Chemical Process Design

This project investigates the production of ethanolamines from ethylene oxide and aqueous ammonia under different operating conditions while evaluating the economic feasibility based on market demand in Türkiye and worldwide. The production capacity selected for this design project was determined accordingly. Initially, general information about ethanolamines and their industrial applications is presented, followed by an overview of the available production methods, including commercially applied technologies. The most suitable process was then selected based on technical, economic, and operational considerations. The project further discusses a detailed economic analysis was, taking into account capital investment, manufacturing costs, and profitability evaluation, demonstrating that the proposed project is both feasible and economically profitable. The purpose of this project is to produce ethanolamines through the reaction of ethylene oxide with aqueous ammonia with a production capacity of 15,000 tons/year.

To ensure sustainable shea butter production in North Central Agro-ecological zone of Nigeria using modern shea butter processing technologies necessitated this study. The major objective of the study was to identify the information needs of shea butter processors’ on modern shea butter processing technologies whilst examining the respondents’ socio-economic characteristics, ascertaining their awareness, areas of information needs, sources of information, and perception on the effect of inadequate information on modern processing technologies were the specific objectives. Primary data were collected from 216 processors’ using multi-stage sampling procedure. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that most (90.3%) of the processors’ were females, young and married with little or no formal education and having between 6 to 15 years of processing experience. Respondents obtained information mostly from fellow processors ( =70) and cooper...

This paper describes the systematic revamp of a Benfield CO₂ removal unit at a high-throughput ammonia plant, emphasizing simulation-driven diagnostics and customized engineering solutions. The initiative was prompted by persistent operational challenges, including excessive steam consumption, elevated CO₂ slippage, and ongoing mechanical degradation—all of which had undermined energy efficiency, plant reliability, and overall performance. These issues were further compounded by hydraulic constraints in both the absorber and stripper, leading to unstable operation, solvent carryover, and increased cooling water demand.

A systematic upgrade strategy was applied, combining validated process simulation with detailed hydraulic and mechanical assessments to diagnose performance bottlenecks. Improvement options were ranked using a cost-benefit framework to ensure impactful and economically viable implementation.

The revamp yielded significant benefits: restored hydraulic stability, reduced CO₂ slippage, lower steam usage, and improved energy efficiency—all of which contributed to maximizing ammonia and urea production and enhancing long-term reliability.

Although implemented in an ammonia facility, the systematic methodology and solutions are broadly applicable to aging Benfield units in refineries and petrochemical complexes facing similar operational constraints.

This project explores the dual utilization of biomass for clean energy applications through the development of bio-fuel and bio-batteries. Biomass is processed into fine particles, blended with a natural binder, and compressed using a hydraulic press to form high-density blocks. These blocks are sundried and tested for calorific value, after that, extract biofuel from dry biomass using various methods and test whether the fuel is flammable. In parallel, some acidic bio-mass is used to extract organic electrolytes for assembling low-voltage bio-batteries, employing carbonized or other biomass as electrodes. The bio-batteries are designed for small-scale energy storage, offering biodegradable and renewable solutions for off-grid applications. Together, these technologies provide a sustainable pathway for decentralized energy generation, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and promoting circular economy practices.

This paper presents a novel hybrid process combining thermally coupled reactive distillation with membrane-based pervaporation for enhanced production of n-butyl acetate. A conventional reactive distillation process was used as the base case and first optimized for the transesterification of methyl acetate with n-butanol to produce n-butyl acetate. It was observed that methyl acetate recovered in the recycle stream significantly affects the conversion in the reactive distillation column and overall energy efficiency of the whole process. The existing and proposed configurations were evaluated and optimized by simulation in Aspen Plus. The integration of thermally coupled reactive distillation and pervaporation improved the energy efficiency of the reactive distillation process by preventing remixing effect in the reactive distillation column and eliminating the azeotropic nature of the methanol and methyl acetate in the recycle stream, respectively. Finally, integration of the thermally coupled reactive distillation with a commercial pervaporation membrane was explored to take synergistic advantage of the thermally coupled reactive distillation and pervaporation hybrid configuration. As a result, the proposed hybrid design showed remarkably improved energy efficiency and economics. The total reboiler duty and total annual cost reduced to 63 and 43%, respectively, compared to those of the base case.

