Design of Industrial Water Cooled Chiller for Recycle Cyclohexane in Polyethylene Plant
- 1 Department of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
- 2 Department of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
- 3 Department of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Abstract
The research was aimed at providing water for cooling recycled cyclohexane in polyethylene plant to 15°C. This research could be redounding to the benefit of polyethylene plants that are using solution based polymerization technique. A chiller unit of 630 T, which has compressor power input of 378.33 kW and can provide chilled water capable of cooling recycle cyclohexane to 15°C, was designed using Aspen Hysys version 7.1. Four different refrigerants were tested to know the best fit refrigerant for the design and the best among them was R134a. The designed chiller has a coefficient of performance of 6.3 and a capacity greater than that of the defective chiller (550 TR). Unlike the defective chiller, with the increased cooling capacity and corresponding increase in compressor power from 296 kW to 378.6 kW, it could discharge chilled water capable of cooling recycle cyclohexane from 38°C to 15°C without tripping of the unit. With this design, ethylene absorption rate could increase to 40 T/h. Evaporator and condenser were designed and duties were 2166.39 KJ/sec and 2544.72 KJ/sec respectively. A thermostatic expansion valve with flow coefficient of 46.17 gpm was designed. The designed suction and discharge pressure were 414 kpa and 1053 kpa respectively while condenser temperature of 40°C was used for the design. The cooling of recycle cyclohexane from 38°C to 15°C using the chilled water supplied by the designed chiller was simulated using Aspen Hysys.
- Marshal, I. (1991) Schlairtech Process Technology [Plant Training Manual]. Polyethylene Plant, Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited Port Harcourt.
- Tommaso, C., Frans, V., Maryam, T., Nicolaas, F., Francesco, B., Giuseppe, S. and Massimo, M. (2018) The Effect of Residence Time Distribution on the Slurry-Phase Catalytic Ethylene Polymerization: An Experimental and Computational Study. Macromolecular Engineering, 12, 3.
- Atan, M., Hussain, M., Abbasi, R., Khan, M. and Fazly Abdul Patah, M. (2019) Advances in Mathematical Modeling of Gas-Phase Olefin Polymerization. Process, 7, 67. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr7020067
- Rajput, R.K. (2008) Heat and Mass Transfer in SI Units. 2nd Ed., S. Schand & Company PVT. Ltd., New Delhi.
- Jayesh, S.A. and Neeraj, K.C. (2014) Design and Performance Analysis of Water Chiller—A Research. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications, 4, 19-25.
- Shan, K.W. (2000) Handbook for Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. 2nd Ed., Mc Graw Hills Publications, New York.
- Hart, I. (2005) Engineering Thermodynamics, a First Course. Gen Computer Solution, Port Harcourt.
- Smith, J.M., Van-Ness, H.C. and Abbott, M.M. (2005) Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics. 7th Ed., Mc Graw-Hills Publications, New York.
- Campbel, J.M. (2014) Gas Conditioning and Processing: The Equipment and Modules. 9th Ed., Vol. 2, Norman, Oklahoma.
- Tony, G. (2010) Compressor Handbook: Principles and Practice. The Fairmont Press, Inc., New Delhi.
- Desai, P.S. (2004) Modern Refrigeration & Air Conditioning for Engineers. Khanna Publishers, New Delhi.
- Sinnott, R. and Gavin, T. (2009) Chemical Engineering Design. 5th Ed., Vol. 6, Burlington, USA.
- Engineering Tool Box. (2018) Resources, Tools and Basic Information for Engineering and Design of Technical Applications. http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/
- Cao, Y., Huang, L.Q., Cui, Z.G. and Liu, J. (2018) The Optimal Operation of Cooling Tower Systems with Variable Frequency Control. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environment, 113, Article ID: 012085.
- American Society of Heating, R.A.A.E. (2013) 2013 ASHRAE Handbook: Fundamentals (Inch-Pound Ed.) ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA.