Introduction_to_Process_Intensification_2012.pdf

1
MSc Course on Process Intensification
INTRODUCTION TO PROCESS
INTENSIFICATION:
PHILOSOPHY AND BASIC PRINCIPLES
Giorgos Stefanidis / Andrzej
Stankiewicz

2
T
ertia
ry
Quaternary
Neogene
Paleogene
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Carboniferous
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
Precambrian
Cenozoic
Mesozoic
Paleozoic
4500
600
500
400
300
200
100
NOW
SOURCES OF OIL:
FORAMINIFERA

3
THE OMNIPRESENT CHEMISTRY:
FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE …AND BEYOND!

4
Consumption of chemical products is rapidly
increasing
• new types of chemical and biochemical products
brought to the market
• new markets open in different parts of the world
for already existing products
Main reasons
• rapid growth in world’s population
• growth in consumers’ wealth
• growth in consumers’ needs

5
OIL
PRODUCTION
FORECAST
(U.S. Energy Information Administration)
GENERATION << CONSUMPTION
INPUT ≈ 0 OUTPUT ≈ 0
1 generation ahead 3 generations ahead
12 EIA World Conventional Oil Production Scenarios
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1900 1925 1950 1975 2000 2025 2050 2075 2100 2125
Billion
Barrels
per
Year
History
Mean
Low (95 %)
High (5 %)
3 %
Growth
1 %
Growth
Peak Range 46 yrs or 91 yrs
2021 2067
USGS Estimates of Ultimate Recovery
Ultimate Recovery
Probability BBls
-------------------- ---------
Low (95 %) 2,248
Mean (expected value) 3,003
High (5 %) 3,896
2 %
Growth
0 %
Growth
Decline
R/P = 10
2112
Note: U.S. volumes were added to the USGS foreign volumes to obtain world totals.
900 Billion Bbls
Moves Peak 10
Years
From 2037 - 2047
(J. A. Moulijn)

6
THE NON-SUSTAINABLE MANKIND
o WE WILL ESSENTIALLY USE UP ALL THE WORLD’S OIL
RESOURCES BY 2050 (S. A. Nelson)
o WE WILL ESSENTIALLY USE UP ALL THE WORLD’S GAS
RESOURCES BY 2070 (P.-R. Baquis)
o WE WILL ESSENTIALLY USE UP ALL THE WORLD’S COAL
RESOURCES BY 2500 (S. A. Nelson)
SOME FORECASTS:

7
Steam Cracker - Cathedral of the Chemical Industries of 20th Century

8
How to solve the resources problem?
OPTION 1:
o start exploitation of extraterrestrial resources
- still in the S-F stage and may remain so
OPTION 2:
o develop technically and economically feasible
processes based on the renewable feedstocks
(“green”, biomass-based processes)

9
Some open questions to OPTION 2:
• do we have enough arable land to feed mankind AND to
provide energy AND to supply raw materials
simultaneously?
• what will we do with by-products, such as CO2?
• how will this “new farming” influence environment?
• what will be repercussions of genetic manipulations?
• when will this all be feasible?
• what about inorganic chemical products?

10
OPTION 3:
o develop innovative methods and technologies that
would DRASTICALLY increase the EFFICIENCY of
chemical and biochemical processes
• FACTOR 4 (Von Weizsacker, 1998)
• FACTOR 10 (Schmidt-Bleek, 1993)
• FACTOR 20? (AllChemE – Alliance for Chemical
Sciences and Technologies in Europe, 2001)

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G. Agricola, De Re Metallica, 1556
Chemical Process Industry, 2012
• THIS IS NOT THE WAY
TO BOOST EFFICIENCY
• PROCESS INNOVATION
IS CLEARLY NEEDED

12
Innovation = Unproven Solutions
(“Plant manager never wants to be the first”)

13
Process industry is facing numerous challenges
Source: Roland Berger

14
Natural
Resources
Goods and
Services
Pollution, Waste
and Environmental
Disturbances
Only 25 wt% of
what goes into
the pipe comes
out as goods
and services
(Source: World Resource Institute)
ISSUES OF CONCERN FOR CHEMICAL INDUSTRY:
MATERIAL EFFICIENCY OF MANUFACTURING

