Simulation and optimization of ethanol amine production plant

Gholamreza Zahedi; Saeideh Amraei; Mazda Biglari

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.26, No.6, 1504-1511, November, 2009

DOI10.1007/s11814-009-0254-z Export Citation

Simulation and optimization of ethanol amine production plant

Gholamreza Zahedi^†, Saeideh Amraei¹, and Mazda Biglari²

Process Systems Engineering Centre (PROSPECT), Faculty of Chemical and Natural Resources Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM Skudai, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
¹Simulation and Artificial Intelligence Research Center, Chemical Engineering, Department, Razi University, Iran
²Department of Chemical Engineering, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5B 2K3

E-mail:

An industrial Ethanol Amine (EA) production plant was simulated and optimized. Due to lack of accurate reaction rate information, the first step involved obtaining reliable kinetic data from the SRI (Stanford Research Institute) industrial database and calculation using error minimization method. In the next step, by implementing the obtained reaction kinetics the whole plant was simulated using Hysys software. Simulation results were compared with the SRI data and showed that there is acceptable agreement between simulation and the measured industrial data. In the next step of study by applying the gradient search (GS) optimization technique the plant was optimized using: feeding ammonia to ethylene oxide (EO) molar ratio, water flow rate in the feed stream, and reactor temperature as optimization variables. Employing process profit as objective function the optimal operating conditions were found to be: ammonia to EO ratio of 5 (mol/mol), water flow rate of 52.59 kg mol/hr and reactor temperature of 85 ℃.

Keywords:Simulation;Optimization;Ethanol Amine Production;Ethylene Oxide;Ammonia

[References]

McMillan T, SRI International, 193, 1 (1991)
Hammer H, Ethanolamines and propanolamines, Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 6th Ed., New York, Wiley-VCH, 10, 1 (2003)
Fassler P, Celeghin A, A new approach to an established product: Cost-efficient production of ethanolamines, Sulzer Technical Review, Issue No. 3 (2008)
Frauenkron M, Ethanolamines and propanolamines, Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 7th Ed., New York, Wiley-VCH, 12, 475 (2008)
Kohl AL, Nielsen R, Gas purification, 5th Ed., Houston, Texas, Gulf Publishing Company, 41 (1997)
Spight JG, Chemical and process design handbook, New York, McGraw-Hill (2002)
Weissermel K, Arpe HJ, Lindley CR, Hawkins S, Oxidation products of ethylene, Industrial Organic Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, 159 (2003)
Hatta M, Ito T, Miki M, Okabe T, Reaction of ethylene oxide with ammonia, Yukagaku (Journal of Japan Oil Chemists’ Society), 15, 215 (1966)
Http://www.arpc.ir/Default.aspx?tabid=143 (2008)
Ruehl C, Hou C, Lee P, Armstrong L, Design of a system of ethanolamine reactors, Course project CENG 403, Rice University, Houston, Texas (1997)
Kolmetz K, Ng WK, Faessler PW, Senthil K, Lim YT, Slolev AW, Zygula TM, Hydrocarbon Processing, 84, 77 (2005)
Ruehl C, Hou C, Lee P, Armstrong L, Design of a system of ethanolamine reactor, CENG 403 (1997)
Levenspiel O, Chemical reaction engineering, 3th Ed., New York, Wiley (1998)
MATLAB R2008a, Http://www.mathwork.com (2008)
Aspen Technolgoy, Inc., Hysys user guide, Ten Canal park, Cambridge, USA (2005)
Edgar TF, Himmelblau DM, Lasdon LS, Optimization of chemical processes, 2th Ed., New York, McGraw-Hill (2001)
Masoumi ME, Sadrameli SM, Towfighi J, Niaei A, Energy, 31(4), 516 (2006)
Http://www.petrochem-ir.net/esales-internetsales-prodprice-fa.html/ (2008)

[Referenced By]

[1] McMillan T, SRI International, 193, 1 (1991)

[2] Hammer H, Ethanolamines and propanolamines, Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 6th Ed., New York, Wiley-VCH, 10, 1 (2003)

[3] Fassler P, Celeghin A, A new approach to an established product: Cost-efficient production of ethanolamines, Sulzer Technical Review, Issue No. 3 (2008)

[4] Frauenkron M, Ethanolamines and propanolamines, Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 7th Ed., New York, Wiley-VCH, 12, 475 (2008)

[5] Kohl AL, Nielsen R, Gas purification, 5th Ed., Houston, Texas, Gulf Publishing Company, 41 (1997)

[6] Spight JG, Chemical and process design handbook, New York, McGraw-Hill (2002)

[7] Weissermel K, Arpe HJ, Lindley CR, Hawkins S, Oxidation products of ethylene, Industrial Organic Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, 159 (2003)

[8] Hatta M, Ito T, Miki M, Okabe T, Reaction of ethylene oxide with ammonia, Yukagaku (Journal of Japan Oil Chemists’ Society), 15, 215 (1966)

[9] Http://www.arpc.ir/Default.aspx?tabid=143 (2008)

[10] Ruehl C, Hou C, Lee P, Armstrong L, Design of a system of ethanolamine reactors, Course project CENG 403, Rice University, Houston, Texas (1997)

[11] Kolmetz K, Ng WK, Faessler PW, Senthil K, Lim YT, Slolev AW, Zygula TM, Hydrocarbon Processing, 84, 77 (2005)

[12] Ruehl C, Hou C, Lee P, Armstrong L, Design of a system of ethanolamine reactor, CENG 403 (1997)

[13] Levenspiel O, Chemical reaction engineering, 3th Ed., New York, Wiley (1998)

[14] MATLAB R2008a, Http://www.mathwork.com (2008)

[15] Aspen Technolgoy, Inc., Hysys user guide, Ten Canal park, Cambridge, USA (2005)

[16] Edgar TF, Himmelblau DM, Lasdon LS, Optimization of chemical processes, 2th Ed., New York, McGraw-Hill (2001)

[17] Masoumi ME, Sadrameli SM, Towfighi J, Niaei A, Energy, 31(4), 516 (2006)

[18] Http://www.petrochem-ir.net/esales-internetsales-prodprice-fa.html/ (2008)