Meeting+Notes

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=This page is for documenting discussion points gathered during our weekly teleconferences on Friday at 3pm. Most recent on top. =

EDIT: Teleconferences are now on Thursdays at 3:30 pm
 **__ Teleonference # 12: Thursday, 3:30 pm, 23th April 2009

Teleconference #11: Thursday, 3:30 pm, 16th April, 2009

Teleconference #10: Thursday, 3:30 pm, 9th April, 2009 __** **__Attendance:__** Adam Kanyuh, David Meyers, Catalina Mogollon, Tim O’Brien, Greg Dicosola, Haseeb Quadri -Issues with Costing for the dryer -Operating Costing issues (utilities, catalyst, etc) -Control scheme issues __ **Northwestern poster session** __ Get the final report and poster ready done __ **Adam and Dave are providing us with:** __ Turbo expander information and analysis Compressor information Operating cost (operator factors) __ **Haseeb Q.** __ __ **Tim O.** __ · Work on fractionation stuff (re-evaluate) · __ **Catalina M.** __ · Re-evaluation of operating cost costs (final numbers needed) · Operating costs--- shift workers need to fixed · Catalyst cosr should be fixed __**Teleconference #9: Thursday 3:30 pm, 2nd April 2009 :** __  __**Teleconference #8: Thursday 3:30 pm, 26th March 2009 :** __ Due to spring break, we have continued to work on the roles from last conference call. __**Teleconference #7: Thursday 3:30 pm, 19th March 2009 :** __ **__-Attendance:__** Adam Kanyuh, Dave Myers, Greg D., Haseeb Q., Catalina M. -**__Agenda:__** Discuss process optimization and project financing updates. Improve ethanol yields-** recycle gas product (w/CO) and methanol ICARUS Costing-** to determine the cost of fractionation columns Tim O.**- Fractionation __
 * __Presentation feedback__**
 * Call up a vendor for the cost of dryer
 * Size/Cost based on amount of moister and switch grass processing rate we need in order to meet our basis (syn-gas basis).
 * Re-evaluation of capital costs.
 * DCF-ROI calculations. (ROR)
 * Excel sheeting- already in the process of making one
 * __ Greg D. __**
 * Refine the sizes for the distillation columns, work more on pumps (final numbers needed).
 * Start working on a poster
 * Show compressor in the PFD (for recycle back to reactor)
 * Work on compressors/pumps/cost
 * __-Review Problems:__
 * Overall energy balance and heat of reaction
 * ROR,ROI,DCF-**
 * Operating cost-**cost of utilities (steam, air, water, etc), labor, raw materials
 * Catalyst-** amount of catalyst needed per year for alcohol synthesis
 * -__Roles and Responsabilities:__
 * Tim B. -**Catalyst/ Reactor
 * Greg D. -**Energy Balance/ Equipment Size and Cost
 * Haseeb Q.** - Equipment Sizing and Cost (ICARUS)
 * Catalina M. -** Operating Cost

__<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif';">**Attendance:** __ <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif';"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif';">Adam Kanyuh, Dave Myers, Tim O., Haseeb Q., Greg D., Tim B., Catalina M. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif';"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif';">Discussed about the presentation made on Tuesday and what necessary changes needs to be made in order to move forward. For next week Work on more sizing, capital cost, and operating cost, plant layout, and process control scheme
 * Teleconference #6: Thursday 3:30 pm, 12th March 2009 :** __
 * __<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif';">Agenda: __ <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif';"> **

__**Teleconference #5: Thursday, March 5th, 2009 3:30 pm**__ __**Agenda:**__ Aspen modeling Icarus costing estimates/euipment sizing and costing estimates Stick with the bigger overall picture when explaining the processes construction of materials Gasfier sizing Amine removal, CO2/H2S absorber material balances and energy balances if possible Sizing of the Amine removal, CO2/H2S absorber b/c already know too much about these equipments. Reactor sizing Reactor energy balance Detailed Materials of construction of main equipment Costing of the main equipment after the equipment sizing is done (icarus estimates) Aspen- Fractionation column (can analyze size and cost if possible) and the Energy balances for it Pre-treatment of biomass (power requirements etc) Can help Greg D. with sizing of the equipments
 * __Attendance__:** Everyone
 * __Roles and Responsabilities__:**
 * GREG D.**
 * TIM B.**
 * HASEEB Q.**
 * TIM O.**
 * CATALINA M.**

- __**Review Problems**__ Aspen Flow sheets Chemical Reactor material and energy analysis Recycle stream analysis Alcohol synthesis, fractionation analysis Equipment sizing Stick to Block Flow diagram when explaining MB and EB. (Bigger overall picture) Equipment sizing Construction of materials for the main components of the plant Icarus costing Estimates Combine the whole process sheet (close loop analysis, no loose ends to process sheet) Debate on Ethanol vs Butanol <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">- Market analysis of ethanol and butanol <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">- If stopped at ethanol, then what are we going to do with it. - **__Roles and Responsabilities__** -Chemical reactor completion, alcohol synthesis fractionation unit and link up of processes -update on tar removal and CO2 removal unit and link up of processes -Construction of materials for the main components and costing of these equipments -More detail look into MB and EB and link up of processes ---
 * __Teleconference #4: Thursday, February 26th, 2009 3:30 pm__**
 * - __Attendance__:** Everyone
 * Advisor-** is going to provide us with equipment sizing information and costing info. and going to ask professor perl about what is really needed when it comes to costing the plant.
 * Tim Bannon**
 * Greg Discosola**
 * Haseeb Quadri**
 * Tim O’brien**
 * Catalina**

