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Chapter two
GENERAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
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2.1 OVERALL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

 Some of the factors involved in the development of a

complete plant design include
 plant location,
 plant layout,
 materials of construction,
 structural design,
 utilities,
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 buildings,
 storage,
 materials handling,
 safety,
 waste disposal,
 federal, state, and local laws or codes, and
 patents.
 2.2 Plant design constraints 4

1.External constraints: They are fixed, invariable & are outside the
designer's influence
 Physical laws,
Government regulations, and
 Standards & Codes.
2. Internal constraints: less rigid, and are within the designer's
influence
 Raw materials & inputs
 Process & equipment choice
 Process Conditions [Temperature, Pressure, Concentration &
Others]
 Time
 Personnel
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Feasible design = f(Financce/economics,Enviornment)

Optimum design= f(process, Financce/economics,Enviornment

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 Special emphasis is placed both on the economic and

engineering principles involved in the design of chemical
plants and equipment.

 An understanding of these principles is a prerequisite for

any successful chemical engineer, no matter whether the
final position is in direct design work or in production,
administration, sales, research, development, or any other
related field.
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 The life of plant design is determined by the Birr or the dollar
sign ($ € £ ¥) and these fact must always be kept in mind when
carrying out the design of a plant.
 The theoretical and practical aspects of economic and
engineering principles are important, of course; but, in the final
analysis, the answer to the question “Will we realize a profit from
this venture? "almost always determines the true value of the
design and its implimentability.
 The chemical engineer, therefore, should consider plant design
and applied economics as one combined subject.
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2.3 STANDARD and CODE
 STANDARD are generally for sizes, compositions, etc.
 CODE is reserved for a code of practice covering a
recommended design or operating procedure.
 Almost all countries have national organizations for standards
and codes
American National Standards Institute (ANSI), American
Society for Testing Materials (ASTM), British Standards
Institution (BSI). Ethiopian Standards Authority
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 American Institute of Chemical Engineers

(AIChE),Ethiopian Society of Chemical Engineers
(ESChE)
 The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO)
coordinates the publication of international standards.
 African standards Organization coordinates the publication
of African standards.

 Standards are part of modern industries and trade.

 Standards provide interchangeability between different
manufacturers. Pumps, Spare parts,
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 Modern standards cover a much wider function than the
interchange of parts, they cover:
 Materials, properties and compositions.
 Testing procedures for performance, compositions, quality.
 Preferred sizes; e.g. tubes, plates, sections.
 Design methods, inspection, fabrication.
 Codes of practice, for plant operation & safety.
 Standard designs saves time and money as it avoids routine
and repetitious works whenever practicable.
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 Equipment manufacturers also work to standards to produce
standardized designs and size ranges for commonly used
items; such as electric motors, pumps, pipes and pipe fittings.

 For the designer, the use of a standardized component size

allows for the easy integration of a piece of equipment into the
rest of the plant. For example, if a standard range of
centrifugal pumps is specified the pump dimensions will be
known, and this facilitates the design of the foundations plates,
pipe connections and the selection of the drive motors.
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 It is clearly more economic to produce range of standard

sizes than to have to treat each order as a special job.

 For an operating company, the standardization of

equipment designs and sizes increases interchangeability
and reduces the stock of spares that have to be held in
maintenance stores.
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 Though there are clearly considerable advantages to be gained

from the use of standards in design, there are also some
disadvantages. Standards impose constraints on the designer.
 The nearest standard size will normally be selected on completing
a design calculation(rounding-up) but this will not necessarily be
the optimum size; though as the standardize will be cheaper than
a special size, it will usually be the best choice from the point of
view of initial capital cost.
 Standard design methods must, of their nature, be historical, and
do not necessarily incorporate the latest techniques.
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2.4 Sequence of plant design project steps
Time sequence
Process identification
Laboratory scale process research
Bench scale investigations
Preliminary economic evaluation
Process development
Mass and energy balance
Detailed process design
Site selection
Refined economic evaluation Project Steps
Design Fixed
Detailed economic evaluation
Engineering flow scheme
Basic design
Detailed construction plan
Detail design
Procurement
Construction
Startup
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A sample model for Plant Design

Step 1. Recognizing the need.

