This is our first post. We were tasked in our Senior Design 1 class with the Design of a New 100,000-Metric-Tons-per-Year Cumene Production Facility.
Background
In the opinion of our marketing research department, the demand for phenolderived
plasticizers is on the rise. Therefore, we are investigating the possibility
of a new, grassroots phenol plant to handle the anticipated increase. Because phenol
is made from cumene, a grassroots cumene plant would also be necessary.
Given your experience in troubleshooting our existing cumene process, we would
like you to study the economics of a new cumene plant. Specifically, we would
like a complete preliminary design of a grassroots, 100,000 metric ton/yr cumene
process using benzene and propylene.
We have a new, proprietary catalyst, and the kinetics are included in Table
C.17. We would also like you to consider the economics of our continuing to use
propylene with 5% propane impurity at $0.095/lb versus purer propylene feed.
In preparing this preliminary design, you should assume that all steam made can
be used elsewhere in the plant with the appropriate economic credit, that condensed
steam can be returned as boiler feed water for the appropriate credit, and
that fuel gas can be burned for credit at its LHV (lower heating value).
ASSIGNMENT
Your assignment is to provide the following:
1. An optimized preliminary design of a plant to make cumene from benzene
and propylene using the new catalyst.
2. An economic evaluation of your optimized process, using the following information:
• After-tax internal hurdle rate = 9% p.a.
• Depreciation = MACRS (6 year schedule; see Chapter 9)
• Marginal taxation rate = 35%
• Construction period = 2 years
• Project plant life = 10 years after start-up
Specifically, you are to prepare the following by . . . (four weeks from now)
1. A written report detailing your design and profitability evaluation of the
new process.
2. A clear, complete, labeled process flow diagram of your optimized process
including all equipment and the location of all major control loops.
3. A clear stream flow table including T, P, total flowrate in kg/hr and
kmol/hr, component flowrate in kmol/hr, and phase for each process
stream.
4. A list of new equipment to be purchased, including size, cost, and materials
of construction.
5. An evaluation of the annual operating cost for the plant.
6. An analysis of the after-tax NPV (10 years, 9%), and the discounted cash
flow rate of return on investment (DCFROR) for your recommended
process.
7. A legible, organized set of calculations justifying your recommendations,
including any assumptions made.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the first time as a Senior in Chemical Engineering at FSU I've seen a problem in such depth. To be frank...this has got me a little worried that all my years as an engineering in training I'd have the necessary skills to complete this project satisfactorily. My team has a little over 2 weeks to complete this project and as it stands right now we barely know where to begin.
~Mia B.
~RSD
~Jessica B.
