DEPARTMENT

OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

CHE 326
Plant Design Project
Winter 2016
Thorvaldson 159: M-W-F 10:30-11:20

Richard Evitts (Richard.Evitts@usask.ca) 2A20.7
Venkatesh Meda (Venkatesh.Meda@usask.ca) 1C116

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
Students will work in teams and perform a feasibility-level design of a
chemical engineering process including: Process Flow Diagram (PFD);
material and energy balances; process simulation; equipment sizing;
costing; safety; and economics. Projects will be provided by the course
instructor.

Prerequisites: CHE 325 (taken)

Corequisites: None

In this course you will design a grass-roots chemical plant using the
principles that you learned in CHE 325. You will work in groups of 6. Groups
will be self-selected. Each group will have a professional-sounding team
name and logo. Projects will be assigned on Monday, January 11. There are
five different chemical plants.

WEBSITE
http://bblearn.usask.ca

COURSE ORGANIZATION
Since this course is a project based, the course will be run using a
consultation-based model. Each group will be assigned a project and will be
responsible for the determining economic feasibility of building and
operating the plant. They will do this under the auspices of one of the chief

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consultants. The chief consultants will be available during scheduled office
hours and students are required to arrange for appointments (through CBE
secretary Megan Paul at megan.paul@usask.ca) in advance. Groups must
come well prepared to any consultations, and have a meeting agenda. Each
group will follow this general course of action:
1. Develop Project Charter and Project Plan (due January 25).
2. Review current processes and technology. This is a literature review
and it should include a comprehensive list of references from books
and journals (A few internet references are fine but the majority of
the references should be from books, trade magazines or refereed
journals).
3. Discuss alternatives and select the proposed plant design.
4. Perform hand calculations for material and energy balances.
5. Plant simulation. HYSYS/ASPEN/Excel/Programming language.
6. Determine capital cost of all equipment.
7. Perform economic analysis include sensitivity to market price
fluctuations. Use the economic indicators described in CHE 325.
8. Perform hazard and safety analysis. At a minimum include a HAZOP
analysis of one major piece of equipment and MSDS for all chemicals.
9. Write and hand in final report. (TBD)
10. Give final presentation. (One week after final report has been
handed in.)

PRESENTATION SCHEDULE (Tentative):
Final Presentations: TBD (2 evening sessions)
All groups must attend every session.
Final reports are due a minimum of one week prior to you
presentation.

CONSULTATION
A minimum of four consultation meetings with the assigned chief
consultant must be scheduled throughout the project. Each meeting will
last 10 minutes. Groups will meet with their chief consultant to discuss
progress, problems encountered and future work. These meetings must be
scheduled by the group, at least one week in advance, during regular class
hours (MWF 10:30-11:20), with additional consultation time available
during the following lab periods: Jan 22; Feb 5, Mar 11, 25 from 2:30-4:20.

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Each agenda, along with questions for the consultant should be posted in
blackboard groups at least two days prior to each meeting. A hard copy of
each agenda along with the questions should also be brought to the
meeting.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Each group will choose a project manager (PM) who is responsible for
organizing group meeting times and assigning duties during the reporting
period. The project manager should be a different person for each meeting.
The name of the project manager should be noted in each report. A co-PM
may also be designated (this should be noted in the report) who will work
closely with the PM to organize the group. NOTE: There are no additional
marks for being the PM or co-PM but there are added responsibilities.

LECTURES
Since this is a design class there is a minimum number of lectures in order
you to maximize your time working on the project. However, the following
lectures will take place.
1. Course Introduction: January 6.
2. Professionalism and Communication Lecture: January 8. Professor
Rolfes.
3. Project Charter and Project Plan Development Lecture: January 11.
4. Library Lecture: January 13.
5. Environmental Sustainability and Project Management: February 26
(Bruce Peachy).
6. Communication Lecture II (presentations): TBA. Professor Rolfes
7. Safety Lecture: TBA.
You are asked to write a single double-spaced, two-page memorandum
summarizing the content of all of these presentations. Due April 7.

CHE 495 PRESENTATIONS
You are required to attend the CHE 495 (Capstone Design Course)
presentations. You should attend at least two presentations. Capstone
Design Projects are normally a detailed study of a small part of a chemical
plant and are done in conjunction with a Professional Engineer working in
CPI. You are asked to write a double-spaced memo (2 pages) critiquing the

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presentations that you attend. CHE 495 presentations will take place on
March 17, noon-6pm (location TBD). This memo is due on April 7.

PORTFOLIOS
Each group will keep a binder containing the following:
1. Cover page.
2. Table of Contents.
3. Each agenda that will have been dated and signed during the
meeting with the chief consultants.
4. Signed copies of the questions that were brought to each meeting.
5. The Lectures memo.
6. The CHE 495 Memo.
This will be handed in on April 7.