15
Industry Sector Product tonnage Tons by-product/ton product
Oil refining 106
– 108
< 0.1
Bulk chemicals 104
– 106
1 - 5
Fine chemicals 102
– 104
5 – 50+
Pharmaceuticals 10 – 103
25 – 100+
(R. Sheldon, 1992)
ISSUES OF CONCERN FOR CHEMICAL INDUSTRY: ENVIRONMENT

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Laws and Regulations

17
Cost
2012
Our technology X
Legislative
and
regulatory
constrains
> 2020
Is our technology X able to
sustain the compliance with
future legislative and
regulatory constrains?
Identified possible improvements versus expected
developments in legislation
Laws and regulations

18
ISSUES OF CONCERN FOR CHEMICAL INDUSTRY: SAFETY
Union Carbide, Bhopal,
December 3, 1984
BASF, Oppau/Ludwigshafen,
September 21, 1921
AZF, Toulouse,
September 21, 2001
TERRORISM – THE
PLAGUE OF THE
21ST CENTURY:
IS CHEMICAL
INDUSTRY SAFE
ENOUGH?

19
AZF, Toulouse,
September 21, 2001
License to Operate

20
ISSUES OF CONCERN FOR CHEMICAL INDUSTRY: PUBLIC IMAGE
ONLY TOBACCO
AND NUCLEAR
SECTORS HAVE
WORSE PUBLIC
IMAGE

21
• sooner or later a critical limit will be reached
• competitors will follow
• the only way to go beyond that limit and gain
significant long-term advantage over the competitors
is via innovative technological development
TIME
C
OSTS
Operational excellence
Breakthrough in technology
ISSUES OF CONCERN FOR EUROPEAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY: COST
SQUEEZING THE COSTS

22
Process Intensification
One of PI definitions
A set of often radically innovative
principles (“paradigm shift”) in process
and equipment design, which can bring
significant (more than factor 2) benefits
in terms of process and chain efficiency,
capital and operating expenses, quality,
wastes, process safety, etc.
(European Roadmap of Process Intensification, 2007)

23
PI - fundamental benefits
• Energy savings (20 – 80%)
• CapEx and OpEx savings (20 –
80%)
• Selectivity and yield increase (up to
>10 times)
• Significant process safety increase
(reactor volume & inventory of
chemicals decreased 10-1000 times
+ better reaction control)
(2006 study by SenterNovem, Dutch Energy
and Environmental Agency)
ENERGY
MATERIALS
RISK AND
HAZARD
COST
WASTE
REDUCING
NUISANCES
(ODOUR, NOISE,
ETC.)

24
Lower costs due to PI
 land costs (much higher production capacity and/or
number of products (plants) per unit of manufacturing
area);
 other investment costs (cheaper, compact
equipment, reduced piping etc.);
 costs of raw materials (higher yields/selectivities);
 costs of utilities (energy in particular);
 costs of waste-stream processing (less waste in
general).

25
Lower costs due to PI

26
Shorter time to the market = lower cost
Possible solution: a continuous lab-scale plant as
a commercial-scale production unit
Do not forget: in continuous operation 1 ml/s = 30 t/year!
Advantages:
 FDA approval procedures of drug
technology take place only once:
the lab-scale is the commercial-
scale.
 Process development takes place
only once, with no scale-up via a
pilot plant to the industrial scale.
Example: How to shorten time to the market
in pharmaceutical technologies?
Result:
 Start of the commercial
production speeded up, in
some cases even by
several years.
 Time to the market
shortened - patent time
better utilized.

27
Union Carbide, Bhopal,
December 3, 1984
LESSON LEARNED:
Process could have
been intensified to
contain a total
inventory of less than
10 kg of MIC, instead
of 41 tons!
Intensified
means:
SAFER!
PI AND SAFETY

28
SHORT HISTORY OF PI

29
Origins of Process Intensification
FROM NASA’s
SPACE PROGRAM
TO INNOVATIVE
CHEMICAL PLANTS

30
• Term “Process Intensification” appeared in early
1960’s
• Mostly East-European publications on METALLURGY
• “Process Intensification” = “Process Improvement”
• Comes to chemical engineering literature in 1970’s
(Leszczynski, 1973, Romankov, 1977, Kleemann and Hartmann, 1978)
• still East-European domain
• still “Process Intensification” = “Process Improvement”
History of process intensification

