Abstract
Simulators are of great interest in Chemical Engineering because they facilitate process optimization and help evaluate different solutions through the so-called �what-if� approach. They include the most advanced thermodynamical models and complete libraries for the calculation of physicochemical properties and estimation of phase equilibria data which are successfully integrated in the process design. Moreover, simulators allow addressing both stationary and batch operations. For this reason, their use in the design of Industrial Chemistry processes has gained much acceptance in the last decades. Even so, simulations should be accompanied by another computational tool which allows the professionals to implement specific algorithms which relate inputs and outputs, so as to get the most out of the computing power. We herein exemplify how Aspen Plus and Mathcad Prime software packages were successfully integrated in a case study on the removal of carbon disulphide by contact with a paraffinic oil in an absorption tower. This absorption operation was studied in both trayed and packed columns. Regarding the first contact type, i.e. trays, Mathcad�s powerful programming tool and graphical interface enabled to corroborate and to better understand the effect of temperature on the number of theoretical stages previously observed with Aspen Plus.
Highlights
Absorption, which involves the transfer of one solute(s) from a gas phase into a liquid phase, is one of the most extensive practices in the chemical industry
Absorption is probably the second most reported application of process simulators, with Aspen Plus and Aspen Hysys being the most used software packages. This is the case, for example, of a book edited by the American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE) on general process design, which presents a case study dealing with the removal of HCl from air in a Pall rings column [5]
We report the parallel use of Aspen Plus simulations and Mathcad Prime calculations in order to create the most skilled modelling environment
Summary
Absorption, which involves the transfer of one (or several) solute(s) from a gas phase into a liquid phase, is one of the most extensive practices in the chemical industry. Equilibrium-staged absorption requires to determine the number of theoretical plates, whilst for a continuous contact absorption process the packing height has to be calculated In both cases, professionals demand computational strategies which are flexible enough so as to analyze the effect of the different variables involved in a fast and effective way. Absorption is probably the second most reported application of process simulators, with Aspen Plus and Aspen Hysys being the most used software packages This is the case, for example, of a book edited by the American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE) on general process design, which presents a case study dealing with the removal of HCl from air in a Pall rings column [5]. AlMalah published a book reporting the use of Aspen Plus in Chemical Engineering applications, which includes a case study of CO2 removal from gas natural in a trayed scrubber [6]
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