Essentials of Process Engineering: Optimisation and Control in Upstream and Downstream Processes | 4th – 8th August 2025

Course Overview

This 5-day course provides a solid foundation in process engineering, focusing on both upstream and downstream processes in the petroleum and petrochemical industries. It covers critical topics such as mass and energy balances, fluid flow, heat transfer, reactor design, distillation, and process control, along with essential aspects of process optimisation. Through a combination of theoretical understanding and practical insights, participants will develop the skills to design, optimise, and troubleshoot key processes, ensuring safety, efficiency, and sustainability in industrial operations.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the fundamentals of mass and energy balances and their application in process design.
2. Apply hydraulic principles and fluid flow analysis to optimise process equipment and operations.
3. Understand heat transfer mechanisms and their role in optimising thermal processes.
4. Implement reaction engineering principles, focusing on catalysis, kinetics, and sustainability.
5. Design and troubleshoot distillation processes and other separation techniques.
6. Develop and apply process control strategies for optimal process performance.
7. Understand the economic aspects of process design, including cost estimation and break-even analysis.

Target Audience

• Process engineers and plant operators in the petroleum and petrochemical industries.
• Engineering professionals involved in upstream and downstream process optimisation.
• Operations managers and technical leads responsible for plant design, commissioning, and troubleshooting.
• Safety and risk management professionals in process industries.
• Environmental engineers focusing on sustainability and effluent treatment.

Daily Agenda

Day One: Introduction and Fundamentals of Process Engineering

• Mass and energy balances: Basic principles and their application in process engineering.
• Reactor types: Different types of reactors and their suitability for various processes.
• Process & engineering diagrams: How to read and interpret process flow diagrams (PFDs) and piping & instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs).
• Flammability: Understanding flammability limits, safety considerations, and prevention measures.
• Electrical area classification: Standards for hazardous area classifications in process industries.
• Risk management and hazard studies: Introduction to risk assessment, hazard identification (HAZID), and hazard analysis (HAZOP).

Day Two: Hydraulics and Fluid Flow

• Pressure and head & Bernoulli’s theorem: Basic concepts of fluid dynamics in process systems.
• Flow of liquids, Reynolds number, and pressure drop in pipes: Understanding flow regimes, friction losses, and design considerations.
• Two-phase and multi-phase flow: Characteristics and challenges of multi-phase flow in pipelines.
• Enthalpy and thermodynamics: Heat energy in fluid systems and the principles of thermodynamics in process engineering.
• Principle of process relief devices and process design of relief systems: Safety systems, pressure relief, and designing effective relief systems.
• Mechanical equipment – pumps, compressors & mixers: Operating principles, selection, and maintenance of critical mechanical equipment in process industries.

Day Three: Heat Transfer and Reaction Engineering

• Heat transfer mechanisms: Conduction, convection, and radiation in process heat exchangers.
• Heat transfer coefficients and calculation: Methods for calculating heat transfer coefficients in industrial systems.
• Heat exchangers, types, and sizing: Different types of heat exchangers (shell & tube, plate, etc.) and their design considerations.
• Catalysis and reaction engineering: Principles of catalysis, catalytic reactions, and reactor design.
• Chemical reactions & kinetics: Understanding reaction rates, mechanisms, and the impact of temperature and pressure.
• Green chemistry & engineering and sustainability: Sustainable engineering practices in process design and reaction engineering.

Day Four: Distillation Processes and Equipment

• Phase behaviour and vapour/liquid equilibria: Basic thermodynamics of phase changes and equilibrium conditions in distillation.
• Gas/Liquid separation: Separation techniques and design considerations for efficient separation.
• Distillation equipment – Columns and vessels: Design, operation, and troubleshooting of distillation columns and related equipment.
• Troubleshooting of process equipment: Identifying and resolving common issues in process equipment operation.
• Overview of other separation processes: Techniques such as filtration, membrane separation, and adsorption in process industries.
• Effluent treatment [in refinery and petrochemical industries]: Methods for treating waste and by-products to meet environmental standards.

Day Five: Process Control and Economics

• Classification of control systems: Types of control systems used in process industries (e.g., PID control, advanced process control).
• Measured variables: Key parameters to monitor and control in process operations.
• Simple feedback control: Basic principles of feedback control and its application in process systems.
• Preliminary economic analysis: Evaluating the economic viability of process designs and optimisations.
• Fixed and variable costs, break-even analysis: Understanding cost structures in process industries.
• Estimating the cost of process equipment and plants: Methods for estimating capital and operational costs for process systems.

Why Choose this Course?

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to key aspects of process engineering, making it ideal for professionals working in or entering the petroleum and petrochemical industries. It blends theoretical knowledge with practical application, equipping participants with the skills necessary to optimise processes, improve efficiency, and solve complex engineering challenges. With a focus on both upstream and downstream processes, the course ensures that participants can address the diverse needs of modern refining and chemical production operations.

Learning Outcome

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be able to:

1. Apply mass and energy balances in the design and operation of process systems.
2. Optimise hydraulic and fluid flow systems, enhancing efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
3. Design and operate heat transfer systems, including heat exchangers, for optimal thermal performance.
4. Apply principles of reaction engineering and catalysis to optimise chemical processes.
5. Troubleshoot distillation processes and other separation techniques to ensure efficient operations.
6. Implement effective process control strategies for safe and efficient process management.
7. Conduct economic analysis for process design and operational optimisation, considering both cost and sustainability.