Application of process simulators in chemical engineering process design: Natural gas separation plant case study

Abstract

Software for chemical processes modeling and simulation, in the past few decades, plays an important role in the development of chemical-process industry with its growing capabilities and wide range of application. Usage of process simulators in Serbia for the process design is very limited. This paper gives a brief overview of the numerous process simulators that are used in the chemical-process industry today. The conceptual design is responsible for most of the investment costs in chemical process industry. Importance of precise design on preliminary level is obvious. Wrong decisions made at the conceptual level could be carried out throughout the chain in process design to the detailed design procedures and procurement of equipment. Although preliminary design phase comprises only about 2% of the total cost of the project, it contributes significantly to the reduction of cost of the project by more than 30%. Therefore process simulators play important role in elimination of unnecessary errors in basic process design. Here is also shown a case study of parallel process simulated in different process simulators which tests the results, the reliability and usefulness of these programs in solving specific engineering tasks. Comparison of given simulation results confirm that the modern process simulators are at high level of confidence, no matter they are based on different models, equations, methods, operations, interfaces or data bases. Usage of software speeds up the arrival of optimized solution during the design and the operational procedures. Therefore software has significant impact on reducing time of pre-project phase such as research, conceptual design, and proving project abilities. Its development leads to the faster commercialization of industrial ideas.

Softveri za modelovanje i simulaciju tehnoloških procesa u poslednjih nekoliko decenija imaju značajnu ulogu u razvoju procesne industrije. Korišćenje procesnih simulatora,u našoj zemlji, za potrebe projektovanja tehnoloških procesa nije široko rasprostranjeno, a literatura je nedovoljna. U ovom radu je dat pregled savremenih procesnih simulatora i prikazane su njihove mogućnosti za projektovanja procesa u zavisnosti od grane hemijske industrije. Prikazna je studija slučaja tehnološkog procesa u više procesnih simulatora koja ispituje rezultate, pouzdanost i upotrebljivost ovih programa prilikom rešavanja konkretnih projektantskih zadatka na primeru postrojenja za separaciju prirodnog gasa. Date su uporedne karakteristike rezulata simuliranja separacije prirodnog gasa za potrebe projektovanja procesa, na osnovu simulacija u softverima različitih složenosti i kvaliteta. Procesni simulatori su pokazali svoju upotrebnu vrednost kao značajan oslonac projektantima, iako rezultati koje su pokazali međusobno imaju značajna odstupanja.