Wollega University-Shambu

Campus
Chemical Engineering Department
Plant Design and Economics (ChEg 5132)

By:-Feyissa H.
CHAPTER ONE 2
INTRODUCTION TO PLANT DESIGN AND ECONOMICS

 The general term plant design includes all engineering

aspects involved in the development of either a new,

modified, or expanded industrial plant.

 In this development, the chemical engineer will be

making economic evaluations of new processes,

designing individual pieces of equipment, or developing a
plant layout.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Introduction cont’d 3

 In this modern age of industrial competition, a successful

chemical engineer needs more than a knowledge and
understanding of the fundamental sciences and the
related engineering subjects such as
 Thermodynamics

 Reaction kinetics

 Heat and mass transfer and

 Computer technology

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Introduction cont’d 4
• The engineer must also have the ability to apply this knowledge to
practical situations to initiate and develop new or improved processes
and products that will be beneficial to society. However, in achieving
this goal, the chemical engineer must recognize the economic,
environmental, and ethical implications that are involved in such
developments and proceed accordingly.
• Chemical engineering design of new chemical or biochemical processes
and the expansion or revision of existing processes require the use of
engineering principles and theories combined with a practical
realization of the limits imposed by environmental, safety, and health
concerns..
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
Introduction cont’d 5

 Development of a new process or plant from concept evaluation to

profitable reality often is a very complex operation. It is important to

keep in mind that process design problems are open-ended and thus
may have many solutions that are profitable even when not entirely
optimal.

 The engineer must also have the ability to apply this knowledge to

practical situations for the purpose of accomplishing something that will

be beneficial to society. However, in making these applications, the
chemical engineer must recognize the economic implications which are
involved and proceed accordingly.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Introduction cont’d 6

➢ The purpose of this course is to assist chemical engineering students

in making the transition from solving well-posed problems in a
specific subject to integrating all the knowledge that they have gained
in their undergraduate education and applying it to solving open-
ended process problems.
➢ Plant design is an integration or assembly of all subject or the
knowledge that you as a chemical engineering have gained in your
undergraduate education.
➢ Engineering design of new chemical and petrochemical plants and the
expansion or revision of existing ones require the use of engineering
principles and theories combined with a practical realization.
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
Introduction cont’d 7
• Process design, which covers the steps from the initial selection of the
process to be used, through to the issuing of the process flow sheets; and
includes the selection, specification, and chemical engineering design of
equipment. In a typical organization, this phase is the responsibility of
the process design group, and the work is mainly done by chemical engineers.
• Plant design, including the detailed mechanical design of equipment, the
structural, civil, and electrical design, and the specification and design of the
ancillary services. These activities will be the responsibility of specialist
design groups, having expertise in the whole range of engineering disciplines.
Other specialist groups will be responsible for cost estimation, and the
purchase and procurement of equipment and materials

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Introduction cont’d 8

• The general term plant/Process design includes all engineering aspects

involved in the development of either a new, modified, or expanded
industrial plant.
• In this development, the chemical engineer will be designing process
equipments, developing a plant layout and making general
economic/financial evaluations of processes/plants. Because of these
many design duties, the chemical engineer is many times referred to as
a design engineer.
• on the other hand, a chemical engineer specializing in the
economic/financial aspects of the design is often referred as a cost
engineer.
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
Introduction cont’d 9

• The term process engineering is used in connection with general

process works, economic evaluation and general financial
analyses of industrial processes, while process design refers to
the actual design of the equipment and facilities necessary for
carrying out the process.
• The process design group may also be responsible for the
preparation of the piping and instrumentation diagrams.
• Similarly, the meaning of plant design focuses on items related
directly to the complete plant, such as plant layout, general
service facilities, and plant location
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
Introduction cont’d 10
 Development of a new plant or process from concept
evaluation to profitable reality is often an enormously complex
problem.
 A plant-design project moves to completion through a series of
stages such as:
✓ 1. Inception
✓ 2. Preliminary evaluation of economics and market
✓ 3. Development of data necessary for final design
✓ 4. Final economic evaluation
✓ 5. Detailed engineering design
✓ 6. Procurement
✓ 7. Erection/building
✓ 8. Startup and trial runs
✓ 9. Production
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
Introduction cont’d 11
 The plant-design project involves a wide variety of skills Among
these are
✓ Research
✓ Market analysis
✓ Design of individual pieces of equipment
✓ Cost estimation
✓ Computer programming and
✓ Plant-location surveys.

