Chemical plant design systems involved

Often, chemical plant design is informed by laboratory and pilot-scale experimentation. While the initial chapters in this book will inform the reader of the most important design parameters that need to be measured and determined from such experiments, how to then ensure that these parameters perform in the same way in a large-scale plant is the subject of Chapter 6. Although it is desirable to conduct the experimental work in the system for which the results are required, this is not always easy. The system of interest may be hazardous or expensive to build and run, while the fluids involved may be corrosive or toxic. In this case scale models are used, which overcome the above problems and allow extensive experimentation. In the majority of cases the model will be smaller in size than the actual, desired plant, but sometimes, due to the nature of the materials to be handled, the fluids involved may also be different. Scale-up is only possible if the model and plant are physically similar and, hence, the procedure is based on dimensionless groups. How to develop and use these groups is described in Chapter 6. 

Such mishaps can be worse if the chemistiy is not fuUy understood. A chemical plant can be inherently. safer if knowledge of the chemistiy of the process and the reactive chemicals systems involved is used in its design. 

Chemical process safety involves both the technical and the management aspects of the chemical industry, and this chapter addresses both. It is not enough to be aware of how to predict the effect of process hazards and how to design systems to reduce the risks of these hazards. It also is important to consider how chemical process safety can be managed. Technical people at all levels have a degree of management responsibility, and can contribute to the overall management of safe plants. 

Bioprocess plants which use microorganisms and/or enzymes, such as fermentation plants, have many characteristics similar to those of chemical plants. Therefore, an engineering approach to the design and operation of various plants which involve biological systems would be valuable, provided the differences in the physical properties of some materials are taken into account. 

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