__**Teleconference #3: 1500 hrs 9 February 2009**__

__**Attendance**__ Adam Kanyuh, Tim O'Brien, Greg Dicosola, Haseeb Quadri, Tim Bannon __**-Agenda**__ Discuss upcoming presentation, progress __**-Roles and Responsibilities**__ No Change
 * __-Review Problems__**
 * Catalyst-** what have we determined. Moly sulfide based. Sulfer (How much can we tolerate?). Catalyst we chose tolerates sulfer within range (50-100ppm)
 * Location-** Setting up in Alabama because best switchgrass is available.
 * Waste Streams- Need to determine where all of them are going. Options for Sulfer- Bubble through caustic gas, Amine absorber, DEA or MEA**
 * Amine Absorber-** Could handle CO2 and H2S
 * Handling Tar**- Absorb or catalytically absorb. Make sure tar stays in gas phase. Waste heat boiler is where it will come out.
 * Oil Absorber? (Polisher)-** For NOx, H2S. Might be able to get rid of it if we handle tar removal and CO2 removal. Problems (Should probably remove)
 * Mass Balance-** -complete general one for around plant. E.G. How much syn gas is going in and what is coming out. Complete mass and energy balances as much as possible. C O2 S N2 in C O2 S N2 out
 * Alcohol Synthesis-** -type of catalyst does water gas shift itself -add enough heat to just do water gas shift -take a look at methane coking. Make back end smaller, remove CO2 initially - Catalina and Tim B look into how much Methanol and Ethanol will come out of mixed alcohol reactor.
 * Rough cost Estimate- -**Look into sizing. All we can really do right now is look into prices of products and feedstocks.

__**Teleconference #2: January 30, 2009 3:00 pm

-Attendance**__ Adam Kanyuh, Dan Rusinak, David Meyers, Catalina Mogollon, Tim O’Brien, Greg Dicosola __**-Agenda**__ Feedback on presentation. Assign goals and responsibilities for next week. __**-Review Problems**__ Decided on mix of alcohols as product - avoid costs of distillation, have market, can still leave open to butanol. __**-Roles and Responsibilities**__ Tim O. - Gasification - decide on gasifier Catalina - Catalyst - research catalyst Greg D. - PFD Group - work on mass balance around system - work outside-in __**-Other Ideas**__ N/A
 * Gasification techniques** - Packer engineering (Peter Schubert presentation); also Taylor gasification (will be sent through e-mail).
 * Mass Balance-** Work from catalyst type and gasifier to find rates between other steps. Consider economics of heat streams, energy coming out of process, electricity generation. What is done with every stream?
 * Design Basis**- where are we building plant? Determine economic escalation factors, units of measure. How will we price product? Set up economic values up front. Also, have assumptions of yields, etc., and impact on environment.

//__Monday 26 January 2009 Meeting after class__//__- Tim B, Tim O, Haseeb, Catalina, Greg __**-Agenda**__ Assign duties for power point presentation due 27 January 2009. Assign initial research responsibilities. __**-Review Problems**__ Each group member will have one slide they are responsible for and will forward said slide to Catalina NLT 2200 hrs 26 January 2009. Each group member was assigned an area of initial research responsibility to begin gathering necessary data. N/A __**-Roles and Responsibilities**__ Tim B -> Fractionation Tim O -> Gasifier Catalina -> Alcohol Synthesis Greg -> Clean up Haseeb -> CO2 Removal __**-Other Ideas**__ N/A
 * Attendance**__
 * __-Action Items__**
 * Research**

__**//Teleconference #1: Friday 23 January 2009 1500hrs//**__ Adam Kanyuh, David Myers, Tim O'Brien, Greg Dicosola, Tim Bannon Narrow in on Design Project in preparation of Tuesday's presentation Tentative project is to design process for gasification of feedstock for production of butanol or possibly methanol. -can be used in existing pipelines -no need to modify internal combustion engines -nearly drop in replacement for gasoline (110,000 Btu/gal) -possible need of many fractionators leading to complicated project -simpler process -can be sold for further processing -may not meet project guidelines -municipal solid wastes or [|switchgrass] Tentative process is gasification of switchgrass to produce methanol Tim B. Project Wiki, Help with Project outline Tim O. Research feedstocks Greg Block flow diagram Catalina Research feedstocks Haseeb Project Outline Narrowing project to encompass only gasifier. Black box around gasifier.
 * __-Attendance__**
 * __-Agenda:__**
 * __-Review Problems:__**
 * Advantages of Butanol**
 * Disadvantages of Butanol**
 * Advantages of Methanol**
 * Disadvantages of Methanol**
 * Feedstock Suggestions**
 * __-Action Items__**:
 * __-Roles and Responsibilities__**:
 * __-Other Ideas__**: