Process engineering

Last updated

Process engineering is the understanding and application of the fundamental principles and laws of nature that allow humans to transform raw material and energy into products that are useful to society, at an industrial level. [1] By taking advantage of the driving forces of nature such as pressure, temperature and concentration gradients, as well as the law of conservation of mass, process engineers can develop methods to synthesize and purify large quantities of desired chemical products. [1] Process engineering focuses on the design, operation, control, optimization and intensification of chemical, physical, and biological processes. Their work involves analyzing the chemical makeup of various ingredients and determining how they might react with one another. A process engineer can specialize in a number of areas, including the following:

Contents

Overview

Process engineering involves the utilization of multiple tools and methods. Depending on the exact nature of the system, processes need to be simulated and modeled using mathematics and computer science. Processes where phase change and phase equilibria are relevant require analysis using the principles and laws of thermodynamics to quantify changes in energy and efficiency. In contrast, processes that focus on the flow of material and energy as they approach equilibria are best analyzed using the disciplines of fluid mechanics and transport phenomena. Disciplines within the field of mechanics need to be applied in the presence of fluids or porous and dispersed media. Materials engineering principles also need to be applied, when relevant. [1]

Manufacturing in the field of process engineering involves an implementation of process synthesis steps. [2] Regardless of the exact tools required, process engineering is then formatted through the use of a process flow diagram (PFD) where material flow paths, storage equipment (such as tanks and silos), transformations (such as distillation columns, receiver/head tanks, mixing, separations, pumping, etc.) and flowrates are specified, as well as a list of all pipes and conveyors and their contents, material properties such as density, viscosity, particle-size distribution, flowrates, pressures, temperatures, and materials of construction for the piping and unit operations. [1]

The process flow diagram is then used to develop a piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) which graphically displays the actual process occurring. P&ID are meant to be more complex and specific than a PFD. [3] They represent a less muddled approach to the design. The P&ID is then used as a basis of design for developing the "system operation guide" or "functional design specification" which outlines the operation of the process. [4] It guides the process through operation of machinery, safety in design, programming and effective communication between engineers. [5]

From the P&ID, a proposed layout (general arrangement) of the process can be shown from an overhead view (plot plan) and a side view (elevation), and other engineering disciplines are involved such as civil engineers for site work (earth moving), foundation design, concrete slab design work, structural steel to support the equipment, etc. All previous work is directed toward defining the scope of the project, then developing a cost estimate to get the design installed, and a schedule to communicate the timing needs for engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation, commissioning, startup, and ongoing production of the process.

Depending on needed accuracy of the cost estimate and schedule that is required, several iterations of designs are generally provided to customers or stakeholders who feed back their requirements. The process engineer incorporates these additional instructions (scope revisions) into the overall design and additional cost estimates, and schedules are developed for funding approval. Following funding approval, the project is executed via project management. [6]

Principal areas of focus in process engineering

Process engineering activities can be divided into the following disciplines: [7]

History of process engineering

Various chemical techniques have been used in industrial processes since time immemorial. However, it wasn't until the advent of thermodynamics and the law of conservation of mass in the 1780s that process engineering was properly developed and implemented as its own discipline. The set of knowledge that is now known as process engineering was then forged out of trial and error throughout the industrial revolution. [1]

The term process, as it relates to industry and production, dates back to the 18th century. During this time period, demands for various products began to drastically increase, and process engineers were required to optimize the process in which these products were created. [1]

By 1980, the concept of process engineering emerged from the fact that chemical engineering techniques and practices were being used in a variety of industries. By this time, process engineering had been defined as "the set of knowledge necessary to design, analyze, develop, construct, and operate, in an optimal way, the processes in which the material changes". [1] By the end of the 20th century, process engineering had expanded from chemical engineering-based technologies to other applications, including metallurgical engineering, agricultural engineering, and product engineering.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemical engineering</span> Engineering discipline focused on the operation and design of chemical plants

Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of the operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials into useful products. Chemical engineering uses principles of chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, and economics to efficiently use, produce, design, transport and transform energy and materials. The work of chemical engineers can range from the utilization of nanotechnology and nanomaterials in the laboratory to large-scale industrial processes that convert chemicals, raw materials, living cells, microorganisms, and energy into useful forms and products. Chemical engineers are involved in many aspects of plant design and operation, including safety and hazard assessments, process design and analysis, modeling, control engineering, chemical reaction engineering, nuclear engineering, biological engineering, construction specification, and operating instructions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Systems engineering</span> Interdisciplinary field of engineering

Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering and engineering management that focuses on how to design, integrate, and manage complex systems over their life cycles. At its core, systems engineering utilizes systems thinking principles to organize this body of knowledge. The individual outcome of such efforts, an engineered system, can be defined as a combination of components that work in synergy to collectively perform a useful function.

A Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE), or Bachelor of Science and Engineering is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a college graduate majoring in an engineering discipline at a higher education institution.

Industrial process control (IPC) or simply process control is a system used in modern manufacturing which uses the principles of control theory and physical industrial control systems to monitor, control and optimize continuous industrial production processes using control algorithms. This ensures that the industrial machines run smoothly and safely in factories and efficiently use energy to transform raw materials into high-quality finished products with reliable consistency while reducing energy waste and economic costs, something which could not be achieved purely by human manual control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemical plant</span> Industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals

A chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals, usually on a large scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical or biological transformation and or separation of materials. Chemical plants use specialized equipment, units, and technology in the manufacturing process. Other kinds of plants, such as polymer, pharmaceutical, food, and some beverage production facilities, power plants, oil refineries or other refineries, natural gas processing and biochemical plants, water and wastewater treatment, and pollution control equipment use many technologies that have similarities to chemical plant technology such as fluid systems and chemical reactor systems. Some would consider an oil refinery or a pharmaceutical or polymer manufacturer to be effectively a chemical plant.

A Piping and Instrumentation Diagram is a detailed diagram in the process industry which shows process equipment together with the instrumentation and control devices. It is also called as mechanical flow diagram (MFD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilot plant</span>

A pilot plant is a pre-commercial production system that employs new production technology and/or produces small volumes of new technology-based products, mainly for the purpose of learning about the new technology. The knowledge obtained is then used for design of full-scale production systems and commercial products, as well as for identification of further research objectives and support of investment decisions. Other (non-technical) purposes include gaining public support for new technologies and questioning government regulations. Pilot plant is a relative term in the sense that pilot plants are typically smaller than full-scale production plants, but are built in a range of sizes. Also, as pilot plants are intended for learning, they typically are more flexible, possibly at the expense of economy. Some pilot plants are built in laboratories using stock lab equipment, while others require substantial engineering efforts, cost millions of dollars, and are custom-assembled and fabricated from process equipment, instrumentation and piping. They can also be used to train personnel for a full-scale plant. Pilot plants tend to be smaller compared to demonstration plants.

In chemical engineering, process design is the choice and sequencing of units for desired physical and/or chemical transformation of materials. Process design is central to chemical engineering, and it can be considered to be the summit of that field, bringing together all of the field's components.

A process flow diagram (PFD) is a diagram commonly used in chemical and process engineering to indicate the general flow of plant processes and equipment. The PFD displays the relationship between major equipment of a plant facility and does not show minor details such as piping details and designations. Another commonly used term for a PFD is processflowsheet. It is the key document in process design.

The Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE) is an association in the United States. ATMAE sets standards for academic program accreditation, personal certification and professional development for educators and industry professionals involved in integrating technology, leadership and design.

Industrial technology is the use of engineering and manufacturing technology to make production faster, simpler, and more efficient. The industrial technology field employs creative and technically proficient individuals who can help a company achieve efficient and profitable productivity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manufacturing engineering</span> Branch of engineering

Manufacturing engineering or production engineering is a branch of professional engineering that shares many common concepts and ideas with other fields of engineering such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, and industrial engineering. Manufacturing engineering requires the ability to plan the practices of manufacturing; to research and to develop tools, processes, machines, and equipment; and to integrate the facilities and systems for producing quality products with the optimum expenditure of capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Industrial engineering</span> Branch of engineering which deals with the optimization of complex processes or systems

Industrial engineering is an engineering profession that is concerned with the optimization of complex processes, systems, or organizations by developing, improving and implementing integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information and equipment. Industrial engineering is central to manufacturing operations.

Front-End Engineering (FEE), or Front-End Engineering Design (FEED), is an engineering design approach used to control project expenses and thoroughly plan a project before a fix bid quote is submitted. It may also be referred to as Pre-project planning (PPP), front-end loading (FEL), feasibility analysis, or early project planning.

Technical Integrity Engineering, also known as Asset Integrity, involves various engineering disciplines that focus on ensuring a product, process, or system meets its intended requirements when used. Applying these disciplines to reduce costs, maintain schedules, manage technical risks, and handle legal concerns during a project's entire life cycle ensures operational safety and efficiency in e.g., Oil and Gas, Power Generation, and Nuclear Power industries.

MPDS, the MEDUSA Plant Design System, is a suite of plant engineering applications for 2D/3D layout, design, and modeling of process plants, factories, or installations. The system's history is closely tied to the very beginnings of mainstream CAD and the research culture fostered by Cambridge University and the UK government including the resulting "Cambridge Phenomenon " MPDS was initially developed for 3D plant design and layout and piping design. Today, the software includes modules for 2D/3D factory layout, process, instrumentation diagrams (P&ID), mechanical handling systems design, steel design, ducting (HVAC) design, electrical design, and hangers and supports Design. The latest version, MPDS4 5.2.1, was released for Microsoft Windows and Sun Solaris in February 2014.

