Attention: This course is developed by assembling the topics we offer in other Aspen Plus courses (EAP101, EAP250 and EAP2121) and reorganized as Modelling Petrochemicals Processes using Aspen Plus course. Hence some topics in this course overlap with the ones covered in other Aspen Plus courses (EAP101, EAP250 and EAP2121).
Introduction to Flowsheet Simulation, general flowsheet simulation concepts and Aspen Plus features
- Review the benefits of process modeling using Aspen Plus Discuss the approaches to flowsheet simulations
- User Interface Become comfortable and familiar with the Aspen Plus graphical user interface
- Property Environment Develop a working knowledge of the Aspen Plus Properties Environment Learn to enter Components and Property Method for a process flowsheet Review the save options for Aspen Plus models
- Workshop: Begin building a flowsheet - Enter components and property method Simulation Environment Develop a working knowledge of the Aspen Plus Simulation Environment
Build a process flowsheet and enter stream and block information in an Aspen Plus simulation
- Run the simulation Flowsheet Results Review features for viewing simulation results
- Review Assay components
- Discuss options to enhance flowsheet output
- Workshop: Finish building a flowsheet - Add the process and feed stream conditions to a flowsheet, run and review results Unit Operation Models
Review major types of unit operation models
- Explore flowsheet handling techniques Modeling Distillation Tower (RadFrac) Enter the minimum input required for the RadFrac fractionation model Implement design specifications, stage efficiencies and column sizing
- Workshop: Set up a methanol - water distillation tower model, implement efficiencies and size the column Modeling Heat Exchangers Review the Aspen Plus models used for modeling heat exchangers
Explore Activated Exchanger Analysis for heat exchanger design
- Workshop: Compare the simulation of a heat exchanger using three methods: two Heaters connected with a Heat stream, a Heater using a Utility, and a rigorous HeatX Modeling Chemical Plant - Cyclohexane Production
- Workshop: Apply acquired skills to build a cyclohexane production flowsheet
- Workshop: Create a flowsheet to model a cyclohexane production process
- Workshop: create a cold box flowsheet with MheatX model.
Explore modeling of complex configuration, reactive distillation and three phase distillations
- Workshop: Create a Radrac to model a demethanizer and add it to Cold Box flowsheet
- Workshop: create model to model Reactive distillation and three phase distillations
Process improvement with Activated Analysis
- Review Activated Energy Analysis and Activated Economic Analysis tools for process improvement
- Investigate opportunities to improve energy efficiency and carbon footprint of the cyclohexane flowsheet
- Workshop: Perform a cost analysis on the cyclohexane flowsheet using Activated Economic Analysis Physical Properties
Key considerations in choosing a property method and review physical property parameters
- Review properties of IDEAL, EOS, NRTL and ELECNRTL
- Learn how to choose an appropriate Property Method to represent single chemical or mixture
- Workshop: Simulate a two-liquid phase settling tank Sensitivity Analysis
- Become familiar with referencing flowsheet variables (accessing variables), which is used in sensitivity analysis, design specifications, calculator blocks and optimization
Use a sensitivity analysis to study relationships between process variables
- Workshop: Use a sensitivity analysis to study the effect of the recycle flowrate on the reactor duty Design Specification
- Introduce the use of design specifications to meet process design requirements
- Workshop: Use a design specification in the example flowsheet to fix the heat load on the reactor by varying the recycle flowrate Calculator Blocks
Introduce use of Microsoft Excel and Fortran Calculator blocks for flowsheet calculations
- Workshop: Use a Calculator block to maintain the methane: water ratio in the feed to a reformer Modeling Reactors (Simple and Rigorous)
- Introduce the various classes of reactor models available
- Explore details of the balanced based reactors
Review details of the equilibrium and kinetic based reactors
- Workshop: Compare the uses of different reactor types to model an ethyl-acetate reactor Modeling Pumps, Compressors, Valves and Pipes (Pressure Changers)
Introduce unit operation models used to change pressure, such as Pumps, Compressors, Pipes and Valves
- Workshop: Evaluate compressor performance at different flowrates Improving Flowsheet Convergence Introduce the idea of convergence blocks, tear streams and flowsheet sequences
Review Convergence skills
- Workshop: Converge a flowsheet and review results