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PEME1000 Technical Skills and Applications

Instructions for Group Research Project
PROCESS ENGINEERING STUDENTS

1 Introduction
This introductory group project constitutes a major part of your coursework for the
module. The design of processing plants is a major aspect of all process-based
engineering degree programmes and with this coursework you will gain your first
experience of the design process.
In the professional world process design is carried out by groups of engineers rather
than by individuals and the project is therefore structured around group work. You
have been assigned to a group of students and you will tackle the problem together.
However, the result of the project will be marked individually in order to ensure that
everyone in the group contributes to the project.
The details of how to structure your work and how you will be assessed can be found
below. It is very important that you read this entire document with care so that
you understand clearly what is expected of you. If in any doubt, please ask
your group advisor!

2 Objective
By the end of this project each student should have been introduced to the basic
principles of process engineering design and to the process of developing and
integrating unit operation into a process flow diagram by linking group project work
with individual activities.

3 The Project and its Sub-Components

Your assessment for the design project will be based on a single report submitted by
each group, coupled with the production of an oral presentation. The report will
contain a number of prescribed sections, some of which should be written jointly,
and some will be written by individual group members as identified below.

Each section has a word limit: provide a word count at the end of each section and
do not write more than the prescribed word limit. However, please note that the
number of words specified is a maximum but fewer words are also fine, provided that
the corresponding section is complete, clear and coherent.
The word limit does not include any graphics or tables that you will need to add to
illustrate the report. The various report sections and headings are as follows:
 Title page
 Executive summary
 Table of contents
 Introduction

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 Process route evaluation, process selection
 Process Flow Diagram (this should not be a separate heading/section
but should be integrated in the appropriate section)
 Ethical issues associated with the plant
 Sources and Properties of Raw Materials
 Discussion of Unit Operations and Issues of Materials of Construction
 Process Chemistry, Process Operating Conditions and Associated
Challenges
 Uses and Applications of the Product
 Health and Safety and Environmental Issues
 Process Economics
 Conclusions
 Acknowledgments
 References
 Appendix

3.1 Title page

This should give the Project Title, group number, names of group members,
submission date, module code and group advisor.

3.2 Executive summary (group responsibility, up to 200 words)

In the executive summary you should provide a concise summary and a specific
statement of your findings for a general audience. It should be no more than 200
words in length and provide the reader with an overview of the content of the entire
report together with a summary of the most important findings.

3.3 Table of Contents (group responsibility, fits on 1 page)

Following the executive summary you should provide a table of contents identifying
the titles of the chapters of your report and the page they begin on. You should also
highlight the individual chapters by providing the author’s name in those chapters’
entries.

3.4 Introduction (group responsibility, up to 500 words)

Use the introduction to state the problem, to give any necessary background
information and to provide a route map for the report. The aims of the work presented
in the report should be specified in this section. You should also indicate the chosen
location for your plant and briefly justify it.

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3.5 Process route evaluation, process selection (group responsibility, up to

2000 words)
You will research the manufacture of the product assigned to your group. You should
identify feasible processes and discuss their relative merits based upon the points for
research below. You should identify one process (if several were found) for which
you will develop a process flow diagram and justify your choice based upon the
information you have gathered.
In researching your process you should consider:
 the process chemistry and alternative chemical routes to your product.
 the uses and applications for the product including product markets.
 the chemicals (reactants, solvents etc.) required and their sources.
 the physical properties of all chemicals required (Boiling point, melting point,
solubility of one component in another, miscibility of components…)
 thermodynamics of reaction(s) (are they endothermic, exothermic? Heats of
reaction).
 types of unit operation required to carry out the process.
This section should contain brief descriptions of the main process routes (if more
than one) for the process in question. Be particular to show simplified process flow
diagrams for each of these routes and to show relevant chemical equations. Give a
critical appraisal of the suggested process in terms of technology and current
commercial viability (this will necessarily be more from what you read than any
analysis of your own). It should conclude with a soundly argued case for the chosen
process route which should be described in fuller detail and with a more detailed
process flow diagram.

