The Design

Procedure Chapter-2
Dr. Muddasar Habib
Deptt. of Chem. Engg.
UET Peshawar.
Types of Design
•Preliminary or Quick
Estimate Design.
•Detailed Estimate Design.
•Firm Process Design or
Detailed Design.
Preliminary Design
• Used as a basis for carrying further 1.
The first step in
preparing the

work on the proposed process.

preliminary design
is to establish the
bases for design.
The next step

• Based on approximate process

the flowsheet that was developed in process creation step consist of
preparing a
simplified flow
diagram showing

methods and rough cost estimates.

the processes that
are involved and
deciding upon the
1 and 2 points unit operations

• Few details and less time spent on

that will be
required.
Then Economic
evaluation is

calculations. done.
The final step in
preparing a typical
process design,

• Promising results moves the project

involves preparing
a report which will
present the results
of the design

to next stage. work.

2.
Finally it is important that preliminary design be carried out as soon as sufficient data is available from the process development stage.
Detailed estimate design.
• Detailed analysis and calculations are
done to obtain the cost and profit
potential of an established process.
Exact specifications of equipment not
provided and drafting-room work is
minimised.
• At this stage the indication of a
commercial success leads to next
firm process design stage.
Frim Process Design
•Here, Complete specifications are
presented for all components of
the plant, and accurate costs
based on quoted prices are
obtained. The firm process design
includes blueprints and sufficient
information to permit immediate
development of the final plans for
constructing the plant.
Feasibility Survey
• Done before any detailed work on the design.
• Involves the examining of technical and
economic factors.
• Considers the various reactions and physical
operations.
• Explores the existing and potential market
conditions.
• Indicated the probable success and identifies
the requirements of additional information.
List of items for consideration
• 1. Raw materials (availability, quantity, quality, cost)
• 2. Thermodynamics and kinetics of chemical reactions involved (equilibrium,
• yields, rates, optimum conditions)
• 3. Facilities and equipment available at present
• 4. Facilities and equipment which must be purchased
• 5. Estimation of production costs and total investment
• 6. Profits (probable and optimum, per pound of product and per year, return
• on investment)
• 7. Materials of construction
• 8. Safety considerations
• 9. Markets (present and future supply and demand, present uses, new uses,
• present buying habits, price range for products and by-products, character,
• location, and number of possible customers)
• 10. Competition (overall production statistics, comparison of various manufacturing
• processes, product specifications of competitors)
• 11. Properties of products (chemical and physical properties, specifications,
• impurities, effects of storage)
• 12. Sales and sales service (method of selling and distributing, advertising
• required, technical services required)
• 13. Shipping restrictions and containers
• 14. Plant location
• 15. Patent situation and legal restrictions
Process Development
• A pilot plant or semi works scale is aimed
at gathering accurate design information,
material and energy balances, process
conditions of temperature and pressure
variations, yields, rates, grades of raw
materials and products, batch vs
continuous operation, material of
construction, operating characteristics
and so on.
Stage-1: Preliminary Design
• The first step in preparing the preliminary
design is to establish the bases for design. In
addition to the known specifications for the
product and availability of raw materials, the
design can be controlled by such items as the
expected annual operating factor (fraction of
the year that the plant will be in operation),
temperature of the cooling water, available
steam pressures, fuel used, value of by-
products, etc.
Contt….
• The next step consists of preparing a simplified flow
diagram showing the processes that are involved and
deciding upon the unit operations which will be
required. A preliminary material balance at this point
may very quickly eliminate some the alternative cases.
Flow rates and stream conditions for the remaining
cases are now evaluated by complete material
balances, energy balances, and a knowledge of raw-
material and product specifications, yields, reaction
rates, and time cycles. The temperature, pressure, and
composition of every process stream is determined.
Stream enthalpies, percent vapor, liquid, and solid,
heat duties, etc., are included where pertinent to the
process.
Contt…..
• Unit process principles are used in the design of specific pieces
of equipment. Equipment specifications are generally
summarized in the form of tables and included with the final
design report. These tables usually include the following:
• 1. Cofumns (distillation). In addition to the number of plates
and operating conditions it is also necessary to specify the
column diameter, materials of construction, plate layout, etc.
• 2. Vessels. In addition to size, which is often dictated by the
holdup time desired, materials of construction and any packing
or baffling should be specified.
• 3. Reactors. Catalyst type and size, bed diameter and
thickness, heat-interchange facilities, cycle and regeneration
arrangements, materials of construction, etc., must be
specified.
Contt….
• 4. Heat exchangers and furnaces. Manufacturers are
usually supplied with the duty, corrected log mean-
temperature difference, percent vaporized, pressure
drop desired, and materials of construction.
• 5. Pumps and compressors. Specify type, power
requirement, pressure difference, gravities,
viscosities, and working pressures.
• 6. Instruments. Designate the function and any
particular requirement.
