Simulation of a Plant for the Production of Polyethylene

Abstract

The simulation of a 270 KTA capacity polyethylene plant was performed using Aspen Hysys version 8.8. A Hysys model of the polyethylene was developed using the polyethylene plant layout of Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Company. A material and energy balance for the various components of the plant was performed manually and with Hysys for comparison. The design of the various components of the Hysys model was performed. The polyethylene reactor was simulated to study the effect of process functional parameters such as reactor dimensions, temperature and pressure. The effect of reactor size and number on polyethylene output was studied by simulating the plant with five continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) in series and a single reactor. The results of the material and energy balance of the various components of the plant were performed manually and with Hysys which showed a maximum deviation of 0.8%. The design results of the sizing parameters for the Multiple and single CSTRs were compared in terms of Volume, Diameter, Height, Spacetime, Space Velocity, and Volumetric flowrate respectively. At 90% Conversion, the multiple CSTRs gave 600 dm3, 0.7668 m, 1.198 m, 0.052 hr, 195.83 hr-1, and 117.5 m3/h for the above listed parameters, while the single CSTR gave 6000 dm3, 1.721 m, 2.581 m, 0.056 hr, 17.867 hr-1 and 107.2 m3/h for the same conversion. The sizing results for each of the five compressors were also compared in terms of the following parameters: Adiabatic Head, Polytropic Head, Adiabatic fluid Head, polytropic Fluid Head, Adiabatic Efficiency, power consumed, polytropic head factor, polytropic exponent and isentropic exponent. The effect of reactor size and number showed that At 90% conversion the multiple CSTRS in series gave a lower volume than the single CSTR for the same conversion, and more Economical than the single CSTR for the same conversion.