Design of Process Equipment

This chapter covers those aspects of the mechanical design of chemical plant that are of particular interest to chemical engineers. The main topic considered is the design of pressure vessels. The design of storage tanks, centrifuges and heat-exchanger tube sheets are also discussed briefly. 

The basic data needed by the specialist designer will be  

A data sheet for pressure vessel design is given in Appendix G. 

There is no strict definition of what constitutes a pressure vessel, but it is generally accepted that any closed vessel over 150 mm diameter subject to a pressure difference of more than 0.5 bar should be designed as a pressure vessel. 

An elementary understanding of the principles of the Strength of Materials (Mechanics of Solids) will be needed to follow this chapter. Readers who are not familiar with the subject should consult one of the many textbooks available such as those by Case et al. (1999), Mott, R. L. (2001), Seed (2001) and Gere and Timoshenko (2000). 

Singh and Soler (1984), Escoe (1994), Moss (1987), and Jawad and Farr (1989). Other useful books on the mechanical design of process equipment are listed in the bibliography at the end of this chapter. 

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Introduction Review and audit processes are used in the chemical process industry to evaluate, examine, and verify the design of process equipment, operating procedures, and management systems. These processes assure compliance with company standards and guidelines as well as government regulations. Reviews and audits can encompass the areas of process and personnel safety, environmental and industrial hygiene protection, quality assurance, maintenance procedures, and so on. 

The principal technological changes in the engineering control of air pollution were the perfection of the motor-driven fan, which allowed large-scale gas-treating systems to be built the invention of the electrostatic precipitator, which made particulate control in many processes feasible and the development of a chemical engineering capability for the design of process equipment, which made the control of gas and vapor effluents feasible. 

Urbaniec, K. (1986) Optimal Design of Process Equipment (Ellis Horwood). 

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