Szymon Woziwodzki

Process Data Modeling—New Challenges for Education of Chemical Engineers

The process design confronts chemical engineers with many challenges. These days they are predominantly related to customer requirements regarding project delivery time and cost. It forces us to apply the appropriate design philosophy. Currently, many countries are implementing a design process system called Building Information Modeling (BIM). According to the BIM methodology, object design should take into account 2D documentation, 3D models and the appropriate way to manage and share the design data. The BIM methodology also constitutes a challenge for high education universities that educate process and chemical engineers, since equipment or process design has so far been limited to creating 2D documentation without being able to manage and share it with other branches. Taking BIM into account, it is therefore advisable to introduce the ability to create 3D models for the equipment and the entire installations as well as to emphasize the management of design data. The chapter presents the management of design data introduced at the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the Poznan University of Technology as part of the student design classes in chemical and process engineering. Within this framework, the current design method was complemented by the creation of intelligent P&ID (2D) schematics, 3D models and process data management (1D). Data management is connected with the proper configuration of process data, the introduction of design progress control (statuses), and the creation of data sheets for each designed equipment. The chapter also presents the basis for the design as well as information about BIM and its current implementation in Poland.

Practical Aspects of Settling Tanks Design

The following work discusses the phenomenon of solid particle settling, presents the characteristics of suspensions and the fundamentals of sedimentation. The velocity of a solid particle free settling has been characterized as well as the sedimentation velocity. Additionally, the paper tackles upon the issue of a liquid stream purification and wastewater purification, where various devices used for the purpose have been characterized, such as horizontal settling tanks, swirl settling tanks and Dorr settling tanks. A special attention was paid to the characteristics of swirl settling tanks, their advantages and potential applications. Also, the outcomes of the research performed to develop the said devices have been described. The aforementioned research considered the influence from the advanced settling tank design components introduced over the purification efficiency of liquid streams from heavy and light fractions, such as inlet or outlet connectors or a partition inside the device. The damming of liquid and the values of local resistance factors have been evaluated as they differ in various technical solutions for settling tanks. The research allowed to determine the construction marked with the highest efficiency in purification of liquid stream, which gives us a possibility to develop the option for analyses with regards to the devices of this type.

Effect of Blade Shape on Unsteady Mixing of Gas-Liquid Systems

Mechanical mixing can be conducted in few ways. One is unsteady mixing which is used in all cases where it is not recommended to use baffles. In this mixing, the impeller speed is variable over time which causes a higher mixing power demand as compared to steady mixing. In unsteady mixing, also a higher stress around the impeller can be observed as well as the increased axial force in the stirred vessel which results in lower minimum impeller speed in solid-liquid systems. Thus, mixing can be also used in gas-liquid systems allowing to generate a higher relative power demand in relation to the steady mixing as well as higher mass transfer coefficients. Its value, just as for steady mixing, is affected by impeller’s geometry. This chapter analyzes how the shape of impeller’s blade affects the steady and unsteady mixing for impellers with elliptical and hollow unsymmetrical blades. In addition, basic equations describing the torque and impeller speed variations over time are presented together with the maximum and average mixing power equations.

Light and Heavy Pollutant Removal by Modified Swirl Sedimentation Tank – Design and Study

The paper shows the effect of volumetric flow rate of liquid and diameters of solid particles in the sedimentation tank for the water contaminated with sediment and oil substances on the effectiveness of the tank. The effect of liquid flow rate on liquid damming has been studied. It has been shown that the liquid damming in the tank increases with increasing a volumetric flow rate of liquid at the inlet. The determined value of the loss coefficient is 3.06. The effectiveness of sedimentation tank for heavy fraction increases with the diameter of solid particles. It has been shown that an increase in the liquid flow rate reduces the effectiveness of the tank, both for the heavy and the light fractions. The vortex sedimentation tank of the proposed construction allows for the simultaneous removal of the heavy and light fractions from water and their partial separation.