31
• 1983 - Colin Ramshaw from ICI New Science Group
describes studies on application of centrifugal fields
(so-called “HiGee”) in distillation processes
• PI = “devising exceedingly compact plant which reduces both the
“main plant item” and the installations costs”
• 1983 - Annual Research Meeting of IChemE entitled
Process Intensification held at UMIST, Manchester
• first paper presented at that meeting concerned
PROCESSING OF GOLD ORE using intensive methods
• PI = “order-of-magnitude reductions in process plant and
equipment” (Heggs)

32
• 1980’s and early 1990’s – mainly British discipline
• primarily focused on four areas: the use of centrifugal forces,
compact heat transfer, intensive mixing and combined technologies
• 1995 - 1st Conference on Process Intensification
• Process Intensification Network – PIN-UK
• late 1990’s – growing interest and activities in different
parts of the world
• research centers in US (PNNL, MIT), France (Greth CEN),
Germany (IMM), UK (BHR), China (HighGravitec) and many
more…
• industry enters the scene – first applications at Eastman, Dow,
DSM, Sulzer and many more…

33
• PI placed clearly in
sustainability context
• First university courses,
books, international
conferences, journal
• National networks in UK,
NL and DE
• Numerous industrial
initiatives
• EFCE establishes of the
Working Party on Process
Intensification
• PI in FP7
• European Roadmap for PI
Awareness of the importance of PI has grown
strongly in last 10 years
The 3rd European Process
Intensification Conference
Manchester Conference Centre, UK

34
POSITION OF PI

35
molecules
ps
ns
ms
s
min
h
day
week
month
time
scale
1 pm 1 nm 1µm 1mm 1 m 1 km length scale
molecular
clusters
particles,
thin films
single and multi-
phase systems
process units
plants
site
enterprise
Chemical scales
small
large
After W. Marquardt (2000)
PI versus Process Systems Engineering

36

37
Process Intensification versus Process Systems
Engineering and Process Optimization
Process Optimization Process Systems Engineering
Interdisciplinarity
Performance improvement of
existing concepts
Model, numerical method
Weak (interface with applied
mathematics)
Multi-scale integration of
existing and new concepts
Model, software
Modest (mostly applied
mathematics and informatics,
chemistry)
Development of new concepts
of process steps and
equipment
Experiment, phenomenon,
interphase
Strong (chemistry & catalysis,
applied physics, mechanical
engineering, materials science,
electronics, etc.)
Focus
Aim

38
P
I
ROCESS
NTENSIFICATION
EQUIPMENT
METHODS
REACTORS
EQUIPMENT FOR
NON-REACTIVE
OPERATIONS
MULTIFUNCTIONAL
REACTORS
HYBRID
SEPARATIONS
ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY SOURCES
OTHER
METHODS
- spinning disk reactor
- static mixer reactor
- monolithic reactor
- microreactor
- static mixer
- compact heat exchanger
- rotating packed bed
- centrifugal adsorber
- heat-integrated reactors
- reactive separations
- reactive comminution
- reactive extrusion
- fuel cells
- membrane absorption
- membrane distillation
- adsorptive distillation
- supercritical fluids
- dynamic (periodic)
reactor operation
- centrifugal fields
- ultrasounds
- solar energy
- microwaves
- electric fields
- plasma technology
EXAMPLES:
PI as a technology toolbox

39
Different stages of technical development
Conventional
Performance
of
technology
Embryonic Growth Mature Aging
Natural limit of technology
Loop
reactor
Centrifugal
extractor
Stirred
vessel
Mixer
settler
Shell&tube
Hex
Filter
Centrifuge
One
stage
dest
Conical
dryer
Micro
distillation
Static
mixer
Flash
dryer
Micro
extraction
Micro
reactor
Micro
Hex
Micro
wave
dryer
Micro
mixer
RPB
SDR
(R. Reintjens)
PI technologies on maturity S-curve

