gSOLIDS provides us with … accurate models, optimal operating procedures, and ultimately a better likelihood that when we start up a new line it will work as planned.
Ben Weinstein, Procter & Gamble
Many solids processes fail to reach more than 60% of design capacity and require 10 times longer to start up than those involving only gas – liquid streams. They are also very capital and energy-intensive.
gSOLIDS is a user-friendly yet powerful flowsheeting tool that has been developed together with lead users within the Pharma, Biotech and FMCG industries for solids process modelling, simulation and optimisation.
gSOLIDS makes it possible for businesses to optimise design and operation using rigorous predictive models, and thus quantify and manage the risks associated with engineering decisions.
Challenges
Designers and operators of solids processes face many challenges. Typical questions to be answered include:
- Existing plant optimisation – increasing throughput
How does the operation of upstream units – for example crystallisers, spray dryers and agglomerators – affect the capacity of downstream solids handling? How do changes in the operating conditions of individual units affect the product produced per pass? - New plant design – sizing recycles
What is the impact of screen performance on the recycle-product flow ratio? How does this affect the capital investment requirements for other parts of a solids processing facility? - New plant design – sizing of surge bins
What is the optimal trade-off between either low capital costs and reduced start-up times of the process from using smaller surge bins, or increase in process robustness with respect to downstream disturbances such as blockages when larger bins are used? - New plant design – equipment selection
How do you make informed decisions on equipment purchase? What is the optimal size of a mill? What is the design specification for a screen aperture that will satisfy throughput demands while maintaining product quality?
gSOLIDS – key features
- full steady-state and dynamic modelling
- handles many recycles
- rigorous process optimisation
- parameter estimation
- model and optimise operating procedures
- integration with upstream crystallisation or gas-liquid process models
Click on the graphic to enlarge
Capabilities
gSOLIDS promotes model-based engineering techinques and delivers a step-increase in capability to engineers responsible for the design and operation of industrial solids processes.
Key differentiators include:
Solids production rate on start-up
Effects of agglomeration on average particle size
Particle size distribution (PSD) on start-up
- full steady-state and dynamic modelling
- ability to robustly handle large numbers of recycles
- rigorous optimisation taking into account many flowsheet and equipment design variables simultaneously
- parameter estimation to estimate process parameters from laboratory or operational data
- powerful graphical facilities for modelling and optimising complex operating procedures, including those for batch and semicontinuous processes
- upstream integration with gCRYSTAL and gas-liquid process models for simultaneous design.
Benefits
Model-based engineering and optimisation techniques can deliver superior economic performance and signifi cant competitive advantage.
Typical benefits include:
- reduced capital investment
- reduced operating costs
- improved product quality
- increased throughput
- more flexible process design
- reduced CO2 footprint
- better understanding of processes.
- Upgrade to include gCRYSTAL capabilities for modelling of upstream crystallisation processes
- Hybrid gPROMS-CFD Multizonal interface for equipment scale-up studies.
The gSOLIDS product
gSOLIDS is implemented within PSE's powerful gPROMS steady-state and dynamic flowsheeting environment.
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