3.6 Process Flow Diagram (group responsibility)

You should provide a process flow diagram designed on AutoCAD works (graphical
representations of the unit operations and the material streams that connect them) for
the chosen process route identified and address details of the process you have
selected for further discussion. The process flow diagram should be properly
annotated with names of the process units - not just code numbers - temperatures
and pressures.
The process flow diagrams must be prepared using the AutoCAD works software that
is available on the computer clusters. This task should build on all the knowledge
about the software acquired during the corresponding practical in week 8.

3.7 Ethical issues associated with the plant (group responsibility – up to 500
words):
In this section you should briefly discuss the nature of potential ethical issues
associated with the human impact of your project (not including safety concerns).
This may include issues associated with the chosen process route, the plant location,
the effects on local and broader communities, the uses of the produced material, the
transport of raw materials and products, etc.

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You should structure this section clearly (using sub-headings where necessary) and
appropriately justify the ethical challenges you are describing by explaining why they
are specifically relevant to your process, your plant, the materials/products involved
in your project.

3.8 Sources & Properties of Raw Material Feedstocks (individual

responsibility, up to 1200 words)
Here you should discuss all the raw materials you require to produce the final
product. Note that this includes all reagents and reactants, plus other process
materials, such as catalysts, absorbents etc. Your discussion should include possible
sources and suppliers of the raw materials (tabulated, if possible) as well as a
discussion of their physical properties with reference to the selected process.
Estimates of typical raw materials costs should be provided.
Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are a useful resource for information on
materials hazards and on physical properties. One web-based resource for
understanding what MSDS are and how to read them is the Interactive Learning
Paradigms Incorporated websites on the following page:
http://www.ilpi.com/msds/faq/parta.html#whatis. In order to find MSDS, you will have
to look for chemical suppliers (such as Sigma-Aldrich, VWR, Alfa Aesar or Fisher
Scientific) websites and search for the corresponding chemicals.
In this section, one should try to forecast the raw material supply situation for about
five years ahead, to secure the availability of feedstock but at the same time not to
get locked into long-term purchase contracts if there is likely to be a drop in the price
of raw materials and utilities. The political stability of countries supplying the raw
materials is a factor, which should also be addressed. This section should consider
the currently available feed stock and how it might be affected by national or world
supply problems in the future. Additionally, consider the possible future movements in
markets for the product in question.

3.9 Discussion of Unit Operations and Assessment of any Issues Related to

Materials of Construction (individual responsibility, up to 1200 words)
In this section you should discuss in detail the unit operations that occur in your
selected process. In your discussion you should describe the unit operations with
respect to their function in the process and provide alternatives for any given
operation and discuss their merits (e.g. fixed bed catalytic reactor vs. fluidised bed
catalytic reactor). You may wish to consider, if appropriate, reactors, equipment for
heat transfer, separation operations, purification of the product, recycling of material
streams. The discussion should centre on the final process flow diagram as given in
the earlier section.
This section should also reflect the fact the choice of process might have significant
implications for the materials of construction of the plant items. This section should
consist of an analysis of potential problems including, but not limited to, corrosion,
catalyst poisoning and introduction of impurities. There will be implications for plant
life, maintenance requirements, capital costs, operating costs and ease of operation
arising from the decisions made on materials and these should be fully explored and
described, followed by a reasoned case for the chosen materials in each plant
section.

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3.10 Process Chemistry, Process Operating Conditions and Associated

Challenges (individual responsibility, up to 1200 words)
In this section you should discuss the chemistry of your process. This will include a
discussion of the chemistry associated with the main reaction, any side reactions as
well as the process conditions (e.g. pressure, temperature) with reference to the
thermodynamics and the kinetics of the main reaction and side reactions. You should
identify challenges to the engineer in implementing the process such as difficult
process conditions or conflicting process condition requirements as a result of the
thermodynamics and kinetics of the main reaction and explain how the engineer
might resolve these challenges.
You should include reaction schemes for the main product as well as for any side
reaction you may have identified. Neatly hand-drawn reactions schemes inserted into
the text as figures are acceptable, you may, however, wish to explore simple
molecular drawing softwares (such as ACD/ChermSketch -
http://www.acdlabs.com/resources/freeware/chemsketch/, ChemDoodle -
http://www.chemdoodle.com/, or Marvin -
http://www.chemaxon.com/products/marvin/?gclid=CN-ot62crMICFeLItAodyF0AsQ)
of which you can download free or a free trial period.