N.B : In fact, the services of a chemical engineer are needed in

each step of the outline, either in;
➢ A central creative role, or
➢ A key advisor

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Designing Process 12

 Design is a creative activity, that can be one of the most

rewarding and satisfying activities undertaken by an

engineer.

 It is the synthesis, the putting together, of ideas to achieve a

desired purpose.

 The designer starts with a specific objective in mind, and by

developing and evaluating possible designs, arrives at what

he/she considers.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Designing Process cont’d 13

 When considering possible ways of achieving the objectives the

designer will be constrained by many factors, which will narrow

down the number of possible designs;

 But, there will rarely be just one possible solution to the

problem, just one design.

 Several alternative ways of meeting the objective will normally

be possible, even several best designs, depending on the nature

of the constraints.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Designing Process cont’d 14

 Some constraints will be fixed, invariable and they

are outside the designer's influence External

constraints

 Others will be less rigid, and will be capable of

relaxation by the designer as part of his general

strategy in seeking the best design Internal
constraints

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Designing Process cont’d 15

 Economic considerations are obviously a major

constraint on any engineering design:

 Plants must make a profit.

 Time will also be a constraint since the time

available for completion of a design will usually

limit the number of alternative designs that can be
considered.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Design Basis 16

• The most important step in starting a process design is translating

the customer need into a design basis. The design basis is a more
precise statement of the problem that is to be solved. It will
normally include the production rate and purity specifications of the
main product, together with information on constraints that will
influence the design, such as
i. The system of units to be used
ii. The national, local or company design codes that must be followed.
iii. Details of raw materials those are available.
iv. Information on potential sites where the plant might be located,
including climate data, and infrastructure availability.
v. Information on the conditions, availability, and price of utility
services such as fuel gas, steam, cooling water, process air, process
water, and electricity that will be needed to run the process.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

The design process 17

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Sources of Data (Data collection) 18

 To proceed with a design, the designer must first assemble all

the relevant facts and data required.

 For process design this will include

 Information on possible processes,

 Equipment performance, and

 Physical property data.

 This stage can be one of the most time consuming, and

frustrating, aspects of design

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Sources of Data (Data collection) 19

Data sources can be

✓ Published books

• Standard reference text books

• Handbooks

✓ Publications of chemical engineering Journals

✓ General periodicals and publications

✓ Equipment manufacturers laboratories

✓ Personal experience

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Over and under design 20

 Over design: to design in a manner that is excessively

complex or that exceeds usual standards

✓ It is putting in things that add complexity to the

design that may or may not be needed.

• Under design is actually a euphemism for poor

design quality
✓ It’s a weak cohesion of designs

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

1.1 General Design Considerations 21
Engineering Ethics in Design
✓ In any professional activity, engineers are obligated to pursue their profession with the
highest level of ethical behavior.
✓ Specifically, engineering ethics is directly related with the personal conduct of engineers
as these uphold and advance the integrity, honor, and dignity of the engineering
profession.
✓ This conduct of behavior has obligations to the individual engineer, employer and/or
client, colleagues and coworkers, the public, and the environment.
✓ No process design should be initiated unless the engineer has this level of ethical
behavior.
✓ Specific examples of these obligations are detailed in codes of ethics adopted by the
various engineering societies. The Code of Ethics adopted by the American Institute of
Chemical Engineers is given below

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
22

• Members of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICE) shall

uphold and advance the integrity, honor, and dignity of the engineering
profession by: being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity
their employers, their clients, and the public; striving to increase the
competence and prestige of the engineering profession; and using
their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare.
• To achieve these goals, members shall;
1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public
in performance of their professional duties.
2. Formally advise their employers or clients (and consider further
disclosure, if warranted) if they perceive that a consequence of
their duties will adversely affect the present or future health or
safety of their colleagues or the public.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
23
3. Accept responsibility for their actions and recognize the contributions of
others; seek critical review of their work and offer objective criticism of the
work of others
4. Issue statements or present information only in an objective and truthful
manner.
5. Act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or
trustees, and avoid conflicts of interest.
6. Treat fairly all colleagues and co-workers, recognizing their unique
contributions and capabilities.
7. Perform professional services only in areas of their competence.
8. Build their professional reputations on the merits of their services.
9. Continue their professional development throughout their careers, and provide
opportunities for the professional development of those under their supervision