40
FUNDAMENTALS OF
PROCESS INTENSIFICATION

41
STRUCTURE
(spatial
domain)
ENERGY
(thermodynamic
domain)
SYNERGY
(functional
domain)
TIME
(temporal
domain)
APPROACHES
SCALES
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
maximizing the
effectiveness of
intra- and
intermolecular
events
giving each molecule
the same processing
experience
optimizing the driving
forces and maximizing
the specific surface
areas to which these
forces apply
maximizing
synergistic effects
from partial
processes
10-16
10-16
10-14
10-10
10--4
10--6
10-2
10-4
100
10-2
102
100
104
102
s
m
Molec ula r
proc es ses
Catalyst/reaction processes, particles,
thin films
Processing units
Processing
plant/site
Hydrodynamics and
transport processes,
single- and multiphase systems
Fundamentals of Process Intensification
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
APPROACHES
SCALES
maximizing the
effectiveness of
intra- and
intermolecular
events

42
What’s wrong with current reactors?
- Limited control upon molecules
effective
collision
Energizing molecules via conductive
heating, or turning snooker into pinball
• non-selective
• amplifies random motions and collisions
• produces temperature gradients
ineffective
collision

43
A snooker game with molecules: how to hit the right one,
with right energy, at right orientation?
(www.drmackay.org)
CHALLENGE:
control of the geometry
of approach and mutual
orientation of
molecules at the
moment of collision
CHALLENGE:
the most efficient way of
supplying energy
(amount, form, position
and moment ) to let
reactants molecules
selectively overcome
activation energy barrier

44
…or is our thinking about
reactions and reactors not
limited by the traditional,
macroscopic temperature-
based approach to reaction
kinetics?
T
R
Ea
e
k
k 

 0
Where are the limits of reaction rate?
CATALYST
HEATING
?
(Simpson et al. 1996; Kandel & Zare, 1998; Hoffman, 2000)
Laser-induced vibration: C-H bond
stretching, making the target
molecule “bigger” for collisions +
introducing stripping collisions:
reaction rate increase >100x

45
Methods for controlling molecular
alignment and orientation
Orientation control via nano-
structural confinement
Alignment and orientation
control via external fields
Imprinted catalysts
Shape-selective catalysts
Liquid crystals
Molecular reactors (cyclodextrins)
Stark’s effect methods (electric field)
Molecular beam
Non-resonant laser
Brute force methods
Magnetic
Electric
Femtosecond
Adiabatic
Control of spatial orientation of molecules and geometry
of collisions
• Molecules get immobilized
• Structures confining the access
• “Take it or leave it”
• Molecules move

46
(A)- Orientation of a molecular beam of carbonyl sulphide molecules moving along the z-axis by a
hexapole electric field (left) followed by their dissociation by a laser beam acting along the x-axis (from
Rakitzis, et al, 2004); (B) - Probability plot of the molecular orientation of the OCS molecule; dotted
arrows are proportional to the orientation probability of the OCS dipole moment along each direction.
(A)
(B)
of collisions

47
Multi-beam hexapole
honeycomb device for orienting
molecules in static electric field
(Shimizu, 2003)
of collisions
A “multitubular reactor” of the future?

48
STRUCTURE
(spatial
domain)
ENERGY
(thermodynamic
domain)
SYNERGY
(functional
domain)
TIME
(temporal
domain)
APPROACHES
SCALES
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
maximizing the
effectiveness of
intra- and
intermolecular
events
the same processing
experience
forces apply
maximizing
synergistic effects
from partial
processes
10-16
10-16
10-14
10-10
10--4
10--6
10-2
10-4
100
10-2
102
100
104
102
s
m
Molec ula r
proc es ses
thin films
Processing units
Processing
plant/site
Hydrodynamics and
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
APPROACHES
SCALES
the same processing
experience

49
What’s wrong with current reactors?
- Limited control upon molecules
. Illustration of the energy distribution problem in molecules, in relation to the yield of simple parallel reactions. A
stirred-tank reactor with conductive heating generates energy distribution due to temperature gradients, which
translate to both material and energy losses.
P
S
P*
P
W
W*
N Reaction coordinate
Energy
A
B
C
D
N
Temperature
Topt
W
S
Creation of waste
product W, leads
to losses of P
Ineffective
collisions, lead to
losses of energy

50
Giving each molecule the same processing history
time

time

(a) (b)
Stirred-tank reactor with a heating jacket (a) contradicts the 2nd principle of Process Intensification. The
residence time of molecules is widely distributed and both concentration and temperature non-uniformities
are present. On the other hand, a plug-flow reactor with a gradientless, volumetric (e.g. microwave) heating
(b) enables a close realization of that principle.

