What value does the DOE see in EYESIM? See the video in the post

Undertrained employees reduce performance and profitability in a refinery and may also risk the safety of other employees. The aging workforce is moving closer to the age of retirement, making it imperative to properly train younger, less experienced employees. Invensys Operations Management offers solutions that aid refineries in educating inexperienced operators, who will soon be relied upon to operate the refinery.



SimSci-Esscor offers an immersive training system, EYESIM, which is a technology breakthrough in training. The EYESIM solution connects all refinery operators by a high-fidelity process simulation and virtual walkthrough plant environment. The virtual plant feature will significantly improve maintenance activities by offering direct feedback once a trainee completes an action. This will provide the knowledge necessary to act appropriately in any given situation. For more information on EYESIM, view the product page here.

About EYESIM: Undertrained and inexperienced employees reduce performance and profitability in a refinery while also risking the safety of other employees. The aging workforce is moving closer to the age of retirement, making it imperative to properly train younger, less experienced employees. Invensys offers solutions that aid in educating inexperienced operators, who will soon be relied upon to operate the plant.

The immersive training system (ITS), SimSci Esscor EYESIM, is a technology breakthrough in training. The EYESIM solution connects all operators by a high-fidelity 3 dimensional process simulation and virtual walkthrough plant environment. Operator Training Simulators (OTS) allow operators to train on a computer in an identical environment to the control room. The virtual reality plant feature significantly improves maintenance activities by offering direct feedback once a trainee completes an action. This will provide the knowledge necessary to act appropriately in any given situation.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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Academic Program at Invensys for Wonderware and SimSci-Esscor products!

We think that promoting the software tools that professionals use in the workplace among the colleges and universities that are teaching our future workforce is important. In order to be successful professionals, students should prepare in school on the same tools that they will be using as professionals.

A lot of companies do a great job of promoting their professional tools within academic instiuitions, and Invensys Operations Management is no exception. The SimSci-Esscor and Wonderware brands have an academic program that aims to leverage the global academic brain trust to advance the engineering professions. Let us know if you are an academic institution and we can help you get SimSci-Esscor or Wonderware tools into your school!

The last time we posted about the academic program, we were seeking a leader for the program. Well, that position as been filled and the new manager is hitting the ground running. You will be seeing more and more from Invensys on our academic program.



About the Academic Program: The Invensys Academic Program provides academic licenses to engineering students at universities across the globe for its SimSci and Wonderware products. This program is designed to jumpstart the future careers of these students. This University Partner Program (UPP) provides students with access and insight to the latest technology in design, dynamic simulation, and optimization. Invensys employees look forward to sharing their expertise with aspiring engineers.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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D86 cracking in SimSci-Esscor PRO/II

What is D86 cracking in PRO/II?

This is a method from the old API Data Book which is kept in PRO/II for consistency with old flowsheets. The D86 temperatures include a correction factor for cracking that occurs during the laboratory test.

About PRO/II: One of the refining industry’s leading simulation solutions, PRO/II software is a steady-state simulation tool for process design, revamp and operational analysis. It is backed by more than 45 years of research and development and includes proprietary correlations to model heavy oils.

About PRO/II: PRO/II is the major product in the Process Engineering Suite (PES). This process simulation software optimizes plant performance by improving process design, operational analysis, and performing engineering studies. It is designed to perform rigorous heat and material balance calculations for a wide range of chemical processes. PRO/II allows users to evaluate the use of heat integration with case studies, rigorously evaluate process improvements with the help of a process flow diagram (PFD), or model crude distillation units. PRO/II offers a wide variety of thermodynamic models to virtually every industry and is incredibly cost effective, decreasing both capital and operating costs.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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SmartFire solution

The SmartFire solution from Invensys is based on an extension to the Connoisseur Advanced Process Control (APC) software. This solution is a boiler optimization application that offers multivariable model predictive control and neural networks. It is often applied to bias furnace air flow distribution and address O2 imbalances and regions of high CO. The original application needed some adjustments in order for it to achieve its fullest potential. It was decided that improvements could be made if this offering could automatically determine more optimum air/fuel settings at individual dampers.

SmartFire completes the boiler optimization offering from Invensys by compensating for a phenomenon in coal fired boilers known as roping. Roping occurs when pulverized coal is fed to a utility boiler causing disruption to the distribution of coal flow to the coal pipes that supply the burners. This imbalanced distribution causes some regions of the furnace to have more fuel and others to have less fuel.