A hybrid reactive distillation system with high selectivity pervaporation was examined to produce butyl acetate and methanol via transesterification of methyl acetate with butanol. High selectivity pervaporation was combined with reactive distillation to eliminate a hitherto required column for the separation of a methanol and methyl acetate azeotrope. The polyamide-6 membrane was used for this purpose because of its high selectivity for methanol while also allowing sufficient permeate flux. The high purity methyl acetate recovered in the retentate stream leads to high conversion in the reactive distillation column, which enhances the energy savings (up to 71%) of this process. The feasibility of the proposed hybrid processes and several alternative designs were evaluated by rigorous simulation and optimization using the Aspen Plus software package. The effects of several designs and operating variables were also investigated for the proposed design. The high potential of the hybrid reactive distillation and pervaporation system for butyl acetate production is very promising; it may not only reduce the total annual costs relative to conventional systems but may also provide an attractive strategy to address problems associated with methanol and methyl acetate azeotropes in the effluent generated in the polyvinyl alcohol industry.

This study reports the advantages of a cost-effective unit process using a hybrid distillation and vapor permeation unit for isopropanol dehydration. The feasibility of numerous hybrid membrane distillation schemes for isopropanol dehydration was evaluated by simulation and optimization in Aspen Plus. A built-in model for a membrane separation system was proposed by developing a mathematical model in an Aspen Custom Modeler and integrating it simultaneously with an Aspen Plus. The output results of the rigorous membrane models were consistent with the experimental data from the literature. The influence of the decisive operational parameters, which will be used as an optimization variable to examine the different configurations of hybrid systems, was analyzed. Furthermore, this study also employed the response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the economical calculation and find the best design for the desired product. The RSM optimization effectively connected the interception of the optimizing variables and its predictions agreed well with the results of rigorous simulations. The most significant savings in the total costs could be achieved by applying a distillation-vapor permeation configuration (approximately 77% compared to azeotropic distillation). Therefore, it is economically beneficial to employ distillation-vapor permeation over the previously proposed hybrid systems of the distillation-pervaporation and distillation-pervaporation-distillation.

The failure of Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers (STHE) is being extensively observed in the chemical process industries. This failure can cause enormous production loss and have a potential of dangerous consequences such as an explosion, fire and toxic release scenarios. There is an urgent need for assessing the explosion potential of shell and tube heat exchanger at the preliminary design stage. In current work, inherent safety index based approach is used to resolve the highlighted issue. Inherent Safety Index for Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger (ISISTHE) is a newly developed index for assessing the inherent safety level of a STHE at the preliminary design stage. This index is composed of preliminary design variables and integrated with the process design simulator (Aspen HYSYS). Process information can easily be transferred from process design simulator to MS Excel spreadsheet owing to this integration. This index could potentially facilitate the design engineer to analyse the worst ...

An analytical report is prepared for TCS to evaluate its investment prospects. The SWOT and PESTEL analyses utilized to assess the internal and external factors having an influence on the firm are used to describe the current state of the company. The basic difficulties that TCS is experiencing might be identified thanks to these analyses. Additionally, it examines TCS' organizational structure and how it affects the company's domestic production operations. Regarding the capacity to both attract new clients and hold on to current ones,Based on our results, the research also included a prediction of where we believe TCS will be in the following few years. This forecast provides an overview of TCS' prospects in analysing its expected growth.

Lignin, isolated from switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) with organosolv fractionation is currently being explored for its potential use in the production of value-added chemicals and bio-based polymers. Taguchi Robust Product Design (TRPD) was applied to maximize lignin yield from the fractionation process. The following four controllable design factors were used in the TRPD: process temperature (120°C, 140°C and 160°C), fractionation time (56 and 90 minutes), sulfuric acid concentration (0.025 M, 0.05 M and 0.1 M), and feedstock type (switchgrass/tulip poplar chip ratios of 10/90, 50/50 and 90/10). Process noise was induced in the experiment by using either the mass- or volume-based feedstock charges of switchgrass and tulip poplar chips. A maximum mean lignin yield of 78.63 wt % and signal-to-noise ratio of 37.90 occurred at a 90 minute runtime, 160°C process temperature, 0.1 M sulfuric acid, and a feedstock composition of 90% switchgrass an...

