Chemical Engineering Group Design Project

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Design a component, system or process using appropriate design techniques and be able to describe key elements of those processes
• Evaluate critically your strategy, processes and output
• Gather and synthesise data, contextualise your results, recommend further work, or how work could have been improved
• Apply appropriate quantitative science and engineering tools to the analysis of unfamiliar problems
• Research information related to a design solution and discuss within the group
• Coordinate a creative and innovative design solution with the effective use of appropriate design methodologies
• Locate, read, understand and review research papers and be able to describe different research and methodological approaches across disciplines
• Generate ideas related to designing new or appropriate solutions, systems, components or processes
• Describe any commercial risks [as appropriate]
• Assess the social, economic, political, legislative, environmental, cultural, ethical, technical, environmental and commercial aspects of the problem to be solved in order to develop a comprehensive project brief

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Communicate both orally and in writing
• Record discussions at supervisory and peer based meetings in such a way that they can be effectively referred to in the future
• Prioritise competing demands
• Reflect on group processes and own role in team work
• Monitor the progress of your design and the project outcomes
• Use (if appropriate) computer based engineering tools and modelling to solve problems
• Manage your time
• Locate, read, understand and review research papers
• Demonstrate independence as a learner
• Plan and meet your own deadlines
• Establish a project plan that is efficient and recognises group strengths and the time frame

Key milestones are:

Initial meeting with supervisor(s)

Submission of risk assessments

Submission of extracts from your individual Design Journal at regular intervals

Interim Review

Submission of final design outputs: group report, group presentation, group video, individual Design Journal

Oral presentation.

Teaching and learning methods

This Design module is group of 5/6 students working combatively and individually to produce reports regarding the design of a chemical industrial relevant process delivering several formative and summative oral presentations adhering to professional standard.

The project is entirely student lead, and are open ended with many possible solutions. The students are given a very high level brief which, over the course of the project, they close down to a single concept and final design through informed decision taking facilitated by their own literature research and appropriate questions.

The main element will be regular meetings, preferably weekly but could be less often, as agreed by all parties between the project supervisors and the students. Initially, these meetings will be used to define the details of the projects and then to review the progress of the group.

Self-directed study: given the size of the projects, you may be responsible for several sub-tasks. This could include consulting relevant textbooks and researching papers, consulting members of academic staff for technical support, writing computer programs, and liaising with technicians, external companies or ‘clients’. As part of this process you should maintain an individual design journal, where you record and work on ideas, summarise information and results, outline future directions, etc., using text and sketches or other illustrations as appropriate. The journal could be kept either in the form of a notebook or electronically.) Reporting: During regular meetings with the supervisors, the students will present their current work. At regular intervals, the students will submit Design Journal Entries summarising their work since the submission of the previous Entry. These Entries will form the basis of the next supervisory meeting. At the end of the first term a presentation describing the project plan and progress of the group will be delivered by each group to the supervisors, project coordinator or external industry sponsor. At the end of the year in May each group will submit a report, a video and a final presentation. Each student will also submit an individual Design Journal Summary, consisting of a summary of his/her contribution to the project with reference to the Design Journal Entries submitted in the course of the year. Each group will deliver their final presentation in early June, during a dedicated event.

Group-led work: you will have to synthesise and report your work to the other group members to contribute to the discussions and decision making within the group. Team work will also include organising the project, distributing the tasks between the students and coordinating these tasks.

An initial meeting with the students and the project coordinator will help to clarify the objectives and methods of assessment of the projects. The students are supported by masterclasses and seminars, and a site visit (if possible).

The group and individual reports must cover the following

Topic 1: Research pre-existing and alternative processes and study any technology transfer information required to develop the specified process

Topic 2: Develop a conceptual or preliminary process design to use the specified raw materials to produce the specified product

Topic 3: Prepare a Block Flow Diagram (BFD)

Topic 4: Develop a process flowsheets (PFD) with mass & energy balances

Topic 5: Prepare a description of the plant & process with the basic layout drawing

Topic 6: Prepare a basic equipment list, motor list & performance data sheets

Topic 7: Determine utility consumption & power requirements

Topic 8: Prepare preliminary capital & running cost estimates and undertake an economic assessment of the process taking in to account Nature of projects, factors for success, project development, Capital cost estimation, Lang factors, Recurrent and operating costs, Discounting, DCF & NPV, criteria for comparative profitability, Project profitability profiles

Sustainability concepts, implications for process design

Topic 9: Prepare a process and instrument diagram (P&ID) for a section of plant and undertake a HAZOP. Revise the P&ID in line with the HAZOP findings. Covering Process plant control, Statutory safety requirements in design, Safety in process plant operation , Area classification/plant layout, Pressure Hazards, reaction hazards, reaction runaway, Fires/explosions

Topic 10: Consider start-up and shut-down procedures, including emergency shut-down

Topic 11: Undertake an environmental and sustainability assessment with reference to

local conditions. , Assessment of sustainability, IChemE sustainability metrics, Application of IChemE sustainability metrics to process design, generation of design alternatives, GHG emissions, impact of carbon cost (EU Emission Trading Scheme), implication and evaluation of design changes, undertake life cycle assessment

Topic 12: Prepare a comprehensive report covering all the above tasks, including documentation of the final design

The Design Project based on application of prior learning, as a culmination of the students' learning requireing a holistic approach to chemical engineering. It is necessary to pass the individual components of this module to fulfil the taught design requirement of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, for further development and registration. The module desing, and the learning to be achieved is at Level M.

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

Potential resources. The projects within this module are diverse and are supported by a wide range of potential resources, including Design Studios and workshops, time allocated within specialist laboratories and testing facilities, and specialist software. Each project group is allocated a budget which can be spent to support the project (e.g. materials for manufacture, travel), as well as time within the chemistry lab or/and Engineering, Design and Manufacturing Centre (EDMC) for the production of professionally manufactured components. Many projects have additional sponsorship from industry. You will be given a budget that you must manage to deliver your design to cost. Each project qualifies for funding at a level determined by the core project funding and the number of students in each group. Funds will cover the costs of travel expenses, materials and hospitality for project sponsors. This budget per GDP is, for 2018/19, £300 plus £80 per student. Each group should appoint a treasurer who is responsible for ensuring that the budget is properly managed. Teams who exceed their budget will be expected to settle the difference personally no additional Faculty funding will be available, except in extreme and unavoidable circumstances.

Assessment strategy

There is no referral option for this core module. Students failing this GDP will be required to take an internal repeat year.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal