Separations and Reaction Engineering Spring 2000 Design Project Production of Acetone Process Objective Function

We would like to complete our investigation of the economic feasibility of producing 15,000 metric tons per year of 99.9 mol% acetone from isopropyl alcohol. t is unlikely that this process will appear profitable because most acetone is made as a byproduct of phenol manufacture. !owever, we e"pect to be able to charge a premium for our acetone since it will be free of aromatics. #herefore, your ob$ective function should be the break%even price &'()* for acetone, defined as follows+ &,cetone )roduced per -ear*& CB* . ,nnuity /alue of #otal nstalled 0ost 1 ,nnual 0ost of 2aw 3aterials 1 ,nnual 4tility 0ost % ,nnual 2evenue from 'y%products % ,nnual 0redit from 5uel 6as and 7team where CB is the break%even price for acetone #he above e8uation for estimating the cost of acetone is based on the minimum price for which acetone could be sold to cover our operating e"penses. , 10%year plant lifetime & n . 10* and an interest rate of 15% &i . 0.15* should be used. #he annuity value of the total installed cost is calculated by
i &1 + i * n annuity value = capital cost n &1 + i * 1

n your final analysis, please compare your '() for acetone to the current market price for acetone. , process flow diagram &)59* is not presented in this problem statement. -ou should be in a position to synthesi:e your own )59 based on your previous e"perience with this pro$ect. Reaction Kinetics #he main reaction for producing acetone is
&CH < * ; CHOH &CH < * ; CHO + H ; isopropanol acetone

and the kinetics for this reaction are given below+

rIPA = k1C IPA where

mol ), m <catalyst s m <gas m <catalyst s

=0,000 k1 = 1.>= 105 e"p RT mol ), C IPA = m <gas

#hese kinetics are only valid if the actual conversion does not e"ceed ?5% of the e8uilibrium conversion at reactor conditions. ,lthough, several side reactions are possible, none of them take place to any considerable e"tent. #he activation energy in the kinetic e"pression above is in units of k@Akmol.

Catal st !nfor"ation
0atalyst physical properties are given below+ density of the inert catalyst, ci . ;500 kgAm< density of solid catalyst, c . ;500 kgAm< packed bed voidage of the cylindrical pellets . 0.5 void fraction of the spherical particles at minimum fluidi:ing conditions . 0.55 particle diameter, dp . 100 m

C#e"cad $ints
5or heat e"changers with multiple :ones, it is recommended that you simulate each :one with a separate heat e"changer. ,ctual e8uipment may include several :ones, so costing should be based on the actual e8uipment specifications. Bn your )59, only the actual e8uipment should appear. 5or the distillation columns, you should use the shortcut method &7!B2* to get estimates for the rigorous distillation simulation &#BW2 or 7097*. #he shortcut method may be used until an optimum case is near. t is then e"pected that everyone will obtain a final design using rigorous simulation of the columns. 5or an absorber, shortcut calculations are not possible. When simulating a process using CfakeD streams and e8uipment, it is absolutely necessary that the process flow sheet that you present not included any CfakeD streams and e8uipment. t must represent the actual process.

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Specific Assign"ents
6eneral Bptimi:e the process using decision variables of your choosing. -ou should choose as decision variables the design variables most strongly affecting the ob$ective function. 0h( 11; E 7eparations 9etermine the number of distillation columns re8uired, their location, and enough information for each distillation column to cost it. #he distillation column that provides the acetone product should be designed in detail. ,dditionally, if you choose to recover acetone from the flash vapori:er vapor stream by scrubbing with water &must be deioni:ed* or any other solvent, that absorber must be designed in detail. , detailed design of a tray tower includes number of trays, tray spacing, diameter, reflu" ratio, active area, weir height, top and bottom pressure specifications, and design of au"iliary e8uipment &heat e"changers, pump, reflu" drum, if present*. , detailed design of a packed tower includes height, packing si:e and type, and the same other specifications as in a tray tower. 0h( 1>; E 2eaction (ngineering #wo reactors are to be considered for use in this design. #hey are a fluidi:ed bed reactor and a packed bed reactor. #he gas%phase, heterogeneous reaction to form acetone from isopropanol occurs with the use of a proprietary catalyst within the temperature range of ;50F0 to G>5F0. n a packed bed, the temperature must not vary by more than ;0F0 from the inlet temperature. 5ortunately, the fluidi:ed bed reactor may be assumed to be well mi"ed and isothermal, so it may operate at any temperature in the range stated above. #he temperature distribution along the length of the packed bed reactor is not constant. t CcanD be controlled by varying the temperature and flowrate of the heat transfer fluid, heat transfer area, and the catalystAinert catalyst ratio. Bther means to control the temperature distribution along the packed bed reactor length are possible and will receive e"tra credit if investigated. Bne suggestion for the heat transfer fluid is 9owthermH ,I however, you may make another choice. #he fluid is circulated in a closed loop through the fired heater and the reactor. 9ue to selectivity considerations, the ma"imum single%pass conversion in either type of reactor must not e"ceed ?0% or ?5% of the e8uilibrium conversion, whichever is smaller. -ou must state why the packed bed or fluidi:ed bed is chosen for your optimal design. #he packed bed reactor must be designed in detail with )olymath, and the plot of your )olymath and 0hemcad simulations must be compared on the same graph and discussed both in the body of your report and in the presentation. , disk must be provided with your final report that gives both 0hemcad and )olymath simulations of the packed bed reactor at corresponding operating conditions.

