Page 21 - Analysis, Synthesis and Design of Chemical Processes, Third Edition

In Section 1, the student is introduced first to the principal diagrams that are used to describe a chemical
process. Next, the evolution and generation of different process configurations are covered. Key concepts
used in evaluating batch processes are included in the new Chapter 3, and the chapter on product design
has been moved to Chapter 4. Finally, the analysis of existing processes is covered.

In Section 2, the information needed to assess the economic feasibility of a process is covered. This
includes the estimation of fixed capital investment and manufacturing costs, the concepts of the time value
of money and financial calculations, and finally the combination of these costs into profitability measures
for the process.

Section 3 covers the synthesis of a chemical process. The minimum information required to simulate a
process is given, as are the basics of using a process simulator. The choice of the appropriate
thermodynamic model to use in a simulation is covered, and the choice of separation operations is
covered. In addition, process optimization (including an introduction to optimization of batch processes)
and heat integration techniques are covered in this section.

In Section 4, the analysis of the performance of existing processes and equipment is covered. The material
in Section 4 is substantially different from that found in most textbooks. We consider equipment that is
already built and operating and analyze how the operation can be changed, how an operating problem may
be solved, and how to analyze what has occurred in the process to cause an observed change.

In Section 5, the impact of chemical engineering design on society is covered. The role of the professional
engineer in society is addressed. Separate chapters addressing ethics and professionalism, health, safety,
and the environment, and green engineering are included.

I n Section 6, the interpersonal skills required by the engineer to function as part of a team and to
communicate both orally and in written form are covered (both in the text and on the CD). An entire
chapter (on the CD) is devoted to addressing some of the common mistakes that students make in written
reports.

Finally, three appendices are included. Appendix A gives a series of cost charts for equipment. This
information is embedded in the CAPCOST program for evaluating fixed capital investments and process
economics. Appendix B gives the preliminary design information for 11 chemical processes: dimethyl

ether, ethylbenzene, styrene, drying oil, maleic anhydride, ethylene oxide, formalin, batch manufacture of
amino acids, acrylic acid, acetone, and heptenes production. This information is used in many of the end-
of-chapter problems in the book. These processes can also be used as the starting point for more detailed
analyses—for example, optimization studies. Other projects, detailed in Appendix C, are included on the
CD accompanying this book. The reader (faculty and students) is also referred to our Web site at
che.cemr.wvu.edu/publications/projects/, where a variety of design projects for sophomore-through
senior-level chemical engineering courses is provided. There is also a link to another Web site that
contains environmentally related design projects.

For a one-semester design course, we recommend including the following core:
• Section 1—Chapters 1 through 6
• Section 3—Chapters 11, 12, and 13
• Section 5—Chapters 23 and 24

For programs in which engineering economics is not a prerequisite to the design course, Section 2