Case Studies Plant Operations Reacts Quickly to Market Demand with Aspen Plus

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	Plant Operations Reacts Quickly to Market Demand with Aspen Plus

Plant Operations Reacts Quickly to Market Demand with Aspen Plus

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Process Analytics Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Applicable Industries	Chemicals
Applicable Functions	Process Manufacturing
Use Cases	Predictive Maintenance Process Control & Optimization
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services
Challenge	Oxiteno, a leading manufacturer of surfactants and chemicals, needed a plant-wide model to evaluate options that could increase plant capacity and quickly and accurately respond to market demand. With constant fluctuations in feedstock and energy prices, reacting to economic changes quickly was vital to capitalize on the most profitable assets. In the past, unit operations were modeled separately and case studies could not be analyzed quickly and accurately. It was very difficult to increase plant throughput by evaluating individual pieces of equipment without the ability to examine the effect of changing process variables on downstream processes. Read More
About Customer	Oxiteno is a Brazilian chemical company that operates worldwide. Founded in 1970, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ultra Group. Oxiteno has an installed production capacity of about two million tons per year and is the largest surfactant producer in Latin America. The company is also a leading manufacturer of chemicals. Their products include integration of raw materials, ethylene oxide and natural fatty alcohols, in addition to other specialty chemicals. Oxiteno aims to envision business opportunities and develop solutions for the sustainable evolution of society and the world. Read More
Solution	Oxiteno used the aspenONE Engineering suite to build a plant-wide model of an ethanolamines plant using Aspen Plus and Aspen Simulation Workbook (ASW). The model was matched to plant data, which supported capacity increase with accuracy. Existing equipment models were combined onto a single flowsheet and the three main sections of the plant (reaction, ammonia recovery, drying and purification) were successfully integrated into a single simulation. The use of Aspen Economic Evaluation is currently being explored to benefit process optimization systems and project feasibility evaluation. Aspen Plus and ASW gave Oxiteno the agility they needed to keep pace with demand and production requirements. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Process Analytics

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration

Applicable Industries

Chemicals

Applicable Functions

Process Manufacturing

Use Cases

Predictive Maintenance

Process Control & Optimization

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

Challenge

Oxiteno, a leading manufacturer of surfactants and chemicals, needed a plant-wide model to evaluate options that could increase plant capacity and quickly and accurately respond to market demand. With constant fluctuations in feedstock and energy prices, reacting to economic changes quickly was vital to capitalize on the most profitable assets. In the past, unit operations were modeled separately and case studies could not be analyzed quickly and accurately. It was very difficult to increase plant throughput by evaluating individual pieces of equipment without the ability to examine the effect of changing process variables on downstream processes.

About Customer

Oxiteno is a Brazilian chemical company that operates worldwide. Founded in 1970, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ultra Group. Oxiteno has an installed production capacity of about two million tons per year and is the largest surfactant producer in Latin America. The company is also a leading manufacturer of chemicals. Their products include integration of raw materials, ethylene oxide and natural fatty alcohols, in addition to other specialty chemicals. Oxiteno aims to envision business opportunities and develop solutions for the sustainable evolution of society and the world.

Solution

Oxiteno used the aspenONE Engineering suite to build a plant-wide model of an ethanolamines plant using Aspen Plus and Aspen Simulation Workbook (ASW). The model was matched to plant data, which supported capacity increase with accuracy. Existing equipment models were combined onto a single flowsheet and the three main sections of the plant (reaction, ammonia recovery, drying and purification) were successfully integrated into a single simulation. The use of Aspen Economic Evaluation is currently being explored to benefit process optimization systems and project feasibility evaluation. Aspen Plus and ASW gave Oxiteno the agility they needed to keep pace with demand and production requirements.

Impact #1	Responsive to market demand – No more guessing about feasibility of running the plant at different capacities and conditions.
Impact #2	Operability analysis/troubleshooting – Process variable phenomena now easily understood to achieve desired goals.
Impact #3	New technical tools – Simple Excel interface via ASW for operational decision-making.

Impact #1

Responsive to market demand – No more guessing about feasibility of running the plant at different capacities and conditions.

Impact #2

Operability analysis/troubleshooting – Process variable phenomena now easily understood to achieve desired goals.

Impact #3

New technical tools – Simple Excel interface via ASW for operational decision-making.

Benefit #1	Operational cost reduction – 15% less steam consumption and product quality increase.

Benefit #1

Operational cost reduction – 15% less steam consumption and product quality increase.

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Overview

Plant Operations Reacts Quickly to Market Demand with Aspen Plus

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit