Process model validation and analysis for intensification of an industrial scale process

Abstract

Adopting reliable process models is one of the main requisites for wide spread use of process models in industry for design, control, operation and troubleshooting purposes. Validating a model against operational conditions is a plausible way to guarantee assurance and reproducibility of model outputs. Economic and sustainability analysis together with process intensification (PI) can provide feasible solutions for industrial hot-spot identification and removal. In this work, an industrial scale urea plant was modelled and simulated in a commercial process simulator. More than thirty different industrial process parameters were statistically analysed and used to perform the model validation. Economic and sustainability analyses were performed and the main hot-spots were identified. Process intensification at phenomena-level was employed to obtain more sustainable intensified process flowsheets. The results show that economic and environmental factors can be improved to reliable extent since the process model is closely replicating the reality in the base case and it fits well with industrial data.