Controlling Ethylene Cracking Furnace through the Use of PLC System - Report Example

PROPOSAL: Automotive Furnaces Name Institution Date Executive summary The project will be focused at controlling ethylene cracking furnace through the use of PLC system. The main motivation for the process is increasing efficiency through the control process. This is considering the important use of ethylene. The project will be significant in terms of reducing pollution and increasing the efficiency of the automotive furnaces. It will be carried out on a step by step process with tasks being broken down in order to be performed in different stages. It is also important to note that a design will be required in order to ensure that the furnace is controlled through the use of the system. This will therefore require the construction of the furnace and control through the use of HMI and SCADA. The project has to be completed by the end of the year and a report will be prepared. The project is also prone to several risks during the research design and construction of the automotive furnace that will be controlled by the PLC system. Introduction Motivation Ethyl cracker gas plant is my field of specialization and it has a wide application in the modern times. The ethyl furnaces gas plant is responsible for the production of ethylene which is used for producing materials like the plastic bags and plastic containers (Tang, 2011). These items are widely applicable in terms of wrapping items in the market. This has motivated me to learn more about the field and be engaged in practical measures during the production and recycling of the ethylene products. This will play an important role in ensure that the polythene bags as well as plastics are used safely and recycled after use. On the other hand the use of PLC system to run the ethylene furnace is important in ensuring that efficiency is achieved. The safety of the furnaces will also be enhanced through the use of the PLC system. Objectives The main objective of the research is to design and put in place a PLC system to run the ethylene furnace for the purposes of producing ethylene to be used for the production of plastics and polythene bags. The deliverables for the project involves the design and construction of a high performance automotive furnace that will control the cracking process and hence the production of ethylene. Intensive research will be carried out for the purposes of ensuring that the project is successful. On the other hand, Regular meetings with the supervisor will be carried out and proper documentations will be put in place. In order to ensure the success of the project, trials and testing will also be conducted. Risk assessment for the project will also be carried out in order to ensure that the project is successful. The Risk assessment will also play an essential role in ensuring that measures are put in place to counter the possible risks. This is considering that the risks may impact negatively on the completion of the project. The project together with a professional presentation will be ready by the end of the year. Significance The retail market is heavily reliant on the use of polyethylene products for the purposes of packaging. The polyethylene materials are also used highly in the packaging industry. The beverage industry is also heavily reliant on the plastic bottles which are products of ethylene (Wang, 2011). This is an indication that the ethylene products have a high demand in the market. The project is thus significant in terms of coming up with innovative methods that will ensure that the ethylene furnaces do not produce much toxic gases and the entire production process is safe. The use of the PLC system will play an essential role in ensuring that the furnaces run effectively. Proposed approach The project will be composed of various tasks which have to be performed in order for it to be complete by the end of the year. The first task is to obtain information from literature review with regards to the project. Literature review information will be obtained from books, journals and the internet. Only recent and credible materials will be used for the purposes of obtaining information with regards to the topic. The materials from the internet will have to be scrutinized for the purposes of determining their reliability. The next task will involve holding a discussion with my supervisor with regards to the project and the information obtained from literature. This is considering that the opinions of the supervisor are quite important during the project. The information that will be sought during the research will involve the operations and design of an ethylene furnace gas plant and the concepts of ethylene cracking furnaces. The information regarding the use of technology in controlling of ethylene cracking furnace will also form the basis of the research. This is for the purposes of ensuring that the furnace does not cause environmental pollution. The challenges face during the development process will also be obtained from research using the literature review. This will play an essential role in ensuring that adequate preparations are put in place during the development process. It is also important to note that the information from the literature review will act as a guide for the project. It will also play an important role in determining its success. More information regarding the project will also be obtained during the discussion with the supervisor. A timetable will then be prepared for the purposes of scheduling the frequent meetings with the supervisor. The constant meetings with the supervisor will provide an important feedback mechanism with regards to the progress of the project. It will also be possible to make corrections or changes after meeting with the supervisor. On the other hand, it is important to note that the meetings with the supervisor will ensure that the project does not go out of track. A thesis will be presented to the supervisor before any work is put into progress. The actual project work will then commence after receiving a feedback from the supervisor. The next step will involve familiarization with the technological concepts. This will involve the AUTOCAD software which is usually useful during the process of coming up with designs before the actual construction is carried out. The key features of the automotive furnace can also be obtained through the use of the software and hence ensuring the success of the design process. The use of technology