3.11 Uses and Applications of the Product (individual responsibility, up to 1200

words)
In this section you will discuss the further uses of your product. You should consider
general areas where the product is applied (e.g. as a bulk material for other
processes, as a precursor for other products or for its direct application in everyday
goods and products). You should also analyse possible markets for the product in the
light of its applications and review current provision.
The review should also try to assess the likely future market demand for the product,
bearing in mind the presence and impact of competitive manufacturers, the possibility
of technical obsolescence and, if relevant, the commercial and political stability of
major markets and customer countries.

3.12 Safety, Health and Environmental Issues (individual responsibility, up to

1200 words)
In this section you should discuss the hazards inherent to the process and consider
the risk that these hazards pose. In particular, you should consider the hazards
posed by the process equipment as well as those posed by the materials being
processed. Suggestions should be made as to how risks can be managed with a
view to protecting the people on site and those in the proximity of the site. This
should not include human environmental impact.
This section should consist of a discussion of the potential environmental impact of
the process. You should consider both the impact of the process under normal day-
to-day operating conditions as well as the impact the process may have in case of
failure. Amongst others you should investigate the environmental consequences of
generating and transporting the raw materials (including natural resources used such
as water and energy sources), the waste generated by the process and its disposal,

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and the impact any of the chemicals may have on the immediate surroundings in
case of uncontrolled release due to an accident.

3.13 Process Economics (individual responsibility, up to 1200 words)

THIS SECTION IS ONLY TO BE ATTEMPTED BY THOSE GROUPS WITH 6
MEMBERS
Here, you should consider the costs involved in constructing, running and maintaining
a plant for your process as well as external factors that will influence the viability of
your process. In particular, you should differentiate between short term and long term
costs and consider factors that could impact upon the income generated by the
process. Detailed economic calculations are not required.

3.14 Conclusions (group responsibility, up to 300 words)

The conclusions should summarise your report and pull together the main findings of
both the group and individual chapters: it should not contain any additional
discussion.

3.15 Acknowledgments (group responsibility, up to 200 words)

Brief acknowledgments should be made to all who have contributed (or not) to the
group work itself and the production of the final report. This section should also be to
draw attention to any significant problems encountered, particularly issues out with
the group’s direct control.

3.16 References (group responsibility)

You must provide a list of references detailing the literature you used as sources of
information for your project. References must clearly identify the source material and
should be appended to the text of the report using numerical style. At the appropriate
location in the text, identify the cited reference by its number in the list of references.
Be sure to follow the guidance you have received throughout the semester on
avoiding plagiarism!

3.17 Appendix – Minutes of meeting (group responsibility)

The project will involve significant research work by the group outside formal lectures.
This work should be brought together in formal group meetings. These should be
chaired by one group member with another member acting as secretary, taking notes
and recording actions. Copies of the minutes of these meetings should be provided in
the Appendix.

4 Initial Literature Search

To help you get started in your research, you should consult references 1–5 as
possible sources for general information and further references. General literature on

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the processing of organic chemicals can be found in the library and should be
consulted. Organic chemistry textbooks may contain useful information on the
chemistry of your process. Two examples are given below (references 6 and 7).

1. Ullmann’s Encyclopedia Of Industrial Chemistry, Fritz Ullmann et al. (Eds.),

Verlag Chemie, Weinheim, 1990
2. Kirk Othmer Encyclopedia Of Chemical Technology, J.I. Kroschwitz (Ed.),
Wiley, New York, 1998
3. The Encyclopedia of Chemistry, C.A. Hampel, G.G. Hawley, Van Nostrand
Reinhold, New York, 1973
4. Landolt-Börnstein Numerical Data and Functional Relationships in Science
and Technology, R. Börnstein et al., Springer, Berlin, 1984.
5. The CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, D. R. Lide (Ed.), CRC Press,
Boca Raton 1996
6. Organic Chemistry, R.J. Fessenden, J.S. Fessenden, Brooks/Cole, Monterrey,
1986
7. Organic Chemistry, R.T. Morrison, R.N. Boyd, Allyn & Bacon, Boston, 1987.
Make sure you keep a careful note of the source of any statement or diagram that
you extract from references. You do not want to be looking back through all the
references when you come to write your report to find the information again.

