ENGIN 110 Process Design and Economics Project Team 1 ...

ENGIN 110 – Process Design and Economics Project

Team 1: Evaporation Process for Maple Syrup

You group is working for YumYumBaby, a company specializing in regional foods. (Another

food company that employs chemical engineers is Nestle). Your company recently acquired a

small family farm that produces maple syrup. Sap from maple trees containing 2 wt% sugar is

fed to an evaporator, which boils off some of the water. The syrup that is produced has 60 wt%

sugar.

The previous owners of the farm only produced sap for part of the year; however, your company

wishes to upgrade the process to produce syrup year-round. In order to do this, they must

purchase a storage tank for the sap and a new agitated film evaporator. Another group has

estimated that a storage tank of ~5000 gal and an evaporator with ~30 ft2 of heating surface will

be sufficient.

Your group’s assignment is to determine the optimum production rate, or mass flow rate of

syrup. The cost of the sap can be neglected, since it does not need to be purchased from a

supplier and the equipment to tap the trees is in place and in good condition. Maple syrup can be

sold for $40.00/kg. The process requires two skilled operators to run, who will each be paid

$15.00/hour. Property taxes on the farm and plant site are $9000/year. The evaporation process

requires a great deal of energy, and the utility costs in $/year are estimated to be C = 825 msap1.5

,

where msap is the mass flow rate of sap in kg/hr.

In your report, please provide a final design recommendation, including a flowchart with all

equipment and process variables fully labeled; the estimated annual profit resulting from your

design; estimated capital costs; and the estimated ROI.


Team 2: Purification Process for Anticancer Drug

You group is working for BioFab, a pharmaceutical company with considerable expertise in

bioseparations. (Another pharmaceutical company that employs chemical engineers is Bristol

Myers Squibb). Your company was recently approached by a small biotech start-up. They have

developed a cell culture process to produce the new chemotherapeutic wonder drug RestatexTM

.

They have the ability to produce a mixture containing RestatexTM

in volumes needed for patients,

but they cannot recover the drug at purities high effort to sell the final product. Based on similar

products that you manufacture, they suspect that you have the technology and expertise to

perform this separation. They propose a partnership whereby they supply you with their mixture

containing RestatexTM

, and you design a process to separate the drug from the mixture at high

purity.

A research and development (R&D) group within your company have determined that it is

possible to perform this separation with a unit known as a growth-type evaporator-crystallizer.

The R&D team also notes that the mixture supplied by your partner contains a small amount

hydroxyrestatinex. This compound, which is chemically related to RestatexTM

, has serious

health effects, and any waste from the process that contains hydroxyrestatinex must be disposed

of carefully.

Your group’s assignment is to determine the optimum production rate, or mass flow rate, of

RestatexTM

. Your partner provides the feed mixture at a cost of $30/kg, and the feed contains 1.0

wt% of the drug. The evaporator-crystallizer process produces a solid that is 99.95 wt%

RestatexTM

and a liquid waste stream. The solid can be sold for $7000/kg. Additionally, since

the waste stream from the process will contain trace amounts of hydroxyrestatinex, your

company must pay a hazardous waste disposal fee of $10.00 per kg of the waste stream. The

process requires three highly skilled operators to run, who will each be paid $20.00/hour. The

process requires a great deal of energy, and the utility costs in $/year are estimated to be C =

1000 mfeed2.2

, where mfeed is the mass flow rate of feed mixture in kg/hr.





Team 3: Upgrading of Biofuels

You group is working for NRGForward, a large petroleum company that has recently begun

investigating alternative fuel sources. (A similar company that employs chemical engineers is

ExxonMobil). Your company has been working together with several small producers of biofuels

to further refine and upgrade their products so that the biofuels can be used in a wider range of

applications. One major issue that most producers have is that their products contain a level of

chars (solid carbon-based particles) that is too high for conventional motor vehicles. The average

concentration of chars in the feed fuel is 5.0 wt%. The char concentration must be reduced to

0.01 wt% in order for the biofuels to be used in conventional vehicles.

