Modeling, Simulation, and Operability Analysis of a Nonisothermal, Countercurrent, Polymer Membrane Reactor

Abstract

As interest in the modularization and intensification of chemical processes continues to grow, more research must be directed towards the modeling and analysis of these units. Intensified process units such as polymer membrane reactors pose unique challenges pertaining to design and operation that have not been fully addressed. In this work, a novel approach for modeling membrane reactors is developed in AVEVA’s Simcentral Simulation Platform. The produced model allows for the simulation of polymer membrane reactors under nonisothermal and countercurrent operation for the first time. This model is then applied to generate an operability mapping to study how operating points translate to overall unit performance. This work demonstrates how operability analyses can be used to identify areas of improvement in membrane reactor design, other than just using operability mapping studies to identify optimal input conditions. The performed analysis enables the quantification of the Pareto frontier that ultimately leads to design improvements that both increase overall performance and decreases the cost of the unit.