Page 51 - Design of Simple and Robust Process Plants

Design of Simple and Robust Process Plants. J. L. Koolen 35
Copyright 2002 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA
ISBNs: 3-527-29784-7 (Hardback); 3-527-60047-7 (Electronic)

Chapter 3
Design Philosophies

In this chapter, the 10 developed philosophies are discussed to achieve simple and
robust design and operation. The prerequisites before these philosophies presen-
ted are: process knowledge; material properties; and modeling capabilities. Apro-
cess can designed, if a process technologist has the following tools and informa-
tion available:

. Physical, chemical, environmental, health and safety properties
. Modeling environment and unit models
In this chapter, these topics will be discussed in a condensed form.

3.1
Properties

For most chemicals, the main physical properties are collected in public data banks
and, while prediction models are available to estimate properties. Most companies
have access to these data banks. Vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE) data have been
assembled in the Dortmund data bank, while also safety properties have been col-
lected in public data banks.
Problems arise when specific information such as kinetic models and kinetic con-
stants and reactive chemical data are required. In general, reaction kinetics are con-
sidered to be company property unless they are published, or are for sale. Some
engineering companies sell reactor models commercially, with or without their
kinetic parameters. Another example is the kinetics of a crystallization step, though
it must be stressed that these are disturbed considerably by the presence of impuri-
ties which require local measurement.
Reactive chemical data are not yet available in data banks though at present
efforts are being made to develop such a data bank for pure components. An alter-
native way of collecting these data is through the suppliers of the chemicals, who
will (by necessity) have knowledge of these properties. The reactive chemical data
for the conditions in the process must be determined experimentally by the produ-
cer, in order to ensure a safe design and operation.