SmartFire continuously tests the APC system and adapts the models to capture the characteristics of shifting relationships. Operators do not interfere with this process, which optimizes work performance and greatly enhances the bottom line. This solution offers significant improvements in boiler efficiency. After testing the system, there were estimated benefits of $78,000 a year - in addition to the benefits of APC which typically exceed $500,000. This shortens the payback period and is truly unique to the Invensys APC offering.

About Connoisseur: Connoisseur is advanced process control (APC) software developed by Invensys to improve process profitability and control. The quality improvements that result from using Connoisseur model-based predictive control software are also met with considerable economic improvements. RBF neural nets, a key feature of this solution can be mixed with step test derived models. The standard deviation of key product parameters from target specification is significantly reduced, leading to increased throughput and significantly reduced material and/or energy consumption, providing a total payback in three to six months or less. Applications of Connoisseur include mining, power, chemicals and refining, among others.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

 

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PRO/II and HYDRATES

In PRO/II, does water have to be present to use HYDRATES?


Interestingly enough, water does not have to be present in simulation to perform the hydrate analysis.

About PRO/II: PRO/II is the major product in the Process Engineering Suite (PES). This process simulation software optimizes plant performance by improving process design, operational analysis, and performing engineering studies. It is designed to perform rigorous heat and material balance calculations for a wide range of chemical processes. PRO/II allows users to evaluate the use of heat integration with case studies, rigorously evaluate process improvements with the help of a process flow diagram (PFD), or model crude distillation units. PRO/II offers a wide variety of thermodynamic models to virtually every industry and is incredibly cost effective, decreasing both capital and operating costs.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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How is your Czech? Invensys DYNSIM: Product of the Year by Control Engineering, Czech Republic

Invensys DYNSIM: Product of the Year

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Invensys announced that its DYNSIM simulation program has been named Product of the Year 2012 in the Application and Programming Software category by Control Engineering, Czech Republic. Subscribers identified the products they felt were the most exceptional based on technological advancement, service to the industry and market impact. The Product of the Year Awards covered eight industrial automation categories in 2012. [Full Story in Czech]

Or read our news release in English here!

About DYNSIM: DYNSIM is part of the Dynamic Simulation Suite from Invensys, assisting in process design, controls checkout, and control system design. This dynamic simulator helps plant management operate in a safe and profitable manner. Its operator training simulator provides safer operation while also improving performance and productivity. One example is using DYNSIM to evaluate flare and relief systems in a plant to raise the safety standard by making sure that the flares can handle the loads as they occur dynamically. DYNSIM is a cost-effective program, reducing the cost of process equipment.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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PRO/II density and specific gravity in output report

In PRO/II, what conditions are density and specific gravity reported in the stream summary?

Density and specific gravity are reported at:

- SPGR @ 60 F/1 atm
- density @ flowing conditions

 

 

 

 

 

About PRO/II: PRO/II is the major product in the Process Engineering Suite (PES). This process simulation software optimizes plant performance by improving process design, operational analysis, and performing engineering studies. It is designed to perform rigorous heat and material balance calculations for a wide range of chemical processes. PRO/II allows users to evaluate the use of heat integration with case studies, rigorously evaluate process improvements with the help of a process flow diagram (PFD), or model crude distillation units. PRO/II offers a wide variety of thermodynamic models to virtually every industry and is incredibly cost effective, decreasing both capital and operating costs.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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From DOWNSTREAMTODAY: Economics and Variability of Renewables Hurting Mandates

I found this article really interesting: Economics and Variability of Renewables Hurting Mandates

Politics aside - I think most people are for alternative fuels to help the environment. However, this article sheds some light on the economics of it all.

I hope we don't damage our environment too much more before we develop a viable and affordable alternative to oil.

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From Hydrocarbon Processing: China successfully tests flight using Sinopec aviation biofuel

China successfully tests first flight using Sinopec's new aviation...
hydrocarbonprocessing.com

A China Eastern Airlines Corp. passenger airplane took off from an airport in Shanghai and traveled for about 90 minutes using the fuel, which is made from palm oil and restaurant oil, Sinopec said in a news release. read the full article here. 

Do you think this will be a good way for planes to be more environmentally friendly?

I found it pretty interesting, and hopefully can be a positive step against global warming. 

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PRO/II RVP calculation methods

What are the differences between the RVP calculation methods?

There are six Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) calculation methods in PRO/II:

APINAPHTHA - The RVP is obtained from a nomograph in the API Databook (Figure 5B1.1, pg. 5-29) which relates the RVP to the slope of the ASTM D86 distillation curve at the 10% volume point and the temperature. This method is useful for gasoline mixtures.

APICRUDE - For this method the TVP is determined first, and then the RVP is obtained from a nomograph in the API databook (Fig. 5B1.2, pg.5-31) which relates the RVP to the temperature and the TVP. This method is useful for crude oils.

