Single-Course Engelsk 7.5 ECTS

Systematic Methods for Process Design and Analysis

Overall Course Objectives

Chemical process design is about finding a sustainable process that can convert the raw materials to the desired products in a cost-effective manner. Chemical engineers support diverse sectors and process industries, from chemicals and fuels to polymers, textiles, food, and pharmaceuticals. Given this diverse set of industries and sectors with their own domain-specific equipment and standards, in this course, the objective is to introduce students to systematic methods for process design, to give an overview of the main steps involved in the typical life cycle of a process design, as well as the complexity of the design activity. In addition to a systematic approach to process design, we stress the importance of iterative process analysis, including economics, uncertainty & sensitivity analysis, heat integration, optimization, and sustainability analysis. In this way, the course aims to train the students with flexible skills and competencies for conceptual process design needs across diverse process industries.

See course description in Danish

Apply a systematic approach to process design
Identify, gather, and analyze necessary data, methods, and models for the design
Appreciate the complexity of process design & make design-related decisions
Generate and evaluate/screen alternatives for design
Use computer-aided tools & work in groups.
Use computer-aided tools & work in groups.
Verify and analyze simulation results.
Perform heat integration and design via pinch analysis.
Apply nonlinear programming for process optimization
Perform life cycle analysis (LCA) to assess environmental aspects of sustainable process design
Use chemical and biochemical engineering knowledge to solve practical engineering problems.
Apply critical analysis and reasoning to discuss the results

The course consists of classroom lectures followed by group work on the project assignment.

The course lectures follow the task-based systematic design methodology, which introduces systematic methods and concepts for process design as follows:
Lecture 1: Introduction to process design
Lecture 2: Process flowsheet synthesis & verification (Douglas method)
Lecture 3: Flowsheet performance evaluation – a simple strategy
Lecture 4: Reactor Design, analysis & sizing -rigorous models
Lecture 5: Separation process design & sizing -rigorous models
Lecture 6: Sensitivity Analysis in Process Design
Lecture 7: Capital and Production Cost Estimation
Lecture 8: Economic Assessment and Uncertainty Analysis
Lecture 9: Process and Flowsheet Optimization
Lecture 10: Heat Integration and HXN design
Lecture 11: Sustainability Analysis in Process Design

The project assignment which is worked in groups of 3 members contains two complementary parts that builds on each other:
Part 1. Scope of Design and Sensitivity Analysis
Implement the conceptual process in APS. Perform mass and energy balances. Size equipments. Perform sensitivity analysis. Discuss results. (tasks 1 to 5).
Part 2. Advanced process analysis
Perform process optimization, heat integration, economic assessment, uncertainty analysis, and sustainability analysis. Discuss results. (tasks 6 to 10).
Each part will be followed by selected group presentations (each group will present at least one part of the assignment).

Lectures, examples, and exercises on systematic methods and tools for process design in the classroom. Project assignment is carried as a group work using your own computer.