hello,
I'M
Hamim hussain.
First-Class Graduate in Chemical Engineering & An Aspiring Engineer
About Me
I am recent first-class graduate in Chemical Engineering and I am fascinated by all types of engineering. It is always changing and pushing me to acquire new knowledge. I love a challenge and the reward of learning something new it is simply fantastic.
I am intrigued by the constant advancement of technology to minimise environmental impact and to promote sustainable development for all. I hope that I will be able to have a contribution in this and would like to purse in a career in STEM because it is the future.
My projects
Modelling the Operation of the Heavy Water Circuit of a Reactor
The project aim is to build a rig to model the operation of the heavy water circuit of a modelled reactor and the rig must fit within a framework of 70cm (L) x 50cm (W) x 70cm (H). This modelled a thermal nuclear reactor that is highly exothermic and as a group, we had to build a heavy water system that act as a coolant and a moderator for this reaction. There were three main objectives that the our mechanism must be able to do, which are:
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To circulate coolant between the two tanks
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The level of the reactor should never be allowed to fall below 25% full nor rise above 75% full but should be fully controllable at any level between these limits
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Adjustment of the controlled level between these limits should be achieved rapidly and without the need to stop the water flow
We wanted to build a mechanism that ensures maximum precision and also be simple to operate, as Ockham's Razor put simply, states: “the simplest solution is almost always the best.” We ​found that implementing the mechanism between the reservoir and the reactor would increase the efficiency of cooling and reduce lag because there is a shorter distance for the water to travel. In this design we had two aluminium pipes that fits into each other. The opening on the inner pipe will allow water to flow through it in a controlled manner and the outer pipe would be placed in a fixed position. This double pipe would be placed between the reactor and the reservoir and the inner pipe would then be adjusted accordingly to any desired water level via a pully system. The opening would allow for water to flow through it but it would never fall below the desired level.
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The main purpose of this research project was to discuss and compare different processes for the production of formalin 37/3. The two most common processes used are 'The Water Ballast Process' and 'Methanol Ballast Process'. For the water ballast process, the feedstock needed for the manufacture of Formalin 37/3 are methanol, water and air. The water to methanol ratio is 60/40 which is the optimum ratio that should be used. This synthesis is a composite process as the heat released from the exothermic reaction, which is the partial oxidation of methanol, is used in the endothermic, dehydrogenation reaction of methanol. The overall methanol conversion for the water ballast process is between 97 - 98%. In the methanol ballast process the main difference is there is no water used as feedstock. This means methanol reacts directly with air. This is a partial oxidation reaction which is an exothermic reaction. Water is later fed into the blending tank to get the required composition of formalin 37/3. The conversion of this process is low at a maximum of 88%. The methanol stream is recycled to help the conversion increase but only up to 90%. This is why the optimum process to produce formalin 37/3 is the water ballast process.
During the process many operation units are required such as storage tank, electrostatic precipitator, scrubber, vaporiser, adiabatic reactor, waste heat boiler, shell and tube heat exchanger, separator, absorber and blending tank. An adiabatic reactor is used as it suits the process better than a fluidised catalytic bed reactor because it requires less catalyst and it cheaper to operate. With this process comes with many hazards. To reduce the risks, safety training should be provided to all workers, and they should be supplied with the necessary PPE to do their jobs safely. A HAZOP and COSHH assessment should be done and the health and safety at work act should always be followed. When it comes to site selection, it is best if the plant is located near its primary resources and close to its market. The product formalin 37/3 has several uses such as preservatives in food, disinfectant, tissue hardener and preserving biological and anatomical species among other uses. The formalin market is set to grow in the future and that is why the water ballast process should be used.
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Chemical and mechanical design for a heat exchanger around the ECS unit
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The first part of the project was to design a process for the production of 60 000 tonnes per year of Urea-Formaldehyde (UF) Resin via the combination of two processes. These processes are the production of Formalin 55/35 using a metal oxide catalyst and the production of UF resin from Formalin 55/35 and Urea using acid catalysts. Once the process has been established with the correct mass and energy balance, we focused on the steam generator positioned after the environmental control system, or ECS unit. This unit is used to convert carbon monoxide from the absorber’s vent gas into carbon dioxide by combusting it with oxygen. This process is important as releasing carbon monoxide into the environment is harmful to humans. That is why it is reacted with oxygen to form CO2 which is not as harmful to humans but still is a greenhouse gas.