This project investigates low-cost, naturally available adsorbents for removing fluoride and arsenic from contaminated water. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted using neem leaves, eggshell, activated carbon, and sawdust. Neem leaves were most effective for fluoride removal. The study proposes a sustainable approach for water purification.

Over three decades ago, A. Kayode Coker made a pioneering contribution to the field of chemical engineering with the publication of Fortran Programs for Chemical Process Design, Analysis & Simulation (Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, Texas, 1995). At a time when computational tools were just beginning to reshape engineering workflows, this groundbreaking book became the first of its kind to integrate practical Fortran code for chemical process design—distributed on a 5.25-inch floppy disk, and later a 3.5-inch version. It was a bold step into the digital frontier of engineering, earning recognition from the McGraw-Hill Book Club as a landmark publication in chemical process simulation.
The book offered engineers a hands-on approach to modeling and analyzing complex chemical processes, enabling them to move beyond theoretical calculations and into real-world applications. It empowered professionals to simulate distillation columns, heat exchangers, reactors, and other core systems using structured Fortran routines—at a time when such capabilities were rare and transformative.
Now, in a new era defined by Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and data-driven engineering, A. Kayode Coker returns with an even more ambitious and forward-looking project: The Engineering Glossary & Digital Reference for Petroleum, Petrochemical and Energy Transition Technologies, a four-volume set that redefines what a technical reference can be.
This new compendium is not merely a glossary—it is a fully integrated engineering toolkit. It spans thousands of pages of meticulously curated terminology, enriched with:
• ✅ Microsoft Excel spreadsheets for rapid calculations and design modeling
• ✅ Python scripts for simulation, optimization, and data analysis
• ✅ Case studies and worked examples for real-world relevance
• ✅ Process datasheets and conversion tables for field-ready application
• ✅ Online video links to enhance learning and visualization
• ✅ Coverage of sustainability, alternative energy, AI, and machine learning in engineering contexts

The present work aims to provide insights into the dynamic operation of a coupled reformer/combustion unit that can utilize a variety of saturated hydrocarbons (HCs) with 1–4 C atoms towards H2 production (along with CO2). Within this concept, a preselected HC-based feedstock enters a steam reforming reactor for the production of H2 via a series of catalytic reactions, whereas a sequential postprocessing unit (water gas shift reactor) is then utilized to increase H2 purity and minimize CO. The core unit of the overall system is the combustor that is coupled with the reformer reactor and continuously provides heat (a) for sustaining the prevailing endothermic reforming reactions and (b) for the process feed streams. The dynamic model as it is initially developed, consists of ordinary differential equations that capture the main physicochemical phenomena taking place at each subsystem (energy and mass balances) and is compared against available thermodynamic data (temperature and conc...

The presented research work focuses on the mathematical description and control analysis of an integrated power unit that uses hydrogen produced by methanol autothermal reforming. The unit consists of a reformer reactor where methanol, air and water are co-fed to produce a hydrogen rich stream through a series of reactions. The hydrogen main stream is fed to a preferential oxidation reactor (PROX) for the reduction of CO at levels below 50ppm with the use of air. In the end, the PROX outlet stream enters the anode of a PEM fuel cell where power production takes places to serve a load demand. The operation of the two reactors is described by a combination of partial differential equations (mass and energy balances) and non-linear equations (kinetic expressions of the reactions), while the power production in the fuel cell is based on the inlet hydrogen flow and on operational characteristics. A simple case sceanrio is employed when a step change on methanol flowrate is imposed. Main target is to identify and analyze the changes occuring in the main variables of concern (H 2 , CO and temperature levels) that affect the overall system operation. Based on the results, an insight on the challenging control scheme will be applied in order to identify possible ways of setting up a reliable and robust control structure according to the developed mathematical model.