5 Milestones for Keeping Track of Your Work

Although you will work on this project in a group, this does not mean that you will do
everything together. In order to work efficiently and to complete the project
successfully, you will have to divide the work between you with each individual group
member taking responsibility for one aspect of the project as set out below.
The individual sections are, to some degree, dependent upon each other, so you will
need to discuss your work with the other group members on a regular basis, in order
to ensure that you produce a coherent document that avoids repetition and makes
suitable reference to those sections produced by others that are relevant to yours.
It is important that you keep track of your work and the work of your colleagues in the
group. This is best done through regular project meetings. The group should initially
elect a meeting chair and secretary with these posts rotating round group members if
necessary. You should document these meetings by keeping minutes of what you
and the other group members have achieved since your last meeting, circulate this
via email within 4 hours (copy to group advisor) and review and record your planned
work for the period to the next meeting.

A template for meeting minutes is attached in Appendix A1

In the group meetings, you should also discuss how to split the work between you
(this is especially important in the early stages of the project where you have not yet
assigned report sections to individual group members). Notes of your colleagues’
achievements will also help you assessing them at the end of the project (see below).
In order to help you plan and structure your work you should aim to reach the
milestones below at the time suggested:

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 Semester 1 / Week 9-10 – general lecture on group projects and initial
allocation to groups; allocation of aircraft to groups;
 Semester 1 / Week 11 –allocation of individual aspects of design;
 January activities / Jan. 12th-14th –overview of possible processes, review of
their chemistry and decision on the selected process;
 January activities / Jan. 15th – block diagrams of ALL processes, discussion on
progress of sections;
 January activities / Jan. 16th – collation of all resource materials and
associated physical data, begin writing report;
 January activities / Jan. 19th – flow diagrams for ALL process options
completed using Autocad software selection of individual final process,
continue writing report;
 January activities / Jan. 20th – individual sections completed, group sections
being finalised accordingly;
 January activities / Jan. 21st –draft report complete, begin assembling final
report, oral presentation fully designed and practised;
 January activities / Jan. 23rd – report complete and submitted.

Please note that individual group advisors will make time for meeting their groups
throughout the January activities but it is your responsibility to schedule these
meetings.

6 Presentation Style/Structure for Your Report

It is an important part of the training of a professional engineer to be able to write

reports which are both clear and informative in content as well as having a high
standard of production. In industry the effective presentation of engineering design
work can often form a key component in securing new business customers. Hence in
this design report groups must adhere to a strict house style.
Please read and note the following details.
 Reports should be typed using Microsoft WORD in Times New Roman, font
size 12 in double-spaced format. Select margins  2.5cm (left, right, top,
bottom) and insert page numbers (bottom, centred, italic, font size 10) and
printed on A4 paper.
 Add headers (font size 10) giving name, date, module code. Add in section
headings and sub-headings in BOLD text and number these.
 All figures and tables should be numbered with reference to the section they
are in and must be cross-referenced to the text. Where figures/tables are
taken from literature/web, a reference number is needed in the caption with
the citation detailed at the end (single spaced, font size 10, indent 1cm from
left and right hand side margins). Captions should be detailed enough to allow
the reader to understand the figure or table without needing immediate
reference to the text.

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 References should be placed using the numerical style.
 Add executive summary at the start of the report and provide a contents page
with page numbers. Provide a front cover (font size 28) with assignment title,
student names, module code and date.
 Paragraphs (leave one extra line, no indent) should be used to break up the
text where appropriate.
 Except for the Executive Summary, which should be written in the present
tense, all sections should be mostly written using the passive voice, i.e. it is
best not to use “I or we” in the report unless unavoidable. The use of the first
person should be avoided if possible.
 Add in a word count for all sections. This does not include figures, tables and
their captions.
 Add in the name of the group member authoring each individual section.

The report should be submitted online before the deadline. A bound paper
copy should also be submitted to the coursework box before the deadline.

7 Group Supervision and Mentoring

Each group is assigned an advisor who will guide you through your research and the
process of developing the process flow diagram. Your advisor will help you structure
your work and will give you advice on how to approach problems you will encounter
in the process.
Your advisor will be available for you at prearranged times for meetings. You should
meet as a group prior to a meeting with the advisor and prepare the questions you
would like to ask them – this will ensure best use of your time with your group
advisor. Details of the group meetings with the advisor are to be recorded in minutes,
which should subsequently be attached in the appendix of your report.

It is YOUR responsibility for scheduling the meetings with your

supervisor.

8 Assignment Assessment and Submission

Although you will submit a group report, you will receive an individual mark for the
project. Your individual mark will be calculated from:
- a mark for the group sections of the report (35% of the final project mark, each
group member will receive the same mark for these sections). These marks are
subdivided as follows:
- AutoCAD Works design and discussion of the Flow diagram (50%)
- Ethics (20%)
- General group sections (executive summary/conclusion/introduction) (20%)

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- General presentation of the report (10%)
- a mark for the individual section (35%),
- a peer assessed mark (10%) and
- a mark for the group oral presentation (20%).

Your overall mark for this task (all of the above) represents 40% of the final mark for
the PEME1000 module.
In order for you to understand how the reports are going to be marked, detailed
criteria for grading are included in this document in Appendices A2–A5. Read these
Appendices carefully, as they set out what the assessors will be looking for in your
reports.

Submission deadline for the group report: Friday Jan. 23rd at 4pm.

8.1 Plagiarism

Please note that plagiarism is a serious offence and will be penalised in accordance
with the guidelines set out in your student handbook.

8.2 Peer assessed mark

This gives you the opportunity to mark the other members of your group. The marks
you give to any one of the other group members should reflect the amount of effort
you perceive they have contributed to the report. If they have made an outstanding
contribution you may give them a high proportion of the marks, if they have done
nothing to contribute to the report you may not want to give any marks at all.
The total number of marks you will have to share amongst your colleagues will be set
by the size of your group, to ensure fairness between groups.
Do not assess your own contribution in the peer review, leave this to others.
The peer assessment should be carried out at the end of the project and you should
submit your marks for the other group members at the time your report is submitted.
Your marks should be recorded on the attached Peer Assessment Mark Sheet. Peer
assessment marks are confidential: you should not tell your colleagues how
you marked them and mark sheets should be submitted separately and
individually.
If you do not submit your peer assessment for the other group members you will lose
your peer assessed marks.

Submission deadline for peer assessment: Monday Jan. 26th at 12noon.

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8.3 When to submit the work

Your reports must be up-loaded into the VLE via Turnitin and a hard copy submitted
to the coursework box by normal coursework procedures by:
16:00 Friday 24th January 2014.
All submissions, and peer assessments must be f.a.o. Dr Olivier Cayre, PEME 1000.

8.4 Late submissions

The date/time of upload of the electronic submission on the VLE will be taken as the
formal submission moment. Late reports will be penalised in accordance with the
procedures set out in the SPEME UG Student Handbook.

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Appendix A1: PEME1000 Technical Skills and Applications

Group Project Assignment

Minutes of Group Meeting

Names of Students:

Name of Advisor(s):

Title of Project:

Date of Last Meeting: Date of Current Meeting:

Progress:

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Aims for next meeting:

Name of Minute Secretary Signature Date

Signature of Advisor

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Appendix A2 (a): PEME1000 Technical Skills and Applications

Group Project Assignment Assessment Sheet

Group: # Title:

Group Assessment of the report presentation

Mark Comments
Heading
Title page contains all requested
/1
information.
List of contents fits on one page
/1
and gives accurate information.
Free of grammatical/spelling
/1
errors.
Structure of the report follows
/1
guidelines.
SI units are used and always
/1
shown in the data.
Titles and legends of figures
always given and appropriately /1
positioned.
References are well balanced
(between websites, textbooks and
/1
journal articles) and appropriately
expressed.
Word Count is indicated for all
sections and follows the /1
guidelines.
Writing style is suitable for an
/1
academic report.