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The basis of the project is to design a steam generator that will use the heat generated from the processed vent gas to produce 10 bar steam which can then be used elsewhere in the plant. In order to accommodate the heat exchanger, slight changes were made to the process. Such as the addition of methane to increase the outlet temperature at the ECS unit to generate the desired steam temperature. Using this information, the basic components of the heat exchanger were determined as well as both the pressure drops, and heat transfer coefficient calculated. The heat exchanger chosen was a Split Ring Float Heat Exchanger due to its ability to withstand the required conditions. Through chemical engineering design, the heat transfer coefficient was found to be 65.3 W/m2℃. The shell-side pressure drop was found to be 0.39 bar and the tube-side pressure drop was found to be 0.023 bar. Both values are outside of acceptable range, but could be accepted, nonetheless. In order to complete the design, mechanical design of the heat exchanger was carried out. The main material for the heat exchanger chosen was stainless steel and the maximum allowable stress calculated was to be 92.6 N/mm2. The principle stress was lower than the maximum allowable stress of the stainless steel thus, making it the appropriate material. Using both chemical and mechanical design, an equipment specification sheet have been made according to TEMA Specification. Finally, using the P&ID of the section surrounding the steam generator a HAZOP study was carried out which found the main hazards as well as the safeguards and any action required. Hazards including: no boiler feed water flow, a temperature change, high pressure within the vessel and contamination of streams. An improved P&ID was generated using this. Further confirmation/calculation of the pressure drops and subsequent effect on vessel stresses would make for a more accurate design. Apart from this, based on the findings of this project, it would be advised that the equipment is viable for production
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Production of 150,000 Tonnes per Year of Phenol in China
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This design project goes on to explore and analyse the complicated socio-economic and technological choices required to build and operate a chemical plant that is producing 60,000 tonnes of phenol per year within the country of China. An in-depth process flow diagram was created which highlights all the equipment and streams within the production of Phenol and Acetone in the plant. The process selected was the Cumene process as it widely outweighs the other processes, especially for the region of China mainly because China is a net exporter of Phenol as well as everything else created or used in this process except Cumene. Although the Cumene feedstock will be imported, this process allows the company to benefit as much as possible from the existing Chinese markets. The report highlights the feasibility of building a chemical plant in the Guangzhou region of China, considering health and safety factors as well as environmental and social impacts. The carbon emissions and water footprint of the Cumene Hydroperoxide process were calculated and analysed to assess its sustainability in the current climate and its impact on the global environment using the CCALC2 software.
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It also takes a brief look into how laws set in China affect the building of the chemical plant and how to work with the laws to maintain both the company and the Chinese government's regulations. An energy balance was also carried out, working out total energy requirements for each reactor. Also, an economic assessment was taken place including cost estimations for both operating and initial capital costs for the chemical plant to see if it will be profitable in the future, which in the end is always the goal. Lastly, a site layout drawing is also completed to give a visual representation of the layout of the plant considering safety precautions as well as giving an estimation of the size of the plant.
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A Detailed Design of a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor for the Production of Phenol in China
The aim of this report is to analyse, design and discuss different sections of the report including chemical design, mechanical design, control, and instrumentation. This would be combined to create an in-depth design of the Cleavage reactor which is the core unit for the Cumene oxidation process to produce 150,000 tonnes of phenol per annum in China. The most important aspect of the design is the chemical kinetics of the reaction. Without this, it would be impossible to construct a detailed analysis on this unit.
To summarise the findings for the chemical design, the kinetic constant for the decomposition reaction at 1400C was 0.057 kmol/min and from knowing the order of the reaction, which is 1, the volume of the reactor can be calculated that was found to be 12m3 with the additional head space to account for pressure control. An important factor for this calculation is knowing the selectivity of the reaction, and for the main reaction, which is the decomposition of cumene hydroperoxide, was found to be at 98-99%. This gave a reasonable assumption that the selectivity of the side reactions is less than 5% and it will not contribute to the volume of the reactor and so can be negligible. Once the volume is found the dimensions of the cooling jacket, baffles and agitator can be calculated. This is important as it will determine on how your reactor will perform, for example, for this study the special Reynolds number found for the agitator was 558,637.99 which shows a presence of turbulent flow thus helps with force convection. This would help the cooling jacket to transfer heat evenly throughout the volume of the reactor, making this a successful system of both heat transfer and mixing. From the selectivity analysis it can be found that my design was optimal as it had a reasonable size vessel with a high reaction rate at a temperature that is moderate for the decomposition of CHP. So, it makes adding temperature control loops much easier to integrate into the P&ID allowing for a safer and easier control for temperature.
For the mechanical design it was found that the material of construction, stainless steel 316, was highly suitable for the design and the thickness of 9mm for the walls and 14mm for the tori-spherical head of the vessel was sufficient to withstand the stresses applied by weight, wind and pressure which totaled to 64.30N/mm2 . This is an important factor because the expected life of the plant is 24 years, and this will ensure the reactor is running till the end of the plant life. P&ID and C&I is a very important section as it shows what is required for the reactor to run. Most chemical plants are automated process which ensures that there is very little human interaction which reduces human errors significantly. By putting strategic control loops like cascade, ratio and interlock loops would increase the safety of the plant and reduce the shutdown of the plant so it can reach the 150,000 tonnes of phenol per annum. Lastly, HAZOP study have shown the importance of teamwork and creative thinking about the worst-case scenarios that can occur in the process, such as the one studied in this report. The distillation column already had safeguards implanted to the system but, there was still a need for more action required to make this process safe and efficient as possible.
Production of Formalin 37/3 using THE WATER BALLAST PROCESS
Interests
Coding
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I am always eager to learn new things and had a keen interest in programming languages. I have started my journey into coding by currently taking a course on CS50 python. I want to eventually expand this knowledge by learning other languages such as JAVA Script, HTML, CSS and SQL. I would like to eventually be able to code my own website and games.
ART
sports
I love to participate in all type of sports. It is a fun way to stay fit and healthy. For me I like a bit of competition and it gives me the fuel to give 110%.
I always had a passion for art, it gives me space to be creative and to put my ideas into a visual representation. The painting above is one of the work that I did. I was awarded first place in 'The Arts Society Arden' and I received a prize of £250. What made my painting stand out from the rest is how I managed to capture each spec of water crashing into the rocks. My favourite style of art is realism because of the meticulous nature into getting every details into the painting or drawing. This painting I did is when I went to the rocky beach in Bournemouth. I wanted my audience to feel like that they were there experiencing the nice cool breeze and listening to harsh but soothing sounds of the sea hitting the rocks.
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CONTACT
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THANK YOU
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