The core aim of this study is to develop a control scheme based on a rigorous mathematical model that will be able to capture the dynamic features of a 1 kW(p) fuel cell power system based on LPG reforming that satisfies acceptably power variations in vehicular applications. The integrated system consists of an LPG steam reformer followed by a water-gas-shift reactor. A high temperature PEM fuel cell accompanies the system and receives the produced hydrogen having high tolerance in CO levels (up to 1000 ppm). A burner that exploits the anode off-gas and an additional supply of fresh LPG meets system's heat requirements, while further stream heat integration and individual coolers complement system autonomy and efficiency. Material and energy balances fully apply in system reactors and fuel cell (no axial/radial distributions are introduced), while energy balances for the cold and hot streams are developed for the intensive heat exchanging network. Model validation with available...

The core aim of this study is the development of a plant-wide control system for a pilot plant scale power unit based on LPG fuel processing. The system consists of the LPG steam reformer for the production of hydrogen followed by a water-gas-shift reactor, both of fixed-bed geometry. A polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell utilizes the reformer's hydrogen and enables power generation and delivery to a lithium-ion (Li-Ion) accumulator, thus simulating in this way a compact vehicular-oriented application. Heat integration in the system is achieved through a heat exchanger network mainly consisted of a burner that exploits the anode unconverted hydrogen and uses an individual LPG feed and a series of air coolers that enable efficient system autonomy. The main control objectives are the minimization of the system start-up time, the elimination of temperature overshoots in the reforming and water-gas-shift reactors as well as the effective alleviation of process disturbances ...

An experimental and preliminary design study on the production and purification of hydrogen derived from autothermal reforming of methanol is examined in this paper. Methanol, air and water are co-fed in the reformer reactor to produce hydrogen that is intended to be used in a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell. However, due to the presence of CO at levels that are poisonous to the anode (Pt) of the PEM fuel cell, the effluent of the reformer is treated at a preferential oxidation (PROX) reactor for the minimization of CO at acceptable levels (<50ppm). The present study, deals with the examination of the catalysts performance at both reactors for various temperatures, flowrates (reformer) and ratios of reactants (PROX). The PEM fuel cell is also examined for various operation temperatures. Furthermore, the design study investigates three possible configurations (modeled at ASPEN Plus ® ), as far as heat management is of concern, in order to identify which could be the optimal solution for an autonomous power unit with minimal auxilliary supplies.

Biofuel is a type of oil which is formed through anaerobic digestion process. It is frequently used as a transformation of biomasses into useful energy product. Thermal degradation is an effective technique for the characterization of waste cake for biofuel production. This research work was focused on the characterization of waste cake collected from oil refinery. The sample was analyzed for its calorific value, proximate value and elemental analysis. The results reflected that HHV of dry waste cake was higher (22.5MJ/kg) than wet waste cake (20.5MJkg) and commonly used sugar can bagasse (17.88MJ/kg). The percentage composition of carbon (49.8 percent, 40.8), hydrogen (7.9 percent, 6.0 percent), nitrogen (2.8 percent, 1.9 percent), sulphur (1.9 percent, 0.5 percent), and oxygen content (37.6 percent, 40.4 percent) were shown in the elemental analysis of dry waste cake versus moist cake. When it comes to the thermal degradation behaviour of dry and wet cake in TGA, wet cake has grea...

The storage of liquid ammonium nitrate in a petrochemical plant, located at the Caribbean region of Colombia, is analyzed to identify and mitigate the risks present in it. Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) methodology was followed to assess the risks and hazards associated to this process. Initially, the ammonium nitrate storage tank was defined as the node to be studied, together with the instrumentation required for this operation. The diagrams of the node and technical specifications of the equipment and instruments were reviewed. This information, together with the operative, technical and conceptual knowledge of the staff at the plant, allowed to assess the deviations for operational variables such as temperature, pressure and level, among others, in order to identify the hazards and risk scenarios that can take place during the storage of ammonium nitrate. Based on the HAZOP analysis, recommendations were made to mitigate or avoid incidents that have an impact on people, environm...

