",.

"
Synthesis and Design report, Group MY, Biogas from Waste Assessment Mark Process synthesis routes [18 marks) Design Basis [10 marks) Overall Material balance and Block Flow Plant diagram [10 marks) Block Flow Process Diagrams and Physical Properties database [12 marks) Total [50 marks) 16 7

7
9 39

Comments
Excellent Abstract product" support. identifying that immediate identifies the proposed plant, summarises its features and rationale, its location, the end-market for the product (methane), and the capacity of the plant, all well written sets the context (but in general in this type of report, below". Similarly, (except "biinstead of

should be "by-product"). Process Synthesis

The Introduction [this or that)",

well, concisely and with good literature is a present document although that linking

Routes is well overviewed don't

"it is essential to consider

just do so). Also, a report

refers to itself in the present; sentences are important an introduction context"; persistently be italicised. to a helpful Justification,

use phrases like "will be explained

in some contexts, to give coherence, it is not necessary always to finish a section with will be considered and put into The report leading and of this type detracts from, rather than adding to, the coherence. and chemical equations should not be italicised; of the various operations that "market picture

to the next section, e.g. on P7, "Now mechanical pre-treatment

excessive signposting misuses semi-colons, summary although table.

later, units should also not Route Selection

However, the descriptions

are clear, detailed and authoritative, 3 - Synthesis

This leads naturally

to the next section,

this opens by indicating a helpful followed

analysis of each potential market

process route will be Section of (but independent

analysed", which seems strange as a market analysis ought to be independent 3.1 does indeed potential present and detailed of the bio-methane process routes), by Section 3.2 in which "gross profit

of the synthesis route.

analysis is conducted

and analysed

based on the potential

routes",

although

it is stated that these are all based on food waste as the feedstock, so In the end, the two routes is digestion is based on food waste, and biomass gasification

I'm still waiting to understand

how the routes can affect the gross profit analysis.

are not both based on food waste; anaerobic

based on dry wood chips. This sort of gross profit analysis is not the most robust or reliable basis for selecting a process route and should not play such a prominent Justification, communicated through odds with the previous section integration collection.
./

role. Section 3.3 then presents the Route Selection and analysis to differentiate is reasonably effective, between with good

a decision tree (that includes only food waste, not wood chip, again at this means of communication

and with the concept of using gross profit

synthesis routes); apart from this confusion, The economic considerations underestimate

between the figure and text, although the final statement Sustainability and safety are considered at an appropriate

of the selected process is not very clear. level at this stage. The Design Basis or how much

the impact on profit that could arise from costs of food waste for 5000 kW with no

starts by considering justification,

an appropriate

plant capacity, although in the end plumps arbitrarily with available quantities.

and no sense of context, i.e. how this compares with national electricity compared are too expensive for an operation at this scale!

production

food waste this represents discover that gas turbines

They are also in for a shock when they The choice of plant location

between China, India and the UK appears unrealistic as a scenario; nevertheless, a plausible case is made for locating the plant in Liverpool, including consideration of environmental regulations and incentives. Food waste sources are considered, required for the plant. of gas injection value product, conversion, or electricity but there generation is still a missing link between generation considered on economic the quantities available and those The product quality for electricity this as "more is identified and specified, and the choice electricity to be a higher the for loss of energy during

bases, showing spelled

but misinterpreting

profitable", By-products

as it accounts (correctly

but not for the cost of the turbine.

now) are then considered,

leading to a clear block diagram, thoroughly described in terms of the process, and then a more detailed process flow diagram and identification of equipment items. Process heuristics are employed explicitly and systematically via a table, although the numbering of the heuristics is not explained, and there is no textual summary of the main consequences to the process of considering these heuristics. Having described the process flow diagram in detail, a brief material balance leads to a stream table, followed by a longer energy balance, the relevance of which is not really summarised. which the report abruptly Physical properties and safety information follow, at the ends; it would have rounded the report off more helpfully to have summarised