BKF3553 PROCESS SIMULATION & COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN

MINI PROJECT
This is a group activity that will produce a group grade, which is 20% of the coursework mark. You
are to form your own 3 person group. Larger or smaller groups are not acceptable. Past experience
suggests that students are happier in student-formed groups than in instructor-assigned groups.
Submit the group members name via our section Facebook page to know your group no and title.
PROBLEM
The engineering team including yourself are to plan the operation of ONE (1) of the process listed in
the table below in order to produce 50 000 tonne/year of the product. You should assume that a
year equals 8000 hours. This is about 330 days, which allows for periodic shut-down and
maintenance.
Group
1,6
2,7
3,8
4,9
5,10

Product
Dimethyl ether
Maleic anhydride
Ethyl benzene
Styrene
Ethylene oxide

Amount (metric tonnes/annum)

50 000
50 000
50 000
50 000
50 000

In this project, you are required to:

1. Perform screening of synthesis route and finally choose the best process to construct
Process Flow Diagram (PFD) using commercial software ASPEN HYSYS. Please justify why
you use the process (availability of raw materials, comment on equipment purchase and / or
operating cost, effectiveness/ efficiency of selected process) and include the references that
cited form journal or book. Please ensure your simulation can be executed.
2. The important unit operations that should be included in the process are distillation column,
reactor, heat exchangers, pump, compressor, mixer and others.

PROJECT REPORT
Specifically, the following is to be completed by 5:00 p.m., Friday, 5th December, 2014:
1. Submit a written report, conforming to the guidelines, containing:

a) Chapter 1 Introduction
Background and application of product
Screening of synthesis route (Justified your choice, e.g. available of raw material,
comment on equipment cost or effectiveness/efficiency of selected process)
The reasons for making choices and the reasons for discarding alternatives must
be justified and discussed accordingly.
b) Chapter 2- Process Synthesis and Flow Sheeting
Process description
PFD of the process, with all major process streams, major equipment, equipment
names, and equipment numbers provided
a stream table of all the major process streams with the numbers corresponding
exactly to the Aspen HYSYS simulation.
a table listing the sizes, duties, capacities, and other details of each piece of
equipment
material balance calculation ASPEN HYSYS
c) Appendix
ASPEN HYSYS simulation results and flow sheets

REPORT FORMAT

The report should follow the report guidelines here http://notes.ump.edu.my/fkksa/FKKSA/Academic/Lecture%20Modules/Degree/20132014%20SEM%201/BKF3553%20Process%20Simulation%20&%20Computer%20Aided%20Desi

gn/04/REPORT%20FORMAT%20FOR%20MINI%20PROJECT%20BKF3553.docx
Data should be in the form of graphs and tables since this serves to both condense results and
make them easily understandable.
The appendix should include your spreadsheet and ASPEN HYSYS simulation

REPORT AUTHORS
Although work on a group report can never be divided equally, only those members making
substantial contributions to the final report should be listed as authors.

PROJECT PRESENTATION
In your respective group, you will present the output of your project. It will be held on Week 14,
during class time. Each group will be allocated 15 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for Q&A
session.