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Process Design

Process Design (including bioprocess design) by John Williams, general manager, EPS

John Williams is the General Manager of EPS, LLC, South Bend, Ind., a firm specializing in the design of processes and facilities for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. He has over 25 years of experience in manufacturing operations and development, design and commercialization of process and environmental technologies. He is a lecturer for AIChE and ASME on conceptualization of process technologies, cost estimation techniques and financial evaluations.

How do we maintain the vacuum differential?
I am trying to extract solvent into a recovery tank whilst under vacuum and the recovery tank is at the same level as the vacuum. Would you recommend lowering the vacuum in the recovery tank to prevent solvent traveling back up the pipe work to the original location? Or would you recommend installing valving to isolate and prevent this from happening, as this is the present issue?

The solvent is 95% isopropyl alcohol and vacuum range during draining is 25 to 10 torr and temperature is -50 degrees.
Category: Process Design

What is the best practice to re-rate for an operating temperature?
Would 3-inch SCH 80 370 psi at 73f/23c 45WA 9102 2M FS10 SD25 ASTM F441 19914 POTABLE NSF can handle 85 degrees C at 100 psig?
Category: Process Design

How do I determine the diameter of the dip tube?
I need to install a dip tube on a DMAPA line into a reactor. The flow rate is currently between 30 and 50 gal/min. The dip tube will need to be about 12 to 15 ft long so that it remains under the lowest level in the reactor. How do I determine the diameter of the dip tube?
Category: Process Design

How do you determine the overload torque setting?
How do you determine the overload torque setting of process rotary equipment? Is there any easy rule of thumb?
Category: Process Design

What is the ethanol dehydration process for producing fuel ethanol?
What is the ethanol dehydration process for producing fuel ethanol? Is molecular sieve technology an economic method for this purpose?
Category: Process Design

A quick question about nozzle orientation
Who is responsible for providing nozzle orientation information?
Category: Process Design

Creating a pilot plant for a continuous process
We have a process wherein precipitation occurs when reagent A (a 70% aqueous solution) is added to reagent B (a 30% aqueous solution). Precipitation is instantaneous and a batch of 6,000 kilograms of active ingredient is completed in 90 minutes. It takes 480 minutes to filter the slurry through a batch filter, and we wish expand the process threefold. How do we convert this process into a continuous one? We can install a straight-line filter, but how do we set up a pilot plant to optimize the continuous process?
Category: Process Design

Constructing a schematic diagram for air pipelines
We are a small steel plant that uses air pipelines. What type of fittings and instruments are needed for this type of pipe? Also, what type of schematic diagram is used for air pipelines?
Category: Process Design

Three-phase separator design
I am looking for the basics of design for a three-phase, separator/horizontal, weir plate height calculation, a mist eliminator selection criteria, and for the sizing of an inlet or outlet. I need information, books or handbooks and design material?
Category: Process Design

Oil pipe design
I am trying to design an oil piping that transfers oil from oil barrels to oil containers. I used a filter in front of a pump and use valves to separate the pump and filter to help with maintenance. I used pressure gauges beside the filters. I used a gate valve that connects to and controls the oil from the barrel. Should I add vents, a drain pipe and valves? Would you suggest books that detail processes and rules about the design of oil or water piping?
Category: Process Design

Underside tank mounting
Please advise as to the proper mounting of 6,000 gallon tanks and above when used as chemical reactor/receiver inside of a building. At our facility, we have several mounted to the underside of structural I-beam. The mounting pads are inverted on the tank with holes drilled in the underside of the I-beam with the tank bolted directly to it. I have never seen this before. Please advise.
Category: Process Design

Bypass line recommendations
Please advise regarding the design criteria or concept of a small line or bypass line in which the pipe is parallel to the control line. Is it necessary to have a bypass line for every control line? How does the size of the bypass line (2 in.) compare to the control line (8 in.)? What happens if a bypass line is not provided?
Category: Process Design

Waste ethanol-rich stream concentration
A waste ethanol-rich stream at 90% v/v concentration cannot be used in a process. The volume to be recovered for reuse is 10,000 liter per day. Can the waste stream be dehydrated to about 99% v/v for effective reuse in the process? Would this be possible by a liquid phase batch adsorption process rather than a redistillation to the azeotropic concentration?
Category: Process Design

Design criteria for a three-phase separator
What is the criteria of the three-phase separator design and the procedure to design it?
Category: Process Design

Meaning of CSO/CSC valves
What is the meaning of CSO/CSC valves? Please explain their construction. What is their function in a refinery and when are they used?
Category: Process Design

Safely operating a water cooler
Is it possible to install and safely operate a water cooler (trim-cooler, aftercondenser), downstream of the fin-fans and just upstream of the overhead drum, if outlet header from the fin-fans is 2m lower (closer to the ground) than the water cooler sheel-side inlet (process fluid inlet)? Process fluid - full range naphtha - consists of both condensibles and noncondensibles. Does this arrangement pose special hydraulic concerns, during design and operation?
Category: Process Design

Sizing a 3-phase separator
How do you size 3-phase separator(gas,oil and water), and what key parameters should be of consideration?
Category: Process Design