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
24
➢ Whenever chemical engineers develop products, design processes and
equipment, manage process operations, communicate with other engineers
and non-engineers, develop markets and sell products, lead other engineers,
interact with clients, represent their firms to the government or to the
public, in short whenever chemical engineers do anything that impacts the lives
of anyone, their choices of action are based on ethics.

➢ Even when faced with two different equations, one equation is selected, based
in part on ethical values. Does the less precise equation include a safety factor
that lowers the risk to our employer, employees, or the public? Should we
spend more time to do more rigorous calculations, costing the firm more
money but providing a better answer to the client? How do we decide?
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
General Design Considerations cont’d 25

• Some of the factors involved in the development

of a complete plant design include;
i. Health
ii. loss prevention
iii. environmental considerations
iv. plant location
v. plant layout
vi. plant operation and control
vii. materials of construction
viii. structural design
ix. utilities, buildings, storage, materials handling,
safety, waste disposal, federal, state, and local
laws or codes or legal restrictions, and patents.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d 26

i. Health and Safety Hazards

▪ The potential health hazard to an individual by a material
used in any chemical process is a function of the inherent
toxicity of the material and the frequency and duration of
exposure.
▪ It is common practice to distinguish between the short-
term and long-term effects of a material.
▪ A highly toxic material that’ causes immediate injury is
classified as a safety hazard while a material whose effect is
only apparent after long exposure at low concentrations is
considered as an industrial health and hygiene hazard.
▪ The main objective of health-hazard control is to limit the
chemical dosage of a chemical by minimizing or preventing
exposure.
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
General Design Considerations cont’d
27

▪ It is not practical to measure or control the chemical dosage

directly; rather, exposure is measured and limits are set for
the control of such exposure. The most common and most
significant source of workplace exposure to chemicals and
also the most difficult to control is inhalation.
ii. Personnel Safety
✓ Every attempt should be made to incorporate facilities for
health and safety protection of plant personnel in the
original design. This includes, but is not limited to,
protected walkways, platforms, stairs, and work areas.
✓ All machinery must be guarded with protective devices.
✓ In all cases, medical services and first-aid must be
readily available for all workers.
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
General Design Considerations cont’d
28

iii. Loss Prevention

➢ The phrase loss prevention in the chemical industry is an
insurance term where the loss represents the financial loss
associated with an accident. This loss not only represents the
cost of repairing or replacing the damaged facility and taking
care of all damage claims, but also includes the loss of earnings
from lost production during the repair period and any
associated lost sales opportunities.
➢ The process designer must be aware of these hazards and ensure
that the risks involved with these hazards are reduced to
acceptable levels through the application of engineering
principles and proven engineering practice.
➢ In its simplest terms, loss prevention in process design
can be summarized under the following broad headings:

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
29

a. Identification and assessment of the major hazards.

b. Control of the hazards by the most appropriate means; for
example, containment, substitution, improved maintenance,
etc.
c. Control of the process, i.e., prevention of hazardous
conditions in process operating variables by utilizing
automatic control and relief systems, interlocks, alarms, etc.
d. Limitation of the loss when an incident occurs.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
30

iv. Environmental Protection

▪ Because of continued degradation of the environment, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been
encouraging state and local governments, as well as
industry, to take a more active role in environmental
issues.
▪ Some of the important issues include the disposal of wastes
both hazardous and nonhazardous, effluent controls on
wastewater and storm water runoff, and hydrocarbon
emissions to the atmosphere.
▪ Waste disposal is a serious problem for many chemical
plants.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
31

