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XX20165: Design & safety

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2015/6
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Chemical Engineering
Further information on credits Credits: 6
Further information on unit levels Level: Intermediate (FHEQ level 5)
Further information on teaching periods Period: Semester 2
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 20%, EX 80%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Assignment (CW 20%)
  • Examination (EX 80%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
The aims are (i) to increase awareness about the importance of safety in the design and operation of process plant, (ii) to introduce techniques that can be used to make assessments of safety, (iii) to introduce the principles of mechanical engineering design, including the interpretation of engineering drawings, and (iv) to introduce use of a commercial process simulation package.

Learning Outcomes:
After successfully completing this unit, students should be able to:
* Study a section of a process flow sheet and a description of operations, and hence to make a formal assessment of risks and how to mitigate them (e.g. perform a HAZOP analysis, and make an assessment of event frequency, magnitude and effect);
* Understand the concept of Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) for hazard evaluation and risk assessment;
* Understand safety issues during plant maintenance, start-up, shut-down and emergency relief;
* Understand, interpret and apply legislative principles governing safety in the design and operation of processes (e.g. COMAH);
* Understand how to use a process simulation package (e.g. ASPEN) to represent an individual process unit (e.g. a heat exchanger) and how to represent connected units in a simple process flow diagram; and
* Prepare sketches and outline engineering drawings of process equipment, including the performance of preliminary design calculations to estimate the thickness of the walls of a pressure vessel and its flanges.

Skills:
Analysis and problem solving (taught/facilitated and assessed) including recognition of good and bad safety practice and how to apply best practice.

Content:
Part A
* Inherent nature of safety and principal hazard sources including flammability, explosivity and toxicity;
* Safety related legislation;
* Risk & hazard analysis, including HAZOP and HAZAN, LOPA, and other safety assessment techniques;
* Safe practice including lessons learned from past incidents (e.g. Flixborough) and other incidents and accidents presented as case studies;
* Safe operations, including maintenance and work permits, flares, line purging.
Part B
* Process simulation using computers, including how to simulate individual units (e.g. heat exchangers, distillation columns, reactors);
* Process simulation of individual units combined to create a simple process;
* Information retrieval from physical and chemical property databases.
Part C
* Engineering drawings, including the presentation of sketches and drawings, such as 3D, plan, side, cross-sectional and magnified views, the interpretation of more complex mechanical engineering drawings, as well as mechanical design including choice of materials, stress and strain, effects of temperature and pressure, corrosion allowances, wall thicknesses, safety factors, vessel ends and pressure vessel design codes.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

XX20165 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Chemical Engineering
  • UECE-AFM01 : MEng(Hons) Biochemical Engineering (Year 2)
  • UECE-AKM01 : MEng(Hons) Biochemical Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 2)
  • UECE-AFB05 : BEng(Hons) Chemical Engineering (Year 2)
  • UECE-AKB05 : BEng(Hons) Chemical Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 2)
  • UECE-AFM05 : MEng(Hons) Chemical Engineering (Year 2)
  • UECE-AKM05 : MEng(Hons) Chemical Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 2)

Notes:
* This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2015/16 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2016/17 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2015/16.
* Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.
* Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.