Page 436 - Chemical process engineering design and economics
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8




            Design of        Flow     Systems








            Flow-system design  is one  of the  most  frequently occurring  design problems  en-
            countered  by  process  engineers.  Fluids  flow  through,  reactors,  separators,  heat
            exchangers, and other process units. Not only is the flow  system one of the salient
            features  of a chemical plant, but  it  is  also  frequently encountered  in research and
            development. Kern [30],  starting in December  1974, has discussed several aspects
            of flow system design in a twelve-part  series published by Chemical Engineering.
                Just  as  the  electrical  engineer  selects  resistors,  capacitors,  and  transistors
            when  designing  an  electric  circuit,  the  chemical  engineer  selects  valves,  pumps,
            and  flow  meters to produce a flow  system.  The procedure  followed in the design
            of a flow  system is to determine:

            1. pipe-fitting type
            2. valve type and size
            3. materials of construction
            4. pipe size
                length
                wall thickness
                diameter
            5. flow-meter type and size
            6. pump type and size
            7. piping supports

                Flow-system design is one of the last steps in the design of a chemical plant.
            After  designing  and  locating  all  equipment,  then  the  process  engineer  can  com-
            plete the flow  system design. In the following sections, we will consider the above
            elements of a flow  system in some detail.

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