Production of Formalin

Energy Balances Design Project

March 23th 2020

Team 3:

Anthony Romeo

Jacob Thomas

Huseen Alkhawaja

Lillian Ramsey

Instructor:

Dr. Park
 Table of Contents
1. Introduction

1.1 Description of Process- “Person/Persons written by”

2. Safety

2.1 Potential Safety Issues and Concerns on the Process - “Person/Persons written by”

3. Flowchart “Name of part done by each person on it”

4. Energy Balance Equation for each Unit

4.1 Pump (P-801 A/B) - Anthony Romeo

4.2 Compressor (C-801) - Anthony Romeo

4.3 Heat Exchangers (E-801 and E-802) -

4.4 Reactor (R-801) - Lillian Ramsey

4.5 Vessel (V-801) - Lillian Ramsey

4.6 Distillation Column (T-801) - Lillian Ramsey

4.7 Heat Exchanger (E-804) -

4.8 Heat Exchanger (E-805) -

5. References
1. Introduction
2. Safety

3. Flowchart
Name: Color:

Anthony Romeo ________

Jacob Thomas _________

Huseen Alkhawaja _________

Lillian Ramsey _________

4. Energy Balance Equation for Each Unit

4.1 Pump (P-801 A/B) - Anthony Romeo

Assumptions
No ∆T across the pump

∆p/p+ ∆V^2/2 + g∆h + F = W/m --> W = m (∆p/p+ ∆V^2/2 + g∆h + F) --> W

= m (∆p/p)

Assume no loss in pump

Vout = Vin, hout = hin, F=0

Pump Efficiency is 80%

Need to solve for

Pump Work (W) (KJ)

Needed to help solve equation

Density of methanol (p) located in any table. Needed since pressure is based on being placed on

the liquid. Creates units that can be multiplied by the flow rate, Ex: atm/(kg/m^3)

Mass flow rate of fresh methanol and recycled methanol (m) located

by finding the mass flow rate output of the mixing fresh methanol and

recycled methanol. Needed to multiply the ∆p/p by a corresponding

mass.

Inlet pressure and outlet pressure (∆p) (Pout – Pin) located by measuring inlet

pressure and setting an outlet pressure. Needed to calculate work based on the change in

pressures.

Need to account for pump efficiency for final work. W/0.80

4.2 Compressor (C-801) - Anthony Romeo

Assumptions

Ws=4.5R(Tout-Tin), where R= air input rate in mol, 4.5 is the heat capacity value (Cp)

Tout=Tin(Pout/Pin)^0.286
Adiabatic, ideal gas, air contains only O2 and N2 at 25 degrees celsius

Compressor Efficiency is 70%

Need to solve for

Temperature out (Tout) (K)

Work (Ws) (KJ/kmol)

Needed to help solve equation

R is the air flow rate which is determined from optimization of the process which value of air

input best creates the required yield in the most economically feasible manner.

Tin and Pin were given at 25℃(298K) and 1 atm respectively.

Pout is determined by optimizing the process for which final pressure creates the most final yield

in the most economically feasible manner.

Account for efficiency, Ws/0.70 as the last step to finding work.

4.3 Heat Exchangers (E-801 and E-802) -

Assumptions

Need to solve for

Needed to help solve equation

4.4 Reactor (R-801) - Lillian Ramsey

Assumptions

vapor/liquid equilibrium

Need to solve for

optimum pressure based on economics, with a minimum pressure of 200 kPa

optimum temperature of Stream 10 based on economics.

Needed to help solve equation

4.5 Vessel (V-801) -

Assumptions

Need to solve for

Needed to help solve equation

4.6 Distillation Column (T-801) -

Assumptions

Need to solve for

Needed to help solve equation

4.7 Heat Exchanger (E-804) and Heat Exchanger (E-805)

E-804 description:
In this heat exchanger, the some of the contents of the stream leaving the bottom of T-801
entering E-804 are vaporized and returned to the column. The amount returned to the column
is equal to the amount in Stream 14. The temperature of these streams is the boiling point of the
formaldehyde/water stream at the column pressure. The heat required may be estimated
by the heat of vaporization of each component at the boiling point of water at column pressure.
There is a cost for the amount of steam needed to provide energy to vaporize the stream; this
is a utility cost. The steam temperature must always be higher than the temperature of the
stream being vaporized, preferably at least 10°C higher.
E-805 description:
In this heat exchanger, the contents of the top of T-801 are condensed from saturated vapor to
saturated liquid at the column pressure. For this calculation, you may assume that the pure
methanol is condensed at its boiling point at the column pressure. There is a cost for the
amount of cooling water needed; this is a utility cost. The cooling water leaving E-805 must
always be at a lower temperature than that of the stream being condensed, preferably at least
10°C lower. The ratio of Stream 13 to the stream recycled back to T-801 is 1/5.

