Chemical Engineering

I just found out today how truly difficult Chemical Engineering is. And this is just the start. It all started when I was assigned to design a functional and practical chemical plant to produce benzoic acid on an industrial scale. Doesn’t sound that hard huh?

Well, let me tell you exactly what I am supposed to do:

Describe the chemical product i.e. benzoic acid in detail from properties chemically to physically to history.

Describe applications and uses of the product.

Perform a market assessment locally, nationally and globally and also possible future outlook.

Perform a detailed site study to state where chemical plant will be located and built and detailed and logical reasons why the place has been chosen. Sites are from real places located in Malaysia.

Design several process out of scratch to produce benzoic acid ideally 2-3 different and distinct processes.

Propose a process that can successfully produce benzoic acid on an industrial scale.

1. Perform detailed calculations to calculate flow rates and amount of raw materials required over a span of time to produce exactly 50,000 metric tons of benzoic acid per year.
2. Calculate mass transfers, energy balances and flow rates of materials within reactors in the process.
3. If necessary, add additional equipments such as heat exchangers, distillation columns, reactors, boilers, separators, settlers, condensers, pumps etc.
4. Calculate temperature, pressure and other conditions for each reactor.
5. Calculate volume and size of each equipment used within the process.
6. Calculate power consumed for each and every equipment in the process.
7. Design mechanical equipments for major reactors.
8. Design equipment to purify benzoic acid product at the end of the process to meet industry standards.
9. Design equipment for treatment of by-products for recirculation, sale or waste.
10. Recheck whole process for any flaws that may cause production to halt during process.

Perform hazard study for each and every line in the process for every potential and possible accident or incident that can cause the process to halt.

If any hazards found and deemed very dangerous, modify process flow above to increase safety.

Perform environmental studies around the area and potential impacts in the local areas surrounding the plant.

Design and decide on plant layout of each and every equipment on plant site.

Perform a detailed and current economic analysis for the plant which includes:

1. Number of engineers that are hired to operate the plant efficiently.
2. Number of skilled laborers to operate the plant’s equipments.
3. Number of unskilled workers required for non-technical areas of the plant i.e. cleaning.
4. Number administrative officers and workers required to administer the plant.
5. Total cost of raw materials.
6. Total power and water consumption of the entire plant.
7. Current price of benzoic acid in the market.
8. Calculate the estimated profit of the plant annually. (If process is deemed unprofitable, start design of the plant from square one)
9. Transport costs of product and by-products for sale and distribution.
10. Total estimate maintenance cost.
11. Total cost for every worker’s salary.

State a conclusion and state recommendations.

Present entire research design for assessment.

There, this is what I and 4 other group members are supposed to perform and complete within 3 weeks before my final examinations. Since this project took off, it really hit hard on me that Chemical Engineering will and always be not an easy thing to do.

Well, I guess I can use this excuse to control my spending of money and outings that aren’t necessary since I need to save as much as possible for my studies in the UK.