Wednesday 18 April 2012 – Day 1 |
Mark Matzopoulos
Marketing Director |
Introduction & welcome |
Session 1 – Advanced Process Modelling: from laboratory to industrial plant to whole-system |
PSE
Costas Pantelides
Managing Director |
Advanced Process Modelling: transforming the way the process industries design and operate
Advanced Process Modelling is a technology that allows process companies to make design and operating decision based on a deep understanding of process behaviour captured in high-fidelity predictive process models. This allows companies to explore the process decision space rapidly, make better decisions, reduce uncertainty and minimise risk, and opens the way for breakthrough innovation. PSE MD and one of leading innovators in the area Costas Pantelides describes how advanced process modelling is transforming the way that the process industries design and operate plants, and how the technology can be applied through the technology development lifecycle and at multiple scales. |
SASOL
Cayle Sharrock
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Process modelling across the technology development lifecycle: from laboratory experimentation to economic optimisation
SASOL applies advanced process modelling at many stages across the process lifecycle. Cayle Sharrock describes how the company leverages high-fidelity gPROMS models to add value from the exploratory phase in the laboratory through to techno-economic optimisation of the conceptual design phase. He describes a variety of techniques that have been applied, including interfacing gPROMS with other engineering tools to use the power of gPROMS for optimisation while minimising the impact on legacy workflows.
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| Refreshments |
ETI
Andrew Green
PSE
Alfredo Ramos
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Whole-chain system modelling of carbon capture & storage (CCS) – why and how?
The UK's commitment to a low-carbon future includes carbon capture & storage (CCS) as an essential transition technology. However there are many challenges in developing and building the first whole-chain power plant-to-storage systems. System-wide modelling has been identified as an essential technology to enable understanding of interactions across the chain and make techno-economic trade-offs. Andrew Green of the Energy Technologies Institute describes the challenges and why the ETI is investing in a £3m project that includes PSE and industry partners E.ON, EDF, Rolls-Royce and Petrofac. PSE's ETI CCS Project Manager Alfredo Ramos reports on the actual developments so far and plans for the next year. |
Novigi
Javier Delgado |
Modelling, simulation, and optimisation in the mining industry
Mining has specialist requirements for modelling and simulation.
Challenges include the size and complexity of systems, long process residence times, the need for dynamic (transient) simulation to address varying environmental conditions, and accurate physical property determination. Javier Delgado describes how advanced models can be used to address design, operational, and planning issues in this industry. |
Pfizer
Ravi Shanker |
Life Sciences Keynote: A new vision for Systems-based Pharmaceutics
Systems-based Pharmaceutics is a revolutionary model-based approach for optimising drug manufacturing by taking a holistic view that encompasses both biological effects in the human body and drug process and product engineering. Ravi Shanker explains Pfizer's vision for this development that has the potential to change the way that pharmaceutical companies design and manufacture processes.
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| Lunch |
Session 2 – Life Sciences |
Eli Lilly
Christopher Burcham |
Using gCRYSTAL to go from batch to continuous crystallisation
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Rutgers University ERC-SOPS
Rohit Ramachandran |
Dynamic flowsheet simulation of continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing processes: an integrated approach using the gPROMS/gSOLIDS framework
Regulatory authorities recognise the benefit of model-based design and control in a Quality by Design (QbD) approach to continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing. Though dynamic flowsheet modelling is a pre-requisite for the design, analysis, control and optimisation of an integrated process, traditional tools for fluids have limited use for solids pharma processes. The ERC-SOPS consortium is developing high-fidelity models implemented within gPROMS and gSOLIDS to study the effect of upstream material properties and process parameters on downstream pharmaceutical critical quality attributes (CQAs). The dynamic flowsheet simulation is used to better optimise and design processes, reducing tedious experimentation and enhancing product quality, profitability and sustainability. |
| Refreshments |
Pfizer
Salvador Garcia Muñoz
PSE
Mark Pinto, Simon Leyland |
Using gSOLIDS to manage risk in organic and aqueous tablet film coating processes
Tablet coating, in which tablets are coated with an aqueous or organic film coating, is an important processing step in the pharmaceutical industry. Pfizer uses rigorous gSOLIDS models to aid in design of experiments, scale-up and determining optimal process conditions as formulations change. This provides process engineers with a means of predicting target operating conditions for optimisation, scale-up and robustness studies. For ease of use, models are delivered to researchers via an EASA web interface.
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GSK
Thoralf Hartwig |
Using gSOLIDS to optimise spray drying operations
GSK uses spray drying as a particle forming strategy for making drug substances. The correct selection and adjustment of spray drying process parameters is crucial to ensure that dried powder of the desired quality and physical characteristics is consistently produced across scales. This presentation describes the approach used to model the spray chamber and the cyclone in gSOLIDS in order to identify optimal conditions for spray drying active pharmaceutical ingredients.