Environmental regulations limit the presence of copper in the wastewater from industries to 3 mg/l; furthermore, copper is a rather expensive commodity. Consequently, recovery of this metal is both necessary and attractive. Electrowining techniques are commonly used to recover copper, but it cannot be used when the streams contain hydrocarbons such as the waste stream, Multibond, from company A. As a result, this company is force to send their waste stream abroad for treatment paying 1.32 Euro/kg of waste. The present project aims to recover copper via a hydrothermal process in the form of (99% pure) copper metal powder that can be sold to scrap industries in the area. The copper reduction will be achieved by combining a copper sulphate solution (copper II) waste stream and a carbohydrate waste stream under 12 bar and 185 o C in a Kenics static mixer. The accessibility and the low or no-price for the feedstocks, make this design even more attractive. The copper reduction plant consists mainly of two units: reaction and separation. Thus making it a very simple process. Furthermore, the recovery is >99% copper. This process has already been made a reality in countries such as Chile where copper is abundant and the main export commodity. Currently new sites for this process are being developed and have been patented around the world.

This work is focused on optimising a low-temperature delignification as holocellulose purification pretreatment of Platanus acerifolia leaf waste for second-bioethanol production. Delignification was accomplished by acid-oxidative digestion using green reagents: acetic acid and 30% hydrogen peroxide 1:1. The effect of reaction time (30–90 min), temperature (60–90 °C), and solid loading (5–15 g solid/20 g liquid) on delignification and solid fraction yield were studied. The process parameters were optimised using the Box–Behnken experimental design. The highest attained lignin removal efficiency was larger than 80%. The optimised conditions of delignification, while maximising holocellulose yield, pointed to using the minimum temperature of the examined range. Analysis of variance on the solid fraction yield and the lignin removal suggested a linear model with a negative influence of the temperature on the yield. Furthermore, a negative effect of the solid loading and low effect of t...

The pressure-swing distillation process with high-pressurized batch columns (HHP), with and or without a recycling stream, for separating methyl acetate-methanol is studied from the aspect of optimal control. The results show that even though not heat integrated, the HHP process benefits productivity. Based on the maximum recovery, the dynamic controllability without any kind of heat integration is researched. The optimal cyclic reflux ratio operating policy is extended to the separation of a third non-ideal minimum boiling azeotrope and close boiling mixture of industrial importance, and it shows significant reductions in energy expenditure since the derived discontinuous energy function tends to show cyclic "behavior" again. The proposed process, however, has the economic potential of both capital and energy by internal heat integration, ie. connecting the reboiler of the lower high-pressurized column to the condenser of the higher high-pressurized column. In the future, even more azeotropes, both minimum and/or maximum boilers, should be investigated in order to establish a "heuristic guidance" for HHP design and industrial usage.

The pressure-swing distillation process with high-pressurized batch columns (HHP), with and without a recycling stream, in double stripper configuration for separating ethylacetate-ethanol is under investigation. With the aim of productivity maximization, the optimal control patterns are found for both ethanol and ethylacetate purification. It is discovered that with the increase of top pressure, the maximum recovery rate is achieved faster. Moreover, proposed process also gives rise to energy expenditure minimization, due to the temperature gap that is to be more broadened with pressure gap increase.

This project focused on the production of maleic anhydride from benzene, aiming to compare
ChemCAD simulations with hand calculations to optimize the process for efficiency, cost-
effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. The primary objectives included analyzing
process flows, stream compositions, and utility/energy requirements, as well as identifying
discrepancies between simulation and manual methods. Key findings revealed that
ChemCAD provided accurate predictions of process performance, particularly in energy
balances and flow rates. Sensitivity analyses highlighted the significant impact of solvent
flow rate and temperature on separation efficiency, with higher flow rates improving maleic
anhydride recovery but increasing operational costs. Unexpected deviations in pump power
estimations between ChemCAD and hand calculations underscored the need for refined
heuristic methods. The study also emphasized the importance of optimizing process
parameters, such as solvent flow rate and temperature, to maximize product yield while
minimizing energy consumption and environmental impact. Advanced simulation tools like
ChemCAD proved more reliable than traditional hand calculations, offering precise insights
into process performance. These findings provide valuable recommendations for improving
the maleic anhydride production process, ensuring it is both technically and economically
viable while adhering to environmental and safety standards.