Your team proposes to remove these chars through the use of a continuous centrifugal filter

process. The process results in a solid that is essentially 100 wt% chars and the product stream,

which must contain < 0.01 wt% chars. Your group’s assignment is to determine the optimum

feed flow rate. The feed biofuel can be purchased for $0.65/kg. The upgraded biofuel can be

sold for $2.50/kg. The process requires one operator to run, who will be paid $10.00/hour.

Utility costs in $/year are estimated to be C = 440 mfeed1.78

, where mfeed is the mass flow rate of

feed mixture in kg/hr. Finally, your firm plans to rent space at the supplier sites for the process at

a cost of $2000/month.





Team 4: Distillation of Benzene-Toluene Mixture

You group works for WeGotchaSolvents, a chemical company that provides industrial chemicals

and solvents to other firms. (Another company that primarily supplies chemicals to other firms

and employs chemical engineers is General Chemical). One of your existing processes produces

a mixture of benzene and toluene containing 65 mol% benzene. Your firm is considering

installing a distillation column to separate this mixture into two streams with higher purity,

which can them be sold.

Your group’s assignment is to perform an economic analysis and (1) determine if this is an

economically sound decision, and (2) if so, determine the optimum feed flow rate. Since the

stream is already produced within the plant, you may neglect the cost of the feed. Benzene of

99.5 wt% purity can be sold for $7.65/kg, and toluene with 99.8 wt% purity can be sold for

$5.25/kg. The separation will require a distillation column with 18 trays, approximately 6-ft in

diameter, with a shell weight of 27,000 lbs. The process requires three highly skilled operators to

run, who will each be paid $25.00/hour. Utility costs in $/year are given by C = 300 mfeed2.4

,

where mfeed is the mass flow rate of feed mixture in kg/hr.





Team 5: Drying of Silicon Wafers

You group works for Intellachip, a microelectronics company. (Another microelectronics

company that employs chemical engineers is IBM). As part of a process to fabricate chips,

silicon wafers are washed in an organic solvent and then dried under vacuum to completely

remove the solvent.

Your group’s assignment is to perform an economic analysis of the vacuum drying process and

determine the production rate (i.e., optimum mass flow rate of dried chips). Based on the in-

house cost of producing the chips that are fed to the drying process, assign a cost of $95/kg to the

feed. The chips enter the dryer with 5.0% of their mass being solvent. The vacuum drying

process results in a stream that is pure solvent and the dried chips, which must contain < 0.001

wt% solvent. The dried chips can be sold for $125/kg. A vacuum tray dryer with a 50 ft2 total

drying area is to be purchased for the process. The process requires one operator who will be

paid $15.00/hour. The vacuum process requires a great deal of energy, and utility costs in $/year

are estimated to be C = 8000 mfeed3.3

, where mfeed is the mass flow rate of chips fed into the

process in kg/hr.





Team 6: Membrane Separation of Air

You group works for PuraGas, a company specializing in separation of gas mixtures and

providing industrial gases to other chemical companies. (A similar company that employs

chemical engineers is Praxair).

PuraGas is considering building a new plant for a membrane separation process that separates air

into a stream of nitrogen and a stream of oxygen. Your group’s assignment is to perform an

economic analysis of the process and determine the optimum feed flow rate. Ambient air is fed

to the process; you may neglect the minor components of the air and assume that it is 21 mol%

oxygen and 79 mol% nitrogen. A membrane separator separates the air into one stream

containing 99.5 mol% oxygen and a second stream containing 98.0 mol% nitrogen. You may

neglect the cost of the incoming air. The oxygen stream can be sold for $3.00/kg and the

nitrogen stream can be sold for $4.00/kg. The process includes three industrial blowers to move

the gas streams and a membrane separator with a cost of approximately $35,000. The process

requires two operators who will each be paid $15.00/hour. The process requires a great deal of

energy, and utility costs in $/year are estimated to be C = 2000 mfeed1.6

, where mfeed is the mass

flow rate of air fed into the process in kg/hr.





Team 7: Production of Peanut Oil

You group works for Mother Nature Oils, a company specializing in oils and flavors from

natural sources. (Another company in the food industry that employs chemical engineers is

Kraft).

