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Chemical Engineering Design: 1 - Research

Module description

This is a project-based module in which students will work in teams to design processes and equipment to create a complete chemical engineering plant. This project will not only focus on the technical challenge, of equal importance is identifying a viable commercial opportunity and strategy to capitalise on it. It also aims to broaden your appreciation for the commercial realities that all engineering activities must face.

In the first part of the module, you and your team will be given a set of requirements to meet customer needs, identify the constraints and think creatively to develop a preliminary solution that not only meets the specifications, but also minimises the costs and environmental impact. You should be able to link core aspects of heat and mass transfer and key process equipment learnt last year, and bring knowledge you will learn in tandem from ECMM134 Environmental Processes and ENS3021 Separation Processes and Chemical Technology. You will further your knowledge in process simulation, as it will assist you in the choices you make related to, for example, equipment sizing or energy management.

At the end of this module, you should have a conceptual design and feasibility study which you will develop further in the second part of the module. Your design show appreciation for existing processes/solutions, and considering safety, health and environment. Design is an open-ended process, so you will need creativity and innovation to meet your customer’s needs or secure funding from investors, while also demonstrating consideration for the wider context (social, economic, legislative, etc).

Module aims - intentions of the module

This is a project-based module in which students will work in teams to design processes and equipment to create a complete chemical engineering plant. This project will not only focus on the technical challenge, of equal importance is identifying a viable commercial opportunity and strategy to capitalise on it. It also aims to broaden your appreciation for the commercial realities that all engineering activities must face.

In the first part of the module, you and your team will be given a set of requirements to meet customer needs, identify the constraints and think creatively to develop a preliminary solution that not only meets the specifications, but also minimises the costs and environmental impact. You should be able to link core aspects of heat and mass transfer and key process equipment learnt last year, and bring knowledge you will learn in tandem from ECMM134 Environmental Processes and ENS3021 Separation Processes and Chemical Technology. You will further your knowledge in process simulation, as it will assist you in the choices you make related to, for example, equipment sizing or energy management.

At the end of this module, you should have a conceptual design and feasibility study which you will develop further in the second part of the module. Your design show appreciation for existing processes/solutions, and considering safety, health and environment. Design is an open-ended process, so you will need creativity and innovation to meet your customer’s needs or secure funding from investors, while also demonstrating consideration for the wider context (social, economic, legislative, etc).

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Understand the importance of identifying the objectives and context of design in terms of: the business requirements; the technical requirements; sustainable development; safety, health and environmental issues; appreciation of public perception and concerns.
• 2. Understand that design is an open-ended process, often with incomplete and contradictory information, constraints and multiple objectives.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Deploy chemical engineering knowledge using rigorous calculations and results analysis to develop a design and with appropriate checks for feasibility and practicability.
• 4. Demonstrate a systems approach considering complexity, interaction and integration, and where appropriate, being able to use theory or experimental research to mitigate deficiencies, including the use of commercial software to solving chemical engineering problems, understanding its limitations.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Work in a team and understand and manage the processes of: peer challenge; planning, prioritising and organising team activity; the discipline of mutual dependency; while working inclusively and effectively and recognising the importance of (and developing) leadership skills.
• 6. Communicate effectively to: acquire input information; present outcomes of the design clearly, concisely, and with the appropriate amount of detail, including flowsheets and stream data; explain and defend chosen design options and decisions taken.

Syllabus plan

Students will be working in teams to produce a detailed design to the specifications and constraints given. Alongside project-based learning (PBL) support sessions, students will have workshops to further develop their skills on plant simulation software. Lectures will advance on design concepts and provide examples through the analysis of case studies.

- the context of design
- design as an open-ended process, constraints and uncertainties
- product, process and equipment design
Conceptual design
- feasibility and systems check
- project documentation
- risk/hazard assessment and legislative guidance
- case studies
Process simulation
- further applications of Aspen HYSYS

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Reassessment will be to complete a project based on a brief that will be provided to students by the module lead. This will be worth 100% of the module and will be assessed by two individual coursework submissions, comprising a video presentation of research, product design specification and design concepts (30%), and a technical report covering the embodiment design (70%). For deferred candidates, the mark will be uncapped. For referred candidates, the mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• G. Towler, R. Sinnot, Chemical Engineering Design: Principles, Practice and Economics of Plant and Process Design

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE

Key words search

chemical engineering, design, process, plant