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  Home / RESOURCES / APPLICATION EXAMPLES

ProSim is making these application examples available to you to demonstrate how our simulation solutions are able to handle the different processes encountered in the chemical industries.

Note: these files are provided "as is" without any warranty of any nature whatsoever. ProSim does not warrant that the functions contained in the programs are error free nor that they will meet user's requirements. ProSim makes no warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to, any warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. ProSim shall have no responsibility or liability for damages arising out of or related to the delivery, use, efficiency, or suitability of these examples or the application of the results.

With Simulis Thermodynamics

The examples presented below are designed to illustrate the use of Simulis Thermodynamics for different types of calculation, under MS Excel. Far from being complete this list demonstrates the capabilities of the software in terms of flexibility and reliability.
To run these examples, you need to have a valid version of Simulis Thermodynamics installed on your computer. Once the example is open, you need to "force calculation" to view the results.

Double pipe (single phase) heat exchanger

Calculates the length of a double pipe heat exchanger at given input and output temperature of the process fluid.

McCabe-Thiele

Calculate the necessary number of plates in a distillation column to separate two given substances, for given separation specification, reflux ratio and pressure      

Pressure relief valves

Determine the maximum mass flux for a valve according to the range of pressure defined by the user and compute the relief valve nozzle (orifice) size.

Steam electric boiler

Determine the necessary water input flowrate to obtain a specified vapor flowrate using a steam electric boiler      

Water pump

Calculate the power of a pump and the output temperature from given input temperature, input and output pressure.      

Steam expander

Calculate the power generated by an expander and the output temperature from given input temperature, pressure and fixed output pressure.


With ProSimPlus

The examples provided below demonstrate ProSimPlus ability to handle the different processes encountered in the industry and show how the software can be used in activities such as process conception or revamping, optimization in running phases, feasibility or safety studies. Far from being exhaustive, this list will show the processes often encountered in the chemical engineering field, or those that illustrate ProSimPlus specific strengths in terms of flexibility, efficiency and reliability.

Claus Process

NEW - This example corresponds to the simulation of the well known Claus process. This process allows the recovery of elemental sulfur from acid gas containing H2S and water, and possibly hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide. The particularity of this example lies in the use of equilibrium reactors calculated by minimization of Gibbs free energy to simulate the different steps of the process.

Rating and cost estimation of two heat exchangers using Windows script.

NEW - The main interest of this example is to illustrate how to use Windows Script straight within ProSimPlus to allow postsimulation calculations as a function of the simulation results.
In this example, simulation and rating of two heat exchangers, using modules 'Generalized heat exchanger' and 'Heat exchanger' are carried out and then a Windows Script module is written and used to perform cost estimation of these heat exchangers.

Gas gathering system with ProSimPlus

This example mainly illustrates the use of the pipeline simulation module included in the standard version of ProSimPlus through modeling of a small gas condensate gathering system consisting of three wells connecting to a gas plant via a network of pipelines.
It also illustrates the creation of pseudo-compound and estimation of hypothetical component properties to model C7+ cut.
Besides, this example shows how the pressure at the nodes of the gas network can be automatically adjusted when the wellhead rates and output delivery pressure are fixed ("pressure driven" simulation).
Finally modeling of wellhead performance curves is used to show how to add features to existing unit operations thanks to "Windows Script" feature allowed by ProSimPlus.

Natural gas dehydration unit with TEG

This example is a dehydration process of natural gas, using TEG (Trethylene Glycol). The interesting points of this example lie in the use of the “absorption” module for the contactor model and in the representation of two columns connected in series (the TEG regenerator and the TEG stripper) by a single ProSimPlus “stripper” module. Additionally, the Windows Script module is used in different parts of the flowsheet to perform specific calculations (gas water dew point, TEG losses for make-up calculation).

LPG recovery

This example shows a process of LPG recovery in a gas with a propane refrigeration loop. This process is particularly inter-connected and includes several recycling loops. Additionally, beside the implementation of the absorber module (deethanizer) and of the refrigeration loop, this process uses the plate fin heat exchanger module of ProSimPlus, a particularly complex unit operation. This type of exchangers can include as many as 10 different streams which renders the modeling and the associated calculation particularly complex.            