• 7. Special equipment. Specifications for mechanical
separators, mixers, driers, etc.
Contt….
•As soon as the equipment needs
are firmed, the utilities and
labour requirement are
determined and tabulated.
•No design is complete without
economic evaluations.
•Estimates of capital and total
product cost completes the
preliminary Design Calculations.
• Economic evaluation plays an important
part in any process design. This is
particularly true 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 design project should ever proceed
beyond the preliminary stages without a
consideration of costs. Evaluation of costs
in the preliminary-design phases greatly
assists the engineer in further eliminating
many of the alternative cases.
• 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.
Unfortunately this phase of the design
work quite often receives very little
attention by the chemical engineer. As a
consequence, untold quantities of
excellent engineering calculations and
ideas are sometimes discarded because of
poor communications between the
engineer and management.
• Finally, it is important that the
preliminary design be carried out as
soon as sufficient data are available
from the feasibility survey or the
process-development step. In this
way, the preliminary design can
serve its main function of
eliminating an undesirable project
before large amounts of money and
time are expended.
Stage-II: Detailed Estimate
Design
• If the preliminary design and the process-development work
gives the results necessary for a detailed-estimate design.
The following factors should be established within narrow
limits before a detailed-estimate design is developed:
• 1. Manufacturing process
• 2. Material and energy balances
• 3. Temperature and pressure ranges
• 4. Raw-material and product specifications
• 5. Yields, reaction rates, and time cycles
• 6. Materials of construction
• 7. Utilities requirements
• 8. Plant site
• When the preceding information is
included in the design, the result
permits accurate estimation of
required capital investment,
manufacturing costs, and potential
profits. Consideration should be given
to the types of buildings, heating,
ventilating, lighting, power, drainage,
waste disposal, safety facilities,
instrumentation, etc.
Stage-III: Firm Design
• Firm process designs (or detailed designs) can be prepared
for purchasing and construction from a detailed-estimate
design. Detailed drawings are made for the fabrication of
special equipment, and specifications are prepared for
purchasing standard types of equipment and materials. A
complete plant layout is prepared, and blueprints and
instructions for construction are developed. Piping diagrams
and other construction details are included. Specifications are
given for warehouses, laboratories, guard-houses, fencing,
change houses, transportation facilities, and similar items.
The final firm process design must be developed with the
assistance of persons skilled in various engineering fields,
such as architectural, ventilating, electrical, and civil. Safety
conditions and environmental-impact factors must also
always be taken into account.
Plant Construction and
Operation Page 18-19. from
Plant design and economics
Book, read yourself.
Design Information from
Literature
• Look for latest related to your Project.
• Many Sources, Perrys’ Chemical
Engineering Handbook can be a good
start.
• Books often given old information in
comparison to articles published in
journals.
• Emphasise on piece of information
published in the past 5 to 10 years.
• Regular features on design-related aspects of
equipment, costs, materials of construction, and unit
processes are published in Chemical Engineering.
Following periodicals are suggested as valuable sources
of information for the chemical engineer who wishes to
keep abreast of the latest developments in the field:
American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Journal,
Chemical Engineering Progress, Chemical and
Engineering News, Chemical Week, Chemical
Engineering Science, Industrial and Engineering
Chemistry Fundamentals, Industrial and Engineering
Chemistry Process Design and Development, Journal of
the American Chemical Society, Hydrocarbon
Processing, Engineering News-Record, Oil and Gas
Journal, and Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering.
• Trade bulletins are published regularly by most manufacturing
concerns, and these bulletins give much information of direct
interest to the chemical engineer preparing a design. Some of the
trade-bulletin information is condensed in an excellent reference
book on chemical engineering equipment, products, and
manufacturers. This book is known as the “Chemical Engineering
Catalog,“ and contains a large amount of valuable descriptive
material. New information is constantly becoming available
through publication in periodicals, books, trade bulletins,
government reports, university bulletins, and many other sources.
Many of the publications are devoted to shortcut methods for
estimating physical properties or making design calculations, while
others present compilations of essential data in the form of graphs
or tables. Personal experience and contacts, attendance at
meetings of technical societies and industrial expositions, and
reference to the published literature are very helpful in giving the
engineer the background information necessary for a successful
design.
Flow Diagrams
• Flow diagrams show the sequence of
equipment and unit operations in the
overall process, to simplify visualization of
the manufacturing procedures, and to
indicate the quantities of materials and
energy transfer. 3-types:
•(1) Qualitative,
•(2) Quantitative,
•(3) Combined-detail
1. Qualitative Flow Diagram
•A qualitative flow diagram
indicates the flow of materials,
unit operations involved,
equipment necessary, and
special information on
operating temperatures and
pressures.
2. Quantitative Flow Diagram

