Process Engineering for Non-Process Engineering Professionals

Introduction

Process engineering (also referred to as chemical engineering) is at the heart of much of the chemical, oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. The process (chemical) engineer is interested in the transportation and transformation of solids, liquids, and gases, but must also be familiar with many of the other engineering disciplines including mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation. Of specific importance are separation processes including distillation, heat transfer, hydraulics, and fluid flow, reaction engineering, but also process control and economics. These are the fundamental principles of process engineering. This course considers the areas of process engineering that are most commonly encountered and will provide an understanding of the fundamentals to the non-specialist, and a refresher to practicing engineers, with examples that will be drawn from a range of process industries including oil and gas processing, petrochemicals, chemical manufacturing.

This course identifies the areas of process engineering that are most commonly encountered and are fundamental to its understanding, enhancing process design and operation and enabling fruitful dialogue between the non-specialist and the engineer. Course examples will be drawn from a range of process industries including the oil and gas processing, petrochemicals, and chemical manufacturing industries.

Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Learn to interpret flowsheets and process flow diagrams
• Understand the use of mass and energy balances in process design
• Gain a basic understanding of fluid flow, including pumping and mixing
• Study examples relevant to the oil and gas industry
• Design a heat exchanger and know the advantages/disadvantages of different types
• Understand distillation and separations used in oil and gas processing
• Appreciate the need to control environmental pollution from industry
• Learn how to control processes
• Perform a basic economic analysis of a project
• Understand the safety and environmental responsibility on process engineers

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies, and presentations on best practice. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations.

Who Should Attend?

This course is intended for all practicing or lapsed chemical engineers wanting to refresh their fundamental knowledge, all those working in the chemical, petrochemical, and oil and process industries with a need to understand and discuss fundamental process engineering and technology issues with the process engineering specialists or other professional. These will include geo-scientists, petroleum engineers, production engineers, trainee process engineers, R&D chemists, plant chemists, plant operators, EHS specialists, and economists. Case studies and examples will cover a range of levels, making the course also suitable for non-technical staff.

Course Outline

Day 1: PROCESS ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS

• Introduction
• Basic Concepts to remember
• Flow diagrams
• Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs)
• Process equipment
• Introduction to mass and energy balances
• Batch vs Continuous
• Risk Assessments and Hazard Studies
• Flammability and Electrical Area Classification
• Workshop Session

Day 2: FLUID FLOW

• Pressure and Head
• Bernoulli’s Theorem
• Flow of Liquids
• Reynolds number, the pressure drop in pipes
• Compressible flow
• Introduction to Thermodynamics
• Principle of process relief devices and process design of relief systems
• Two-phase and Multi-phase Flow
• Pumps and Compressors
• Mixing and Mixers

Day 3:  HEAT TRANSFER

• Thermal conductivity
• Conduction and convection
• Insulation
• Heat transfer coefficients
• Heat exchangers, type and sizing
• Chemical reactions
• Reaction kinetics
• Introduction to catalysis and Green Chemistry

Day 4: INTRODUCTION TO SEPARATION PROCESSES

• Distillation basics
• Phase behavior and vapor/liquid equilibria
• Distillation Equipment
• Distillation Troubleshooting
• Gas/Liquid separation
• Absorption and adsorption
• Solid Liquid separation
• Air and water pollution control
• Effluent treatment

Day 5: PROCESS CONTROL & ECONOMICS BASICS

• Measured variables
• Simple feedback control
• SIS and SIL
• Process Utilities
• Air
• Water and cooling water
• Steam
• Electricity and power generation
• Process Economics
• Preliminary economic analysis
• Fixed and variable costs, break even
• Calculating raw materials usage
• Scale up and six tenths rule
• Estimating the cost of process equipment and plants