Integrate Process Simulation and Process Synthesis

CEP www.cepmagazine.org October 2005 25 The design of a chemical process involves synthesis and analysis. Process synthesis is the overall development of a process flowsheet by combining individual steps (equipment and operating conditions) into an optimal arrangement. Process analysis breaks down the flowsheet to evaluate the performance of each individual element as well as how the overall process would perform, typically by a process simulator. Process analysis is often performed after the synthesis task has been completed. The major disadvantage of this approach is that if the flowsheet is found to be infeasible during the analysis stage, the synthesis task must be repeated before the next analysis step can take place. This rework can be avoided if the flowsheet is synthesized with the use of a process synthesis model and simulation tool. This article shows how these tools can be used hand-inhand to generate a reasonably good process flowsheet. This is particularly useful for evaluating a new process path or generating alternatives for new process development. Process synthesis models