Total energy usage and waste generated

Energy used:
Energy used in pump (k-100): 1936.56kW
Energy used in heater:1814.51kW
Energy used in Reactor: -2.1107x104kW
Energy used in cooler: 4994kW
Total energy usage: 1936.56kW+1814.51kW+2.1107x104kW+4994kW=29852.07kW

In pump(k-100), energy was used to increase the pressure of oxygen from 1.013bar to
16.6bar before mixing with ethylene. The pressure change in the pump was 15.59bar. Stream
mix was connected to a heater to increase the stream temperature to 225oC for the reaction
requirement. To produce ethylene oxide, the energy used in oxidation reactor was -
2.1107x104kW where the reaction was an exothermic reaction and heat released to
surrounding. Vapor outlet stream from reactor was sent to a cooler where used 4994kW of
energy to cool down the stream before CO2 absorber. In the whole ethylene oxide
production process, total energy used was 29852.07kW.

Waste generated:
Stream CO2
CO2 mass flowrate: 4263kg/hr
Stream unreacted gases
Ethylene mass flowrate: 22443kg/hr
Oxygen mass flowrate: 8777kg/hr
Ethylene oxide mass flowrate: 387.74kg/hr
Water mass flowrate: 977.58kg/hr

Total mass flowrate of waste generated:

4263kg/hr+22443kg/hr+8777kg/hr+387.74kg/hr+977.58kg/hr=368832kg/hr

In the production of ethylene oxide, only CO2 stripper produce waste output
generated. At the top product stream, only CO2 was distillate out as 4263kg/hr; at the bottom
product stream, ethylene, oxygen, ethylene oxide and water were distillate out as 22443kg/hr,
8777kg/hr, 387.74kg/hr and 977.58kg/hr.
 Sensitivity studies (discussion)

Ethene was direct oxidised by pure oxygen to produce ethylene oxide. Ethylene oxide
was selectively formed at 300oC and 1.013bar. Ethylene was reacted with oxygen to produce
ethylene oxide and some side reaction products. The side products of the reaction were
carbon dioxide and water which was required to separate out from product stream. To
minimise the amount of side products, the conversion of ethylene was 15% where the rate of
formation of side reactions was minimum. Ethene was mixed with oxygen through mixer
then form a feed stream to oxidation reactor for reaction. The gas product stream of reactor
was connected to CO2 absorber and stripper for dissolving and removing the carbon dioxide
gas. The product stream passed through the absorber for dissolving carbon dioxide in water

In the stimulation of ethylene oxide production, 99.9% purity of ethylene oxide was
produced. Based on the results of the process, stream after reaction was pass through CO2
absorber for scrubbing the gas stream with water. In final, 6202kg/hr of ethylene oxide was
produced with the water in for CO2 absorber was 30oC. To increase the mass flow of ethylene
oxide produced, the temperature of water for CO2 absorber was varied.
The temperature of water stream was varied from 20oC to 40oC. The graph below
showed the effect of water temperature to ethylene oxide mass flow:
 From the graph, the mass flow of ethylene oxide was increased when the temperature
decreased. The graph showed that 34.85oC of water was more preferred to have 5000 metric
tons per year of ethylene oxide. At 34.85oC, the mass flow of ethylene oxide was 6127kg/hr,
more desired product was collected.

The temperature of water could be reduced by adding heater or heat exchanger. As

lower temperature had higher mass flow of ethylene oxide, the temperature of water was
changed by adding heater or heat exchanger, but heat exchanger was a better option
compared to cooler. As heater required energy to operate and heat exchanger could reduce
the raise of total energy used.
In overall, the modification of temperature of water could be consider getting desired
amount of desired product ethylene oxide.