Bioethanol production plant

In this example, a bioethanol production unit is represented. Ethanol is produced from biomass by hydrolysis and sugar fermentation. First, the biomass is pre-treated with acid and enzyme to produce sugar. The sugar is then fermented into ethanol. The ethanol produced still contains a significant amount of water, which is removed by using fractional distillation. This example illustrates in particular how to add new components to the database and how to use multiple complex reaction sets in ProSimPlus.

Naphthalene separation

This example illustrates a process to purify naphthalene from a mixture containing 13 components using a train of three two-phase (liquid-vapour) distillation columns. For each of the three distillation columns, several specifications are set on the output streams, illustrating the way to set "non-standard" specifications in the multi-stage separation modules of ProSimPlus. This example also shows how to use MEASUREMENT modules on streams as well as information streams in order to determine the naphthalene recovery ratio between process input and output.

Heterogeneous extractive distillation

This example illustrates a high purity separation process of an azeotropic mixture (ethanol-water) through heterogeneous azeotropic distillation. This process includes three-phase (liquid-liquid-vapor) distillation columns. Additionally these multi-stage separation modules are part of a recycling stream, demonstrating the efficiency of ProSimPlus convergence methods. Specifications are set on output streams in order to insure the required purity. This example illustrates the way to set "non-standard" specifications in the multi-stage separation modules. It also shows the capability to use several thermodynamic models in the same flowsheet (or different set of parameters for the same model): here a specific model is used for the decanter in order to properly model the demixion phenomena.

Biofuel production plant

This example illustrates the production of biofuel from pure vegetable oil with an alkaline catalyst. The process involves a transesterification reaction that requires using an alcohol (usually methanol) and allows producing biofuel and glycerol from oil. It uses mainly simple reactors (for transesterification and catalyst neutralization), scrubbers and splitters to separate heavy components from light ones, and distillation columns to separate products and purify the biofuel. Specifications are imposed on columns output streams in order to reach required purities.

Ethanol plant

This example illustrates a manufacturing unit of drinks-grade alcohol, (ethanol distillery) with very constraining specifications of purity. The simulation of this process is complex because it comprises five distillation columns (two-phase or three-phase) highly inter-connected with many recyclings. Moreover the representation of phase equilibria is also particularly complex because of the strong non-ideality of the system: very strict specifications of purity, phenomena of liquid phase splitting, multiple azeotropes, etc. The particular point which is detailed in this example is the possibility to impose specifications on the output streams of a distillation column or on any multistage separation module in ProSimPlus.

Cyclohexane production unit

In this example, a cyclohexane production unit is represented. It is a typical chemical industrial process that includes a reaction section where the product is synthesized followed by a separation section where products and by-products are separated. Particular points detailed in this example are the use of a constraint management module in order to reach a specification and of information streams to split a heat exchanger between a temperature set point and a simple exchanger, in order to avoid a stream recycle.

Simple example

The main interest of this simple example is that it allows a progressive approach to process simulation and its main concepts: components involved, thermodynamic models, unit operations and their corresponding operating parameters, recycling loops, etc. The particular points detailed in this example are the concept of recycling loop and the principles of the simultaneous modular approach used in ProSimPlus.


With ProSimPlus HNO3

The examples provided below demonstrate ProSimPlus HNO3 ability to handle different type of nitric acid production processes. This list shows the typical processes encountered in the industry and illustrate ProSimPlus HNO3 specific strengths in terms of flexibility, efficiency and reliability.

Dual pressure nitric acid manufacturing process

This example corresponds to the simulation of a manufacturing unit of nitric acid by a dual-pressure process. It is a rather traditional process of industrial production of nitric acid.
The main modules specific to the simulator ProSimPlus HNO3 are implemented here: absorption column of nitrous vapors, nitrous vapors condensers, oxidation reactors, heat exchangers with oxidation volumes, nitrous vapor compressors, etc.

Mono pressure nitric acid manufacturing process

This example illustrates the simulation of a manufacturing unit of nitric acid by a monopressure process. It is also a rather traditional process of nitric acid industrial production.
The main modules specific to the simulator ProSimPlus HNO3 are implemented here: absorption column of nitrous vapors, nitrous vapors condensers, oxidation reactors, heat exchangers with oxidation volumes, nitrous vapor compressors, etc.