In a process to produce peanut oil, shelled peanuts enter a crusher. Shelled peanuts contain

approximately 48 wt% oil. The crusher mashes up the peanuts, producing a thick paste that

contains 5.0 wt% oil and a liquid stream that is 98 wt% oil. Your group’s assignment is to

perform an economic analysis of the process and determine the optimum feed flow rate. The

shelled peanuts can be purchased for $2.00/kg. The peanut paste can be sold for $4.00/kg, and

the oil can be sold for $7.00/kg. The process requires one operator, who will be paid

$15.00/hour, and one inspector to visually inspect the feed peanuts for mold and debris, who will

be paid $20.00/hour. The utility costs for the crusher in $/year are estimated to be C = 1225

mfeed1.8

, where mfeed is the mass flow rate of peanuts being fed to the crusher in kg/hr.





Team 8: Screening and Cleaning of Recycled Pulp

You group works for Riverside Recycling, a small company that processes paper waste for

recycling. (Another company in the pulp and paper industry that employs chemical engineers is

Georgia-Pacific). As a part of processing recycled paper, waste paper is shredded and soaked in

water and solvents to create pulp. Then, in a process known as screening and cleaning, the pulp

is passed through a series of screens to remove small contaminants.

Your group’s assignment is to perform an economic analysis of the screening process and to

determine the optimum production rate of cleaned pulp. Waste paper can be purchased for

$0.15/kg, and the shredding and soaking process (sometimes known as pulping or re-pulping)

adds another $0.05/kg to the cost. For every kg of pulp that is fed to the screening process, 0.1

kg of contaminants are removed. The cleaned pulp product has a value of $0.35/kg. The

screening process involves three vibrating screens, each with a surface area of 12 ft2. The process

requires one operator, who will be paid $10.50/hour. The utility costs in $/year for the process


, where mfeed is the mass flow rate of pulp being fed to the

screens in kg/hr.





Team 9: Mixing Ingredients for Lotions

You group works for Le Lotions, a chemical company focusing on personal care products and

cosmetics. (Another company with a focus on personal care products that employs chemical

engineers is Proctor and Gamble). In a process to make hand lotion, glycerin is mixed with

purified water to create an emulsified mixture.

Your group’s assignment is to perform an economic analysis of the emulsification process and to

determine the optimum production rate (i.e., the mass flow rate of the lotion). Purified water can

be purchased for $0.40/kg, and glycerin is available for $0.85/kg. The emulsified lotion contains

35.0 wt% glycerin and can be sold for $2.25/kg. The process utilizes a 10-hp rotary double-cone

blender. The process requires one operator, who will be paid $15.00/hour. The utility costs for

the blender in $/year are estimated to be C = 960 mfeed2.6


glycerin fed to the process in kg/hr.





Team 10: Producing Pigmented Particles for Ink and Toner

You group works for FabPrint, a chemical company focusing on ink and toner for digital

printing. (Another company whose major products include ink and toner that employs chemical

engineers is Xerox). To date, your company has focused on toner in black and primary colors.

However, the management is considering branching out to produce fluorescent glow-in-the-dark

toner. The fluorescent toner can be produced by coating black toner particles with a thin layer of

fluorescent pigment.

Your group’s assignment is to perform an economic analysis of the pigmentation process. You

are to make a recommendation to management about whether or not to proceed with production

of the glow-in-the-dark toner and to determine the optimum production rate (i.e., the mass flow

rate of the product particles). In the pigmentation process, black toner particles are fed to a 500-

gal mixing tank. A second stream, containing 35 wt% of the fluorescent pigment, is mixed with

the black toner particles. The pigment adsorbs onto the surface of the black particles. The

product stream is a suspension of the pigmented particles, and it contains 5.0 wt% of pigment.

The suspension of black toner fed to the mixer has a value of $1.50/kg, the incoming pigment

stream costs $4.25/kg, and the pigmented particle stream can be sold for $6.50/kg. The process

requires one operator, who will be paid $15.00/hour. The utility costs for the process in $/year


, where mfeed is the mass flow rate of black toner particles

fed to the process in kg/hr.





