Petro-SIM

Evaluate refinery production with facility-wide modeling in Petro-SIM

An optimum LP production plan looks at monthly average operation. However, for operations and production scheduling teams to meet daily targets, it requires a more accurate representation of the facility with more actual data. Petro-SIM Refinery-wide flowsheets can demonstrate the true representation of changes in key operating variables and their associated impact on refinery operation and product blending. So that profitability of facilities can be maximized, while meeting product specifications, optimizing energy and hydrogen usage, and reducing emissions.

Refinery conversion units are modeled with Petro-SIM Reactor Suite models to predict changes in feed quality, operating conditions, catalyst, and fractionation, as it would happen in the real unit.

Petro-SIM 7.5 has significant advancements in thermal and kinetics modeling for Plug Flow Reactors (PFR) and Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTR), with a strong emphasis on generic kinetics scripting and wizard. These enhancements encompass refined pressure drop correlations for PFR, facilitating seamless integration of both non-catalytic and catalytic reactor models. However, the true standout feature in Petro-SIM 7.5 is our cutting-edge kinetics scripting capability. With this enhancement, users gain unprecedented control by directly scripting reaction rates and their associated kinetic parameters. This empowers users to implement any type of chemical reaction kinetics, tailored precisely to their unique requirements. Such unparalleled flexibility and customization in process simulation and optimization mark a new era in the capabilities of Petro-SIM.

In the past recent years, the petrochemical-polymer industry has experienced a growing demand for polymer products. In spite of the growth, the complexity of polymer processing makes it challenging for polymer manufacturers to develop process technologies to meet the required product quality. To remain competitive, polymer companies must resolve their current challenge with complex polymer processes. Petro-SIM introduces polymer modeling capabilities to simulate polymerization processes with Predici-SIM polymerization reactor model based on Predici models software. This integrated software solution helps users to manage challenges related to the production of desired polymer grades and simulate the entire petrochemical-polymer supply chain while optimizing the plant performance in steady-state and dynamic modes.

Olefins are widely applied in the manufacture of chemical and polymer products like detergents, and plastics. Steam cracking is the core leading technology for olefins production. However, due to energy transition, feedstock shift, emission reduction, a comprehensive analysis, prediction, control and integrated digital twin facility is required to optimize furnace performance and efficiency.

The integrated software solution enables users to simulate, and optimize the entire refinery-petrochemical supply chain.

Crude compatibility and fuel oil stability using Multiflash^® tool in Petro-SIM

A new crude compatibility tool adapts the Multiflash asphaltene precipitation model, which is fully compositional and developed based on thermodynamics to perform phase equilibrium calculations. Asphaltene precipitation is modeled by considering asphaltene-asphaltene self-association and asphaltene-resin cross-association.

The primary objective of the tool is to determine the stability of the crude oil blends related to asphaltene precipitation. Stability indicates the ability of asphaltenes to remain dispersed in the oil or blend and it is usually quantified by using onset titration data.

Flare system design

Flaretot is a software solution designed to seamlessly carry out all aspects of flare system design, revamp and auditing. Linking directly to Petro-SIM, Flaretot provides a rigorous approach to the modeling of flare systems within a single, user-friendly visual graphical interface. Flaretot allows users to design and rate all aspects of flare systems accurately and rapidly. Carry out noise, radiation and dispersion analysis and prediction.  Flaretot will calculate if the flare network is properly sized for all flaring scenarios. Best practice flare network design, monitoring and auditing will result in less flaring, and therefore less emissions.

The avoidance or mitigation of the threats to the facilities determined by the formation of solid phases (such as hydrates, wax and asphaltenes), or the presence of corrosive compounds (such as  Mercury, CO₂, H2S etc.), typical in upstream oil and gas, requires a complex integration of modeling techniques involving process modeling, multiphase flows and thermodynamics. Through the native integration of Multiflash^® and Maximus^®, Petro-SIM is the only process simulator capable of representing the entire asset, in steady states, dynamic and life of the field, allowing engineers to evaluate the most appropriate design or operating strategy to optimize capital and operating costs, meet production targets, and minimize the risks to the facilities.

Molecular management and carbon number simulation

To recognize the need for molecular management and carbon number level simulation, it is important to understand the nature of refining processes. The purpose of refinery naphtha processing units is to maximize octane barrels that can be blended into gasoline. Isomerization and dehydrocyclization reactions improve octane, with thermal cracking a side reaction that is minimized to prevent yield loss. A Petro-SIM site wide digital twin simulation model is an accurate representation of an asset over its full range of operation and its full lifecycle. It is a mirror of the actual plant in simulated mode, but with full knowledge of its historical performance and an accurate understanding of its future potential for profit improvement and emissions reduction.

Shell & tube heat exchangers rating using Petro-SIM and HTRI XSimOp

The HTRI XSimOp ShellTube module is for doing detailed simulations and rating of shell and tube heat exchangers. Linked with Petro-SIM it will enable more efficient delivery of high fidelity operational and design studies for process units heat exchange. Engineers will be able to quickly investigate and analyze the performance of heat exchanger networks in a single simulation case thereby reducing overall design time, minimizing equipment over-design and ensuring design flexibility that appropriately accounts for process variability.

Design, evaluation and simulation of separators and scrubbers 

MySep process phase seperation software is integrated with Petro-SIM as a plugin for the design, evaluation and simulation of separators and scrubbers. MySep will send the carryover and pressure drop information back to Petro-SIM. In Petro-SIM, each vessel can be designed or simulated in detail. The separator performance results can be displayed directly and the effect of the carry-over calculations propagated across the flowsheet in Petro-SIM. The main advantages offered by MySep to engineering activities are:

• Debottlenecking operations and designs
• Screening designs and changes in operating conditions
• Predict and assess the performance of new and existing separators
• Reduce engineering hours and costs
• Avoid oversizing & re-engineering
• Mitigate risks

Petro-SIM v7.4 introduces two new assay work-up tools:

1. Assay Reconciliation Tool: it addresses the problem of lab measurement noise and errors. Identifiable errors and inconsistencies in raw assay data are eliminated using a detailed reconciliation model and ensures the consistency in the mass and volume balance of the raw assay data.
2. PNA Profiling Tool: it takes care of the problem of predicting accurate Paraffins, Naphthenes, and Aromatics content of Naphtha cuts by fitting detailed PNA composition profiles to the raw assay data and generating additional cuts data for the synthesis calculations to work on. The purpose of PNA Profiling is improve the representation of cuts within the Naphtha boiling range.