Cooling loop capacity in batch process. 1

[Vaione]

hey all,

I would like to have the chance to study the cooling loop capacity for the long run. It may be more economically beneficial to us to debottleneck the cooling loop to gain excess capacity for summer time surge.

no idea that from where to start.. anyone can show me way that how to approch this thing.

Please let me know what details related to pump i required. as long as i understand we can increse cooling loop pump capacity by increase speed or impeller dia.

 

[Vaione]

Hey guys how are you all?

actually we are making additives and we use batch process to make aditives. now my question is we are trying to increase throughput. now as i know i can increase no of batch and same time i can shorten the plant cycle time. but my question comes from my plant manager comment. he told me that oue batch size is fixed. so check with cycle time, if we can widen it then wats gonna happen???

we are aslo want to debottleneck our cooling loop to find the gain. we want increse it. any comments?? how to approch this project??

Is it possible to widen the cycle time (instead of shifting) so that we do not have to revise it again once the cooling improvement is proven?

 

[Latexman]

By "the batch size is fixed", does the PM mean you cannot change the mass of the batch or you cannot change the liquid level in the reactor? If you put in bigger pipe, pumps, heat exchangers, etc. there can be an increase in the mass of a batch and not affect the liquid level in the reactor.

To me, if the cycle time is widened when the cooling improvement is implemented, means the economic justification will NOT be attained! If that is what is going to happen, why do the project?

Good luck,
Latexman

 

[Vaione]

thats wat i am thinking that economially it is not at all justified to widen cycle time, but if we want to consider productivity then is it make sense to you. do you have any comment related to cooling improvement means how i can attain that.. ???

If i will attain that, but same time widen the cycle time then it is not make sense am i right?? but same time if i will figure it out to increase batch size then it will the best opetion.

let me figure it out about liquid level and batch mass. wat do u say which one is economially viable. increase the liquid level or mass?

 

[Latexman]

"wat do u say. increase the liquid level or mass?"

Unfortunately, it depends. I don't know your process, equipment, or policies.

Good luck,
Latexman

 

[Latexman]

Assuming the liquid level of the batch is at it's optimum now, improving heat transfer should #1 shorten cycle time and #2 increase the batch mass (larger pipe and equipment and maintaining the current liquid level). However, there are some companies that put cycle time, especially if there is a reaction going on, under their R&D management control. If this is your case, then the improvement may only come from #2, unless you can persuade R&D to change the recipe (cycle time). But, this still does not make sense to me why the PM said widen (extend or lengthen) the cycle time.

Good luck,
Latexman

 

[Vaione]

hey latexman, thanks for talking about this topic.
I have to maintain liquid level. i cannot play with it, but i can play with mass as you say but change piping size and equipment size increase capital cost, now if we want to increase mass and same time we can cahnge cycle time from 8 hrs to 7 hrs. then?? hey do u have any idea how to i have shorten cycle time.? becoz i am damn sure we can not widen cycle time. so now we can cahnge mass. wat are the opetions?? economically optimal??

cycle time over current practice, a 3.5 hour polymerization time (3 hours ramp and 0.5 hour hold...

 

[Latexman]

Pump raw materials in faster. Vent the RX faster.
Add/enlarge auxiliary heat removal equipment. Improve agitation. Improve jacket heat removal. Feed monomers faster.
Pump products out faster. Filter faster.
Automate the process so the pace is more determined by machines, not people.
Clean the equipment faster.
Decrease fouling rates.
Analyze the historical downtime and improve maintenance reliability based on that Pareto Analysis.

Good luck,
Latexman