Dimetilacetal, também denominado acetal ou 1,1-dimetoxietano (DME), é uma importante matéria-prima usada à escala comercial e em investigação laboratorial. DME é principalmente usado para manufactura de fragrâncias e produtos farmacêuticos. Este composto não é somente usado como matéria-prima, mas também como um importante intermediário para a síntese de vários produtos químicos industriais, solventes orgânicos, no projeto de perfumes sintéticos e para a produção de poliacetais, e como um aditivo combustível oxigenado. A reacção de acetização para a síntese de DME foi realizada através da reacção reversível em fase líquida de metanol e acetaldeído, sendo catalisada pela resina de troca iônica ácida, Amberlyst 15.

Pervaporation is a good option to enhance conversion in reversible esterification reactions, generating water as a by product. In present work, polyvinyl alcohol-polyether sulfone (PVA-PES) composite hydrophilic membrane was used for pervaporation-assisted esterification of lactic acid with n-butanol. Pervaporation reactor is an esterification reactor combined with pervaporation membrane module. Experimental work of esterification of lactic acid with n-butanol coupled with pervaporation was carried out. Effect of various parameters, such as, initial mole ratio of n-butanol over lactic acid, the ratio of the effective membrane area over the volume of reacting mixture, process temperature and catalyst concentration on the performance of pervaporation reactor were discussed. The following optimum conditions were obtained: temperature = 90°C, catalyst concentration = 0.422 kmol/m 3 , initial molar reactant ratio (n-butanol / lactic acid) = 1.4, ratio of effective membrane area to the reaction volume = 15.19 m 2 /m 3 . The presented data can be extended for study and design of pervaporation reactor for similar kind of reactions.

Currently, the process intensification through dividing wall columns (DWC) is one of the most promising alternatives to reduce costs of the distillation process. However, for the extractive distillation, there are still questions whether DWC is a more economical option than the conventional configuration (CS). Normally, the extractive DWCs are simulated with two thermally coupled columns (TCS), and their designs are usually obtained by setting the TCSs in different ways that not necessarily constitute an optimum design. Thus, this work proposes a systematic procedure in terms of stage equilibrium to obtain an optimized DWC configuration, in terms of operability and design. A strict comparison between DWC and CS (also optimized) was performed and the best results of total annual cost (TAC) were obtained for columns with distinct number of stages in each section of the wall, however, these columns did not overcome the optimized conventional systems.

Propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA) is a commonly used solvent in the rapidly developing semiconductor industry. Ultra-high purity PGMEA is required for this ultraprecision industry and to satisfy the current strict waste management regulations. The traditional PGMEA production process consumes considerable energy and has a high production cost. In this study, a novel heat integrated and intensified design, which applies a dividing wall column, reactive distillation, and pressure swing techniques, was proposed for improving the energy efficiency and reducing the cost of PGMEA production. Heat integration was applied to maximize the heat recovery of the process. All processes were simulated using the commercial simulator Aspen Plus V11. The economic and environmental parameters of the process alternative were assessed for a fair comparison with the conventional process. The results showed that heat integration of the optimal pressure swing-based reactive distillation and dividing wall column processes could reduce the energy requirement and TAC by 29.5%, and 20.8%, respectively, compared to that of the optimal conventional process. The improved design provides a strong basis for achieving more sustainable PGMEA production.

A hybrid purification process combining extraction and distillation for the production of levulinic acid (LA), furfural, and formic acid (FA) from lignocellulosic biomass was studied. The effective process depends on the choice of appropriate extraction solvent. A comprehensive procedure of solvent selection for the LA production process was developed. A range of solvents were first evaluated by solvent screening, and processes using the three most promising solvents, including methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK); furfural and octanol were then designed and optimized using an Aspen Plus simulator. These processes were evaluated in terms of the energy consumption, total annual cost, and environmental impact. As a result, MIBK showed the most favorable equilibrium for the extraction of LA but was unfavorable for FA extraction. Octanol showed not only the most favorable result in the extraction of FA, but was also favorable for the extraction of furfural and LA. Interestingly, furfural could extract more LA than octanol and extract more FA than MIBK. The design results show that the furfural solvent process can reduce energy consumption by up to 25.2% and 21.4%, the TAC by up to 30.6% and 25.9%, and CO 2 emissions by up to 27.0% and 25.5% compared to processes using octanol and MIBK as solvents, respectively.

Levulinic acid (LA), which is one of the top twelve value-added chemicals from biomass feedstock, has been recognized in a large number of applications. Nevertheless, its capability on an industrial scale has been limited by the high-cost of the raw materials and the lack of detailed process design. This paper reports the simulation, detailed design and optimization of an industrial process recovering LA from biomass, a renewable and inexpensive feedstock. The aqueous feed mixture from the acidic hydrolysis of biomass was fed to the separation process to recover LA as the main product, along with furfural and formic acid as valuable byproducts. Furfural was then used as an extracting solvent, resulting a significant decrease in total cost. Detailed analysis was conducted to assess the feasibility of the separation method. The purification process was intensified by applying an innovative top dividing wall column with a decanter configuration (TDWC-D). The response surface methodology (RSM), which allows the interactions between variables to be identified and quantified, was used to optimize the TDWC-D structure. The predictions by the RSM showed satisfactory agreement with the rigorous simulation results. The results showed that the innovative TDWC-D configuration could save up 16.4% and 20.6% of the overall energy requirements and total annual cost, respectively, compared to the conventional sequence.

This study reports the advantages of a cost-effective unit process using a hybrid distillation and vapor permeation unit for isopropanol dehydration. The feasibility of numerous hybrid membrane distillation schemes for isopropanol dehydration was evaluated by simulation and optimization in Aspen Plus. A built-in model for a membrane separation system was proposed by developing a mathematical model in an Aspen Custom Modeler and integrating it simultaneously with an Aspen Plus. The output results of the rigorous membrane models were consistent with the experimental data from the literature. The influence of the decisive operational parameters, which will be used as an optimization variable to examine the different configurations of hybrid systems, was analyzed. Furthermore, this study also employed the response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the economical calculation and find the best design for the desired product. The RSM optimization effectively connected the interception of the optimizing variables and its predictions agreed well with the results of rigorous simulations. The most significant savings in the total costs could be achieved by applying a distillation-vapor permeation configuration (approximately 77% compared to azeotropic distillation). Therefore, it is economically beneficial to employ distillation-vapor permeation over the previously proposed hybrid systems of the distillation-pervaporation and distillation-pervaporation-distillation.

Novel hybrid configuration is proposed for debottlenecking of side stream column. Significant saving in operating cost could be achieved. A DWC can increase the energy efficiency of a heat pump. A synergetic advantage of enhancing energy efficiency and reducing capital cost. Can be applied to both close-boiling and wide-boiling mixtures.

This paper proposed a novel integrated design of azeotropic mixtures distillation process based on mechanical vapor recompression (MVR). The extractive distillation of acetonemethanol binary system that forms a homogeneous minimumboiling azeotrope was studied. Based on the simulation result, the total energy consumption of the proposed sequence is 62% less than the existing extractive distillation configuration.

A method was developed for commercial scale production of chitin and chitosan in Bangladesh from marine shrimp, P. monodon and freshwater prawn, M. rosenbergii shell and appendages. Chitin is a macro-molecular linear polymer of anhydro N-acetyl glucosamine (N-Acetyl, 2-Amino 2-Deoxy DGlucose) and chitosan is deacetylated chitin. For production of chitin, fresh shells of P. monodon having initial bacterial load of &gt;105 CFU/g sample and peroxide values of &gt;10 mmol free iodine liberated /kg of oil were washed with dilute sulfuric acid. Adhered proteins were removed by washing with low strength alkaline solution and then rinsed with water. Crude chitin thus prepared was treated with concentrated hydrochloric acid and purified chitin was obtained after treating with low strength alkali solution. Water soluble chitosan was prepared by performing a deacetylation process using 50% NaOH (w/w) at 100oC for 4-5 hours and then washed, dried and ground. For purification of chitin and chito...