Step 2. Defining the problem.
Step 3. Planning the project.
Step 4. Gathering information.
Step 5. Conceptualizing alternative approaches.
Step 6. Evaluating the alternatives.
Step 7. Selecting the best alternative.
Step 8. Communicating the design.
Step 9. Implementing the preferred design.
Unit operation categories of plant design: The 16
anatomy of a plant.
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1.Raw material storage:

 Raw materials have to be stored for days or weeks
and even for months to avoid production
interruptions so that the plant operates sustainably.
 Even when the materials come from an adjacent
plant, some provision is usually made to store raw
materials for few days’ or even weeks’ that enable
the plant to continuously operate for 24 hours.
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 The storage requirement depends on the nature of the
raw materials, the method of delivery, and what
assurance can be placed on the continuity of supply.
 If materials are purchased from foreign sources and
delivered by ship several weeks’ stocks may be necessary,
whereas if they are coming from domestic sources less
storage will be needed.
 In the operation of a process plant adequate storage
facilities for raw materials, intermediate products, final
products, recycle materials, off-grade materials, fuels,
cleaning agents, packaging materials and other items.

 Storage of raw materials permits operation of the process

plant regardless of temporary supply of delivery
difficulties.
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 Storage of intermediate products may be necessary during plant
shutdown for emergency repairs. this is not practical for food
systems since they are sensitive to contamination.

 Storage of products makes it possible to supply the customer even

during a plant difficulty or unforeseen shutdown.

 An additional need for adequate storage is encountered when it is

necessary to meet seasonal fluctuations.

 Depending on the physical and chemical properties of the

materials storage conditions should be determined.
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 Bulk storage of liquids is generally handled by closed

spherical or cylindrical tanks to prevent escape of
volatiles and minimize contamination.

 High-pressure gas is stored in spherical or horizontal

cylindrical pressure vessels.

 Solid products and raw materials are either stored in air-

tight tanks with sloping floors or in outdoor bins or
mounds. Solid products are mostly packed directly on
retail packages.
  2.Raw material preparation: 21
 Raw materials preparation and purification is necessary to
make the feed sufficiently pure and are in the right form to be
fed to the Physical & Chemical Material Transformation unit
operations.

 Feed contaminants that can poison process catalysts, enzymes,

or micro-organisms must be removed. Solid materials may
need crushing, grinding, and screening while Liquid feeds
need to be vaporized before being fed to gas-phase reactors
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3.Material Transformation unit operation:

 The Material Transformation stage is the heart of a chemical
manufacturing process. The raw materials are brought together
under conditions that promote the production of the desired
product both at the physical transformation unit or the reactor.

 Byproducts will also be formed during the Physical and

chemical process by side reactions or from reactions of
impurities present in the feed.
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4.Product separation:

 The products and byproducts are separated from any un

reacted inputs and undesirable side products after the
Material Transformation units.

 In certain processes repetitive or multiple steps could be

required, each followed by one or more separation steps. If
the un reacted inputs are in sufficient quantity, it will be
recycled back to Material Transformation units or to the raw
material purification and preparation stage. The byproducts
should be also separated from the products at this stage
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5.Product Purification:

 The main product will often need purification before sale

to meet product specifications. If produced in economic
quantities, byproducts may also be purified before sale. 

6.Product storage:

 Finished product must be held to match production with

sales or to store unsold products. Products must be packed
and stored depending on the nature of the product.  
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7. By product storage:

 By products require storage.

8. Waste treatment plant :

 Wastes generated particularly from raw material preparation,

Product separation and Product Purification units must be
treated before it is discharged into the environment

9. Materials Handling

 Materials handling equipment used for transportation of solids,

liquids and gases are divided into two main groups as
continuous or batch.
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 Liquids and gases are handled by means of pumps and blowers

in pipes and ducts and in containers such as drums or
cylinders. (hydraulic conveying)

 Solids may be handled by conveyors, elevators, lift trucks and

pneumatic systems.

 The selection of materials handling equipment depends upon

the cost and the work to be done.
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Thank you for your attention!!!