Team 11: Distillation of Methanol-Water Mixture

You group works for Distillex, a chemical company that provides industrial chemicals and

solvents to other firms. (Another company that primarily supplies chemicals to other firms and

employs chemical engineers is Methanex). One of your existing processes produces a mixture of

methanol and water containing 85 wt% methanol. Your firm is considering installing a

distillation column to separate this mixture into a methanol stream of higher purity and a water

stream.


economically sound decision, and (2) if so, determine the optimum feed flow rate. Since the

stream is already produced within the plant, you may neglect the cost of the feed. Methanol of

99.8 wt% purity can be sold for $6.55/kg. The water stream will contain some trace amount of

methanol and thus cannot be sold for drinking or household use; however, if the amount of

methanol is reduced to < 0.01 wt%, it can be used for industrial cooling applications and has a

value of $0.15/kg. The separation will require a distillation column with 20 trays, approximately

8-ft in diameter, with a shell weight of 35,000 lbs. The process requires two highly skilled

operators to run, who will each be paid $25.00/hour. Utility costs in $/year are given by C =

900 mfeed2.1






Team 12: Filtering of Motor Oil

You group is working for Slick, a large petroleum company whose products include gasoline,

heating oil, and motor oils. (A similar company that employs chemical engineers is Shell). You

have recently been contracted by the government to produce a motor oil specifically designed for

combat vehicles that operate in very dusty environments. You have recently developed an oil

that works extremely well under these conditions.

However, preliminary testing of this product in the field shows that frequent oil changes and

vehicle maintenance are necessary when this product is used. Another group in the company

determines that this problem is due to the presence of a high level of chars (solid carbon-based

particles) in the oil. These chars will deposit on engine parts over time. The average

concentration of chars in the current motor oil is 1.5 wt%. The char concentration must be

reduced to 0.01 wt% in order to reduce the vehicle maintenance to an acceptable level.

Your team proposes to remove these chars through the use of a continuous centrifugal filter

process. The process results in a solid that is essentially 100 wt% chars and a product stream

containing 0.01 wt% char. The feed motor oil has a value of $4.15/kg. The filtered oil can be

sold for $5.50/kg. The process requires one operator to run, who will be paid $12.50/hour.



feed oil in kg/hr.





Team 13: Production of Cookie Dough

You group works for Everywhere Products, a large company whose products include both foods

and personal care products. (A similar company whose main products include both foods,

personal care products, and home care products is Unilever).

The management is considering developing a process to produce pre-packaged cookie dough,

which currently sells for $2.75/kg. In this process, a dry stream of flour is slowly mixed together

with a liquid stream containing oil and sugar in a piece of equipment known as a kneader. The

incoming liquid stream is 55.0 wt% sugar. The dough that is produced contains 20.0 wt% sugar.

The flour stream has a cost of $0.25/kg, and the liquid feed stream costs $0.75/kg.

Your group’s assignment is to perform an economic analysis of the process and determine the

optimum production rate. The process requires one operator, who will be paid $15.00/hour. The

kneading process requires a great deal of energy, and utility costs in $/year are C = 2500 mliq2.3

,

where mliq is the mass flow rate of the liquid feed stream in kg/hr. Your group estimates that a

100-gal kneader will be need to be purchased for this process.





Team 14: Children’s Formulation of Painkiller

You group works for FeelGoodNow, a pharmaceutical company whose main products include

over-the-counter painkillers, fever reducers, and anti-inflammatories. (Another pharmaceutical

company that employs chemical engineers is Abbott Laboratories).

FeelGoodNow manufactures Ibu-XTM

, an over-the-counter painkiller, in the form of solid tablets.

Ibu-XTM

has recently been FDA approved for over-the-counter use in children. Since children

often have difficulty swallowing solid tablets, the management has asked your group to develop

and analyze a process to create a liquid formulation of Ibu-XTM

that children can swallow.

The process will contain two main pieces of equipment, a pulverizer and a mixer. Solid IBu-XTM

tablets will be fed to a pulverizer to be ground into a fine powder. The powder will then be sent

to a mixer, where it will be mixed with a sugar solution. The product stream from the mixer will

be a liquid mixture containing 5.0 wt% Ibu-XTM

. The solid Ibu-XTM

has a cost of $125.00/kg,

and the syrup stream costs $10.00/kg. The liquid product can be sold for $25.00/kg.

