DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

UCLM
1

SIMULATION OF CHEMICAL PROCESSES

SUBJECT IN THE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
DEGREE

Maria Luz Sánchez Silva, Jose Luis Valverde Palomino

 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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University Institution. Origin and Evolution

PERIOD YEARS FUNCTION CONTROL
Formation XII- 1475 Teaching The Church (contribution of the State)
Expansion 1475-1800 Teaching The State (contribution of Church)
Centralization 1800-1983 Teaching The State

Modernization 1983-2007 Teaching and scientific Own (contribution of the State and the
research Autonomous Region)
Teaching, scientific Own (contribution of the State, the
Adaptation to EEES 2007- research and social
Autonomous Region y the European Union)
worker
 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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77 universities (50 public + 27 private)

 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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LECTURER ROLE STUDENT ROLE

PERIOD KIND OF KIND OF LECTURER RELATED TO KIND OF STUDENT RELATED TO
SOCIETY KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE
Industrial
1900 centered on Lecturer To say Attending To hear
Europe
Industrial
1925 centered on Teacher To explain Student To understand
EEUU
1950 Scientific Teaching To demostrate Teaching To experiment
1975 Digital Educador To build Student To learn
To favor the use of To use of the
2000 Knowledge Mediator knowledge Professional knowledge
 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF SIMULATION OF CHEMICAL PROCESSES SUBJECT

-To introduce process simulators to undergraduate students.

-To train engineers the use of commercial simulation software (Aspen Plus) for the
simulation of basic fluid flow operations, heat and mass transfer and the
calculation of chemical reactors.

-To simulate the most common chemical processes with Aspen Plus and Aspen
HYSYS software and to compare the obtained results.

-To learn about the process analysis and conceptual designs of chemical processes.
 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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Fourth course
Control and
Instrumentation of
Chemical processes Second course
First Course
Mathematic methods
Initiation to and Computing
Chemical Engineering applications

Mathematics Basic Operations

Thermodynamic
Applied Chemistry

Third course SIMULATION Fourth course

OF
Chemical Engineering II Separation Processes
CHEMICAL
II laboratories PROCESSES
Chemical Reactors
Fluid Mechanics and
Heat transmission Chemical Engineering
III laboratories
Economics and
Thermotechnics
Industry organization

Fifth course
Fifth course
Advanced Simulation
of Processes Projects
Simulation and
Optimization of
Chemical Processes
 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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CHEMICAL PROCESS SIMULATION

 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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Simulation of Chemical Processes Program

Didactic Unit 1: Simulation with Aspen Plus software.

The development of the simulation and the optimization in the chemical processes.
The introduction to the use of Aspen Plus software.
The simulation of Unit Operations.
The advanced simulation of Separation Operations.
The simulation of chemical reactors.
The development of the process analysis tools for the analysis of chemical processes.
The convergence in chemical processes using commercial Aspen Plus software.
The optimization of chemical processes using commercial Aspen Plus software.
 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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Simulation of Chemical Processes Program

Didactic Unit 2: Conceptual design of Chemical Processes

Heuristics for the chemical process synthesis.

Conceptual design of the distillation operation.
Energy conservation and thermodynamic efficiency of the separation operations.
Heat and power integration in the chemical industry.

C-02
HEXANO
153216 Kg hexano

153216 Kg
hexano
39.900 Kg
Semillas P-103
molidas D-01 12768 Kg aceite
C-01 SILO P-101 153216 Kg hexano
P-25 D-02
SEMILLAS

P-102
40.000 Kg 288000 Kg 120 Kg
Semillas secas CH30H H 2SO4
12768 Kg
aceite
40.000 Kg C-09
semillas CH30H C-03 H2SO4
C-04
CH3OH
PS-100

M-100 C-05
12300 Kg
CH3OK
72000 Kg aceite
CH30H desparafinado
24 Kg
100000 Kg
12000 Kg CH30K
CH 30H
biodiesel P-104
C-08 P-11 D-04
BIODIESEL R-02 R-01
P-106

D-03
P-105

12100 Kg
biodiésel
P-41 12200 Kg aceite C-06 H2O
esterificado

P-107

R-03
P-38

C-07
GLICERINA
 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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Simulation of Chemical Processes Program

Didactic Unit 3: Simulation of complex processes using Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS software.