P323 - This is the method used in PROCESS. It is obsolete now, but is still included in PRO/II for comparing results with PROCESS. Dry air is added to the liquid mixture, sealed, and allowed to equilibrate at a temperature of 100 F. The measured pressure of the sample is then subtracted from the atmospheric pressure to obtain the RVP in psi. PRO/II rigorously simulates all steps in this method.

D323 (wet method) - This 1982 ASTM method is again rigorously simulated by PRO/II. This method mixes the liquid hydrocarbon stream with dry air and liquid water. The resultant mixture is sealed, allowed to reach equilibrium, and the pressure in the chamber measured at 100 F. The RVP in units of psi is obtained by subtracting the atmospheric pressure from the measured pressure. (See article #1875 in the NATS article database.)

D4953 (dry method) - This 1991 ASTM method is similar to the D323 method, except that no liquid water is added to the mixture. However, the air sample added is assumed to be saturated with water vapor. This method is useful for gasolines containing oxygenates such as alcohols, which separate out with water.

D5191 - This is based on the 1991 ASTM-D5191 method. Sample is evacuated. Applicable for volatile liquid petroleum products.

About PRO/II: PRO/II is the major product in the Process Engineering Suite (PES). This process simulation software optimizes plant performance by improving process design, operational analysis, and performing engineering studies. It is designed to perform rigorous heat and material balance calculations for a wide range of chemical processes. PRO/II allows users to evaluate the use of heat integration with case studies, rigorously evaluate process improvements with the help of a process flow diagram (PFD), or model crude distillation units. PRO/II offers a wide variety of thermodynamic models to virtually every industry and is incredibly cost effective, decreasing both capital and operating costs.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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New File on Start up in PRO/II

How do I configured a new file to open when PRO/II starts?

With this option every time PRO/II is launched it will open a new file, otherwise by default PRO/II won’t open a new file on launch.

1. On menu bar go to Options > New File on Start up

About PRO/II: PRO/II is the major product in the Process Engineering Suite (PES). This process simulation software optimizes plant performance by improving process design, operational analysis, and performing engineering studies. It is designed to perform rigorous heat and material balance calculations for a wide range of chemical processes. PRO/II allows users to evaluate the use of heat integration with case studies, rigorously evaluate process improvements with the help of a process flow diagram (PFD), or model crude distillation units. PRO/II offers a wide variety of thermodynamic models to virtually every industry and is incredibly cost effective, decreasing both capital and operating costs.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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Operator Training Simulator Helps Salt River Project Maximize Human Assets

I shared the video a few weeks ago, but this blog post has a link to the write-up!

Operator Training Simulator Helps Salt River Project Maximize Human Assets



About Operator Training: Invensys offers a computer-based training method, Operator Training Simulators (OTS), to help give operators the skills they need to run a process or plant. Refineries and other plants are being forced to rely on inexperienced operators due to the aging workforce. Undertrained employees reduce performance and profitability in a refinery and may also risk the safety of other employees. The aging workforce is moving closer to the age of retirement, making it imperative to train younger, less experienced employees. Invensys offers an Operator Training System to aid refineries in educating inexperienced operators, who will soon be relied upon to operate the refinery and perform operational excellence.

Operators learn the ins and outs of a refinery in this virtual control room. DYNSIM is a model that controls the plant response. Trainees learn how to react appropriately when a similar situation occurs in the actual plant. DYNSIM Checkout is the first process dynamic simulation product designed specifically for control checkout. This solution can validate control system design before it is installed in the plant which eliminates many problems that occur during startup.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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How can the STREAM CALCULATOR be set up to do various tasks?

How can the STREAM CALCULATOR in PRO/II  be set up to do various tasks?

The STREAM CALCULATION can be set up to do the following:

1. stream synthesis
2. stream blending
3. stream splitting

• Example of stream synthesis:

STCALC UID=SYN

PROD M=NEW, TEMP=100, PRES=14.7

RPROD 1,42.1 / 2,50.0 / 3,7.9  $ Set component rates

• Example of stream blending:

STCALC UID=BLND

FEED ST1,0.3/ST2,0.5/ST3,0.2    $ Scale feed streams

PROD M=OUTLET

FPROD 1,10,1.0          $ All components in product

• Example of stream splitting:

