Overview
Process simulation is a model-based representation of the process production of chemical, petrochemical, oleochemical, and oil&gas industries. From its results, we can take several parameter data for building a new one or optimize the current process.
Process Simulation
Background
It's related to my educational background and my first job as a process engineer intern at the EPC Division of PT Waskita Karya. Process simulation is needed as a part of the calculation design validation for the process designing.
During my college period and previous jobs as a process engineer, I was usually doing the process design using three different software, There are Schlumberger Pipesim, Aspen Hysys, and Honeywell Unisim. Aspen Hysys and Honeywell Unisim generally have the same function for generating the process in the petrochemical industry with detailed parameters on every sub-process. Hence, Schlumberger Pipesim used to calculate the pressure drop along with the pipe system with Network Analysis and to know the optimized operating point on Oil & Gas Industry by Nodal Analysis
Process simulation will run effectively if we already did a manual calculation on a spreadsheet. Then the data we got in calculation becomes the basis for the next step, the process simulation.
Find the Data and Solve The Problem
After we got the key parameters for simulation, then we need to choose what kind of process simulation software that needed for the given data. There is some software simulation in process engineer and the following consideration:
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Aspen One. These package software are the most used in the process engineering field. It contains seven different software with different functions. Such as Aspen Plus have a function for simulating the process with the flexible situation, it can be simulated solid, gas, and liquid state. While Aspen hysys is specifically used in oil and gas or petrochemical industries.
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Schlumberger Pipesim. This software is used majorly in the oil & gas industries but does not rule out the possibility to use in any industry by using its analysis function. There are many analysis functions in Pipesim that we can use, such as Network Simulation that used for Hydraulics calculation of the system, Nodal Analysis that used for finding the nodal point of the Well system, ESP design, gas lift, etc.
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HTRI Exchanger. This software is used majorly for designing or simulation Heat Exchangers and Heat Transfers, especially the shell and tube heat exchanger. From HTRI software, we can find the perfect type of heat exchanger for the process, tube type, shell type, materials, pass system, and the HE rating for optimization of the current processes.