51
STRUCTURE
(spatial
domain)
ENERGY
(thermodynamic
domain)
SYNERGY
(functional
domain)
TIME
(temporal
domain)
APPROACHES
SCALES
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
maximizing the
effectiveness of
intra- and
intermolecular
events
the same processing
experience
forces apply
maximizing
synergistic effects
from partial
processes
10-16
10-16
10-14
10-10
10--4
10--6
10-2
10-4
100
10-2
102
100
104
102
s
m
Molec ula r
proc es ses
thin films
Processing units
Processing
plant/site
Hydrodynamics and
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
APPROACHES
SCALES
forces apply

52
Surface to volume ratio depends on diameter
D
L
D
L
D
V
A 4
4
2








 






D (m) 1 0,1 0,001
A / V (m2/m3) 4 40 4000
Enhance mass and heat transfer by increasing
the transfer area
Optimizing the driving forces and maximizing the
specific surface areas to which those force apply
(R. Reintjens)

53
How to catch up with the Nature and
generate ultra-high-interface systems?
Capillary blood vessels
D (m) 0.00001
A/V (m2/m3) 400,000
D (m) 0,0001
A / V (m2/m3) 40000
Optimizing the driving forces and maximizing the
specific surface areas to which those force apply

54
STRUCTURE
(spatial
domain)
ENERGY
(thermodynamic
domain)
SYNERGY
(functional
domain)
TIME
(temporal
domain)
APPROACHES
SCALES
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
maximizing the
effectiveness of
intra- and
intermolecular
events
the same processing
experience
forces apply
maximizing
synergistic effects
from partial
processes
10-16
10-16
10-14
10-10
10--4
10--6
10-2
10-4
100
10-2
102
100
104
102
s
m
Molec ula r
proc es ses
thin films
Processing units
Processing
plant/site
Hydrodynamics and
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
APPROACHES
SCALES
maximizing
synergistic effects
from partial
processes

55
Example: catalytic function + separation function
Agar, 1999
methanol + ammonia monomethylamine + dimethylamine + trimethylamine
(MMA) (DMA) (TMA)
catalyst
catalyst +
membrane
Selectivity
(MMA+DMA)/TMA
2
5
ordinarySi-Al catalyst
Carbon molecular sieve
layer (~ 0.5 nm pores)
Maximizing synergistic effects from partial processes

56
STRUCTURE
(spatial
domain)
ENERGY
(thermodynamic
domain)
SYNERGY
(functional
domain)
TIME
(temporal
domain)
APPROACHES
SCALES
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
maximizing the
effectiveness of
intra- and
intermolecular
events
the same processing
experience
forces apply
maximizing
synergistic effects
from partial
processes
10-16
10-16
10-14
10-10
10--4
10--6
10-2
10-4
100
10-2
102
100
104
102
s
m
Molec ula r
proc es ses
thin films
Processing units
Processing
plant/site
Hydrodynamics and
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
APPROACHES
SCALES
STRUCTURE
(spatial
domain)

57
STRUCTURE
STRUCTURE: examples

58
Example: Microreactor for manufacturing
of a specialty product (DSM)
Photos courtesy of DSM and
Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe
Stirred Tank Reactor: the
reactants are mixed in a large
vessel, and the heat is
removed through the jacket or
a heat transfer coil.
Traditional technology PI technology Benefits
• Equipment content 3 litres
vs 10 m3
• 20% higher selectivity 
20% higher material yield
• Process more reliable
because continuous instead
of batch
• Same capacity (1700 kg/h)
Microreactor: the reactants are
mixed, and the heat is removed
through thousands of micro
channels, fabricated by
micromachining or lithography
STRUCTURE

59
STRUCTURE
(spatial
domain)
ENERGY
(thermodynamic
domain)
SYNERGY
(functional
domain)
TIME
(temporal
domain)
APPROACHES
SCALES
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
maximizing the
effectiveness of
intra- and
intermolecular
events
the same processing
experience
forces apply
maximizing
synergistic effects
from partial
processes
10-16
10-16
10-14
10-10
10--4
10--6
10-2
10-4
100
10-2
102
100
104
102
s
m
Molec ula r
proc es ses
thin films
Processing units
Processing
plant/site
Hydrodynamics and
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
APPROACHES
SCALES
ENERGY
(thermodynamic
domain)

