Modeling the Energy Consumption of Chemical Batch Plants: Bottom-Up Approach

Abstract

In a previous paper, the modeling of chemical batch plants with the help of a top-down model was presented (Bieler et al. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2003, 42, 6135−6144). This approach was not applicable to multipurpose batch plants with highly varying production because of the high variability between products and the complexity of such plants. In the present paper, a bottom-up model is proposed, and its applicability to a multipurpose batch plant is investigated. Extensive measurements of single apparatus and unit operations were conducted, leading to simple, adaptable models for the consumption of steam, electricity, and brine. These single-apparatus and single-unit-operation models are summed according to the production schedule and the corresponding process step procedures or the production records. This leads to a bottom-up model of a complete multipurpose production plant. The energy consumption of the whole plant was modeled for 1 and 2 days, as well as for 1 week and 1 month. The comparison of the bott...