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PSE
Costas Pantelides
Sean Bermingham |
Systems-Based Pharmaceutics – transforming drug manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry
Advanced Process Modelling techniques make it possible to consider a systems-based approach to pharmaceutical manufacture, where the manufacturing steps are optimised to ensure optimal delivery of the drug in the human intestine. Two of the leading innovators in this area, PSE MD Costas Pantelides and Sean Bermingham, VP of PSE's Solids business, explain the underlying concepts behind the vision presented by Ravi Shanker earlier. |
| Evening |
Drinks and conference dinner at the Roof Gardens, Kensington |
Thursday 19 April 2012 – Day 2 |
Session 3 – Software & workflows |
PSE
Pablo Rolandi |
gPROMS v4.0 – major steps in Advanced Process Modelling
PSE head of Software Development presents the new features in the forthcoming gPROMS v4.0 release, and outlines the roadmap for developments in coming years. |
PSE
Costas Pantelides |
The online use of first-principles models in process operations
First-principles models have been used online to support process operations in the chemical and petroleum industry for over 40 years. Model based applications such as RTO, MPC, data reconciliation, virtual sensors and performance monitoring have generated significant value. However because of various challenges, simplified and empirical applications still tend to be preferred despite their reduced prediction quality. Costas Pantelides describes some of the challenges, and how they are being addressed. |
TNO
Floor Boon
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Multi-objective optimisation CAPEX and OPEX for Simulated Moving Bed process designs
Simulated Moving Beds (SMBs) are used in food, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries, but their operation is suboptimal and still poorly understood; optimisation involves many decision variables and conflicting objectives. TNO developed a tool within gPROMS for single and multi-objective optimisation to determine optimal design (CAPEX) and operating parameters (OPEX) and applied it to recovery of high-value carbohydrate fractions from agricultural side streams. |
Session 4 – Reactors & reaction engineering |
Sulzer Chemtech
Fabio Codari |
Reliable scale up, process optimisation and safety analysis for a continuous PLA polymerisation process
Because of its excellent biodegradability, polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most promising candidates to replace petroleum-based polymers. Sulzer has developed a continuous process producing high molecular weight PLA in collaboration with Purac. Fabio Codari describes the use of models validated against pilot plant and batch experiment data to predict process performance for reliable scale up, process optimisation and safety analysis.
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| Refreshments |
PSE
Alejandro Cano |
Reactor design optimisation – the workflow from laboratory to industrial plant
Alejandro Cano, PSE's Global Head of Consulting, defines a systematic model-based approach to industrial reactor design optimisation. This starts with laboratory experimentation for kinetic parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis, goes through scale-up using hybrid modelling approaches where necessary for detailed design, and then to full-scale reactor optimisation combining reaction, hydrodynamics and geometric design considerations.
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PSE
Zbigniew Urban |
Advanced process modelling for novel reactor design
Advanced process modelling provides ways to explore beyond the frontier of current reactor design to develop and prove novel high-performance designs. PSE CTO ZiBi Urban describes how this is done, and why it cannot be achieved by experimentation alone. |
| Lunch |
Session 5 – Oil & Gas and Petrochemicals |
Shell Global Solutions
Jan van Schijndel |
Oil & Gas, Refining & Petrochemicals Keynote: Using model-based techniques for optimal synthesis of large-scale Gas-to-Liquid complexes
The huge Shell Pearl development in Qatar is a landmark in the development of commercial Gas-to-Liquid facilities. Optimal synthesis of a such a complex is complicated because of the many degrees of freedom and highly constrained design space. Not only do choices need to be made between alternative, competing syngas manufacturing technologies, different types of Fischer-Tropsch catalysts and reactors, numerous connectivity options and a range of operational conditions, but also economic performance needs to be aligned with carbon and energy efficiencies.
Modelling is a key technology for informing these decisions. Jan van Schijndel, Manager of XTL Development at Shell, describes Shell's developments of a computational synthesis tool to support GTL process design, by finding and analysing the optimum structure and operational conditions for a given market scenario to give optimal profit.
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PSE
James Marriott |
Advanced process modelling for Oil & Gas: high-fidelity analysis for better operations, enhanced safety and reduced CAPEX
High-fidelity modelling is transforming the ability of the oil & gas industry to make operating decisions – for example, well start-up procedure – based on accurate quantification of low temperature and other potentially dangerous effects. This makes it possible for operating companies to simultaneously increase production and reduce CAPEX and enhance safety.
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Imperial College
Claire Adjiman |
gSAFT: Advanced Thermodynamics for the Oil & Gas industry
SAFT is best known as a powerful set of advanced thermodynamic techniques for strongly associating materials. However it also has potential to provide a comprehensive and universal thermodynamic capability for oil & gas operations. Claire Adjiman, a leading researcher in the field, describes how SAFT-γ can fit pure component and vapour-liquid and liquid-liquid equilibrium accurately without data, and how PSE is working in tripartite relationships with industrial companies and universities to develop gSAFT to meet their specific requirements.
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SABIC
Abduljelil Iliyas
PSE
Stepan Spatenka |
Advanced model for operational optimisation of steam crackers
Steam cracking of light hydrocarbons to olefins has been a major contributor to the recent growth of petrochemical industries. With over 20 million MTA of new ethylene capacity to be added in the Middle East by 2016, the need for profitable operation of ethylene crackers has never been so critical. Determining optimal operation requires the solution of a complex dynamic optimisation problem based on an accurate mathematical model of the chemical and physical processes within the cracker tubes and firebox. SABIC and PSE are working together to establish an innovative and comprehensive capability for operational optimisation of steam cracking operations within SABIC and affiliates. This paper highlights the approach taken and presents initial results.
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Süd-Chemie
Wolfgang Seuffert
Tobias Henkel
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Optimising methanol synthesis – from lab to industrial plants via high-fidelity modelling
Süd-Chemie uses advanced process modelling extensively to enhance the performance of their catalysts and hence the service that they provide to customers. This presentation describes how model-based techniques applied at lab scale are used to optimise methanol production in industrial-scale reactors.
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Note that the event is open to existing AND prospective users of PSE's software and services, as well as to personnel and researchers from research institutions and universities.