Industrial and production engineering (IPE) is an interdisciplinary engineering discipline that includes manufacturing technology, engineering sciences, management science, and optimization of complex processes, systems, or organizations. It is concerned with the understanding and application of engineering procedures in manufacturing processes and production methods. Industrial engineering dates back all the way to the industrial revolution, initiated in 1700s by Sir Adam Smith, Henry Ford, Eli Whitney, Frank Gilbreth and Lilian Gilbreth, Henry Gantt, F.W. Taylor, etc. After the 1970s, industrial and production engineering developed worldwide and started to widely use automation and robotics. Industrial and production engineering includes three areas: Mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, and management science.

The GEKKO Python package solves large-scale mixed-integer and differential algebraic equations with nonlinear programming solvers. Modes of operation include machine learning, data reconciliation, real-time optimization, dynamic simulation, and nonlinear model predictive control. In addition, the package solves Linear programming (LP), Quadratic programming (QP), Quadratically constrained quadratic program (QCQP), Nonlinear programming (NLP), Mixed integer programming (MIP), and Mixed integer linear programming (MILP). GEKKO is available in Python and installed with pip from PyPI of the Python Software Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fengqi You</span> Professor and computer scientist

Fengqi You is a professor and holds the Roxanne E. and Michael J. Zak Chair at Cornell University in the United States. His research focuses on systems engineering and data science. According to Google Scholar, his h-index is 82.

Chance Constrained Programming (CCP) is a mathematical optimization approach used to handle problems under uncertainty. It was first introduced by Charnes and Cooper in 1959 and further developed by Miller and Wagner in 1965. CCP is widely used in various fields, including finance, engineering, and operations research, to optimize decision-making processes where certain constraints need to be satisfied with a specified probability.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dal Pont, Jean-Pierre, ed. (2012). Process engineering and industrial management. London: ISTE. ISBN   978-1-118-56213-0. OCLC   830512387.
  2. ↑ Mody, David (2011). "An Overview of Chemical Process Design Engineering". Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association. doi: 10.24908/pceea.v0i0.3824 . S2CID   109260579.
  3. ↑ "Learn How to Read P&ID Drawings - A Complete Guide". hardhatengineer.com. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "Functional Design Specification". Historian on the Warpath. 2 April 2006. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  5. ↑ Barkel, Barry M. "Piping and Instrument Diagrams" (PDF). AICHE. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  6. ↑ Heisig, Peter; Clarkson, John; Vajna, S., eds. (2010). Modelling and management of engineering processes. London: Springer. ISBN   978-1-84996-199-8. OCLC   637120594.
  7. ↑ Grossmann; Westerberg. "Research Challenges in Process Systems Engineering" (PDF). Carnegie Mellon University. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  8. ↑ Kershenbaum, L.S. (2006). "Process Control". A-to-Z Guide to Thermodynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer, and Fluids Engineering. Thermopedia. doi:10.1615/AtoZ.p.process_control. ISBN   0-8493-9356-6 . Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  9. ↑ Sahinidis, N.V (2019). "Mixed-integer nonlinear programming 2018". Optimization and Engineering. 20 (2): 301–306. doi: 10.1007/s11081-019-09438-1 .
  10. ↑ Sahinidis, Nikolaos V. (2004). "Optimization under uncertainty: State-of-the-art and opportunities". Computers & Chemical Engineering. 28 (6–7): 971–983. doi:10.1016/j.compchemeng.2003.09.017.
  11. ↑ Ning, Chao; You, Fengqi (2019). "Optimization under uncertainty in the era of big data and deep learning: When machine learning meets mathematical programming". Computers & Chemical Engineering. 125: 434–448. arXiv: 1904.01934 . doi:10.1016/j.compchemeng.2019.03.034. S2CID   96440317.
  12. ↑ "Building a Better Delivery System: A New Engineering/Health Care Partnership". National Center for Biotechnology Information. 2005. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  13. 1 2 Couper, James R. (2003). Process engineering economics. New York: Marcel Dekker. ISBN   0-8247-5637-1. OCLC   53905871.
  14. ↑ "Topical Collection: Process Data Analytics" . Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  15. ↑ Shang, Chao; You, Fengqi (2019). "Data Analytics and Machine Learning for Smart Process Manufacturing: Recent Advances and Perspectives in the Big Data Era". Engineering. 5 (6): 1010–1016. Bibcode:2019Engin...5.1010S. doi: 10.1016/j.eng.2019.01.019 .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.