This paper assessed rural women knowledge level on usage of improved Shea butter processing technology in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State. Data were collected from 120 rural women in the area through structured interview schedule using multistage sampling technique. The findings revealed that majority (59.2%) were married and households depend on income realised from the sale of Shea-butter for livelihood. All the respondents used parboiling, a traditional method to soften Shea-butter fruits. The findings showed that 93.2% were knowledgeable on the use of grinding machine in processing Shea-butter. A greater percentage (62.5%) had low awareness on other improved technologies in processing Shea butter. Majority of respondents (90.0%) got information about improved Shea-butter processing from other processors. However, high cost of equipment was rated the major limiting constraint militating against the usage of improved Shea butter technologies in the area. The paper...

Bio-based feedstock utilization for the green manufacturing of valuable organic compounds is reckoned as a crucial goal to be achieved by the global scientific communities in this century to encourage sustainable business while saving the fixed stock of fossil fuels. Vanillin is a key aromatic flavoring compound extensively used in the food and cosmetic industries. Around 12,000 tons of vanillin are widely consumed in a year, and less than 1% of it is obtained from vanilla beans through the costly extraction process. Extensive scrutiny of the existing literature shows that vanillin can be produced biotechnologically from several sources. Currently, the production of vanillin from lignin is enticing because it caters to the supply of renewable aromatics in nature. However, the scaled-up applications of the biological routes are limited owing to the slow process, the requirement for precise process control, the risk of product inhibition and degradation, bacterial strain selection, and a complex downstream purification. These challenges highlight the need for vanillin synthesis through an alternate eco-friendly combined biological-chemical route. This review gives an insight into the development of a novel membrane-integrated photo-microreactor system for converting lignocellulosic biomass to vanillin and downstream purification, which appears to be the most promising biochemical , environmentally friendly, and cost-effective choice. The status quo of lignin extraction, purification, recovery, and techno-economic assessment for scale-up are also discussed thoroughly, enabling researchers to comprehend the possible lignocellulosic agro-biomass material conversion methodologies for the production of valuable aromatic compounds.

We study the design and optimization of a multicomponent seawater desalination process with zero liquid discharge (ZLD). The designed process is highly integrated with multiple sub processing units that include humidification-dehumidification, Lithium Bromide absorption chiller, multi-effect evaporators, mechanical vapor compression, and crystallization. Aspen Plus software with E-NRTL and SOLIDS thermodynamic packages are used for modeling and simulation of desalination and crystallization units, respectively. In addition to this, we use data-driven optimization to find the best operating condition (i.e., the temperature of the last effect evaporator) that minimizes the overall energy consumption of the designed plant with an output constraint imposed on the mass fraction of salts going to the ZLD system should be greater than 20 wt.% to achieve the ZLD goal. We use a local sample-based data-driven optimizer, Nonlinear Optimization with the Mesh Adaptive Direct Search (NOMAD) algorithm, to perform constrained simulation-based optimization. The results show that at the optimized temperature (71.58 ⁰C), our design produces 1777 kg/hr drinking water with an energy consumption of 536 kW in comparison to 580 kW of energy consumption for the same plant output in the base case design (not optimized). Thus, data-driven optimization of the evaporator temperature improves the overall energy consumption by 7.5% and achieves higher desalination efficiency. Further, the integration of the crystallizer unit into the overall desalination process allows us to produce about 43 kg/h of NaCl and achieve ZLD.

Los controles de nivel de un domo de caldero son los encargados de mantener un adecuado nivel de líquido saturado de agua en la sección del HRSG. Estos, están diseñados para la generación del vapor, e incluyen los siguientes componentes; Downcomer, Evaporadores, Risers, Feeders y el domo o separador (Figura1).  El nivel del domo es controlado por las válvulas de control de nivel (LCV) localizados al ingreso al economizador del HRSG.

Food process simulation is a powerful tool for sustainable food manufacturing. A process model can be used to design (in the preliminary and/or detailed phase) an integrated food production or food waste valorization system, estimate the type and amount of resources needed to produce the required amount of final products, evaluate the economic feasibility and assess the environmental impact of the process, as well as plan and schedule production for an operating plant.

This chapter discusses the challenges, opportunities and benefits of food process simulation with the help of SuperPro Designer, a process simulator which is able to model procedures and equipment found in food and food-related industries operating in various production modes (batch, continuous, semi-continuous). Two case studies are used to illustrate different aspects of techno-economic modelling with special emphasis given to food waste valorization processes in the context of sustainable manufacturing.