All minutes of the meetings /1

present in the appendices.
TOTAL /10

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Appendix A2 (b): PEME1000 Technical Skills and Applications

Group Project Assignment Assessment Sheet

Group: # Title:

Group Assessment of the general report sections

Mark Comments
Heading
Executive summary: (up to 200
words): concise summary for a
general audience providing an
/5
overview of the content of the entire
report together with a summary of the
most important findings.
Introduction: (group responsibility, up
to 500 words): state the problem, to
give any necessary background
information and discuss the aims of /2.5
the report. Briefly explains the
structure of the report and justifies
the plant location.
Process Selection, Process
Evaluation and Process Flow
Diagram(s) (group responsibility, up
to 2000 words): The discussion in
this chapter should introduce the
different possible processes for the /10
manufacture of the corresponding
chemical. It should describe the
advantages and drawbacks of each
process and justify the choice of one
specific process.
Conclusion: (group responsibility, up
to 300 words): The conclusion should
summarise your report and pull
together the information in the
individual chapters: it should not
contain any additional discussion. It
/2.5
should highlight the most important
discussion points and outcomes of
the report. It should also specifically
link the information above to the aims
of the report as presented in the
introduction.
TOTAL /20

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Appendix A2 (c): PEME1000 Technical Skills and Applications

Group Project Assignment Assessment Sheet

Group: # Title:

Group Assessment of the Flow diagram drawn on AutoCAD works

Mark Comments
Heading
All operating conditions given on the
/15
flow diagram.
Flow diagram is discussed
appropriately and referred to /25
throughout the report.
Good overall presentation of the flow
diagram – appropriate font, legend, /10
title.
TOTAL /50

Group Assessment of the Ethics section of the report

Mark Comments
Heading
Organisation of the section: logical
order of the concepts presented, /6
good balance of arguments.
Clarity of the section: well described
arguments, justification for each /7
concept discussed.
Relevance of the arguments
presented: concepts described must
/7
be of significant importance to the
designed plant.
TOTAL /20

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Appendix A3: PEME1000 Technical Skills and Applications

Group Project Assignment Assessment Sheet

Individual Chapters
Criterion/Grade A (100 – 70%) B (69 – 60%) C (59 – 50%) D (49 – 40%) Fail (< 40%)
Structure & Well organised Mostly well Structured Some attempt Disorganised
Presentation throughout, organised, attempt, evidence at structure or
good structure. appropriate of organisation. and inappropriate
Organisation,
Appropriate structure. References organisation, structure
logical order,
content in Mostly adequate but
referencing system
sections. appropriate inappropriate.
content,
references used
but some
inconsistencies.
Accuracy & Accurate and Good Understanding of Inaccuracies Much
Understanding thorough, well understanding the subject but not evident, some inaccurate
argued of the subject effectively limited and
Understanding of
displaying an matter, mostly focussed. Some understanding unfocussed
material, accuracy
understanding accurate. inaccuracies or of the
of argument
of the subject misunderstandings material
matter
Coverage Comprehensive Evidence of Some evidence of Little Much
coverage of reading beyond reading, some evidence of irrelevant or
Comprehensiveness,
material. simple internet illustrative reading missing
relevance, evidence
Evidence of browser search, material. beyond material, lack
of reading, research,
reading well references are simple of reference,
exemplification (e.g.
beyond simple relevant, good internet poor use of
calculations,
internet browser use of browser illustrative
graphical
search. illustrative search, little materials.
presentation,
Effective and material. use of
reaction schemes)
relevant use of illustrative
exemplification. material.
Clarity Coherent Mostly Generally Some clarity, Little
document coherent with a coherent, lack in but too coherence
Coherence,
clearly clear attempt at uniformity of style simplistic. No
criticality, fluency
assembled by creating a but with some uniform style.
group with uniform style. attempt at creating
uniform style. Some clarity of a uniform style.
Clarity of expression, Some lack in
expression, some attempt clarity.
demonstrates at critical
critical thought. analysis.

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