SIM Reactor Suite | AROM-SIM™

At the heart of aromatics plants are reactors that are governed by complex kinetics. Modelling these units requires sophisticated software, that is still easy to use. KBC’s AROM-SIM combines the key aromatics reaction systems of xylene isomerisation and transalkylation in a single software modelling application. Along with the Petro-SIMTM process simulation modelling platform, AROM-SIM provides you with a comprehensive model of aromatics processing facilities for optimisation, planning, monitoring, or design.

The isomerisation of C8 aromatics into paraxylene is performed using the AROM-SIM Xylene Isomerisation reactor model. It can model technologies such as IsomarTM, XyMaxTM, and OparisTM among other licensor technologies. The model includes both mechanisms for transalkylation of ethylbenzene (EB) to xylenes and dealkylation of EB to benzene. Transalkylation processes are modelled with the Aromatics Transalkylation reactor model. This model is capable of emulating all commercial transalkylation processes such as TatorayTM, THDA, and PX-PlusTM as well as TransPlusTM, PxMaxTM among other licensor technologies. The model includes kinetic reactions for dealkylation, toluene disproportionation and C9/C10 aromatics transalkylation, plus the many additional reactions that take place.

Benefits:

• Selectoperatingtargetsby determining how to maximise the amount of paraxylene and the effect of ethylbenzene conversion on xylene isomerisation
• Determinehowtobestcontrolthe amount and quality of recycle
• Calculatetheeconomiceffects of increasing the hydrogen to hydrocarbon ratio and the effects of changing reactor pressures or conversion levels Maintain the refinery LP
• Determineandgeneratevectors needed in the linear program (LP) to model the incremental yields for different feeds and operating conditions
• RegenerateLPdatawhenthe model or LP structure changes Understand unit behaviour
• Understandtheeffectsofanew feed on product qualities and yields, such as how a change in feed naphthenes may affect the process, or determine the best feedstocks to the transalkylation unit
• Bringengineersandoperatorsupto speed through a series of simulation runs to evaluate cause-and-effect results Monitor unit performance
• Trackmassbalanceandotherkey process indicators
• Compareactualyieldsversus predicted versus normalised
• Establish the best configuration for a new facility