Design in chemical engineering applies to the design of a chemical processing line and its components, as well as to equipment used in chemical processes and/or production line. As in engineering design, safety and economic aspects are essential in chemical engineering design.
As with any engineering design problem, a goal of Chemical process design is to select the best possible solution with minimum effort and design cost.
Describing the overall chemical process design, one can state that this process consists of four main phases:
- Problem definition, formulation of constraints and assumptions;
- Process synthesis, with generation of multiple solutions and selection of few the best ones for further development;
- Process design, where one or two best solutions are developed deeper and analyzed in terms of the cost, safety, and impact on the environment. When all generated designs have been optimized, the best design can be selected.
- Process analysis, with definition and selection of equipment and production conditions. Detailed specifications are determined.
The chemical engineering capstone project may have as its scope any stage of the industrial production sequence, or a combination of several stages. Other types of capstone projects in chemical engineering may target tasks other than industrial chemical processes. For example, development of a chemical engine for a vehicle or for a liquid-fuel chemical rocket propulsion, design of a battery system for electric vehicle, building an oil recovery system, design of waste management process, development of biodegradable materials for different applications, and many others.