Cost Data E%uip"ent Costs &Purc#ased'

)umps J=<0 &power, kW*0.G

!eat ("changers J10<0 &area, m;*0.= 0ompressors #urbine 5ired !eater J>>0 &power, kW*0.9= 1 G00 &power, kW*0.= J;.1?105 &power output, 3W*0.= assume =5% efficiency J=<5 &duty, kW*0.? assume ?0% thermal efficiency assume can be designed to use any organic compound as a fuel

/essels

JK1.=>&0.959 1 0.0G1P % ?.<10%=P;*L10z z . &<.1> 1 0.;D 1 0.5 log10L 1 0.;1 log10L;* D . diameter, m 0.< m M D M G.0 m L . height, m LAD M ;0 P . absolute pressure, bar J;.;5Akg packed bed+ J<,000Am; of heat transfer surface fluidi:ed bed+ J10,000Am; of heat transfer surface 0ost as vessel plus cost of packing J&%110 1 =>5D 1 <<?D;*H0.9> D . vessel diameter, mI H . vessel height, m 0ost as vessel plus cost of trays J&1?> 1 ;0D 1 =1.5D;* D . vessel diameter, m J1000V0.= V . volume, m<

0atalyst 2eactor )acked #ower )acking #ray #ower #rays 7torage #ank

t may be assumed that pipes and valves are included in the e8uipment cost factors. Nocation of key valves should be specified on the )59.

Ra( )aterials
isopropyl alcohol see Chemical Market Reporter

Products
acetone hydrogen &if purified* see Chemical Market Reporter J<5A1000 std m<

*tilit Costs
Now )ressure 7team &=1? k)a saturated* 3edium )ressure 7team &11<5 k)a saturated* !igh )ressure 7team &G;<> k)a saturated* Oatural 6as &GG= k)a, ;50* 5uel 6as use this price for fuel gas credit (lectricity 'oiler 5eed Water &at 5G9 k)a, 900* J=.=;A1000 kg J>.<1A1000 kg J?.=5A1000 kg J<.00A6@ J;.>5A6@ J0.0=AkW h J;.5GA1000 kg

0ooling Water J0.1=A6@ available at 51= k)a and <00 return pressure <0? k)a return temperature is no more than 150 above the inlet temperature 2efrigerated Water available at 51= k)a and 100 return pressure <0? k)a return temperature is no higher than ;00 9eioni:ed Water available at 5 bar and <0F0 Waste #reatment of Bff%6as 2efrigeration J1.=0A6@

J1.00A1000 kg incinerated % take fuel credit J=0A6@

E%uip"ent Cost Factors

)ressure &absolute*

M 10 atm, 0.0 10 % ;0 atm, 0.= ;0 % G0 atm, <.0 G0 % 50 atm, 5.0 50 % 100 atm, 10 0.0 G.0

does not apply to turbines, compressors, vessels, packing, trays, or catalyst, since their cost e8uations include pressure effects

0arbon 7teel 7tainless 7teel

#otal nstalled 0ost . )urchased 0ost &G 1 material factor 1 pressure factor*

$eat E+c#angers
5or heat e"changers, use the following appro"imations for heat transfer coefficients to allow you to determine the heat transfer area+ situation condensing steam condensing organic boiling water boiling organic flowing li8uid flowing gas h &,-"2C' =000 1000 >500 1000 =00 =0

P# sical Properties of Do(t#er". A

temperature use range &in li8uid phase* vapor pressure at >50F5 thermal conductivity &avg. over use range* heat capacity &avg. over use range* viscosity &at ma". and min. temp. use range* density &avg. over use range* =0F5 E >50F5 1<>.? psig 0.0> '#4Ahr ftF5 0.5 '#4AlbF5 0.1G cp, =.0 cp 5G lbAft<

Ot#er !nfor"ation
-ou should assume that a year e8uals ?000 hours. #his is about <<0 days, which allows for periodic shutdown and maintenance.

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4nless specifically stated in class, the information in this document is that which is valid for this pro$ect only. ,ny information in the sophomore pro$ects not specifically stated in this document is invalid for this pro$ect.

Deliverables
(ach group must deliver a report &two identical copies, one for each professor* written using a word processor. #he report should be clear and concise. #he format is e"plained in the document Written Desi n Reports. ,ny report not containing a labeled )59 and a stream table, each in the appropriate format, will be considered unacceptable. )59s from 0!(30,9 are generally unsuitable unless you modify them significantly. When presenting results for different cases, graphs are superior to tables. 5or the optimal case, the report appendi" should contain details of calculations that are easy to follow. #here should be separate appendices for each class, 0h( 11; and 0h( 1>;, each containing calculations appropriate for the respective class. #hese may be handwritten if done so neatly. 0alculations that cannot be easily followed will lose credit. (ach group will give an oral report in which the results of this pro$ect will be presented in a concise manner. #he oral report should be between 15%;0 minutes, and each group member must speak. , 5%10 minute 8uestion%and%answer session will follow. nstructions for presentation of oral reports are provided in a separate document entitled Oral Reports. #he oral presentations will be Wednesday, ,pril 19, ;000 starting at 11+00 a.m. and running until appro"imately <+00 p.m. t is possible that some presentations will be on #hursday, ,pril ;0, ;000, beginning at 11+00 am. ,ttendance is re8uired of all students during their classmatesP presentations &this means in the room, not in the hall or the computer room*. 5ailure to attend any of the above% re8uired sessions will result in a decrease of one%letter grade &per occurrence* from your pro$ect grade in 0h( 11; and 0h( 1>;. #he written pro$ect report is due by 11+00 a.m. Wednesday, ,pril ;0, ;000. Nate pro$ects will receive a minimum of a one letter grade deduction.

Revisions
,s with any open%ended problem & i!e., a problem with no single correct answer*, the problem statement above is deliberately vague. #he possibility e"ists that, as you work on this problem, your 8uestions will re8uire revisions andAor clarifications of the problem statement. -ou should be aware that these revisionsAclarifications may be forthcoming.