SUPERIOR POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL OF THE LITORAL

FACULTY OF NATURAL & MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

CHEMICAL PLANT DESIGN

CODE: INDG1030

ASSIGNMENT 1

PROFESSOR: Santiago D. Salas, Ph.D.

AUTHOR: Tito Antonio Cedeño Vera

II TERM - 2019
 CHEMICAL PLANT DESIGN – ASSIGNMENT 1

• Select a type of coffee beans currently produced in Ecuador. Search detailed

information and physicochemical characteristics of the selected coffee beans and
describe what makes this coffee variety so especial.

Ecuador is one of the most important coffee producers and exporters, because it
is one of the few that produces two varieties of coffee: Arabic and robust. For this
reason, Ecuadorian coffee is recognized worldwide for its high quality, and in part
to the state's support for this sector, because coffee production is an engine for the
Ecuadorian economy. (Pozo, 2014)

The most important type of grain and the one that has been selected is Arabic
coffee, it is the type of largest grain quoted worldwide, therefore, it is the most
cultivated in the country, and it is because climatic conditions favor to spread
better and adapt in less time. Its wide adaptability to the different ecosystems is
what makes it special, so it gets to be cultivated in the different regions of
Ecuador, and the crops are made from altitudes close to sea level up to 2100 m.,
Another special feature is that They have less caffeine than other cultivated
species. (Andrade, 2017)

Physical characteristics

Table 1 - Physical attributes of graded and defective green coffee beans

Source: (K. RAMALAKSHMI, 2007)

Chemical characteristics

Table 2 - Chemical Composition of Green and Roasted Coffee Beans in g/100 gdb (dry basis)
Source: (Xiuju Wang, 2015)
Visual Paradigm Online Express Edition
AIR
4

T= 245-250 °C

TR-101 6
1 CS-101 3 CR-101

GREEN COFFEE
5 t= 7-12 min
BEANS
AIR

WASTE 7
2

PS-101

8 WATER
26
PS-106 PS-105 PS-104 PS-103 PS-102

E-101 9

P-101
WATER

10 HC-101 27
28

SOLID/LIQUID RESIDUE

F-101
CHAFF
WATER STEAM E-106 E-105

11 CO2+ AIR

E-102 24
30 20 AIR

12 E-103
EM-101
14
EV-101 16 22
15 TK-102 D-101 23
TK-101 13 cw
CT-
101
17 19 21
E-104 WATER
STEAM 25
29
SOLIDS NOT SOLUBLE
AND SUSPENDED P-102 18 INSTANT DRY COFFEE TO
P-103 PACKING SECTION
Visual Paradigm Online Express Edition
 EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION
CLEANSER CS-XXX
TOASTER TR-XXX
CRUSHER GRINDING CR-XXX
PRE-STRAINER PS-XXX
HYDROCICLON HC-XXX
FILTER F-XXX
CENTRIFUGES CT-XXX
EVAPORATOR EV-XXX
DRIERS D-XXX
HEAT EXCHANGER E-XXX
TANK TK-XXX
PUMPS P-XXX
EMULSIONER EM-XXX
Table 3. Descripcion of the main
units

The first cleansing equipment is used to clean the raw material, in the roaster air is used
to heat the grain and then the grinding to reduce its size, the pre-growers are used with
water to remove the bagasse existing in the streams, the hydro cyclone is used to eliminate
the water from the bagasse for disposal, the evaporation equipment is used to concentrate
the solution and obtain a concentrated woman, before emulsifying, then in the spry dryer
the dry soluble coffee is obtained, using hot air.

• Generate a spreadsheet of the PFD generate in question No. 2. Include the

required conditions and main characteristics of the different process streams.
Consider the reported yields of production and operating conditions mentioned
in the literature. The minimum information to be included: mass flow,
temperature, pressure, phase.

EQUIPMENT YIELD
CLEANSER 0,90
TOASTER 0,75
CRUSHER GRINDING 0,85
PRE-STRAINER 0,75
HYDROCICLON 0,77
FILTER 0,99
CENTRIFUGES 0,90
EVAPORATOR 0,77
EMULSIONER 0,86
DRIERS 0,85
PUMPS 0,98
Table 4. Theoretical yields
STREAM NUMBER 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
TEMPERATURE
(°C) 50 20 20 20 20 14 14 14 40 25
PRESSURE (Psia) 145 145 145 200 150 135 115 200 200 14,5
MASS FLOW
(Kg/h) 354,866 354,866 354,866 319,3792 245,922 245,92201 245,922 241,004 241,004 450
PHASE LIQUID LIQUID LIQUID LIQUID LIQUID LIQUID LIQUID LIQUID LIQUID GAS
Table 6. Conditions and main characteristics of the different process streams

STREAM NUMBER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
TEMPERATURE
(°C) 25 25 25 250 150 40 40 40 50 50
PRESSURE (Psia) 14,5 14,5 14,5 145 145 100 100 232 200 250
MASS FLOW
(Kg/h) 850 85 765 500 265 573,75 487,688 365,766 365,766 358,45
PHASE SOLID SOLID SOLID GAS GAS SOLID SOLID LIQUID LIQUID LIQUID
Table 5. Conditions and main characteristics of the different process streams

STREAM NUMBER 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
TEMPERATURE
(°C) 10 10 130 300 130 105 25 100 240 240
PRESSURE (Psia) 200 200 N/A N/A N/A 14,5 14,5 N/A 250 203
MASS FLOW
(Kg/h) 207,263 203,118 4,14526 550 172,6501 500 500 121,922 500 254,078
PHASE LIQUID LIQUID LIQUID GAS SOLID LIQUID LIQUID S/L GAS GAS

Table 7. Conditions and main characteristics of the different process streams

NOTE: The spreadsheet was developed according to the PFD, and the power supply data
were assumed, as well as most of the performance and work pressure data. Calculation
base: 850 kg/h of green coffee

• Consider the following statement: “If a reactant S in a process is a gas at the feed
conditions, subsequent separation from the reactor effluent is difficult, hence
unused S cannot be recycled.” ¿What is your opinion about this statement? Give
your reasoning, and state why you agree or disagree with it.

I don't agree with the statement because I think it's not true. Even if the separation of S
from the reactor effluent is complicated, there could still be ways to recycle it. They can
be expensive or not, but that does not mean that recycling is impossible. Processes such
as distillation, absorption or a purge may be options that should be considered. If after the
analysis is performed, the selected process is feasible, reagent S must be separated to
recycle it and reduce the related costs.
REFERENCES

• Ramalakshmi K., Kubra I., and Rao L (2007) Physicochemical Characteristics

of Green Coffee: Comparison of Graded and Defective Beans. Journal of Food
Science, Vol. 72, (Nr. 5), pp. 2

• Wang X., Tak Lim L. (2015) Physicochemical Characteristics of Roasted

Coffee. Science Direct Journal, Vol. 72 ( Nr. 5). pp. 3
• Pozo Cañas M. (2014). Análisis de los factores que inciden en la producción de
café en el Ecuador 2000 – 2011. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador
p. 5-26
• Andrade Santacruz A. (2017). Análisis y perspectivas de las empresas

ecuatorianas exportadoras de productos industrializados de café, periodo

2009-2015. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador p. 26-34