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Systematic Methods of Chemical Process Design

Systematic methods for chemical process design continue to develop as designers try to navigate the rigorous requirements placed on the process. By creating a system to test the process, a designer can determine where the design is landing on all the requirement levels. Not only does the designer have to take into account the technical and economic restraints, but he must also consider the social and environmental impact the chemical design has.

Flow Sheets
- Flow sheets are the basis for systematic developments. They allow the designer to visualize the process as well as all the expectations put on a particular project. As the designer walks through the chemical development, he can mark each area in which output causes some glitch or defies desires. The visual accompaniment gives the designer the opportunity to make changes prior to the testing phase in order to save money and time.
Testing
- The next step in systematic chemical process design is testing. This means testing the manufacturing of the chemical. Done on a small scale, this allows the engineer to determine the accuracy of the flow sheet and the schematics of the process. Certain areas might need to be adjusted to take into account limitations on emissions, heat and safety. The goal is to figure out the most efficient way to produce the chemical while causing the least amount of damage.
Problem Analysis
- For all the issues that arise during the testing process, engineers go back and analyze the problems created. This means looking at every unsatisfactory part of the manufacturing and deciding on a way to make it work a little bit better. Sometimes this means going back to the flow sheet phase or finding different raw materials to work with. As solutions are discovered, the engineer must decide how must to integrate the new options into the process.
Restructuring
- The restructuring of the process works to provide the best integrated process possible, taking into account technical, ecological, economic and social aspects. Whether it be cost-cutting or design flaw, the restructuring portion allows designers to fix issues before the larger manufacturing process starts. It sends the system back to the testing phase, but ultimately produces the most efficient chemical production process possible at the time. Restructuring can also occur on old chemical production schematics. As new technologies become available, it is important to consider changing working systems to run more effectively.

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