Industrial Processes and Scale-Up

The course will be devoted to a specific introduction of the scaling-up methodology for chemical processes from a chemical and an engineering point of view. Both chemical reactions and separation processes will be taken into account. More in detail, the following topics will be explained and discussed:

1) Scaling up theory
- Introduction to software simulation
- Scale up and numbering up
- 0.6 rule and TRL of a technology
- Scaling up methodology
- Chemical plant project basis considerations
- Process Flow Diagram (PFD) hierarchical approach
- The rules of thumb for industrial chemistry
- Mathematical, physical, chemical models
- Equipment and Operation in pilot plants
- Pilot plant and cold flow models (mock up): steam cracking industrial case study
- Experimental techniques in scale up
- Carbon Capture Utilization Storage: basic principles and analysis of the scale up and TRL of these new processes
- Hazop analysis for the evalutation of the risks connected with scale up

2) Scale up theory development for separation columns and reactors
2.1 Water-Acetic Acid distillation column:
- Phase equilibria discussion and interpretation
- Evaluation and optimization of the cost of the column
2.2 Acetic acid- methanol esterification reactor
- Equilibrium reactors (equilibrium, conversion, Gibbs reactor)
- Kinetic models for the reaction and parameters regression
- Simulation of Batch and PFR for this system

3) Simulation science
- Use of a commercial software for static simulation PRO II
- Introduction of a commercial software for dynamic simulation: DYNSIM
- Exercises on LVE, distillation columns and chemical reactors (for items 2.1 and 2.2)
- Virtual Crude Distillation Unit excercises