SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

(Division of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)

CH4701 Final Year Design Project

Report
(Group )
Name

Matric. No.

Executive Summary

Table of Contents
Executive Summary.................................................................................................... 2
List of Figures............................................................................................................. 5
List of Tables............................................................................................................... 5
Chapter 1. Introduction.............................................................................................. 6
1.1

Process description........................................................................................ 6

1.2

Choice of Thermodynamic Model...................................................................6

1.3

Process Simulation......................................................................................... 6

1.4

Process Flow Diagram.................................................................................... 6

1.5

Summary of Stream and Equipment..............................................................6

Chapter 2. Process design and trade-off analysis.......................................................7

2.1

Objective Function......................................................................................... 7

2.2

Selection and Classification of variables........................................................7

2.3

Choice of Dominant Design Variables............................................................7

2.4

Methodology and results................................................................................7

2.5

Trade-off analysis of dominant variables........................................................7

2.5.1

Dominant variable 1:............................................................................... 7

2.5.2

Dominant variable 2:............................................................................... 7

2.5.3

Dominant variable 3:............................................................................... 7

2.5.4

Dominant variable 4:............................................................................... 7

2.5.5

Dominant variable 5:............................................................................... 7

2.5.6

Dominant variable 6:............................................................................... 7

2.6

Local variable optimization.........................................................................7

Chapter 3. Heat Integration........................................................................................ 9

3.1.

Methodology.................................................................................................. 9

3.1.1.

Classification of streams..........................................................................9

3.1.2.

Minimum temperature difference............................................................9

3.2.

Above the pinch HEN design..........................................................................9

3.3.

Below the pinch HEN design..........................................................................9

3.4.

Proposed HEN Design.................................................................................... 9

Chapter 4. Economic Evaluation............................................................................... 10

4.1

Cost Reduction Post Optimization................................................................10

4.2

Cost Reduction after Heat Integration..........................................................10

4.3

Cost Breakdown in Operating Plant.............................................................10

4.4

Overall cost evaluation................................................................................10

Chapter 5. Safety, Health and Environment.............................................................11

5.1.

Hazard and operability study (HAZOP)............................................................11

5.2.

Health.......................................................................................................... 11

5.3.

Environment................................................................................................ 11

Chapter 6. Limitations and Recommendations.........................................................12

Chapter 7. Conclusion.............................................................................................. 12

List of Figures

List of Tables

Chapter 1. Introduction
1.1Process description
The process is designed to obtain an EB production rate of 368,000 tons per
annum (assuming 8160 hoursper annum) with a purity of 99.7 mol%. Fresh
benzene stream is mixed with the recycled benzene, flow from the first reactor
down to the last reactor while ethylene stream will split to six different reactors.
The mixed streams will enter the PFR at temperature between 170C to 270C.
After which, the stream will enter the distillation column. The overhead product
consists of mainly benzene and ethane while the bottom product will consist of
mainly diethyl-benzene and EB. The overhead vapor product will enter a flash
drum whereby ethylene and ethane will be separated from benzene. The
separated benzene will thenjoin part of the overhead liquid product from first
column into a combined recycle benzene stream. Thebottom stream from first
column will enter the second distillation column to separate EB from diethyl
benzene as our product. Diethyl benzene will then join the other part of
overhead liquid product from column into a combined feed to a transalkylation
reactor. In this reactor, diethyl benzene will react with benzene to form additional
EB and the outlet stream will be recycled back to column 1 where it will
gothrough the same separation.
1.2Choice of Thermodynamic Model

Based on the recommendation of Seader, Redich-Kwong-Soave (SRK) and Peng-Robinson

(PR) equations provide a reasonable approximation for the design specification and SRK is
the default thermodynamics package in many simulators. SRK is model is preferred when
handling Vapour-Liquid phase.
Experimental data were used to compare and verify the validity of both SRK and PR model.
The graph is shown as follow.

To conclude, SRK is model is prefer as it provides better fit than PR and has relatively higher
accuracy.

1.3Process Simulation

The process was modeling using Aspen HYSYS 7.2. Combination of EB from the fresh EB
and recycle stream were adjusted to maintain the ethylbenzene production rate of 424 kmol/h
based on 8160 hours of plants operation per year. Base on heuristic, L/D for reactor is set to
be 5. Analysis, Synthesis and Design - Richard Turton Table 11.6. Heuristics for
Process Vessels (Drums) states that the L/D for flash drum is 3 The pressure drop for the
column is 5psi and the column efficiency calculated using E=13.366.8 log ( ) from
Plantwide dynamic simulators in chemical processing and control (luyben,William L).The
efficiency is calculated to be 55.8% and 60.46% for T100 and T101 respectively. Tray
spacing has been set at 0.6 m based on Analysis, Synthesis and Design Richard Turton. Table 11.14. Heuristics for Tray Towers (Distillation and Gas
Absorption). The pressure drop across every PFR was calculated using Ergun Equation
2
2
P 1 50 (1) u0 1.75(1 ) u0
=
+
. The Control valves pressure after pump is
L
3 d 2p
3 d p

assumed to be 10psi.

1.4Process Flow Diagram

Chapter 2. Process design and trade-off analysis

2.1Objective Function

2.2Selection and Classification of variables

2.3Choice of Dominant Design Variables

2.4Methodology and results

2.5Trade-off analysis of dominant variables
2.5.1 Dominant variable 1:

2.5.2 Dominant variable 2:

2.5.3 Dominant variable 3:

2.5.4 Dominant variable 4:
2.5.5 Dominant variable 5:
2.5.6 Dominant variable 6:
2.6Local variable optimization
2.7Process Improvement

Chapter 3. Heat Integration

3.1.Methodology
3.1.1. Classification of streams
3.1.2. Minimum temperature difference
3.1.3.
3.2.Above the pinch HEN design
3.3.Below the pinch HEN design
3.4.Proposed HEN Design

Chapter 4. Economic Evaluation

4.1Cost Reduction Post Optimization
4.2Cost Reduction after Heat Integration
4.3Cost Breakdown in Operating Plant
4.4Overall cost evaluation

Chapter 5. Safety, Health and Environment

5.1.Hazard and operability study (HAZOP)
5.2.Health
5.3.Environment

Chapter 6. Limitations and Recommendations

Chapter 7. Conclusion

Re

3.