Assumptions:
Following assumptions are made.
1. Steady state process.
2. There is no change in kinetic energy across the heat exchanger, kinetic energy change is
neglected.
3. There is no change in potential energy at inlet and outlet as heat exchanger is placed
horizontal.
4. There is no shaft work involved during course of heat exchanger.
5. Mass flow rate at inlet and outlet are same.
6. There is no pressure drop in the heat exchanger.
7. Condenser is being operated at constant temperature and constant pressure (Process side
due to phase change).
8. Reboiler is being operated at constant temperature and constant pressure (Process side
due to phase change).
Need to solve for:
Process stream flow rates that is flow rate through condenser and boiler. These flow rate depend
upon column specification in form of reflux ratio (R) of column and boil off amount returned to
column after adding heat from reboiler. These flow rates are obtained from mass balance over
column T-801. Heat requirements Q condenser and Q reboiler, and utility flow rates are then
computed/calculated based on energy balance on individual heat exchanger.

1. Mass flow rate of process streams.

2. Heat duty of condenser.
3. Heat duty of reboiler.
4. Utility flow rate through condenser.
5. Utility flow rate through reboiler.
Following parameters are specified after optimization.
1. Steam utility pressure and temperature being utilized in the reboiler.
2. Water flow rate based on exit temperature.

Heat exchangers Energy Balance General:

The stream taken out from top of column is in vapor phase and is passed through a condenser
which condenses vapor, a part of the stream is sent back to column as reflux. While at the bottom
of the distillation column, liquid phase stream is taken off and is passed through a heat exchanger
and there it is boiled off partially, the vapors obtained are fed back to column as boil off and
liquid stream is taken as bottom liquid product. Heat exchanger used as E-805 is a condenser
while heat exchanger used as E-804 is a reboiler.
In a heat exchanger, there are two streams interacting. One stream that is at lower temperature
takes heat from stream that is at higher temperature. The flow configuration can be concurrent
that is both streams flow in same direction while in the countercurrent stream one stream flow in
opposite direction to other.

Figure 1 Flow configuration

There are two separate energy balances applied on each stream. We apply general energy
balance on both streams one by one. The heat flow Q is based on process requirement that is
provided by a utility stream. In Reboilers, utility stream is at higher temperature and utility flow
is calculated based on process requirement. In Condenser, utility stream is at lower temperature
and utility flow is calculated based on process requirement that how much heat is required to be
removed from process stream.

It is basically an open system in which mass is crossing boundaries of system.

A steady state energy balance can be written for process stream and utility stream as follow:
Q  W s  W flow   E j   E j
out in
Where Ws is rate of shaft work which is done on system by the movement of process fluid.
While, Wflow is rate of work done on process fluid at inlet minus rate of work done on process
fluid at outlet.
W flow  PinVin  PoutVout
1
E j  m jUˆ j  m j v j 2  m j gz
2
  ˆ 1  2    1 
Q  W s   PV j j   PV

j j    m jU j 
 m j v j  m j gz     m jUˆ j  m j v j 2  m j gz 
in out out  2  in  2 
 1     PV    m Uˆ  1 m v 2  m gz 
Q  W s     m jUˆ j  m j v j 2  m j gz    PV j j j j  j j j j j 
out  2  in out in  2 
 ˆ    ˆ ˆ 
1 1 2
Q  W s   m j  Uˆ j  v j 2  gz  PV j j    m j U j  v j  gz  PV j j
out  2  in  2 
Hˆ  Uˆ  PVˆ
j j j

A generalized energy balance is written in terms of specific enthalpy as follow:

 1   1 
Q  W s   m j  Hˆ j  v j 2  gz    m j  Hˆ j  v j 2  gz 
out  2  in  2 
1
Q  W s  mHˆ  mv 2  mgz
2
Q  m process Hˆ
Process Stream:
Q  m utility Hˆ
Utility Stream:

For process flow streams, mass balance is applied on the column T-801 from where we obtain
required flow rate with known reflux and boil off stream flow.

Mass balance to obtain flow rates through E-804 and E-805.

