MSc Advanced Process Integration and Design

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Energy Systems

Course unit fact file
Unit code CHEN64341
Credit rating 15
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

The use of energy to produce products is fundamental in the chemical process industries. Energy sources such as gas, oil, and coal are becoming increasingly costly, and also lead to environmental problems. Minimising the use of external heating and cooling sources and making the most efficient use of available energy is a cornerstone in the design of chemical processes.

The unit examines and evaluates the use of energy in chemical processes, and how this energy use can be minimized and targeted prior to the detailed design of the energy exchange (or heat exchanger) network. Such targets can be used to scope and screen many design options quickly and effectively without having to carry out the designs. Methodologies, including the well established Pinch Analysis, are developed and evaluated for both new design and retrofit scenarios. Capital and operating costs are both fully considered. The ability to predict achievable targets for energy consumption, which have a sound scientific basis, is fundamental to the approach. Once design options have been chosen using targets, then systematic procedures allow the targets to be achieved in practice. Automated methods of design, using stochastic optimization, are also fully developed and examined. Combined thermodynamic and mathematical optimization methods are developed and evaluated for the analysis of existing energy exchange networks, and applied to real life case studies from the chemical process industry.

Contents

  • Introduction
  • Energy Efficiency and Process Integration
  • Setting Energy Targets
  • The Problem Table Algorithm
  • The Heat Recovery Pinch
  • Heat Exchanger Network Representation
  • Heat Exchanger Network Design for Maximum Heat Recovery
  • Stream Splitting
  • Utilities Provision
  • Multiple Utilities Targeting
  • Threshold Problems
  • Capital Energy Trade-Offs
  • Automated Design of New Heat Exchanger Networks
  • Heat Exchanger Network Retrofit I – The Network Pinch
  • Heat Exchanger Network Retrofit II – Heat Transfer Enhancement
  • Heat Exchanger Network Retrofit III – Network Design
  • Heat Engines, Heat Pumps, and Refrigeration
  • Process Modifications
  • Total Sites
  • Data Extraction

Aims

The unit aims to:

Examine the efficient use of energy in chemical processes and to provide methods for evaluating energy demand, and techniques for achieving energy efficient designs for chemical processes.

The unit will evaluate the methods available to achieve effective use of energy in chemical processes and to determine energy targets prior to the design of heat recovery networks in order to achieve maximum energy efficiency.  Methods for heat exchanger network design will be examined and the effective use of utilities for providing external heating and cooling will be considered. Existing heat exchanger networks will be evaluated, and methods will be explored for improving designs, taking both operational and capital cost into account. Heat integration of various processing units will be evaluated in order to improve the energy efficiency of the overall design. The integration of chemical process demands in a total site context will also be considered.

 

 

Learning outcomes

Students should be able to:

  • Examine and appraise the sources and sinks of energy contained in chemical processes and the significance of effective integration
  • Develop and evaluate the targeting methodologies available to heat integrate chemical processes in order to maximise heat recovery and minimise externally sourced energy use
  • Appraise and assess the implications of the process pinch and heat integration potential on the design of heat exchanger networks
  • Develop and evaluate methods of heat exchanger network design in order to achieve maximum targeted heat recovery and minimum externally sourced  energy use
  • Assess the sources of heating and cooling supply utilities, and demonstrate and evaluate methods of heating and cooling supply utilities integration into chemical processes and heat exchanger networks
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of existing heat exchanger networks, and develop and appraise available modification options to improve
  • Demonstrate and appraise methods of determining heat recovery across a series of chemical processes on a total site
  • Demonstrate the ability to use available software to achieve effective and realistic heat exchanger network designs

 

 

Teaching and learning methods

The unit makes use of traditional face-to-face lectures, problem solving sessions, and the use of software in solving larger scale problems during timetabled practical sessions. All materials are available via Blackboard including podcasts which can assist in the learning process. Communications outside of timetabled teaching slots also make use of the Blackboard system via Discussion Boards.

Practical work and related coursework has been designed in order to demonstrate subject knowledge and competency in methodology, evaluation and interpretation of results, and communication/presentation skills. You will be required to make use of engineering calculations, the use of software, and general problem solving skills. Coursework will be submitted via Blackboard and in the form of a hardcopy.

 

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Other 30%
Written exam 70%

Feedback methods

Feedback will be made available via the virtual learning environment following marks release.

Recommended reading

 

Core Reading

Smith R, 2016, Chemical Process Design and Integration, 2nd Edition, John Wiley, ISBN 9781119990147

 

Essential Reading

Kemp I C, Pinch Analysis and Process Integration, Second Edition: A User Guide on Process Integration for the Efficient Use of Energy , 2007, Butterworth-Heinemann

 

 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 36
Independent study hours
Independent study 114

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Simon Perry Unit coordinator

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