Simulation of complex chemical processes using Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS software.
 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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Project Work: BTX Separation

The simulation project has to follow the following sequence:

1. Literature search.
2. Specification of the objectives (purity, energy integration,
etc).
3. Definition of the calculation basis and the flow diagram.
4. Simulation of the chemical plant using Aspen Plus and
Aspen HYSYS software.
5. Preparation of a final report with the developed
simulation project.
6. Oral presentation.
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UCLM
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1. Literature search.

• Wauquier, J.P. El refino del petróleo: Petróleo crudo, productos

petrolíferos, esquemas de fabricación. Vol I. Editions Technip, Paris,
France. 1994.

• Hidrocarburos aromáticos y productos derivados.

Área de Tecnología Industrial. Grupo TEQUIMA. E.S.I.Industriales, UCLM.

• Pino Cahuana, Nilton I. Producción de aromáticos.

Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería. Lima, Perú.

• Young Han Kim, Dae Woong Choi, Kyu-Suk Hwang. Industrial Application of
an Extended Fully Thermally Coupled Distillation Column to BTX
Separation in a Naphtha Reforming Plant. Korean J. Chem. Eng. 20. 2003
 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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2. Specification of the objectives

Purity of aromatic
compounts? Plant operation?

Feed composition?
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UCLM
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3. Definition of the calculation basis and the flow diagram

18
21 20 17
13 12

19 12

1 2
2 9

6 11 13
8 8
9
3 4 5
1 3 10

5
6 7 22
4

14
23 24

15

25
 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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4. Simulation of the chemical plant using Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS software

Aspen Plus simulation

Aspen HYSYS simulation

 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
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5. Preparation of a final report with the developed simulation project

Aspen results Hysys results

STREAM BENZENE TOLUENE XYLENE BENZENE TOLUENE XYLENE

Temperatura (ºC) 80,36 111,93 139,69 80,37 110,1 139,7

Presión (atm) 1 1 1 1 1 1
Caudal molar 86,7 340 243 86,7 340 243
(Kmol/h)
Fracción molar
BENZENE 0,990 0,010 0,000 0,990 0,006 0,000
DIMET-CP 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000
METCYCHE 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000
TOLUENE 0,010 0,990 0,000 0,010 0,990 0,003
N-OCTANE 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000
ETHYLBEN 0,000 0,000 0,060 0,000 0,000 0,059
P-XYLENE 0,000 0,000 0,230 0,000 0,000 0,229
M-XYLENE 0,000 0,000 0,510 0,000 0,000 0,507
O-XYLENE 0,000 0,000 0,180 0,000 0,000 0,194
N-NONANE 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000
N-PENTBZ 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000
METETBZ 0,000 0,000 0,010 0,000 0,000 0,008
TRIMETBZ 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000
METPROPB 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000
DIETBZ 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000
O-CYMENE 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000
TETRMETB 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000
PENMETBZ 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000 0,000
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UCLM
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6. Oral presentation and discussion

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UCLM
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CONCLUSIONS
The methodology used in this work has been applied for several years in
the subject Simulation of Chemical Processes. The main conclusions that
can be drawn are:

- A significant success in the achievement of learning outcomes is obtained, and

also a high percentage of students that pass the subject every year.

- Many outcomes not directly related to the subject but very important for the
professional development of chemical engineers are achieved with the
methodology used in this subject.
 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UCLM
19

SIMULATION OF CHEMICAL PROCESSES

SUBJECT IN THE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
DEGREE

Maria Luz Sánchez Silva, Jose Luis Valverde Palomino