PROCESS DESIGN PRINCIPLES I

CHE F314
Suresh Gupta
BITS Pilani Department of Chemical Engineering
BITS-Pilani, Pilani Campus
Pilani Campus
 BITS Pilani
Pilani Campus

Lecture-3
Hierarchical Approach to Conceptual
Design
04-08-2017
CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Contd..

When do we consider designing of VRS?

We consider the design of the VRS before that for the liquid
separation system

3 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Simplified Flowsheet for the

Separation Systems
Our goal is to find a way of simplifying flowheets

It is obvious that Fig.1 is much simpler than the figure in

which energy integration (HENS) is included
because of which it was decided that the EIA be carried out at the
end (after distillation train is finalized)

Similarly, since we have to know that the process flow rates

to design the VRS and LRS
it was decided to consider these design problems just before the
energy integration

4 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Contd..
The connections between the VRS and LRS shown in Fig. 5

VAPOR RECOVERY Purge

Gas Recycle SYSTEM H2, CH4
H2, CH4

Light
Gases
H2, CH4
Aromatics + Light Gases
REACTOR PHASE
SYSTEM SPLIT Liquid
Toluene (aromatics)

Aromatics

Toluene Benzene
LIQUID SEPARATION
SYSTEM
Diphenyl

Fig. 5
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Recycle structure of the flow sheet

A simplified flow sheet for the process is shown in Fig. 6

Purge
Gas Recycle H2, CH4
H2, CH4

H2, CH4
Aromatics + Light Gases Benzene
REACTOR SEPARATION
SYSTEM SYSTEM
Diphenyl
Toluene

Toluene (Recycle)

Fig. 6
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Contd..

Use this simple representation

to estimate the recycle flows
their effect on the reactor cost, and
the cost of gas recycle compressor, if any

For example, we can study:

1. The factors that determine the no. of recycle streams
2. Heat effects in the reactor
3. Equiliblrium limitations in the reactor, etc.

7 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Can we still think of simplifying the flowsheet?

8 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Input-Output structure of
the flowsheet
Since raw material costs normally fall in the range from 33-
85% of the total product costs
the overall material balance are the dominant factors in the design

Purge
Gas Recycle H2, CH4
H2, CH4

H2, CH4
Benzene
PROCESS
Diphenyl
Toluene

Liquid Recycle
Is this structure of
flowsheet correct?
Fig. 7
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Contd..

Also we do not want to spend any time investigating the

design variables in the ranges
where the products and by products are worth less than the raw
materials

Thus, we consider the Input-output structure of the flow

sheet and the decisions that affect this structure before we
consider any recycle streams

By successively simplifying a flowsheet, we can develop a

general procedure for attacking design problems

10 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Hierarchy of Decisions

A systematic approach to process design by

reducing the design problem to a hierarchy of
decisions:
1. Batch vs Continuous
2. Input-Output structure of the flow sheet
3. Recycle structure of the flow sheet
4. General structure of the separation system
a) Vapor liquid system
b) Liquid separation system
5. Energy Integration Analysis (HENS)

11 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Contd..

One great advantage of this approach to design is:

It allows us to calculate equipment cost
to estimate costs
Then if the potential profit becomes negative at some level
look for a process alternative or ,
terminate the design project without having to obtain a complete
solution to the problem
Another advantage of this procedure:
As we make about the structure of the flow sheet at various levels
We know that if we change these decisions, we will generate process
alternatives
The goal of a conceptual design is to find the best
alternative

12 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Example
Ethanol is produced by the hydration of ethylene. The primary reactions for ethanol
synthesis are given below: Ethylene H O Ethanol
2

2 Ethanol Diethyl ether H 2 O

Initially, the feed (90% ethylene, 8% ethane, and 2% methane) and water are heated
by passing through the primary heater. This heated feed is sent to the reactor. The
reaction takes place at 560 K and 69 bar. The fractional conversion of ethylene in the
reactor is 0.07. The reactants and products are sent to the separator where gaseous
and liquid products and reactants are separated. All gaseous products and reactants
are scrubbed in a scrubber. Unconverted ethylene and inert gases (ethane and
methane) are recycled back. To avoid the accumulation of inert components, some
amount of recycled stream is purged. The liquid products and the bottom products of
scrubber are sent to the series of distillation columns where side product diethyl ether
and water are separated out. The diethyl ether is recycled back and mixed with the
feed stream. Ethanol-water azeotrope is produced from the final distillation column.
Draw the following:
General structure of the flow sheet
Recycle structure of the flow sheet
Input-output structure of the flow sheet

13 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

General structure

Ethylene + Ethane + Methane

Purge
(Ethylene + Ethane + Methane)

Vapor
Recovery
System

Ethylene Ethylene, H2O, DEE,

Ethane, Methane, Ethanol, DEE, H2O
Ethanol Phase
Process
H2O Split

Ethanol-H2O azeotrope
Liquid
Recovery
H2O
System

Diethyl Ether (DEE)

14 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Recycle structure

Ethylene + Ethane + Methane + Diethyl Ether

(DEE) Purge
(Ethylene + Ethane + Methane)

Ethylene Ethylene, H2O, DEE, Ethanol-H2O azeotrope

Ethane, Methane,
Process Ethanol Separation
H2O System H2O

15 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Input-output structure

Ethylene + Ethane +
Methane
Purge
(Ethylene + Ethane + Methane)

Ethylene Ethanol-H2O azeotrope

Process H2O
H2O

16 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

CHE F314 Process Design Principles I

Thank You

17 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus