Course description

This course focuses on the development of process flowsheet, their implementation into commercial software and their use for process evaluation. The course starts with a brief review of applied chemical engineering thermodynamics focusing on process simulation thermodynamics. The students will be trained on selecting a proper thermodynamic model for a given process or a mixture of compounds. The principles for process design including synthesis of separation and reaction systems will be discussed. A novel approach in modeling separation units namely “Rate-Based Model” is introduced to the students. Then, several unit operation models (mixers and splitters, pressure change units, heat exchangers, phase separation, distillation columns, chemical reactors) are presented, with focus on their use for solving rating and design problems. The sequential-modular approaches to simulation of the entire flowsheet are discussed and some troubleshooting methods to deal with convergence failures for Design Spec, Calculator Blocks and Recycle streams are presented.

Course Pre-Requisites: CHME303, CHME304

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Select the most suitable thermodynamic models for predicting mixture phase equilibrium.
2. Design a process using Enhanced Distillation concept, Distillation/Extraction Ternary Diagram, Rate-Based model for reactive absorption and reactive distillation, and catalytic reactors.
3. Build a simulation model of an entire chemical process including material recycle and perform convergence troubleshooting.
4. Critique the key design variables and suggest design changes, with the aim of individual unit operation and process optimization.
5. Present technical results verbally and in written as a team.

Course Outline

In this course students will learn about: flowsheet simulation and design; design and simulation of: distillation units using equlibrium and rate-based models, adsorption units using equlibrium and rate-based models, heat exchangers, and chemical reactors. It will be studied how to optimize processes and to perform sensitivity analysis.