Methanol Presentation

Process Simulation and Integration of Methanol Production

3rd Year Chemical Engineering Research Project By: Aaron McClean

Introduction Welcome to this Presentation on the Simulation and Integration of a Methanol Production Process

The Project in Brief  The Project Involves the Simulation of a conventional methanol process using Aspen simulation software. Using stream data obtained from the simulation and Process Integration techniques, a maximum energy recovery system is then designed

Three Project Objectives •

•

•

Development of a Methanol Production Process Simulation of the Methanol Production Process using Aspen Plus Carryout Process Integration on the Methanol Process to gain a Maximum Energy Recovery system

Development of a Methanol Production Process •

Research into various routes for the  production of methanol

•

Process selection

•

Producing a Flow Diagram of the Process

•

Collecting information on the physical  properties and characteristics of the Process

Process Flow Diagram Natural Gas

This diagram shows the main sections in Methanol Production

Oxygen

Combustion

Steam Synthesis Gas

Reaction Crude Methanol Distillation

Methanol

Process Sections •

•

•

Partial Combustion of Natural Gas to  produce Synthesis Gas Conversion of Synthesis Gas to Methanol Purification of Crude Methanol by Distillation

Partial Combustion of Natural Gas to produce Synthesis Gas •

•

 Natural Gas composed of 80% Methane, 15% Ethane and 5% Propane Partial Combustion Reaction Natural Gas + O2

•

CO + H2

Water Shift reaction Natural Gas + H2O CO + H2O

CO + 3H2 CO2 + H2

Conversion of Synthesis Gas to Methanol •

Methanol Conversion Reactions CO + 2H2 2CO + 4H2 CO2 + H2

CH3OH CH3OCH3 + H2O CO + H2O

Process Diagram

Simulation of the Methanol Production Process using Aspen Plus •

•

•

Aspen Plus is a Computer Simulation Package for Chemical Processes It is Primarily used as a labour and time saving tool It is still only a tool, and does not replace the knowledge required by the Process Engineer 

Aspen Plus User Interface

Aspen Plus User Interface

Methanol Process Simulation

Process Integration •

What is Process Integration?

•

What does Process Integration involve?

•

Why carry out Process Integration?

What is Process Integration •

Process Integration is the optimisation of a Chemical Process to produce a Maximum energy recovery system Cool FEED RECYCLE

FEED Cool Heat

Reactor  PRODUCT

Heat

BYPRODUCT

What does Process Integration involve? •

Pinch Technology

•

What is a Pinch Analysis?

•

What is required for the analysis?

•

How is an analysis performed?

What is a Pinch Analysis? •

Linking streams that need heating to those that need cooling RECYCLE HEATING Heat

160

°

2500

REAC. OUT

210

° 270 REACTOR

210

°

°

130

°

COOLING Cool

160

°

1980

FEED

50

°

HEATING

PRODUCT COOLING

Heat

3200

220

°

Cool

60 3520

°

What is a Pinch Analysis? •

What is meant by the Pinch 220°

RECYCLE STEAM

178°

1620

160°

880

CW 180° 160°

60° 2640

DIST VAP130°

210°

REACTOR

REAC. OUT

210°

270°

160°

Distillation Column

149° STEAM FEED 50°  Above Pinch Below Pinch

1220

1980 220°

PRODUCT

What is meant by the Pinch •

The Composite Curve T

QHmin

Pinch (Hot) Pinch (Cold)

QCmin

H

The Composite Curve T

T

270 °

210°

220 ° 160 °

160°

Reac. Out

Recycle

Product

60 °

Feed

3520

50°

1980

2500

3200

H

H

No

Name

Tsupply

Ttar get

DH

No

Name

Tsupply

Ttar get

DH

1

Product

220

60

3520

3

Feed

50

210

3200

2

Reac. Out

270

160

1980

4

Recycle

160

210

2500

The Composite Curve QHMIN = 1000

250 ° Hot Composite Curve

200 °

D

Tmin= 20

°

150 °

100 °

50 °

Hot Utility Target QHMIN = 1000 Cold Composite Curve

0°

Qcmin= 800

Cold Utility Target QCMIN = 800

Creating a heat exchanger  network  Product

Reac. Out

180°

220° 270°

235.6°

80°

C

440

180°

60°

C

160°

360 210°

160°

50° Feed

210°

H

1000

190°

177.6°

620

QHmin = 1000

1000

160°

2200 Recycle

880

QCmin = 800

Driving force plot DT

a

b DT

min

Driving Force Plot Representation of driving forces for vertical heat transfer 

Tcold composite

Driving Force plot used to check  the use of exchangers CP

DT

1 2 0.5

T

C

Why carry out Process Integration? Process Costs Reduced No Integration 40º

40º

DH

Steam (100ºC)

= 1000

H

40º

DH

= 1000

H

100º

Integration

DH

= 1000

H

40º

DH

= 1000

DH

= 1000

DH

= 1000

40º

40º

DH

C

50º

= 1000

100º

50º DH

100º

C

50º

100º

C

50º

100º

= 1000

50º DH

100º

20º

20º

20º

Cooling water  (20º-40ºC)

Total Heat Transferred = 6000kW  Area = 112m²

= 1000

20º

20º

50º

20º

Total Heat Transferred = 3000kW  Area = 69m²

Process Integration on Methanol Process

Summary Aspen Plus is a great tool for the development of chemical processes or  carrying out analysis on existing  processes •

Process Integration gives a reduction in the amount of Energy required in the  process •

Pinch Technology can be used to reduce the number of Heat Exchangers required •

Thank You for your time and  patience

•

Please feel free to ask questions or give feed  back on this presentation