1 BASIC PROCESS ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES 1.1 The material balance 2 1.2. Heat balances 7 1.3 Dew points and bubble points . uw 1.4. Equilibrium flash vaporization 13 15 Fractionation 16 1.6 Absorption 20. 1.7 Calculating and optimizing heat exchanger configurations in a process system . 2 1.8 Friction Joss in piping and fitings 1.9. ‘The control valve 42, 1.10 Hydraulic analysis of a system . 49 1.11 Engineering flow diagrams ... ‘The role of the process engineer in, the chemical industry may vary from company. to, company. but certain basics are, common to all chemical’ and associated companies. In.the chemical manufacturing industry the process engineer will be responsible for; bonnet . © Setting parameters for the efficient qperation of process units. © , Monitoring the process performance of opérating units. Carrying out-feasibility. studies for new or upgraded, process units., This. will involve developing the. process design, heat and material balance, and basic flowsheets.. It, will also,include economic appraisals aiid, analysis of one or more appropriate processes for management decision ma} © Setting the process, specification, for the engi ering ,and construction of .- approved new. process plants or a revamp of existing pla . ©. Monitoring thé performance and conformance to specification of the engine- ering contractor. Ly ‘® Commissioning or participating in the commissioning of new or revamped plants, Preparing start-up repoits, atid’ participating in acceptance procedures. Tn the eingingeting and egnatruetion industry the. process enigineer’s ig dutios will, include: © Initiating, the’ process’ engineering, design from the ‘ich! specification,2 BASIC PROCESS ENOINEERINO PRINCIPLES. Preparing flowsheets and equipment data sheets. Soliciting licensor participa- tion where necessary. © Taking a major role in the development of ‘approved for construetion’ flow sheets, heat and material balances and the utilities balances. © Participating with other disciplines in the controi of cost and schedule for the roject. . Conying ‘out duties similar to the process engineer in the chemical manufac- turing industry in monitoring performance of equipment vendors, subcontrac- tors, and licensors. * Initiating and developing process performance guarantees. Developing plant operating manuals and start-up procedurés. Participating in. plant commissioning and catrying out aceeptance test runs when required. ‘The following chapters provide guidelines in the'form of cheinical engineering techniques and equipment characteristics to mect the-duties required: of the process engineer. While most of those calculations and correlations used by process engineers are available in some excellent computer packages it is still wise to know what is contained in these packages. It is also of benefit to be able to execute these calculations by hand should the need arise. ‘This first chapter then describes and discusses the basic principles of a process engineering function. It begins with the material balance. 1,1 The Material Balance The matérial balance of & | prdcess defines ‘the flow of material within that process’ in terms of mass, mols and Usuélly volume’ in unit time. The most impértaint of these’ the mass balanice. This is the item that'will usually be ‘ued {o' develop the volume and molal quantities which between them will be used to size the equipment and systems used in the process. Before commencitg the material ballineé ‘the sigifiéer’ must- have"'some knowledge of the process itsélf. ‘THe sequence of fldw from oné item of equipinent to anofher must be kiéwn and also the reason for the flow and the sequence. The nature of ‘thé feed’ and ‘the prdduct miust also be known, together with’ the océirrence of intermediate products oF byproducts. With this’ knowledge the tisk of putting quantities to them’ cari commence. In ‘the cas¢ of the mass and ‘molal balances the total iééd in muist exactly equal'the total products out in terms of weight per unit time ahd mols per'unit time. A’ typical exeniple of 'a tiaterial balaficé used ‘for downstream process’ systems’ sizing’ i8 given in the following table. : ‘The table oppisite’i is a working material balance fot the distillation tower of a crude oil vacuum tnit, From the data in this table tower heat balances giving the internal flows of the tower can be calculated. ‘These data are also the basis for the sizing of downstream equipment siich aé heat exchiangers, pumps, and any sitrge, vessels that may be required. The format of the material balance describing the flows through the unit, to establish downstreain equipmient sizing will be slightly different. This form of the‘THE MATERIAL BALANCE, § sven péoyso30 We] S6rt#HIWO COAT Le (av. %r—) ” x cdw sl 06 SSE 1G OES ( prt. iBrL, _ 8tze ote OTe StOT+ ‘eset pmbrT %S - - TS8C PUhy LPO PeLTL SOL O60" 99ST zSS6 069. 08 2 > anodea'ie01, ~ Gave %E0) oe - = TIS? 96h LZ «SBSEZT POL SEO = SLOT = 9676 oo. OL 586: anodes ronpoag 4s SiO1 : Gave %91) ~ be . aePW OL WS OF 6S KL | 950 By Le oe tae scot—o86 wWeu1940, \ oukieg reuravem anor ysely : : SSE NLS —OOOL SHOLEI OTB - £660 ost¥e “OOBEL = ore = =e stomped ywion, : * (d¥e %0) * - SR HELE OSL O'S OMT, OLGL * HESH 00T $864 vowing, Gav. %12) oo SES PBFL HS BOP SHOR ee OSD HEOT EBS 9 “ob $36 DAH SIL M dW %9°92) so SedGPW LTEL STE STZ OPt ee ehh. PERO 96LS TIES % 2 OSL dal sODAT CEE TLS TOOL SHOLGT STS » Le6O “OStre OOBEL or. | 0b 0se+ 2g anpiséx souny Wel MN 4% Wai eB a.O9IF OS. HAD Sd anew. “ang * -afuer fal ————. = maa S310; IBM Seam, PUITIOA % 5 souejeg JeLereW aun wnnoes apnio HEARTY