Your group’s assignment is to perform an economic analysis of the process and determine the

optimum production rate. The process requires two operators, who will each be paid

$20.00/hour. The process requires a great deal of energy, and utility costs in $/year are C =

15000 mtablet3.7

, where mtablet is the mass flow rate of the solid tablets fed to the process in kg/hr.

Your group estimates that the mixer to be purchased will need to have a capacity of at least 500

gallons.





Team 15: Membrane Separation of VOCs

You group works for PureStream, a company whose major products include industrial and

specialty gases. (A similar company that employs chemical engineers is Air Products).

Another company, FabComputing, has approached you about assisting with removal of volatile

organic compunds (VOCs) from one of their process streams. FabComputing produces

microelectronics. One of their processes involves drying chips in a nitrogen atmosphere to

remove an organic solvent. The process results in a waste stream that contains 4.5 wt% VOCs,

with the balance nitrogen. Because of the presence of VOCs, the waste nitrogen stream cannot

be released to the environment, nor can it be sold. FabComputing proposes a partnership

whereby your firm installs and operates a membrane separator at their plant site to remove the

VOCs. The nitrogen produced by this process can then be sold. FabComputing will provide you

with the waste stream at no cost and will allow you to rent space for the membrane separator at

their plant site for a reduced cost of $1000/month, and they ask for 10% of the profits resulting

from the process.

The management at PureStream is considering this partnership. Your group’s assignment is to

perform an economic analysis of the process and determine if the partnership is economically

feasible, and, if so, determine the optimum feed flow rate. In the process, the waste stream

containing 4.5 wt% VOCs is fed to the membrane separator. The separator separates the waste

stream into one stream containing 99.5 wt% nitrogen and a second stream containing 2.0 wt%

nitrogen. The purified nitrogen product can be sold for $3.50/kg. The process includes three

industrial blowers to move the gas streams and a membrane separator with a cost of

approximately $50,000. The process requires two operators who will each be paid $12.00/hour.



the waste stream fed into the process in kg/hr.


equipment and process variables fully labeled; the estimated annual profit to PureStream

resulting from your design; estimated capital costs; and the estimated ROI for PureStream.


Team 16: Production of Solar Energy Materials

You group works for American Ceramamid, a chemical company focusing on advanced

materials, including glasses and ceramics. (A similar company that employs chemical engineers

is Saint Gobain). Your company is considering expanding into the area of solar energy. Your

research division has recently patented new inorganic nanoparticles, NanoSunTM

, with excellent

light-harvesting capabilities. The NanoSunTM

particles have the potential to be directly

incorporated into glass, resulting in windows that can also generate electricity.

Your group has been charged with designing and analyzing a process to incorporate NanoSunTM

particles into glass. In the first step of the process, a stream of NanoSunTM

particles is slowly

mixed with a stream of molten glass. This step requires a 30-hp ribbon mixer. The resulting

molten mixture is poured into rectangular molds, 5 ft x 2 ft, carried by a belt conveyor. As the

filled molds travel on the conveyor, the mixture cools to form solid glass panes. This requires a

conveyor belt approximately 100-ft long.

Your group’s assignment is to perform an economic analysis of the process and to determine the

optimum production rate (i.e., the mass flow rate of the solar panels). The molten glass has a

value of $0.50/kg, and the NanoSumTM

particles are $350.00/kg. The final solar panels contain

0.5 wt% NanoSunTM

and can be sold for $10.00/kg. The process requires three highly skilled

operators, who will each be paid $25.00/hour. The utility costs for the blender in $/year are

estimated to be C = 2500 mfeed1.8

, where mfeed is the mass flow rate of molten glass fed to the

process in kg/hr.





Team 17: Draining Oil from Corn Chips

You group works for Surita Snacks, a company focusing on organic snack foods. (Other food

companies that employ chemical engineers are Stacy’s Pita Chips and Frito-Lay). As part of a

process to make corn chips, chips that have just been removed from a fryer are sent to a slotted

pan dryer, where the oil remaining on the chips is drained away.