60
ENERGY
ENERGY: examples
+
-

61
Photos courtesy of Dow Chemical Company;
A system of absorption-
stripping columns: the main
product (HClO) has to be
removed as quickly as
possible from the reaction
environment to prevent its
decomposition.
• Equipment size
decreased by a factor of
ca. 40
• Ca. 15% higher product
yield
• 50% reduction of the
stripping gas
• 1/3 reduction in waste
water & chlorinated
byproducts
• Same processing
capacity
Reactive stripping in High-Gravity
(HiGee) Rotating Packed Beds:
the reactants are subjected to
intensive contact and the product is
immediately removed via stripping
using high-gravity forces in a rotating
apparatus with a specially designed
packing
Example: High-Gravity Rotating Packed
Bed for the production of
hypochlorous acid (Dow Chemical)
ENERGY

62
STRUCTURE
(spatial
domain)
ENERGY
(thermodynamic
domain)
SYNERGY
(functional
domain)
TIME
(temporal
domain)
APPROACHES
SCALES
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
maximizing the
effectiveness of
intra- and
intermolecular
events
the same processing
experience
forces apply
maximizing
synergistic effects
from partial
processes
10-16
10-16
10-14
10-10
10--4
10--6
10-2
10-4
100
10-2
102
100
104
102
s
m
Molec ula r
proc es ses
thin films
Processing units
Processing
plant/site
Hydrodynamics and
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
APPROACHES
SCALES
SYNERGY
(functional
domain)

63
SYNERGY
SYNERGY: examples
TiO2 support
Pt catalyst
Silicalite-1 coating
TiO2 support
Pt catalyst
Silicalite-1 coating

64
Example: Methyl acetate in multifunctional
reactor (Eastman Chemical)
28 pieces of equipment:
separation problem - two
azeotropes
• Equipment from 28
reduced to 3
• reduced energy
consumption by ca.
85%
• reduced investment by
ca. 80%
Multifunctional
reactor column
including reactive
and extractive
distillation steps
SYNERGY

65
STRUCTURE
(spatial
domain)
ENERGY
(thermodynamic
domain)
SYNERGY
(functional
domain)
TIME
(temporal
domain)
APPROACHES
SCALES
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
maximizing the
effectiveness of
intra- and
intermolecular
events
the same processing
experience
forces apply
maximizing
synergistic effects
from partial
processes
10-16
10-16
10-14
10-10
10--4
10--6
10-2
10-4
100
10-2
102
100
104
102
s
m
Molec ula r
proc es ses
thin films
Processing units
Processing
plant/site
Hydrodynamics and
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
APPROACHES
SCALES
TIME
(temporal
domain)

66
TIME
TIME: examples

67
James Bond at James Robinson, or
SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED…
27 m
Replaced by…
2.5
m
Reduction in:
Space (20x)
Process time (20x)
Capital cost (2x)
Energy and waste (many times)
Quality defects
Example: Oscillatory Baffle Flow Reactor
TIME

68
STRUCTURE
(spatial
domain)
ENERGY
(thermodynamic
domain)
SYNERGY
(functional
domain)
TIME
(temporal
domain)
APPROACHES
SCALES
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
maximizing the
effectiveness of
intra- and
intermolecular
events
the same processing
experience
forces apply
maximizing
synergistic effects
from partial
processes
10-16
10-16
10-14
10-10
10--4
10--6
10-2
10-4
100
10-2
102
100
104
102
s
m
Molec ula r
proc es ses
thin films
Processing units
Processing
plant/site
Hydrodynamics and
PRINCIPLES
(GOALS)
APPROACHES
SCALES
maximizing the
effectiveness of
intra- and
intermolecular
events
the same processing
experience
forces apply
maximizing
synergistic effects
from partial
processes
STRUCTURE
(spatial
domain)
ENERGY
(thermodynamic
domain)
SYNERGY
(functional
domain)
TIME
(temporal
domain)
10-16
10-16
10-14
10-10
10--4
10--6
10-2
10-4
100
10-2
102
100
104
102
s
m
Molec ula r
proc es ses
thin films
Processing units
Processing
plant/site
Hydrodynamics and

69
SUMMARIZING…
Fundamental principles and approaches of
Process Intensification are applicable to any
chemical process or operation. Intensification
needs simultaneous addressing the four
domains, as given below:
Domain Main focus
concepts applied
Motivation
Spatial
Structured
environment
Milli- and microchannels;
structured (catalyst) surfaces
 well-defined geometry
 creating maximum specific surface area at
minimum energy expenses
 creating high mass and heat transfer rates
 precise mathematical description
 easy understanding, simple scale-up
Thermodynamic
Alternative
forms and
transfer
mechanisms of
energy
Electric and electromagnetic
fields
 manipulation of molecular orientation
 excitation of targeted molecules
 selective, gradientless and local energy
supply
Functional
Integration of
functions/steps
Combination of alternative
energy forms (e.g. electric
and laser fields), combination
of catalyst and energy source
or energy-absorbing material.
 synergistic effects
 better heat management
 increase of overall efficiency
 more compact equipment
Temporal
Timing of the
events,
introducing
dynamics
Dynamic (pulsed) energy
supply, millisecond contacting
 controlled energy input
 utilizing resonance
 increased energy efficiency
 side reactions minimized
STRUCTURE
TIME
SYNERGY
ENERGY

70
(O. Levenspiel: Chemical Reactor Omnibook)
SUMMARIZING: about multidisciplinarity
Multidisciplinarity of R&D
approach is essential to
Process Intensification.
Collaboration between
chemical engineering and
other disciplines such as
chemistry & catalysis,
material science, applied
physics or electronics is
of crucial importance.

71
Course program
Date Block Subject Lecturer
Mon 5 Nov
13.45–15.45
Fundamentals
Genesis of Process Intensification. Issues of
concern for Chemical Process Industry.
Definitions of Process Intensification.
Position of PI in Chemical Engineering
science, its boundaries and interrelations
with other ChemEng disciplines. Generic
principles of Process Intensification, its
scales and fundamental approaches (TIME-
STRUCTURE-ENERGY-SYNERGY).
Stefanidis/
Stankiewicz
Thurs 8 Nov
08.45 -10.45
Designing a Sustainable Chemical Plant
(including elements of Inherently Safer
Process Design) – presentation of PI project
assignments
Stefanidis/
Sturm
Mon 12 Nov
13.45–15.45
PI in Temporal
Domain
TIME Stefanidis
Thurs 15 Nov
08.45-10.45
PI in Spatial
Domain
STRUCTURE Stankiewicz
Mon 19 Nov
13.45–15.45
ENERGY – Part 1 Stefanidis
Thurs 22 Nov
08.45 -10.45
PI in
Thermodynamic
Domain ENERGY – Part 2 Stefanidis
Mon 26 Nov
13.45–15.45
SYNERGY – Part 1 Stankiewicz
Thurs 29 Nov
08.45 -10.45
PI in Functional
Domain
SYNERGY – Part 2 Stankiewicz
Mon 3 Dec
13.45–15.45
Reactive Distillation and Heat Integrated
Distillation
Kiss
(Akzo Nobel)
Thurs 6 Dec
08.45 -10.45
Photocatalytic and Ultrasonic Reactors
Van Gerven
(Katholieke
Universiteit
Leuven)
Mon 10 Dec
13.45–15.45
“FOCUS ON”
lectures by guest
experts:
Rotating Fluidized Beds
De Wilde
(Université
Catholique
de Leuven)
Thurs 13 Dec
08.45 -10.45
PI project assignments – mid-term
reporting/discussion
Students
Mon 17 Dec
13.45–15.45
PI project assignments – mid-term
reporting/discussion
Students
Wed 23 Jan
14.00-17.00
EXAMINATION
EXTRA EXAMINATION

72
Present course
• 22 hours of lectures
• case study project (inc. 4 hrs mid-term review)
• 6 credit points:
- written examination (50%)
- case study project (50%)
Required minimum: grade 6 on written
examination AND grade 6 in total
• Daily help-desk/project supervision:
Guido Sturm, George Krintiras, Maryam Khodadadian

73
Edited by: Andrzej
Stankiewicz
Jacob A. Moulijn
Book
Hard Cover | Illustrated
Print ISBN: 0-8247-4302-4
www.dekker.com
(Auxiliary)
Re-Engineering the Chemical
Processing Plant
Lecture notes
(Auxiliary)
Info Sheets (aid for the
case study project)
Present course - materials
Free on-line
reading via
TUD Library

74
QUESTIONS?

Introduction_to_Process_Intensification_2012.pdf

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