Process Simulation and Integration of Methanol Production

1
Process Simulation and Integration of Methanol
Production

• 3rd Year Chemical Engineering Research Project
• By Aaron McClean

2
Introduction

• Welcome to this Presentation on the Simulation
  and Integration of a Methanol Production Process

3
The Project in Brief

• The Project Involves the Simulation of a
  conventional methanol process using Aspen
  simulation software. Using stream data obtained
  from the simulation and Process Integration
  techniques, a maximum energy recovery system is
  then designed

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Three Project Objectives

• Development of a Methanol Production Process
• Simulation of the Methanol Production Process
  using Aspen Plus
• Carryout Process Integration on the Methanol
  Process to gain a Maximum Energy Recovery system

5
Development of a Methanol Production Process

• Research into various routes for the production
  of methanol
• Process selection
• Producing a Flow Diagram of the Process
• Collecting information on the physical properties
  and characteristics of the Process

6
Process Flow Diagram

• This diagram shows the main sections in Methanol
  Production

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Process Sections

• Partial Combustion of Natural Gas to produce
  Synthesis Gas
• Conversion of Synthesis Gas to Methanol
• Purification of Crude Methanol by Distillation

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Partial Combustion of Natural Gas to produce
Synthesis Gas

• Natural Gas composed of 80 Methane, 15 Ethane
  and 5 Propane
• Partial Combustion Reaction
• Water Shift reaction

Natural Gas O2 CO H2
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Conversion of Synthesis Gas to Methanol

• Methanol Conversion Reactions

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Process Diagram
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Simulation of the Methanol Production Process
using Aspen Plus

• Aspen Plus is a Computer Simulation Package for
  Chemical Processes
• It is Primarily used as a labour and time saving
  tool
• It is still only a tool, and does not replace the
  knowledge required by the Process Engineer

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Aspen Plus User Interface
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Aspen Plus User Interface
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Methanol Process Simulation
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Process Integration

• What is Process Integration?
• What does Process Integration involve?
• Why carry out Process Integration?

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What is Process Integration

• Process Integration is the optimisation of a
  Chemical Process to produce a Maximum energy
  recovery system

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What does Process Integration involve?

• Pinch Technology
• What is a Pinch Analysis?
• What is required for the analysis?
• How is an analysis performed?

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What is a Pinch Analysis?

• Linking streams that need heating to those that
  need cooling

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What is a Pinch Analysis?

• What is meant by the Pinch

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What is meant by the Pinch

• The Composite Curve

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The Composite Curve
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The Composite Curve
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Creating a heat exchanger network



220
180
60

80
C
Product
440


270
160


235.6
180
C
Reac. Out
360



210
160
50
Feed
2200
1000


177.6

210
160

190
H
Recycle
880
620
1000
Q 1000
Q 800
H
m
i
n
C
m
i
n
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Driving force plot
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Driving Force plot used to check the use of
exchangers
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Why carry out Process Integration?
Process Costs Reduced
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Process Integration on Methanol Process
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Summary

• Aspen Plus is a great tool for the development of
  chemical processes or carrying out analysis on
  existing processes
• Process Integration gives a reduction in the
  amount of Energy required in the process
• Pinch Technology can be used to reduce the number
  of Heat Exchangers required

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Thank You for your time and patience

• Please feel free to ask questions or give feed
  back on this presentation