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Project

I have satisfactorily completed two major projects during my academics. Design of an Adsorption column packing retainer was about learning the mechanical design of the column and ascertaining the following effect of the design parameters on the performance of the Adsorption process. It also required thorough knowledge of Solidworks modeling and simulation of stress analyses as well as the cost required to push the gas across the column. 
 
Second was Debottlenecking of Methanol-Water Distillation column which was basically simulation study performed on CHEMCAD. The study required a thorough understanding of the suitable thermodynamic model for the activity co-efficient like NRTL, UNIQUAC, WILSON, UNIFAC etc. The Thermo expert system was used for selection of the K-value model. Tedious calculations and simulation study confirmed that the NRTL model for k-value and Latent heat model for enthalpy will give desired result. 

Academic Projects
Adsorption column packing retainer for better gas distribution at reduced pressure drop

August 2015- December 2015

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  • Worked for the team aiming to generate oxygen from the atmosphere with a backpack sized device working on PSA process for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients

  • Modeled various packing retainers on Solidworks and discussed how it affect the adsorption process using early design validation

  • Prototyped (3D printing) column packing retainer which is having higher strength (~22%) and endurance with reducing pressure drop across the column (~9%) 

  • Data acquisition on LabWindows, Linear Stress Analysis/ Finite element analysis (FEA) and Fluid Flow Analysis/ Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using SolidWorks simulation

Anchor 1

Highlights of the Solidworks model that was evaluated and prototyped in a 3D printer. It was designed to meet the specifications of the adsorption column in a way that the pressure drop decreased across the column (~9%) because of headspace, which provided enough room for the gas to distribute throughout the diameter of the column and flow with the ease. It satisfies the Stress analysis simulation in Solidworks as well as Flow simulation. 

Anchor 2
Debottlenecking of Methanol-Water distillation column

August 2011- May 2012

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When an Ammonia plant starts operating at a higher load, it results in a higher throughput on the distillation column which regenerates methanol from water's other impurities. Due to the increment in flow rates and changes in the content of water in streams, the distillation tower was not operating satisfactorily and had some issues regarding top and bottom product. Methanol content in bottom stream was remaining very high (10%). Slippages of methanol (40 MT per year) along with water going effluent from the bottom of the tower was very high which therein causes environmental problems.

 

The objective of the simulation study on CHEMCAD was to find a cost-effective solution for the performance improvement of the column with the aforementioned high feed flow and high water content operating conditions.

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Simulation of the column shows the following outcomes:

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  • Simulation study shows that if the modification will be carried out, the Distillation column will give excellent performance.

  • Water content in the top product will remain less than 0.7% even when there is more than 1% water in feed stream. This will maintain the water content in circulating methanol between 0.5% to 0.7% and will meet the process requirement.

  • Methanol content in bottom product will reduce to 500~700 ppm which was remaining in the range of 5000 to 20000 ppm. This will reduce the methanol loss (40 MT per year).

  • It will solve the effluent problems of high COD (chemical oxygen demand).

  • The startup of the system will also become smooth and stabilization time is expected to be reduced.

  • The total saving by implementing this scheme will about INR. 3 lacs per annum by saving 40 MT per annum of methanol going to effluent. The total modification cost is estimated around INR. 3 lacs only. The pay-back period of the scheme will be only one year.

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