✓ Development of a Pollution Control System; It involves an

engineering evaluation of several factors which encompass a
complete system. These include investigation of the pollution
source, determining the properties of the pollution emissions,
design of the collection and transfer systems, selection of the
control device, and dispersion of the exhaust to meet
applicable regulations.
✓ Air Pollution Abatement: Particulate Removal And Noxious
Gas Removal
✓ Water Pollution Abatement: Physical Treatment, Chemical
Treatment and Biological Treatment
✓ Solid Waste Disposal: Recycling and Chemical Conversion,
Incineration, Pyrolysis and Landfill.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
32
v. Plant Location
• The geographical location of any industrial plant has strong
influence on the success of the project.
• Primarily, the plant should be located where the minimum
cost of production and distribution can be obtained, but
other factors, such as room for expansion and safe
conditions for plant system as well as the surrounding
community are also important.
• The choice of the final site should be based first on a
complete survey of the advantages and disadvantages of
various geographic areas
• A general consensus as to the plant location should be
obtained before a design project reaches the detailed
estimate stage.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
33

The following factors should be considered in selecting a plant site:

i. Raw materials availability
ii. Markets area
iii. Energy availability
iv. Climate
v. Transportation facilities
vi. Water supply
vii. Waste disposal
viii. Labor supply
ix. Taxation and legal restrictions
x. Site characteristics
xi. Flood and fire protection
xii. Community factors

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General Design Considerations cont’d
34
Three factors are usually considered the most important. These are
✓ The location of the markets
✓ Raw materials Availability and
✓ The type of transportation to be used.
Transportation:
• The transport of materials and products to and from the plant will
be an overriding consideration in site selection. If practicable, a site
should be selected that is close to at least two major forms of
transport : road , rail, waterway (canal or river ), or a sea port. The
least expensive method of shipping is usually by water; the most
expensive is by truck.
Raw materials:
• The availability and price of suitable raw materials will often
determine the site location. Propylene is the major raw material for
the manufacture of Acrylic acid, hence the plant can be located near
any plant producing propylene. It will reduce transportation and
storage costs.
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
General Design Considerations cont’d
35
Location of markets:
• Consumer products often are delivered in small shipment to a large
number of customers. In an international market, there may be an
advantage to be gained by locating the plant within an area with
preferential tariff agreements. Since acrylic acid acts as a raw material
for the production of consumer goods like paints, plastics,
pharmaceutical binders etc.,
Water supply:
➢ water is needed by every processing plant for a number of different
purposes. Potable water is needed for drinking and food preparation.
The plant site must have an adequate amount of each type of water at
all times of the year.
➢ Not only the amount and quality but also the temperature and
mineral content of the water is important.
➢ The size of the heat exchanger is inversely proportional to the
temperature difference between the cooling water and the material
being cooled.
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
General Design Considerations cont’d
36
Climatic Conditions:
• Adverse climatic conditions at a site will increase costs. Abnormally low temperatures
will require the provision of additional insulation and special heating for equipment
and pipe runs. Stronger structures will be needed at locations subject to high winds or
earthquake.
Pollution and Ecological Factors:
• All industrial processes produce waste products, and full consideration must be given
to the difficulties and cost of their disposal. The disposal of toxic and harmful effluents
will be covered by local regulations
Site Conditions:
• An ideal chemical plant site is above the flood plain, flat, has good drainage, a high
soil-bearing capability, and consists of sufficient land for the proposed plant and for
future expansion.
Energy availability;
• Power and steam requirements are high in most industrial plants, and fuel is ordinarily
required to supply these utilities. Consequently, power and fuel can be combined as one
major factor in the choice of a plant site.
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
General Design Considerations cont’d
37
Availability of labour;
➢ Labour will be needed for construction of the plant and its
operation. Skilled construction workers will usually be brought
in from outside the site area, but there should be an adequate
pool of unskilled labour available locally; and labour suitable
for training to operate the plant.
➢ Skilled tradesmen will be needed for plant maintenance. Local
trade union customs and restrictive practices will have to be
considered when assessing the availability and suitability of the
local labour for recruitment and training.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
38
Flood and Fire Protection
➢ Many industrial plants are located along rivers or near large
bodies of water, and there are risks of flood or hurricane
damage. Before a plant site is chosen, the regional history of
natural events of this type should be examined and the
consequences of such occurrences considered.
➢ Protection from losses by fire is another important
factor in selecting a plant location.
➢ Fire hazards in the immediate area surrounding the plant site
must not be overlooked.
Community Factors: The character and facilities of a community
can have quite an effect on the location of the plant. If a certain
minimum number of facilities for satisfactory living of plant
personnel do not exist, it often becomes a burden for the plant to
subsidize such facilities.
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
General Design Considerations cont’d
39
Plant Location And Risk:
ISO-risk contours represent the geographical variation of the risk for a
hypothetical individual who is positioned at a particular location for 24 hrs/day,
365 days / year.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
40
Plant Layout
✓ After the process flow diagrams are completed and before detailed piping
structural, and electrical design can begin, the layout of process units in a
plant and the equipment within these process units must be planned.
✓ This layout can play an important part in determining construction and
manufacturing costs, and thus must be planned carefully with attention being
given to future problems that may arise.
✓ Since each plant differs in many ways and no two plant sites are exactly alike,
there is no one ideal plant layout.
✓ However, proper layout in each case will include arrangement of processing
areas, storage areas, and handling areas in efficient coordination and with
regard to such factors as:

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
41

1. New site development or addition to previously developed site

2. Type and quantity of products to be produced
3. Type of process and product control
4. Operational convenience and accessibility
5. Economic distribution of utilities and services
6. Type of buildings and building-code requirements
7. Health and safety considerations
8. Waste-disposal requirements
9. Auxiliary equipment
10. Space available and space required
11. Roads and railroads
12. Possible future expansion

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
42
PLANT OPERATION AND CONTROL
• In the design of an industrial plant, the methods which will be used for plant
operation and control help determine many of the design variables. For
example, the extent of instrumentation can be a factor in choosing the type
of process and setting the labor requirements. It should be remembered
that maintenance work will be necessary to keep the installed equipment
and facilities in good operating condition.
• The economic construction and efficient operation of a process depend on
how well the plant and equipment specified on the process flow sheet is laid
out. The principal factors to be considered are:

A. Costs: construction and operating costs.

B. The process requirement.
C. Convenience of operation.
D. Convenience of maintenance
E. Safety.
F. Future expansion
G. Modular construction
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
General Design Considerations cont’d
43
Costs :
• The cost of construction can be minimized by adopting a layout that gives the
shortest run of connecting pipe between equipment, and the least amount of
structural steel works.
Operation :
• Equipment that needs to have frequent operator attention should be located
convenient to the control room. Valves, sample points and instruments should
be located at convenient positions and heights. Sufficient working space and
headroom must be provided to allow easy access to equipment's.
Safety :
• Blast walls may be needed to isolate potentially hazardous equipment, and
confine the effects of an explosion. At least two escape routes for operators
must be provided from each level in process buildings.
Plant expansion :
• Equipment should be located so that it can be conveniently tied in with future
expansion of the process.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
44
Typical Master Plot Plan

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
45
List of plant units in a typical layout
Process units/unit operations
Tank farms
Loading and unloading facilities
Flares
Power, boilers and incinerators
Cooling towers
Substations, large electrical switch yards
Central control houses
Warehouses
Analytical laboratories
Incoming utility metering and block systems
Fire hoses, fixed monitors, reservoirs and emergency fire pumps
Waste treatment areas
Maintenance buildings and areas
Administrative buildings
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
General Design Considerations cont’d
46
Instrumentation
▪ Instruments are used in the chemical industry to measure process variables,
such as temperature, pressure, density, viscosity, specific heat, conductivity,
pH, humidity, dew point, liquid level, flow rate, chemical composition, and
moisture content.

