Process Design—Examples

The synthesis of the correct structure and the optimization of parameters in the design of the reaction and separation systems are often the single most important tasks of process design. Usually there are many options, and it is impossible to fully evaluate them unless a complete design is furnished for the outer layers of the onion. For example, it is not possible to assess which is better. 

Process plant design has come a long way from the early 1930s when process designers used the rule-of-thumb that a process faciUty could not be scaled-up more than 10-fold (2). American Oil s Ultracracking unit (Texas City, Texas) for example, was designed from data from a small pilot plant with a scale-up factor of 80,000 (3). 

While process design and equipment specification are usually performed prior to the implementation of the process, optimization of operating conditions is carried out monthly, weekly, daily, hourly, or even eveiy minute. Optimization of plant operations determines the set points for each unit at the temperatures, pressures, and flow rates that are the best in some sense. For example, the selection of the percentage of excess air in a process heater is quite critical and involves a balance on the fuel-air ratio to assure complete combustion and at the same time make the maximum use of the Heating potential of the fuel. Typical day-to-day optimization in a plant minimizes steam consumption or cooling water consumption, optimizes the reflux ratio in a distillation column, or allocates raw materials on an economic basis [Latour, Hydro Proc., 58(6), 73, 1979, and Hydro. Proc., 58(7), 219, 1979]. 

The example used here does not represent any particular process and is simpler than most real life plant cases. It does, how ever, have the elements needed to talk our way through the development of a process design linear program model. All models should have the following ... 

This design example purposely avoids the use of a highly integrated buck controller IC. It would be instructional to show the selection and design process involved in a switching power supply. Refer to Figure 3-65... 

Design example. This example explores the process that a typical bond assembly designer might use in designing a simple aerodynamic fairing. 

In Section 5.11 design examples relating to polymer processing will be illustrated. In these examples the flow data supplied by material manufacturers will be referred to, so it is proposed in this section to show how this data may be obtained. 

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