Copiride Project: A Platform for Tomorrow’s Production Solutions

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Evonik Industries AG

Evonik Industries AG

The 2nd Generation of Evotrainer

The basic idea behind the Evotrainer is to place the infrastructure at the center of the production strategy and develop a fast, cost-effective system which “grows with the market”. Cost analysis has shown that infrastructure accounts for roughly half of the investment costs at a chemical plant. Lang pointed out that “economical” must not be confused with “cheap”. “We use highly quality components, but we are looking for multi-functionality. A pipeline can also act as a retainer or provide stability.”

A second-generation Evotrainer is already installed at the german based Hanau-Wolfgang industrial park. The previous models were little more than reactor modules surrounded by safety systems. The enhanced versions are a miniature chemical plant. “We have continually added modules and improved them as we developed different versions in recent years,” added Lang.

The exterior of the container is anything but spectacular. The 3 x 7 meter block is painted in subdued gray. The interior is a different story altogether. The key equipment is the reactor along with the units for purifying the reactants. In general, the container leaves little to be desired. It has a process control room and IT modules so that sensors can be controlled locally. The raw materials are fed into the process, the atmosphere can be defined for the specific process using compressed air, directed gas flows transport emissions to the appropriate apparatus for further processing and wall elements hold the equipment in place. The design of the container meets fire prevention standards. Emergency exits are provided, and there is a containment basin in compliance with water management regulations.

Maximize Energy and Raw Material Efficiency

“Everything has been designed to maximize energy and raw material efficiency,” said Lang. Distances are short, facilitating good heat integration. If the process engineers want to carry out a Pinch analysis, this can be done with minimal effort as the pipes are only a few centimeters long. Depending on the number of production stages, production output is in the range of 200 metric tons per year which is in line with market demand for many special chemicals.

Lang is primarily interested in new product introductions which require new investment in production assets. Obviously the investment costs depend on the particular circumstances, but experience shows that it is often more cost-effective to invest in dedicated container systems.

Every Evotrainer is tailored to the reaction that will take place there. Engineering specialists at Evonik adapt the equipment to the specific chemical process. The real attraction of this approach is its versatility. The container can house a complete chemical plant or just a single module such as a reactor or a processing step. The engineering task is anything but trivial. Lang pointed out that space constraints pose the real challenge. “It takes a lot of intelligence to provide all of the functionality which you need for chemical production in the limited space available."

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