CH 4250: Process Engineering
Assignment 4
Name: _______________________________ Roll No: __________________________
A wastewater stream with 50 mol% benzene is to be treated to remove impurities so it can be used
to produce cumene (isopropyl benzene). The process flowsheet is shown below.
The wastewater first enters a flash to remove light gases. The liquid from the flash then enters a
distillation column to separate out high-purity benzene in the bottom stream. After that, this liquid
benzene is pre-heated to a super-heated state and combined with propylene (100% pure at 200 °F
and 14.7 psia). Benzene and propylene are then allowed to react to form cumene in an isothermal
plug flow reactor. The reactor effluent is cooled in a heat exchanger by the liquid distillate from the
first column. A second distillation column is used to purify cumene which exits as the bottom product.
The following data is available for the process:
A. The temperature of the wastewater feed is 100 °F and its pressure is 20 psia. Its composition
is: 60% benzene, 18% methanol, 12% methane, 6% acetylene (C2H2), 3% nitrogen, and 1%
oxygen (all molar basis), and the total flow rate is 200 lbmol/hr.
B. The wastewater stream is flashed at 0 °F with negligible pressure drop.
C. The first column (BZ-COL) has 20 theoretical stages, which include a partial condenser
(Pcondenser = 14 psia) and a reboiler (Preboiler = 15 psia). The feed tray location is 15. The
column operates with a molar reflux ratio of 3 and takes out 90 lbmol/hr in the bottom
stream.
D. The pre-heater vaporizes the benzene stream and superheats it to 30 °F above its dewpoint
temperature. The pressure drop inside the pre-heater is 0.3 psia.
E. The waste gas stream (WAST-GAS) has a maximum total flow rate of 37.0 lbmol/hr.
(Pollution Control Board rule)
F. The plug flow reactor has a diameter of 1.2 ft with negligible pressure drop. The kinetics for
the cumene reaction is given as:
where the unit of the activation energy is Btu/lbmol and Ci is molar concentration. The
conversion of the cumene reaction is maintained at 99%.
G. The plug flow reactor is operated isothermally at the same temperature as that of the inlet
to the reactor (REAC-IN).
H. The exit temperature of the cold side in the cooler is 90+Y °F. This cooler has negligible
pressure drop.
I. The cumene column (CUM-COL) consists of 10 theoretical stages, which include a total
condenser (Pcondenser = 14 psia) and a reboiler (Preboiler = 14.5 psia). The feed tray location is 5.
The column takes out 20 mol% of the feed as the overhead distillate and operates with a
molar reflux ratio of 3.
J. The cumene product stream from the second column must contain a purity of 99.X mole%
cumene (product spec).
How to specify x (cumene purity) & y (cooler exit temperature)
1. Suppose your roll number is CH21xabc.
2. Calculate T=(a+b+10*c)
3. X = T mod 9 (i.e., X is the remainder after dividing T by 9)
4. Y = T mod 19
Deliverables
1. Use ASPEN PLUS to simulate and analyze this cumene production process. Submit a report
(PDF file) and the Aspen file. The name of your files should be your Roll Number.
2. Which property package(s) would you use? Why? Justify your choice.
3. Conduct a sensitivity analysis and generate a plot of the variation of the cumene product
flowrate with the preheater temperature.
4. If the reaction kinetics k has an uncertainty of 20%, how would it affect your design? What
changes to the equipment will be needed to ensure that the cumene purity and flowrate are
not compromised?
5. During certain seasons, the feed wastewater is diluted and would have only 40% benzene.
What changes if any are required to the design or operating conditions to ensure that the
cumene purity and flowrate are not compromised during this season?