UTILITIES

✓ The word utility is used for the ancillary services needed in the operation of any
production process.
i. In the chemical industries, power is supplied primarily in the form of electrical
energy. Agitators, pumps, blowers, compressors, and similar equipment are
usually operated by electric motors.
ii. When a design engineer is setting up the specifications for a new plant, a
decision must be made on whether to use purchased power or have the plant
set up its own power unit. It may be possible to obtain steam for processing
and heating as a by- product from the self-generation of electricity, and this
factor may influence the final decision.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

General Design Considerations cont’d
47
iii. Power can be transmitted in various forms, such as
mechanical energy, electrical energy, heat energy, and
pressure energy. The engineer should recognize the
different methods for transmitting power and must choose
the ones best suited to the particular process under
development.
iv. Fuel-burning plants are of greater industrial significance
than hydroelectric installations because the physical
location of fuel- burning plants is not restricted. At the
present time, the most common sources of energy are oil,
gas, coal, and nuclear energy.
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
General Design Considerations cont’d
48

List of utilities;

✓ Compressed Air: Plant and Instrument

✓ Natural Gas
✓ Fire Protection
✓ City and Process Water
✓ Chilled Water
✓ wastewater
✓ Hot Water Heating
✓ Steam and Condensate
✓ Fuel Handling: Gasoline, Diesel, …
✓ Cooling and Tower Water
✓ Motor/Hydraulic/Cutting Oil
✓ Process Gases: N, H2 and CO2

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General Design Considerations cont’d
49
Structural Design
• The purpose of the foundation is to distribute the load so that excessive
or damaging settling will not occur.
• The type of foundation depends on the load involved and the material on
which the foundation acts.
• It is necessary; therefore, to know the characteristics of the soil at a given
plant site before the structural design can be started.
Storage
• Adequate storage facilities for raw materials, intermediate products,
final products, recycle materials, off-grade materials, and fuels are
essential to the operation of a process plant.

• A supply of raw materials permits operation of the process plant

regardless of temporary procurement or delivery difficulties.

• Storage of intermediate products may be necessary during plant shutdown

for emergency repairs while storage of final products makes it possible to
supply the customer even during a plant difficulty or unforeseen shutdown.

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General Design Considerations cont’d
50
Materials Handling
➢ Materials-handling equipment is logically divided into continuous and batch
types, and into classes for the handling of liquids, solids, and gases.
➢ Liquids and gases are handled by means of pumps and blowers; in pipes,
flumes, and ducts; and in containers such as drums, cylinders, and tank cars.
➢ Solids may be handled by conveyors, bucket elevators, chutes, lift trucks, and
pneumatic systems.The selection of materials-handling equipment depends
upon the cost and the work to be done. Factors that must be considered in
selecting such equipment include:
a) Chemical and physical nature of material being handled
b) Type and distance of movement of material
c) Quantity of material to be moved per unit time
d) Nature of feed and discharge from materials-handling equipment
e) Continuous or intermittent nature of materials handling

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

1.2. Plant design constraints 51
When considering possible ways of achieving the objective the designer
will be constrained by many factors which are called the design
constraints. Design constraints are divided into two types

1. External constraints: They are fixed, invariable & are outside the
designer's influence,
• physical laws, government regulations, and standards & Codes.
Economic(Plants must make a profit)

2. Internal constraints: less rigid, and are with in the designer's, influence
• Raw materials & inputs, Process & equipment choice, Process
Conditions [ Temperature, Pressure /Concentration & Others]
Time, Personnel

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

1.2. Plant design constraints
52

Feasible design = f( Financce/ economics,Enviornment)

Optimum design= f(process, Financce/economics, Environment)

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

1.3 Generation of Possible Design Concepts 53

➢ The creative part of the design process is the generation of possible solutions to the
problem (ways of meeting the objective) for analysis, evaluation, and selection.
➢ In this activity, most designers largely rely on previous experience their own and
that of others. It is doubtful if any design is entirely novel.
➢ Development of new processes inevitably requires much more interaction with
researchers and collection of data from laboratories and pilot plants.
➢ Chemical engineering projects can be divided into three types, depending on the
novelty involved:
1. Modifications, and additions, to existing plant; usually carried out by the
plant design group.
2. New production capacity to meet growing sales demand and the sale of
established processes by contractors. Repetition of existing designs, with
only minor design changes, including designs of vendors’ or competitors’
processes carried out to understand whether they have a compellingly
better cost of production.
3. New processes, developed from laboratory research, through pilot plant, to a
commercial process. Even here, most of the unit operations and process
equipment will use established designs.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Generation of Possible Design Concepts cont’d 54