will also ensure that the automotive furnace is effective and it also meets all the requirements of the industry. It is important to note that the design that the use of technology will play an important role in reducing the time taken to carry out the design and also reduce the possible challenges. The next step after learning the technological concepts will involve design of the automotive furnace through the use of the HMI and SCADA technology. The time coil design will be carried out at this stage for the purposes of ensuring that maximum yields and long life is achieved. The capacity of the furnace will also be decided at this stage during the process of carrying out the design. The two radiant cells will be designed for the purposes of dealing with the capacity. The radiant coil will also be designed at this stage in order to ensure that the furnace is of high performance. This is for the purposes of ensuring that it is efficient. The safety issues will also be considered at this stage for the purposes of ensuring that the furnace will work effectively without developing serious problems that may affect the operator. Compliance with the required standards will also be an important concept during the design process of the furnace ((Dehghani, 2013). The energy and emission efficiencies are also important during the process of carrying out the design. This will form the most important aspect of the design. This is because the furnace has to be efficient in terms of the cracking process and safety. The design of a separator will be carried out at this stage for the purposes of ensuring that the furnace has high levels of efficiency. The computational fluid dynamic program will be used during the process of carrying out the design in order to achieve the aim of fuel energy and combustion efficiency. The design process will be followed by the actual construction and running of the furnace using the PLC system. This process will be fully dependant on the design details. This part will be carried out with a lot of care for the purposes of ensuring that the design principles are met and high standards are maintained. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the process make take up to one month to be completed. This is because testing will also be involved for the purposes of attaining the required standards and perfection. During this stage, the supervisor will still be consulted fro time to time. This is for the purposes of dealing with the challenges that may occur during the process. A manual will then be compiled after the construction of the furnace for the purposes of guiding the users. It is also important to note that this process will be carried out with a lot of care for the purposes of ensuring that it is error free. This is because any errors can lead to the misleading of the users and hence compromising the safety of the furnace. The compilation of the report of the project will then be carried out for the purposes of making the presentation. By the end of the year, the project should be completed and the automotive furnace should be operational. This will also be an important indicator of success for the project. Risk assessment Risk Severity Possibility Impacts Solution Electric shock Very high high Destruction of the furnace during the construction process. Can cause physical injuries like burns and it may also lead to electrocution which can cause death (Chen, 2013). Using the specified voltages when carrying out different operations. Ensuring that all the electric wires are insulated. Software failure Very high Low Can stop the process of carrying out the design. May produce faulty designs. Using the original version of the software. Physical injuries Very high High Can lead to poor health and hence impacting negatively on the progress of the project. Using the right tools for the right tasks. Wearing protective clothing when carrying out the construction process. Ensuring that the work environment is not slippery and any spillage of oil is wiped immediately. Manual handling High High Can lead to back injuries and hence impacting negatively on the health. Lifting heavy parts using machines. Lifting only the light loads manually. Fire outbreak High low Can lead to the destruction of the equipment and pats of the furnace. May lead to burns and hence impacting negatively on health. Using the welding equipment carefully. Having a fire extinguisher at the workshop during the construction process. Headaches and back pains due to poor posture during research Very high High May lead to sickness and hence affecting the progress of the project. May lead to poor health and sickness. Taking breaks when carrying out the research. Taking some times to relax after completing the different research tasks. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that the process of running the automotive furnace using the PLC system will impact positively on the production of ethylene. On the other hand, it is evident that the process of controlling the furnace using the system will requires a lot of design work. This is for the purposes of ensuring that the system is able to work effectively. The use of SCADA and HMI will play an essential role in ensuring that the furnaces are able to work effectively and hence controlling the cracking. Literature review information will be important for the purposes of coming up with more details with regards to the use of the system to control the cracking. The project should be completed at the end of the year and it will require the constant monitoring by the supervisor. It is also evident from the proposal that several risks will be encountered during the process. The risks may impact negatively on the operations of the project. The risk control measures that have been put in place will however play an essential role in ensuring that the risks are managed effectively. References Tang, Z. (2011). Intelligent severity control stabilizes ethylene crackers. Oil and Gas Journal, 109(6), 104. Wang, H. (2011). DCS advanced control improves Chinese ethylene cracker operation. Oil and Gas Journal, 109(1), 96. Dehghani, O. (2013). Investigation of ethylene production in naphtha thermal cracking plant in presence of steam and carbon dioxide. Chemical Engineering Journal, 228, 1158-1167. Chen, X. (2013). Risk assesment method based on concentrated numeric statistic matrix. In Quality, Reliability, Risk, Maintenance, and Safety Engineering (QR2MSE), 2013 International Conference on (pp. 384-387). IEEE. Read More