Requested Consulting: Process Design Review of Biomass Conversion Process
Design Issues Identified:
1) Distillation column would not work as desired for given feed composition.
2) Scrubber of hot gases had no cooling, low efficiency, and too high of evaporation.
3) Pressure Relief missing from several vessels.
4) Materials of construction were questionable for parts of equipment.
5) Several parts of the design did not match incomplete material and energy balance.
Results and Recommendations:
A) Eliminate distillation and scrubber, preventing wasted capital $$$.
B) Recover fuel value in gas stream and lower air emissions by burning it.
C) Add pressure and vacuum relief where needed.
D) Initiate corrosion study to insure correct materials of construction.
E) Assist in lab testing with goal of creating more accurate M&E balance for process design.
F) Numerous improvements to P&IDs and design basis for scale-up.
Bloomdahl Engineering 