TEXTBOOK
Ulrich, G.D. and Vasudevan, P.T. Chemical Engineering Process Design
and Economics: A Practical Guide, 2nd ed. Process Publishing Durham,
NH, 2004.

REFERENCES
A list of references was provided to you in CHE 325 and these included;
W.D. Seider, J.D. Seader, and D.R. Lewin Process Design Principles:
Synthesis, Analysis, and Evaluation, Wiley, 2004
Turton et al., Analysis Synthesis and Design of Chemical Processes,
Prentice Hall, 2003.
M.S. Peters and K.D. Timmerhaus, Plant Design and Economics for
Chemical Engineers, McGraw-Hill, 1991.
L.T. Biegler et al., Systematic Methods of Chemical Process Design,
Prentice Hall, 2000.

ASSESSMENT
Project Charter & Plan 25%
Consultation Meetings/Portfolio 20%
Lectures Memo 2.5%
CHE 495 Memo 2.5%
Final Presentation 25%
Final Report 25%

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At the end of the course you will be asked to numerically rate each others
participation in the project. This weighting will be factored into your final
grade.

The mark distribution is only approximate. Final grades will be assigned at
the discretion of the instructor subject to the University Council and College
Regulations on Examinations

Missed reports/presentations will be given a grade of 0 unless
prearranged approval from the instructor is given in writing, or if an
adequate reason for the absence is supplied with supporting
documentation. Declaration of Absence forms are available at the
Engineering Student Centre.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND ACADEMIC APPEALS
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this class. Work on all projects
must follow the guidelines set out in this syllabus or agreed to within class.
Any confirmed misconduct will result in an assigned grade of 0 and a
possible academic misconduct action being filed. For more information on
what constitutes academic misconduct please consult the University
Council document on academic misconduct (www.usask.ca/honesty).

For information regarding appeals of a final grade or other academic
matters, please consult the University Council document on academic
appeals (www.usask.ca/honesty).

OTHER IMPORTANT DATES
January 14th-17th SPECTRUM
February 15th-19st Midterm Break

Teaching Assistants (TAs) will be provide assistance with simulation and
research/literature review. They will be your first point of contact for these
items.
Qiu,Shi: shq113@mail.usask.ca
Kumar, Suraj: svk678@mail.usask.ca

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CHE 326 PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS
The maximum time allowed for your presentation is 15 minutes. You will be
stopped at the end of the allotted time period. There will be a one-minute
question period after each presentation. Audience members are required
to participate by paying attention and asking questions. If you are not
presenting please be good listeners.

FINAL REPORT REQUIREMENTS
The report should be no more than 18 to 20 pages long plus title page,
executive summary and appendices. It must be double-spaced. The report
will be adjudicated on technical correctness and clarity of communication.
All aspects of your project must be addressed. It should be divided into the
following sections:

1. Title Page
2. Executive Summary
3. Table of Contents
4. List of Tables
5. List of Figures
6. Introduction
7. Main Body (Use your own descriptive titles here. Use subsections)
8. Conclusions and Recommendations
9. References
10.Appendices (as needed)

Table and figure captions should be meaningful.

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LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students completing this course will be able to:
1. Research chemical technologies and synthesize acquired data.
2. Solve an open-ended chemical plant design problem at the feasibility
level.
3. Simulate a new chemical processes using commercial software or
user-written software.
4. Perform an economic analysis on a new chemical process and
determine whether or not future work is warranted on the process.
5. Examine the risks associated with operating a new process.
6. Convey ideas and decisions through technical and oral reports.
7. Manage or co-manage a group of colleagues.

ATTRIBUTE MAPPING
Level of Performance
Learning Attribute
Outcome A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12
1 4 4 4 4
2 4 4 4 4 4
3 4
4 4 4
5 4 4
6 4 4
7 4 4

Attributes: Levels of Performance:
A1 A knowledge base for engineering 1 - Knowledge of the skills/concepts/tools but not needing to
A2 Problem analysis directly apply them to solve problems.
A3 Investigation 2 - Using the skills/concepts/tools to solve directed problems.
A4 Design (Directed indicates that students are told what tools to
A5 Use of engineering tools use.)
A6 Individual and team work 3 - Selecting the skills/concepts/tools to solve non-directed,
A7 Communication skills non-open-ended problems. (Students have a number of
A8 Professionalism S/C/T to choose from and need to decide which to employ.
A9 Impact of engineering on society Problems will have a definite solution.)
and the environment 4 - Applying the appropriate skills/concepts/tools for open-
A10 Ethics and equity ended problems. (Students have a number of S/C/T to
A11 Economics and project choose from and need to decide which to employ.
management Problems will have multiple solution paths leading to
A12 Life-long learning possibly more than one acceptable solution.)