6 replies to this topic

[alokjaiswal]

Can anyone tell how to carry out the performance of catalyst in a reactor on Aspen or HYSYS?

[Padmakar Katre]

Can anyone tell how to carry out the performance of catalyst in a reactor on Aspen or HYSYS?

Dear,
Monitoring the performance of any catalyst is the operational phenomenon. Aspen Plus or Hysys will yield results as per your modeling inputs.Maximum what you can do is identify the factors affecting the catalyst performance, alter these parameters and check the effect. I will suggest you get the operational data for the specific catalyst(reactor related parameters) whose performance you have to check.
Catalytic reaction modeling with a commercial simulator itself is a matter of concern, as far as my experience with these available commercial simulators are concerned I will not advise you to perform the assignment you are intended to with these simulators.The catalytic processes are not an open art technology but the global organization which deals with these systems have their pilot reactors to check the performance of the reactor or the validated correlations developed based on the extensive operational data.

[Zauberberg]

What catalyst/process you are speaking about? Aspen has the Refsys module where the performance of various refinery (catalytic) processes can be modeled. But, as Padmakar said, you will need a set of actual plant data in order to perform the calibration of dependent variables inside the Refsys engine.

Read more at:

http://www.aspentech...spen-refsys.cfm
http://www.zy-aoto.c...spen_RefSYS.pdf

[alokjaiswal]

Dear Padmakar and Zauberberg,

Currently, I am doing project to judge the performance of Primary Reformer, Secondary Reformer, Shift Catalyst, Methanation Catalyst and Synthesis catalyst. They are all part of Ammonia plant. You can also guide me if above thing can be calculated in Excel.

[Padmakar Katre]

Dear,
I hope you are working with ammonia plant operations and not with the ammonia licensor. As I earlier stated in my post that in case of licensed processes we have least things to optimize as far the reaction processes are concerned. To make certain changes in the plant operation we need licensor's clearance. Apart from reaction portion you may optimize the operations but I am doubtful if you can make some changes in the reactor operating parameters unless you are working with the process technology licensor.

[alokjaiswal]

Dear Padmakar,

Thanks for your reply. Well I am working in Ammonia plant as process engineer and my work is to carry out or check the performance of the plant as a whole. But I think you have deviated from my question. My question was how to carry out or check the performance of the reactors catalyst. The parameters on which we can check is the Approach to equilibrium temperature. Normally, the consultant check for this parameter as well as temperature profile in the reactor. Hence, I want to know the methodology for checking the performance.

[Padmakar Katre]

Dear Padmakar,

Thanks for your reply. Well I am working in Ammonia plant as process engineer and my work is to carry out or check the performance of the plant as a whole.

Dear Alok,
As earlier asked about the catalyst performance with the simulator and now you have to evaluate the entire plant performance which is extra from the reactor catalyst performance.

But I think you have deviated from my question. My question was how to carry out or check the performance of the reactors catalyst.

The answer is in your post only see below,

The parameters on which we can check is the Approach to equilibrium temperature. Normally, the consultant check for this parameter as well as temperature profile in the reactor. Hence, I want to know the methodology for checking the performance.

When you have the complete plant operation data and the licensor's guidelines like "Approach to Equm" and the reactor temperature profile then what you need extra.
As far as my experience with a catalytic reaction is concerned we used to have online Mass Spectrometer in the reactor inlet and outlet which will give an idea of the reaction conversion and catalyst selectivity. Here the parameters may be different in your case and I am sure the licensor would have given the certain guidelines in order to get the optimum performance of your reactor system. When you have to evaluate the performance of the plant as a whole then the best way is to compare the PFD data given for SOR(start of run) and EOR(end of run) with the operational data. The comparison will bring you to a certain conclusion i.e. whether the system is performing well or not.If you find certain deviations from the actual design data then there is always scope for discussions. Your topic is a general discussion, rather if you would have come up with certain offset parameter to discuss here I am sure people would have commented specifically.I don't have any experience of either Ammonia Technology Licensing or the plant operation. I just replied in general to your original post of catalyst performance with a simulator and ammonia reactor catalyst discussion came in subsequent discussions so I don't find any deviation or wage recommendation from my side. If it doesn't make any sense to you please ignore my comments.