•A quantitative flow
diagram shows the
quantities of materials
required for the process
operation
3. Combined Detail
• Preliminary flow diagrams (1 & 2) are made during the early
stages of a design project. As the design proceeds toward
completion, detailed information on flow quantities and
equipment specifications becomes available, and combined-
detail flow diagrams can be prepared.
• This type of diagram shows the qualitative flow pattern and
serves as a base reference for giving equipment
specifications, quantitative data, and sample calculations.
Tables presenting pertinent data on the process and the
equipment are cross-referenced to the drawing. In this way,
qualitative information and quantitative data are combined
on the basis of one flow diagram. The drawing does not lose
its effectiveness by presenting too much information; yet the
necessary data are readily available by direct reference to the
accompanying tables.
• A typical combined-detail flow diagram shows the
location of temperature and pressure regulators
and indicators, as well as the location of critical
control valves and special instruments. Each piece
of equipment 4s shown and is designated by a
defined code number. For each piece of equipment,
accompanying tables give essential information,
such as specifications for purchasing, specifications
for construction, type of fabrication, quantities and
types of chemicals involved, and sample
calculations. Equipment symbols and flow-sheet
symbols, particularly for detailed equipment flow
sheets, are given in the Appendix of your book.
Problem on page 23 of plant
design and economics for
chem. Engr. Book, do yourself.
Comparison of different
processes
• The comparison can be accomplished through
the development of complete designs. In
many cases, however, all but one or two of
the possible Processes can be eliminated by a
weighted comparison of the essential variable
items, and detailed design calculations for
each process may not be required.
• The following items should be considered in a
comparison of this type:
• 1. Technical factors
• a. Process flexibility
• b. Continuous operation
• c. Special controls involved
• d. Commercial yields
• e. Technical difficulties involved
• f. Energy requirements
• g. Special auxiliaries required
• h. Possibility of future developments
• i. Health and safety hazards involved
• 2. Raw materials
• a. Present and future availability
• b. Processing required
• c. Storage requirements
• d. Materials handling problems
• 3. Waste products and by-products
• a. Amount produced
• b. Value
• c. Potential markets and uses
• d. Manner of discard
• e. Environmental aspects
• 4. Equipment
• a. Availability
• b. Materials of construction
• c. Initial costs
• d. Maintenance and installation costs
• e. Replacement requirements
• f. Special designs
• 5. Plant location
• CI. Amount of land required
• b. Transportation facilities
• c. Proximity to markets and raw-material sources
• d. Availability of service and power facilities
• e. Availability of labor
• f. Climate
• g. Legal restrictions and taxes
• 6. Costs
• a. Raw materials
• b. Energy
• c. Depreciation
• d. Other fixed charges
• e. Processing and overhead
• f. Special labour requirements
• g. Real estate
• h. Patent rights
• i. Environmental controls
• 7. Time factor
• a. Project completion deadline
• b. Process development required
• c. Market timeliness
• d. Value of money
• 8. Process considerations
• a. Technology availability
• b. Raw materials common with other processes
• c. Consistency of product within company
• d. General company objectives
Batch Vs Continuous Operation
• In many cases, costs can be reduced by using
continuous instead of batch processes. Less labour
is required, and control of the equipment and
grade of final product is simplified. Whereas batch
operation was common in the early days of the
chemical industry, most processes have been
switched completely or partially to continuous
operation. The advent of many new types of
control instruments has made this transition
possible, and the design engineer should be aware
of the advantages inherent in any type of
continuous operation.
Equipment Design and
Specifications Page 36 (50 of
925). PD book.
Safety Factors in Design
•Adequate safety Factors in
Design e.g. to cater for
fouling.
•Care should be taken not to
overdesign.
Equipment Specifications.
• Preliminary specifications for equipment should show the
following:
• 1. Identification
• 2. Function
• 3. Operation
• 4. Materials handled
• 5. Basic design data
• 6. Essential controls
• 7. Insulation requirements
• 8. Allowable tolerances
• 9. Special information and details pertinent to the particular
equipment, such as materials of construction including gaskets,
installation, necessary delivery date, supports, and special
design details or comments
• Final specifications can be prepared by the engineer;
however, care must be exercised to avoid unnecessary
restrictions. The engineer should allow the potential
manufacturers or fabricators to make suggestions before
preparing detailed specifications. In this way, the final
design can include small changes that reduce the first
cost with no decrease in the effectiveness of the
equipment. For example, the tubes in standard heat
exchangers are usually 8, 12, 16, or 20 ft long, and these
lengths are ordinarily kept in stock by manufacturers and
maintenance departments. If a design specification
called. for tubes 15 ft Long the manufacturer would
probably use 16-ft tubes cut off to the specified length.
• Consider increase in cost for making 15ft long tubes due
to increased labour charges.
Material of Construction
• The effects of corrosion and erosion
• Chemical resistance and physical properties of constructional materials,
• resistant to the corrosive action of any chemicals that may contact
• Possible erosion caused by flowing fluids or other types of moving
substances
• even though the materials of construction may have adequate chemical
resistance. Structural strength, resistance to physical or thermal shock,
cost, ease of fabrication, necessary maintenance, and general type of
service required, including operating temperatures and pressures, are
additional factors that influence the final choice of constructional
materials.
• If there is any doubt concerning suitable materials for construction of
equipment, reference should be made to the literature, or laboratory
tests should be carried out under conditions similar to the final operating
conditions.
• Further tests on a pilot-plant scale may be desirable in order to
determine the amount of erosion resistance or the effects of other
operational factors.
Thank You.