CHAPTER V

SPECIAL PROJECT

5.1 Project Background

In PVC production process, suspension polymerization is employed so that water is
applied as a medium for efficient heat removal. Therefore, there are three important key step
that should be taking care of. Those are the polymerization, after treatment, and recovery
step. Because the mid product will contain a lot more water than the other process, so it is
very crucial to remove the water to produce the desired product quality. One of that critical
step is the usage of dryer equipment.
Currently the dryer is placed in the section 600 of drying and stripping process. The
type of the dryer use is a Fluidized bed type dryer. The feed inlet are a PVC cake with
percent moisture content more than 20% then it will be dried into a PVC resin with moisture
content less than 0.2%. Heat source comes from two different ways, which is the hot water
and hot air circulation. Afterwards, this report will focuses more on the heat source from hot
water circulation. The hot water inlet will go through the heating panels installed within the
dryer, there are 12 sets of heating panels, 10 sets are used and the least 2 sets are stand by
during operation.
The heating panel has an ability to transfer heat, called the overall heat transfer
coefficient (U). However, in the real condition of its usage, the U value will be decreasing as
the time goes. If it continues to decrease, the final product will not meet the standard quality,
resulting in high moisture content in PVC resin. Hence, TPC sets a Preventive Maintenance Commented [BC1]: I re-write this sentence as can be seen in red
alphabet.
(PM) plan to change one set of heating panel each month.
Despite of the advantages, this plan comes with some consequences. The replacement
of heating panel will require the whole plant to shut down. Then it will take up to nine hours
to starting up. During this time, the production will not run which means the company will
not get any revenue during this periods. Due to a further discussion, TPC see that theres a
possibility to increase the efficiency of PM plan to change heating panel. One alternative way
is to change the time base into the condition base parameter.
On behalf of that requirement, the calculation of overall heat transfer coefficient (U)
must be done. Furthermore, the value of Udesired vs Uactual must be compared to find out when
is the suitable condition to change a set of heating panel. Besides, the calculation of mass and
energy balance around the dryer also needed in order to know the quantity of heat to Commented [BC2]: The objectives of Mass&Energy balance
calculation is to know the quantity of heat that we have to put during
vaporized water and dryer efficiency. drying PVC resin.
5.2 Case Observed
The observed cases within this special project are as follow:
a. Mass and material balance around dryer
b. Heating panel overall heat transfer coefficient
The objective of this report is to give recommendation of the new Preventive
Maintenance plan of heating panel replacement from time base to condition base parameter.
5.3 Theoretical Basis
a. Mass Balance
=
b. Energy Balance

In a steady state condition

= = . . = . . ( )

c. Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient ()

= . .
d. Temperature Difference

=

ln [ ]

5.4 Methodology
a. Systems Boundary Condition
Overall mass and heat balance
 Heating Panel (HP)

b. Assumption
Basis = 1 hour operating time
System in a steady state condition
Heat transfer through conduction is neglected
Heat transfer is applied uniformly throughout the heating panel
Air humidity is neglected

c. Related parameter
Water density at 100 oC, = 958,4 kg/m3
Water heat capacity at 100 oC, = 4,2159 kJ/kg K
Water heat latent of evaporation, = 2.260 kJ/kg
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-90-481-2642-2_327

d. Obtained Data
Mass and energy balance (SP660)
- PVC cake mass flow rate, = 12.213,61 kg/hr (12 MT/hr)
- PVC cake moisture content, = 21,9%
- PVC cake temperature inlet, = 70oC
- PVC resin mass flow rate, = 9.543,71 kg/hr
- PVC resin moisture content, = 0,2%
 - PVC resin temperature inlet, = 50oC
- PVC heat capacity, = 0,958 kcal / kg oC
- Hot water mass flow rate, = 32.142 kg/hr
- Hot water temperature inlet, = 93oC
- Hot water return mass flow rate, = 32.142 kg/hr
- Hot water return temperature outlet, = 80oC
- Inlet air mass flow rate, = 35.710,08 kg/hr
- Inlet air temperature, = 100oC
- Outlet air mass flow rate, = 35.710,08 kg/hr Commented [BC3]: Please confirm the actual value in material
balance data sheet. I am not sure because the valus is close to inlet
- Hot air temperature inlet, = 60oC air mass flow rate.

- Air heat capacity, = 0,244 kcal / kg oC

-
Design or desired value of target grade (SG660)
- Hot water temperature inlet, = 75oC
- Hot water return temperature outlet, = 45oC
- Temperature inside dryer, = 50oC
- Heating panel surface area, = 38,9 m2
- Hot water volume flow rate, = 339 m3/hr
-
Actual value of target grade (SG660)
- Hot water temperature inlet, = 93 102oC
- Hot water return temperature outlet, = 88 96 oC
- Temperature inside dryer, = 61 64 oC
- Heating panel surface area, = 38,9 m2
- Hot water volume flow rate, = 337 - 339 m3/hr

e. Sdfjm

5.5 Data Processing

a. Mass balance

=
 =

= +

b. Energy balance

= +

+ + = + + + +

. . ( ) + . . ( ) + . . ( )
= . . ( ) + . . ( )
+ +
= . . ( ) + . . ( )
+ . . ( ) . . ( )

c. Heat required to dry PVC ( )

Find the mass of water evaporated from PVC product

= ( . % ) ( . % )
=
Find the heat required to dry PVC
 = . =

d. Overall heat transfer coefficient ( )

Simplify equation
= . .
. . = . .
. . = . .
. .
=
.
Find LMTD (Log Mean Temperature Difference)
75 45 30
= = = = 18,64
75 50 5
ln [ ] ln [ ]
5 34
Find the Commented [BC4]: Please check the calculation, and Units in
each parameters
. .
=
.
3
339 m . 958,4 m3 . 4,216 . (75 45)
=
38,9 m2 . 18,64
1000 1
= 56.672,56 hr m2
3600

= 15742.37 2

e. Plot trend of
With the same equation, we can find the value of by substitutes the value
obtained from the DCS. From 79 days period of time, we get that the are
ranging from 396,56 509,41 kJ/hr.m2 or 110,04 141,5 Watt/m2 The graph trend
is as can be seen below: Commented [BC5]: The below graph, I recommend you to add
interpolated line in order to show the suitable day to replace heating
panel.
2. Please fill the suitable day that we calculate in the graph too.
 U actual
160
140
120
U Watt/m2

100
80
60
40
20
0
1 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79
days

5.6 Result and Analysis

5.7 Conclusion and Recommendation