Flow rates of process can be obtained from given information that amount returned to column is
equal to amount in stream 14.
These flow rates can be obtained from overall mass balance on column, condenser and reboiler.
Formaldehyde product required = 50,000 tons/year
Column overall balance:

m1213
mm 14

T-
80
Figure 2 Column overall balance 1
 Overall balance:
m12  m13  m14
m13 1

R 5
m14  B
Component balance:
m12 x12, form  m13 x13, form  m14 x14, form
m12 x12,water  m13 x13,water  m14 x14,water
m12 x12,methanol  m13 x13,methanol  m14 x14,methanol

Based on distillation requirement, these flow rates can be calculated based on 50,000 ton/year
production rate.
tons 1year  1day
50,000   5.707tons / hr
year 365days  24hrs
 F ormaline(37% Formaldehyde)  5707 kg / hr
m14, formaldehyde  0.37  5707 kg / hr  2112kg / hr
So, mass flow rate through Reboiler is

Boiloff =m 14
m reboier,inlet Reboiler
m 14
14
m 14
mreboiler  2m14
From feed stream m12, composition and with knowledge of reflux R and composition of top
stream that is given 100% methanol, flow rate through condenser can be calculated as follow:
mR
mcondenser,inlet
13

Co
nd
en
mcondenser  m13  R se
r
E-804 Energy Balance


Q  m process Hˆ  m process Hˆ outlet  Hˆ inlet 
For heat requirement of process, it is required to know enthalpies at inlet of the heat exchanger
and enthalpy at outlet of heat exchanger. For this purpose, temperature and pressure are required
given as water boiling point at column pressure that is:
Column Pressure = 101.325 kPa
Sat. temperature of water @ 101.325 kPa is100 oC.
Thermodynamic Data @ 101.325 kPa
o
C Water Formaldehyde Methanol
Temperature 10 Hvap,Wate Hvap,Formaldehyde Hvap,Methano
0 r l

Q   m water H vap ,water  m formaldehyde H vap ,formaldehyde  m methanol H vap ,formaldehyde 

This heat is supplied by utility that is 10o higher.

So, for utility flow rate, energy balance is as follow:
Q   m utility H 
Q
m utility 
H
Where,
Q   m water H vap ,water  m formaldehyde H vap ,formaldehyde  m methanol H vap ,formaldehyde 
Following data is required to calculate utility requirement for E-804. This can be varied
according to steam condition chosen. For example, if a saturated steam is selected as utility @
111.4 oC with a saturation pressure of 1.5 bar and after exchanging heat with process, it is
condensed completely to liquid phase, then
Thermodynamic Data of Utility (Steam) @ 111.4 oC
bar Inelt Outlet
Sat. Pressure 1.5 Hvap,steam Hsteam,outlet
2693.4 kJ/kg 467.1 kJ/kg

E-805 Energy Balance

In E-805, process stream is condensed from saturated vapor to saturated liquid. The heat
requirement can be calculated using energy balance similar to that obtained in case of E-804.
The heat requirement can be calculated from following energy balance.
Assumption:
1. Stream is Pure methanol
 2. Stream is being condensed at column pressure.
Recycle ratio is given from which, flow rate can be obtained which is going through heat
exchanger.

R = 1/5
mcondenser  m13  R

Q  m condenser Hˆ  m condenser Hˆ outlet  Hˆ inlet 
For heat requirement, heat of vaporization of the Methanol at column pressure is required to be
known.
Column Pressure = 101.325 kPa
Sat. temperature of methanol @ 101.325 kPa is
o
C Methanol
Temperature 100 Hvap,Methanol

Q   m condenser H vap ,methanol 

This heat is supplied by utility that is 10o lower.
So, for utility flow rate, energy balance is as follow:
Q   m utility H 
Q
m utility 
H
Where,
Q   m condenser H vap ,methanol 
Following data is required to calculate utility requirement for E-805. This can be varied
according to water condition chosen.
Thermodynamic Data of Utility (Water) @ 10 degree
Lower than Hot stream
bar Inelt Outlet
1.0 Hinlet Houtlet

Needed to help solve for equations:

1. m13 (for condenser process stream flow), m14 ( for reboiler process stream flow), R and
Boil off stream flow rates.
2. Heat of vaporization of methanol and condenser operating pressure that is operating
pressure of column T-801.
3. Heat of vaporization of formaldehyde, water, methanol at boiling pressure of water at
reboiler operating pressure that is operating pressure of column T-801.
References