Your group’s assignment is to perform an economic analysis of the draining process and

determine the production rate (i.e., optimum mass flow rate of drained chips). Based on the in-

house cost of producing the chips that are fed to the draining process, assign a cost of $0.75/kg to

the feed. The chips enter the pan dryer with 5.0% of their mass being oil. The vacuum draining

process results in a stream that is pure oil and the drained chips, which contain 0.1 wt% oil. The

final chips can be sold for $1.25/kg. A pan dryer with a 100 ft2 total drying area is to be

purchased for the process. Utility costs are minimal and are given in $/yr by C = 100 mfeed1.7

,

where mfeed is the mass flow rate of oily chips fed into the process in kg/hr.





Team 18: Purification Process for Cholesterol-Lowering Drug

You group is working for MediTor, a pharmaceutical company. (Another pharmaceutical

company that employs chemical engineers is Vertex). Your R&D group has recently developed a

new cholesterol-lowering drug, ToroidStatTM

. It is relatively easy to produce ToroidStatTM

by

direct organic synthesis, which results in an ethanol solution containing dissolved drug.

However, in order to market the drug, it must be purified from this solution.

Your group has been charged with designing and analyzing a crystallization process to recover

ToroidStatTM

. Your group’s assignment is to determine the optimum production rate, or mass

flow rate, of ToroidStatTM

. Another group in the company has designed a reactor to produce a

solution of ToroidStatTM

in ethanol at a concentration of 21.0 wt%. Based on the in-house cost of

producing this solution, assign a value of $1225/kg to the feed. The evaporator-crystallizer

process produces a solid that is 99.95 wt% ToroidStatTM

and a liquid waste stream. The solid

can be sold for $6000/kg. The process requires three highly skilled operators to run, who will

each be paid $20.00/hour. The process requires a great deal of energy, and the utility costs in

$/year are estimated to be C = 5000 mfeed2.5

, where mfeed is the mass flow rate of feed mixture in

kg/hr.





Team 19: Distillation of Hexane-Triethylamine Mixture

You group works for T-Hex, a chemical company that provides industrial chemicals and solvents

to other firms. (Another company whose main products include additives and solvents and

employs chemical engineers is Ashland). One of your existing processes produces a mixture of

hexane and triethylamine containing 72 wt% hexane. Your firm is considering installing a

distillation column to separate this mixture into a hexane stream and a triethylamine stream of

higher purity.


economically sound decision, and (2) if so, determine the optimum feed flow rate. Since the feed

stream is already produced within the plant, you may neglect the cost of the feed. Hexane of

99.7 wt% purity can be sold for $4.75/kg, and triethylamine of 99.5 wt% purity can be sold for

$7.15/kg. This degree of separation will require a distillation column with 22 trays,

approximately 6-ft in diameter, with a shell weight of 29,000 lbs. The process requires two

highly skilled operators to run, who will each be paid $25.00/hour. Utility costs in $/year are

given by C = 1500 mfeed1.9






Team 20: Emulsification of Lavender Oil

You group works for OohLaLa Scents and Smells, a chemical company that supplies flavors and

fragrances to other manufacturers. (Another company with a focus on flavors, fragrances, and

personal care products that employs chemical engineers is International Flavors and Fragrances).

With the increased market for aromatherapy products, they have recently received several large

orders for emulsions containing lavender oil. The company currently fills these orders with a

small batch process; however, given the increased demand, the management is considering

investing in a continuous process.

Your group’s assignment is to perform an economic analysis of the emulsification process. You

are to make a recommendation to management about the economic feasibility of the continuous

process and, if you recommend developing such a process, to determine the optimum production

rate (i.e., the mass flow rate of the emulsion). The emulsion consists of purified water and

lavender essential oil. Purified water can be purchased for $0.40/kg, and lavender oil is available

for $15.00/kg. The emulsified lotion contains 20.0 wt% oil and can be sold for $3.75/kg. The

process utilizes a 20-hp rotary double-cone blender. The process requires one operator, who will

be paid $12.00/hour. The utility costs for the blender in $/year are estimated to be C = 750

moil1.9

, where moil is the mass flow rate of lavender oil fed to the process in kg/hr.





