Process Engineering Design Project 2014

University of Queensland Page 1 of 4

CHEE4001 Process Engineering Design Project
Equipment Process Design Guidelines

The following guidelines and accompanying indicative examples gives further details of
expectations for the Design Package 2. The following considerations should be given (some
as basis some as design outcomes) to the following equipment types. Others not mentioned
here follow a similar pattern.

Common items to all:
Operating and design T, P
Inflows and Outflows
Choice of materials of construction (Carbon steel (CS), alloy steel (low temperatures),
stainless steel, concrete, plastic, fiberglass, ) and basis (low temperature, corrosion
resistance etc.). Give grade of steel or material.

1. Tanks and vessels
Capacity required and basis (e.g. residence time (s), (days) etc.)
Approximate required aspect ratio (length to height/diameter)
Type of tank (horizontal, vertical, spherical, in-ground, open, ) and why.
Actual dimensions (diameter, length, height, ). Use standard pressure ends if
applicable (see C&R chapter 13 or industry literature)

2. Heat Exchangers (Process, reboilers, condensers, preheaters, coolers etc)
Target temperatures
Stream description for both fluids or for cooling, heating medium
Type of exchanger to be used (S&T fixed tubesheet, floating, U, Plate exchanger).
Justification on choice.
Pressure drops
Overall heat transfer coefficient. Fouling considerations.
Estimated transfer area
S&T exchangers: Approximate length and diameter of shell. (see tubesheet layout table)
Sketch of unit may be useful if it is a non-standard exchanger.

3. Columns, Towers, Absorbers, Strippers,
Major stream flows
Product purity specifications
Type of column (distillation, stripper, absorber etc.)
Type of internals (trays and type sieve, valve; packing random, structured)
Overall height (tray spacing and sump + headspace), diameter (based on % flooding
point)
Pressure drop
Separation efficiency and number of actual separation stages

Process Engineering Design Project 2014
University of Queensland Page 2 of 4
4. Compressors and (non-combustion) turbines
Type of compressor/turbine.
You need to identify the power consumed/produced. This will be the input into your
capital cost.
The number of stages required and the inter-stage temperatures and pressures.
Inter-stage cooling is done by a distinct HX (this is a separate unit operation) which
needs streams to facilitate the cooling and a design.

5. Pumps
Type of pump
The power requirements of the pump estimated from operating pressures, reasonable
estimates of pumping head/losses and pump efficiency.
No sizing required.
Process Engineering Design Project 2014
University of Queensland Page 3 of 4
Example of Storage Tank Process Design
NOTE: This is an example only. Much of the data below is wrong! Do not use, refer to your
own reputable sources. You report does not need to look like this.

X.X TK-521

Equipment Item: Unsymmetric dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) storage tank

Equipment design basis:
240 tonnes of UDMH must be stored for full load to launch vehicle.
The vessel must be a sealed pressure vessel for this toxic and flammable material.

Design Information:
Storage facility will be to be covered and contents maintained at 5 C by circulation to
external heat exchange.
Operating temperature range of tank is 5 C to 50 C. 50 C is the maximum is in the case
of long term refrigeration failure based on maximum temperature on record (ref)).
Maximum storage pressure at 1200 kPa(g) which is UDMH vapour pressure at 50 C (ref).
Horizontal cylindrical tank chosen as most appropriate in terms of layout and reduced
elevation for flammable storage (ref). [this may go in team section]
Preformed torispherical tank ends to be used, since pressure < 15 bar. [this may go in
team section]
Approximate aspect ratio to be 9:1 to 18:1 which is the recommended ratio for pressure
vessels (ref). [this may go in team section]
Allow 10% ullage for contents (ref) and 10% overpressure allowance (ref). [this may go
in team section]

Table X.X Summary of TK-521 design
Variable/Specification Value Units Comment/Justification
Internal Volume 335 m
3

Orientation Horizontal -
Overall Length 32.5 m
Internal Diameter 3658 mm
Min/Max Design Temp 5/50
o
C

Design Pressure 1342 kPa(g)
Material of Construction ANSI 316 SS Required for corrosion resistance to UDMH (ref)
Design Inlet Flow 10 kg/s Production capacity (section X.Y)
Design Outlet Flow 18 kg/s Refuelling rate (section (X.Y)
Design HX flow 0.1 kg/s HX-201 calculation in section X.Y
Notes:
1. Covering required
2. Insulation to be installed to reduce ambient heat ingress and external condensation.


Note:
- The bit shaded in grey are details and required for DP3 only.
- If I had lots of similar tanks, I may do one section on tanks and put all the tanks in a single
table. Reduce repetition for you own and your readers sanity!
Process Engineering Design Project 2014
University of Queensland Page 4 of 4
Appendix A. TK-521 Design Calculations
(completed by Ian Cameron)

General Details
Capacity = 240 tonnes
Liquid density = 791 kg/m
3
(ref)
Tank volume = fluid volume + 10 % ullage = 1.1240/0.791 = 335 m
3

Design temperature = 50 C

Approximate sizing
Approximate vessel dimensions (start with Australia Pressure Vessel Heads Pty Ltd Hot
Pressed Code Ends Data Sheet)
Choose torispherical ends = 3658 mm ID (initial choice)
Volume in ends = 24.575 m
3
= 9.15 m
3

Volume in shell = 335 9.15 = 325.9 m
3

Shell length = 325.9/cross sectional area = 325.9/(3.14(3.658)
2
/4)
= 31.03 metres (falls in acceptable L/D)
Overall vessel length = 31.03 (shell) + 2*(0.681+0.076) (heads) = 32.54 metres

Design conditions
Static head in vessel = gh = 7919.813.6 / 1000 kPa = 27.9 kPa
Operating pressure = 1200 kPa(g)
Maximum design pressure = (1200 + 27.9) kPa(g) + 10% = 1277.91.1 = 1350 kPa(g)

Nozzles (for detailed design, DP3)
Optimal pipe sizes calculated as per example in Appendix Y (Sinnott 2005):
Inlet Outlet Cooling in/out
Flow (kg/s) 10 18 0.1
Calc size (mm) 73 99 12
Size (mm) 80 100 20

Near ambient temperature and a design pressure of 13.5 bar, mean a PN of 20 is suitable for
all nozzles on this vessel (AS4331).