Synthesis and Operability Strategies for Computer-Aided Modular Process Intensification

By Efstratios N Pistikopoulos and Yuhe Tian

Synthesis and Operability Strategies for Computer-Aided Modular Process intensification presents state-of-the-art methodological developments and real-world applications for computer-aided process modeling, optimization and control, with a particular interest on process intensification systems. Each chapter consists of basic principles, model formulation, solution algorithm, and step-by-step implementation guidance on key procedures. Sections cover an overview on the current status of process intensification technologies, including challenges and opportunities, detail process synthesis, design and optimization, the operation of intensified processes under uncertainty, and the integration of design, operability and control.

Advanced operability analysis, inherent safety analysis, and model-based control strategies developed in the community of process systems engineering are also introduced to assess process operational performance at the early design stage.

• Includes a survey of recent advances in modeling, optimization and control of process intensification systems
• Presents a modular synthesis approach for process design, integration and material selection in intensified process systems
• Provides advanced process operability, inherent safety tactics, and model-based control analysis approaches for the evaluation of process operational performance at the conceptual design stage
• Highlights a systematic framework for multiscale process design intensification integrated with operability and control
• Includes real-word application examples on intensified reaction and/or separation systems with targeted cost, energy and sustainability improvements

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Release date: Apr 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9780323898058

Efstratios N Pistikopoulos

Professor Efstratios N. Pistikopoulos is the Director of the Texas A&M Energy Institute and the Dow Chemical Chair Professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He was a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London, UK (1991-2015) and the Director of its Centre for Process Systems Engineering (2002-2009). He holds a Ph.D. degree from Carnegie Mellon University and he worked with Shell Chemicals in Amsterdam before joining Imperial. He has authored or co-authored over 500 major research publications in the areas of modelling, control and optimization of process, energy and systems engineering applications, 15 books and 3 patents. He is a Fellow of IChemE and AIChE, and the Editor-in-Chief of Computers & Chemical Engineering. In 2007, Prof. Pistikopoulos was a co-recipient of the prestigious MacRobert Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Computing in Chemical Engineering Award of CAST/AIChE, while in 2020 he received the Sargent Medal from the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). He is a member of the Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas. In 2021, he received the AIChE Sustainable Engineering Forum Research Award. He received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in 2014 from the University Politehnica of Bucharest, and from the University of Pannonia in 2015. In 2013, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom.

Book preview

Part 1: Preliminaries

Outline

1. Introduction to modular process intensification

2. Computer-aided modular process intensification: design, synthesis, and operability

1: Introduction to modular process intensification

Abstract

Modular process intensification offers the potential to realize step changes in process economics, energy efficiency, and environmental impacts by developing innovative process schemes and equipment to synergize multifunctional phenomena and/or to maximize multi-scale driving forces. This chapter provides an overview of the evolution of PI definitions and fundamental principles. A number of representative modular process intensification technologies and their industrial applications will also be introduced for advanced separation, advanced reaction, hybrid reaction/separation, and dynamic/periodic systems, etc.

Keywords

Process intensification; Reactive separation; Advanced distillation systems; Membrane-assisted separation; Microreactors; Periodic operation

1.1 Introduction

Facing a highly competitive global market with increasing awareness on environmental and safety issues, chemical production is making its way towards a paradigm shift to more efficient, more environmentally friendly, and more versatile. Process intensification and modular design are regarded as promising solutions to pursue this structural transformation, gaining significant recent impetus in the chemical/energy industry and the chemical engineering research community.

Process intensification (PI) aims to boost process and energy efficiency, enhance process profitability and safety, while reducing waste and emissions by utilizing the synergy between multi-functional phenomena at different time and spatial scales, as well as by enhancing process driving forces such as the mass, heat, and/or, momentum transfer rates, through the use of novel process schemes and equipment [1]. A wide range of PI technologies have been developed [2], some of which are already successfully commercialized such as reverse flow reactor, reactive distillation, and dividing wall column, to name a few.

On the other hand, modular design is a different while often concurrent concept to process intensification. It aims to dramatically reduce the size of process units to change from the economy of scale to small, distributed, and standardized plants with better flexibility and faster response to demand changes, especially for utilization of unconventional feedstocks and for specialty chemical production [3]. A key question for modular design is the gain or loss in cost efficiency vs. design/operation agileness when comparing numbering up against conventional scaling up. For many intensified technologies (e.g., micro-reactors, membrane reactors, alternative energy sources) which inherently function the most effectively at smaller scales, the combination of PI technologies with modular design may provide an encouraging synergistic process solution [4].

In this chapter, we introduce the key concepts of modular PI, state-of-the-art research and industrial developments, and representative technology showcases.

1.2 Definitions and principles of modular process intensification

The concept of PI was first introduced into the Chemical Engineering discipline in 1983 marked by the paper of Colin Ramshaw from the ICI New Science Group, who described their studies on centrifugal fields (so-called HiGee) in distillation processes [5]. Since then, several definitions of PI have been proposed, the differences of which mainly stem from the targeted scope in PI outcomes and the proposed strategies to achieve these outcomes. An indicative list of PI definitions is presented in Table 1.1 [11]. Interestingly, this also shows the evolution of PI principles and targets from: (i) initially emphasizing equipment size reduction and cost savings to recognizing PI with a broader impact towards more efficient, more sustainable, and safer processes, (ii) initially regarding PI as a standalone toolbox containing particular technology examples towards exploring PI fundamentals with respect to the role of multi-functional synergy, multi-scale driving forces, etc.

Table 1.1

To start with, Ramshaw [5] defined PI as the reduction of both the main plant item and the installation costs. A wider definition was later proposed by Stankiewicz and Moulijn [1] to recognize PI as any practice towards smaller, cheaper, safer, and/or more cost and energy efficient processes, in addition to only the reduction of unit size or costs. Becht et al. [7] further enriched the PI definition with ... to sustain profitability even in the presence of increasing uncertainties, which observed PI as a more general practice and included flexibility and robustness as major PI