Team 21: Distillation of Hexane-Triethylamine Mixture

You group works for TexHex, a chemical company based in Texas that provides industrial

chemicals and solvents to other firms. (Another company whose main products include chemical

intermediates supplied to other firms is BASF). One of your existing processes produces a

mixture of hexane and triethylamine containing 45 wt% hexane. Your firm is considering

installing a distillation column to separate this mixture into a hexane stream and a triethylamine

stream of higher purity.


economically sound decision, and (2) if so, determine the optimum feed flow rate. Since the feed

stream is already produced within the plant, you may neglect the cost of the feed. Hexane of

99.5 wt% purity can be sold for $4.75/kg, and triethylamine of 99.8 wt% purity can be sold for

$6.05/kg. This degree of separation will require a distillation column with 24 trays,

approximately 8-ft in diameter, with a shell weight of 38,000 lbs. The process requires three

skilled operators to run, who will each be paid $17.00/hour. Utility costs in $/year are given by

C = 1500 mfeed1.9


While you are working on this problem, the operators at your plant announce that they will go on

strike if they do not receive raises this year. The operators have not received a raise for the past

three years due to the poor economy. The union is requesting raises of 6%, which they argue just

cover cost-of-living increases over the past three years.



design; estimated capital costs; and the estimated ROI. If the management approves the raises

requested by the union, will that change your recommendation? Please discuss this in your

report as well.


Team 22: Mixing Paint

You group works for ColorsAbound, a chemical company specializing in paints and coatings.

(Another company that manufactures paints and employs chemical engineers is Rohm and Haas).

The management is considering competing for a contract to provide reflective yellow paint for a

large road improvement project taking place in Massachusetts. ColorsAbound currently

manufacturers a yellow paint of the correct color; however, an additional unit will have to be

added to mix in the reflective additive.

Your group’s assignment is to perform an economic analysis of the process and advise

management on whether or not to compete for the bid. In the process, Yellow #542 paint will be

mixed with a stream containing 45.0 wt% of the reflective additive. The product stream should

contain 3.25 wt% of additive. Yellow #542 currently sells for $4.25/kg. The mixture containing

the reflective additive costs $15.00/kg, and the state is willing to pay $7.25/kg for the reflective

paint. The process requires one operator, who will be paid $10.50/hour. Your group estimates

that a 250-gal mixer will be needed, and that the utility costs in $/year are approximately C =

400 mpaint2.2

, where mpaint is the mass flow rate of Yellow #542 fed to the process in kg/hr.

As you are completing your analysis, you find out the additional information that government

contract is to provide at least 1,000,000 kg of reflective yellow paint over eight years. Does this

information alter your recommendation to management at all?



design; estimated capital costs; and the estimated ROI. Please comment on how the length of the

contract and the total amount of paint needed influences your recommendation.


Team 23: Water Remediation

You group is working for EnviroSolutions, a firm specializing in industrial wastewater treatment.

(A similar company that employs chemical engineers is Veolia Environmental Services). You

have recently entered into a partnership with another chemical firm to remove a toxic

contaminant from one of their water streams. The contaminant is present in the water stream at a

level of 1.2 wt% and is in the form of small solid particles suspended in water. In order for the

waste stream to be released to the environment or recycled for home or personal use, the

contaminant must be reduced to 0.00001 wt%.

Your team proposes to remove the contaminant through the use of a continuous centrifugal filter

process. The process results in a solid that is essentially 100 wt% contaminant and a treated

water stream containing 0.00001 wt% contaminant. There is no cost associated with the feed,

and your partner will pay you $2.15/kg of treated water that is produced. Utility costs in $/year


, where mfeed is the mass flow rate of feed oil in kg/hr. Your

team has recently designed a very similar system, and from this you know that the purchase cost

for the centrifugal filter will be $87,500.




Date post:	03-Oct-2021
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ENGIN 110 Process Design and Economics Project Team 1 ...

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