearns, ihis
oftcn requires little more than common sense. For instaace, nonreactive liquids and
solids are normally stored at ambient temperature and pressure. For those that must
be protected frorn exposure to the atmosphere, storage at I to 5 bara under an inert
gas is common. Unless heated or cooiec to retai* eertain
pr+perties"
stri'aF,*
t.6ha?tlrrrp nnraqllw lia hetween fl ond ?{a{- lAn pvnpn*ic,h amnna mrnrr ic
v,
\,
r.r
number 6 fuel oil, which has the consistency of tar, and must be stored in heated
tanks to be pumped.) Even if feedstock comes from another section of the process, it
often is stored "in process" long enough to reach ambient temperature. Wtiere
ambient changes are significant, it is custornary to emploJi the'worst case" in lhe
process design. For example, in the northern United States,one might assume a feed
temperature of
-20"C
if there is to be preheating. If cooling is required. 35" f would
be appropriate. If energy costs for preheating or precooling are significanl.
"
consideratiorr of seasoi-ral varialions may 'ue
necessary. if in doubt, mosi er-rgineers
make eonservative assumptions. that is- those tlrat assure a safe design.
Use of common sense and personal
judgment
to detine temperat-&res,
pressures, and other canditions is somewhat discorrceriing at first, especialiy for
students who are accustomed to ready-made homework problems, Students are
even more uncomfortable if their assumptions differ substantially from those of the
teacher.
rrly'hen
such discrepancies are brought up in discussion, I find it upsetsthe
students er.fen more if t re.,'rse rny figures
to
agree more closely wlth theigs.
{Such
apparent abandon and imprecision are acceptable 1o experienced designers, who
reeognize that some assumptions can vary within broad limirs wiiitc,ut h"ving a
significant impact on the final solution",) On the other l:and, same studtnts, caught
up in the spirit, carry t!:is to extremes, arbitrarily assigning parameters that are
uniquely determined h-v nature. A eommon error, f,*r exarnple, is to assr:me the
r.rr+!a+ +.**a=^c',-- ,-i
-- -l:-L^a:- '."-^-
:i a:rls i!+ .i-i.*i-=-' :-*;^-:
'..,
UULiCt iciiiPciaiijiL- i..ri iiii aiiiauaiii;
ji,4U!Ui
wIlCIl rt iltw;l w tlE.ttlilttllur lte).seu' u-y
e:{sciiiing an ener5y balance. \,}'ith a iitile thougi;i. it siie uiij !}!..L;rEe eas}- foi :iiaiiiie
students to identify situations that are arbitrary and th+se tlni are not.
DeI:lir-ag s.:ndiiions and capaciiius coriiain: ixi eicii,;ilii r; ;. i. Thui. i.:r;ltl;,i:s
deveiop:-- '+ith experience. in
;iour
i-trst aitenipts to Dieta. E a;: <;;.r:rnai [:o'*' 1:':'-:i.
some boidness wii!
'ue
required. As wisdcm a*d
judgrr*nt
devei*F. this stes
"
r^-:^-...:!t L", !I.. :!,.-.. .'--.-t-^---.,..
-
r:-r
-f
F
pfoce .
ijiigii
siii 3".1 .
--
.1 liaiijl;- i;; r.'l:.ii;vur aJ':-iut',': -
i rlsi ui
iheet b.=,=:nda-ry conciii+-s, ihe r,:!es +i ri.;s:+ i+ -+;ltnd!:- E :h+';id i-=r usrf'
'
Beginning the flowchart, at lhis point, :.:a;r seem prr:eipritcus. 1.. .ireless,
based on a iitr.aeurc suruey, cci'lsiiliatiot=r, anti ai'i';,ts to rjei-, :
:iie
F-i. .
,i.ou
wiii
bepreparedtobegin.?heexpell.,nceofprepari?";':rL',;.:rer,'s[6rl'.:.ii.ir".r:.identrn
--eas in which more informatiur,
is
Eieeded. lt ,
.
n reqt: : tiplt;'-
-L--- r.r-4-: :-
'.:---,
'!.L-= f.
'-- I r--
-
t^
;i.iiee..ijeii-iii^iiiji:'.sieF:rltlullU3l1.sltrurij.ri...i*ijiil;aii.;''.
23
can be
ia that
have
Y,
ts
ton
a
that
all
these
rhe
.rhe
on,
and
is,
are
2.
.lt
v.
n