✓ The first step in devising a new process design will be to sketch

out a rough block diagram showing the main stages in the
process and to list the primary function (objective) and the
major constraints for each stage.
✓ Experience should then indicate what types of unit operations
and equipment should be considered.
✓ The generation of ideas for possible solutions to a design
problem cannot be separated from the selection stage of the
design process; some ideas will be rejected as impractical as
soon as they are conceived.
Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year
Sequence of steps in developing plant design project 55

Time sequence
Process identification
Laboratory scale process research
Bench scale investigations
Preliminary economic evaluation
Process development
Mass and energy balance
Detailed process design
Site selection
Project Steps Refined economic evaluation
Design Fixed
Detailed economic evaluation
Engineering flow scheme
Basic design
Detailed construction plan
Detail design
Procurement
Construction
Startup

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

A sample model for Plant Design 56

 Step 1. Recognizing the need.

 Step 2. Defining the problem.
 Step 3. Planning the project.
 Step 4. Gathering information.
 Step 5. Conceptualizing alternative approaches.
 Step 6. Evaluating the alternatives.
 Step 7. Selecting the best alternative.
 Step 8. Communicating the design.
 Step 9. Implementing the preferred design.

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1.4 Standards and Codes

✓ Standard are generally for sizes, compositions, etc.

✓ Code is reserved for a code of practice covering a recommended
design or operating procedure.
✓ The terms standard and code are used interchangeably
✓ Almost all countries have national organizations for standards
and codes which are responsible for the issue and maintenance
of standards for the manufacturing industries and for the
protection of consumers.

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Standards and Codes cont’d
 The preparation of the standards is largely the responsibility of
committees of persons from the appropriate industry, the professional
engineering institutions, and other interested organizations.
➢ American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
➢ American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM)
➢ British Standards Institution (BSI).
➢ Ethiopian Standards Authority(ESA)
➢ American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE),
➢ Ethiopian Society of Chemical Engineers (ESChE)
 The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) coordinates
the publication of international standards.
 African standards Organization coordinates the publication of African
standards.

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59
Standards and Codes cont’d
 Standards are part of a modern industries and trade.

 Standards provide interchangeability between different

manufacturers. Pumps, Spare parts,
 Modern standards cover a much wider function than the interchange
of parts, they cover:
▪ Materials, properties and compositions.
▪ Testing procedures for performance, compositions, quality.
▪ Preferred sizes; e.g tubes, plates, sections.
▪ Design methods, inspection, fabrication.
▪ Codes of practice, for plant operation & safety.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

1.5 Market survey 60

How to Make a Market Survey

• Market surveys are an important part of market research that

measure the feelings and preferences of customers in a given

market.

• Varying greatly in size, design, and purpose, market surveys are

one of the main pieces of data that companies and organizations

use in determining what products and services to offer and how
to market them.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Cont’d 61

 Marketing research focuses on understanding the customer,

the company, and the competition. These relationships are at

the core of marketing research.

 Companies must understand and respond to what customers

want from their products. However, this relationship is always

influenced by competitors and how their products are received
by your market.

 Thus, you must clearly identify the customer, company, and

competition before developing a research project

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

The basic Market Researches are: 62
1. The Product
 Who uses the product?
 Frequency of purchase?
 Who else could use the product?
 How can it be improved?
 What do customers think of it?
 Is it branded?
 Is the price right?
 Are specials produced?
 What new products are envisaged and
 how will they tie in with existing lines?

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

2. The Competition 63

 Who are the main competitors and what market share do

they enjoy?
 What is their product range and what do customers like?

 What are their strengths and weaknesses?

 Where do you have a competitive edge?

3. The Customer
 How can you reach them?

 What is the customer profile?

 What are their needs?

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64
4. Your Own Performance

 Where do you make the most profit and

 Where is the potential growth?

 What extra lines or service could be sold?

 How do you promote yourself and compare

with your competition?

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

Generalization 65

 Any organization intending to introduce a new product or

service, for instance a group of people starting out in business,

needs to establish that there is both a demand for the product
or service and that conditions exist for it to be
provided/produced.

 Market research provides the necessary information.

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year

66

Thank You

Chemical Engineering dep’t, 5th year