Process Design and Optimization: Analysis of an Ethylbenzene Production Plant

Author

Jonathan Butler VanVeckhoven, University of Mississippi. Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College

Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Chemical Engineering

First Advisor

Adam Smith

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This thesis will cover the steps I took to evaluate an ethylbenzene production plant. I, along with my senior design team, was first tasked with optimizing a vapor-phase ethylbenzene production plant based off of a given base case. Our team was able to improve the net present value of the plant from -$4.8 million to $70.4 million through discrete optimization. After the vapor-phase plant was evaluated, I was tasked with creating a base case, liquid-phase ethylbenzene production plant. I explain the theory behind process flow diagram development, then explain how I produced the process flow diagram and stream table for the base case.

Recommended Citation

VanVeckhoven, Jonathan Butler, "Process Design and Optimization: Analysis of an Ethylbenzene Production Plant" (2018). Honors Theses. 474.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/474

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