WP3 Integrated development and design methodologies
WP3 will develop tools and methodologies for the design of innovative flexible intensified production processes for operation in F³ Factory plants. These tools and methods will consider:
- Selecting, integrating and ordering of unit operations to deliver the most efficient process
- Appropriate use of scale-up and scale-out approaches for capacity increase
- Mapping processing tasks onto F³ Factory Process Equipment Assemblies
...taking into account business, technical, regulatory, SHE and energy requirements.
Developing methodologies for intensified, flexible production
Achieving the paradigm shift in manufacturing technology embodied in the F³ Factory objectives requires both a detailed assessment of existing process methodologies and the development of new methodologies that will improve both the speed and flexibility of current manufacturing processes.
Led by Britest, Work Package 3 (WP3) focuses on ‘integrated development and design methodologies’. WP3 links all the industrial projects with the individual work packages. As such, it is a critical component of the F³ Factory project and involves input from all the industrial partners and a large number of academic partners.
Development activity in WP3 is focused on three specific tasks:
Task 3.1: Conceptual process design methodologiesDevelopment of new, generic, whole process design methodologies for the selection of chemical and process routes - incorporating work-up and isolation technologies.
Task 3.2: Equipment selection and optimisation methodologiesThe application of existing methodologies, modelling and optimisation techniques for equipment selection and the development of new approaches where required within the context of F³ Factory’s Process Equipment Assembly (PEA) requirements.
Task 3.3: Integration of process & equipment design for development of F³ Factory processesThe application of tasks 3.1 and 3.2 to the industrial case studies.
Focus on ‘whole process design’
In developing optimised methodologies and selecting equipment to fit the process needs, it is important to consider optimisation of the ‘whole process’ - from raw material to final product - rather than just optimisation of each individual step:
Methodology assessment & development - well advanced
Combining the flexibility of batch manufacturing with the efficiency of large scale continuous manufacturing is a key challenge of the F³ Factory project. To establish the requirement for any new methodology development, however, first requires an assessment of existing process methodologies.
This work was completed in September 2009 and the project partners are now well advanced in identifying gaps and assessing what needs to be addressed by way of:
- embryonic testing of existing methodologies within the F³ Factory context
- defining improvements to existing methodologies
- developing new methodologies to meet the technology requirements of the F³ Factory concept
This activity involves the development, characterisation and appropriate selection of ‘reactor and separation technologies’. The project team have developed a spreadsheet-based tool that will map the process and other capabilities to help in selecting the appropriate reactor and separation technologies based on process and business requirements.
Methodology for selection of reactor technology
Methodology for selection of separation techniques
Process Route Optimisation in a data lean Environment
Newcastle University is also developing a specific tool that will evaluate various process route options against a defined ‘risk- based’ criteria in a data lean environment
Future tasks in WP3 include:
- The development of a pro-forma for experimental chemists to provide a structured guide to what engineers will require for designing and scaling up plants.
- Development of new methodologies that will identify opportunities for process intensification.
- New methodology development for flexible plant design based on PEA function / performance specification.
The final stages of WP3 activity will involve the application of the defined methodologies and process optimisation tools to the seven industrial projects. The methodology will then be further developed and refined - based on the learning gathered from the industrial case study projects – so that it can be applied to any industrial processes from kilogramme-to-thousands of tonnes production.
