TUTORIAL 4

CHE641/CPE639

QUESTION 1
(PO5, CO3, C5)
NAR Ethanol Sdn. Bhd is expanding their business and plans to build a new ethanol plant in
Tanjung Pelepas, Johor incoming next 6 months. As chemical engineers working in the plant,
you and your team are given a task to evaluate the design of a new MWM reactor for
industrial grade ethanol synthesis process. The design parameters of MWM reactor are
illustrated accordingly in Table 1.
Table 1 MWM Reactor Design Parameter
Parameter
Units
Value
Pressure
bar
20
o
Temperature
C
400
Height
m
7
Diameter
m
2.5
Material of Construction
Stainless Steel
(SS304)
Corrosion Allowance
mm
2
Joint Factor
1
By using the given information, make a preliminary design for the reactor. The design
should include;
i)
ii)
iii)

Design of pressure and temperature

Vessel wall thickness
Selection and sizing of vessel heads
(20 marks)

QUESTION 2
(PO5, CO3, C5)
In the production of urea, a distillation column is used to separate the undesired products
such as ammonium carbamate which contained in the outlet stream of a reactor. The
column is operated at pressure and temperature of 7 bar (absolute) and 230 oC respectively.
Some modification has been made in the column design and all technical data are illustrated
in Table 1.
Table 1: Mechanical design of distillation column
Parameter
Value
Height, between tangent line
3.5 m
Diameter
1.5m
Head
Hemispherical
Skirt Support, height
2.5 m
Number of sieve plates
50
Insulation type: mineral wool
- density
130 kg/m3
- thickness
50
Material of Construction
Stainless steel (321)
Inspection
100% radiograph
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TUTORIAL 4

CHE641/CPE639

As a chemical engineer working in a consultant agency, you are required to make a

preliminary design study of the column. Your analysis shall include;
1. Design pressure and design stress
2. Minimum thickness of the column wall
3. Dead weight of the vessel
4. Wind loading
5. Upwind and downwind stresses of the vessel
(20 marks)
QUESTION 3
(PO5, CO3, C5)
A gas absorber for the purpose of CO 2 removal is to be designed according to ASME BPV
code. As a design engineer with AMR Consultant Sdn. Bhd., you are required to make a
preliminary design in terms of wall thickness for the component parts of the gas absorber.
Some design requirements are stipulated as below:
Internal diameter: 2 m, Height: 2.7 m.
Positioning: Vertical upwards from the ground.
Operating pressure and temperature: 15 bar and 315oC.
Material of construction: Low alloy steel.
Welding characteristics: Double welded butt joint and spot radio-graphed.
Corrosion allowance: As necessary (most reliable).
Head type: As necessary (most economical and efficient).
According to the company design policy, bolt diameter can be taken as 1.5 m where ever
required.
(18 marks)
QUESTION 4
(PO5, CO3, C6, C4)
a) The specification of a tall cylindrical column is given in Table 1. Propose a preliminary
mechanical design of the column. Your design should include:i)

Design pressure and minimum thickness of the cylindrical column.

(3 marks)

ii) Dead weight of the tall cylindrical column with factor to account on the weight, C w is
1.08 for vessel with only few internal fitting and estimated thickness of 15 mm.
(3 marks)
iii) Weight of plates, weight of insulation and total weight.
(7 marks)
iv)

Bending moment Mx with wind loading Pw = 1300 N/m2 .

(6 marks)

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TUTORIAL 4

CHE641/CPE639

Table 1 Design specification data of a tall column

Parameter
Value
Diameter, D
1.7 m
Height, Hv
25 m
Type of head
Hemispherical
Number of plates
120
Type of Insulation
Foam glass
150kg/m3
80 mm thick
Maximum allowable
160 N/mm2
stresses
199oC
Operating pressure
11 bar (absolute)
Joint Effieiciency
1
b) A jacketed vessel is to be used as a reactor. The vessel has an internal diameter of 2.5
m and is fitted with a jacket over a straight section of the reactor which is 1.5 m long.
Both the vessel and jacket walls are 30 mm thick. The spacing between the vessel and
the jacket is 75 mm. Both are made from carbon steel. The vessel is operating at
atmospheric pressure and hot steam with temperature of 200 oC and pressure of 20 bar
flows through the jacket. Youngs modulus at the operating temperature is
180, 000 N/mm2.
Table 2 Typical design stress
Material
Carbon steel
(semi-killed or silicon
killed)
Low alloy steel
(Ni, Cr, Mo, V)
Stainless steel
18Cr/8Ni
Unstabilised (304)
Stainless steel
Ti Stabilised (321)
Stainless steel
18Cr/8Ni
Mo 2.5%
(316)

i)

Tensile
Strength
(N/mm2)
360

0 to
50

Design stress at temperature 0C (N/mm2)

100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

500

135

125

115

105

95

85

80

70

550

240

240

240

240

240

235

230

220

190

170

510

165

145

130

115

110

105

100

100

95

90

540

165

150

140

135

130

130

125

120

120

115

175

150

135

120

115

110

105

105

100

95

520

Analyze if the thickness of the vessel and jacket is adequate for this duty. Defend
your statement.
(6 marks)
END OF QUESTION PAPER

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