STCALC UID=SPLT

FEED INLET

OVHD V=OOUT

BTMS L=BOUT

FOVHD 1,5,1.0     $ Components 1-5 go overhead

FBTMS 6,10,1.0    $ Components 6-10 go to bottoms

About PRO/II: PRO/II is the major product in the Process Engineering Suite (PES). This process simulation software optimizes plant performance by improving process design, operational analysis, and performing engineering studies. It is designed to perform rigorous heat and material balance calculations for a wide range of chemical processes. PRO/II allows users to evaluate the use of heat integration with case studies, rigorously evaluate process improvements with the help of a process flow diagram (PFD), or model crude distillation units. PRO/II offers a wide variety of thermodynamic models to virtually every industry and is incredibly cost effective, decreasing both capital and operating costs.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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Join SimSci-Esscor related groups on LinkedIn

Join SimSci-Esscor related groups on LinkedIn

• SimSci-Esscor 
• PRO/II Users Group 
• PIPEPHASE Users Group
• DYNSIM Users
• ROMeo Users

All groups have discussions from users, new release announcements, and technical tips!

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Save the Date for the North America SimSci-Esscor User Group Meeting

Avantis, SimSci-Esscor, Wonderware User Group Meetings - Oct 15-17 - Save the Date!

Will you be there? I hope to see you there!

Interested in presenting - let me know!

Interested in a specific topic - let me know!

We will be working on an agenda in the coming months, so now if a great chance to provide feedback on what you want to see. 

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The primary differences between the SRKM and SRKS methods

What are the primary differences between the SRKM and SRKS methods?

For binary mixtures, the two methods are similar and of practically identical accuracy. For multicomponent mixtures, SRKM (and almost all other advanced mixing rules in the literature) is not entirely self-consistent; the small theoretical flaw does not harm the calculated results. However, SRKM may be less reliable than SRKS for very strongly non-ideal multi-component systems. SRKS is entirely self-consistent, and is preferred for multicomponent systems if the binary parameters are available. However, because SRKS is a more complicated mixing rule, it will require greater CPU time to solve than SRKM. See the Reference Manual for more details.

As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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Customizing Excel Report

User can customize the Excel report and have the required properties displayed on the Excel report by doing the following:

1.       Go to Output on the menu bar > Report Manager > New Report

2.       The Sim4Me Report manager as shown below will open up. From the Flowsheet Explorer which is the green colored section drag and drop the required streams on the gray section of the window. You can choose one or all the streams.

3. On Flowsheet explorer open the tree view for Streams then for any stream drag and drop the required property to the gray section, in the below snapshot it is Total Weight Component Rate option or

4.       You will observe for the stream for which you added the Total Weight Component Rate, the View column would read Stream_1, and the option of Total Weight Component Rate will appear.

5.       Change the View for each of the stream to Stream_1 and all the streams will then have the Total Weight Component Rate as an available option.

6.       Save this report and close.

7.    Having done this you shall observe in PRO/II that there is an additional report format appearing for Excel report

                  Select Report_1 and click generate report. The generate report will now consist of all the properties from Summary view plus the Total Weight Component Rates.

8.       For further modification to the Excel report one can click on Active Reports

About PRO/II: PRO/II is the major product in the Process Engineering Suite (PES). This process simulation software optimizes plant performance by improving process design, operational analysis, and performing engineering studies. It is designed to perform rigorous heat and material balance calculations for a wide range of chemical processes. PRO/II allows users to evaluate the use of heat integration with case studies, rigorously evaluate process improvements with the help of a process flow diagram (PFD), or model crude distillation units. PRO/II offers a wide variety of thermodynamic models to virtually every industry and is incredibly cost effective, decreasing both capital and operating costs.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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Join SimSci-Esscor related groups on LinkedIn

Join SimSci-Esscor related groups on LinkedIn

• SimSci-Esscor 
• PRO/II Users Group 
• PIPEPHASE Users Group
• DYNSIM Users
• ROMeo Users

All groups have discussions from users, new release announcements, and technical tips!

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FAQ on the PRO/II Gibbs reactor

How does the Gibbs reactor in PRO/II work?  What information does it  need and provide?  When should it be used?

The Gibbs reactor is desired when multiple simultaneous equilibrium reactions are taking place. An entropy method must be specified. The final product concentrations are based on the principle of minimizing the Gibbs free energy, thus all possible reactions among the components in the reactor feed are considered. Therefore, data on Gibbs free energy of formation must be supplied for all reactants. Because many of the possible reactions do not take place to any extent during typical reaction times in commercial reactors, the user can specify the reactions to be considered.

About PRO/II: PRO/II is the major product in the Process Engineering Suite (PES). This process simulation software optimizes plant performance by improving process design, operational analysis, and performing engineering studies. It is designed to perform rigorous heat and material balance calculations for a wide range of chemical processes. PRO/II allows users to evaluate the use of heat integration with case studies, rigorously evaluate process improvements with the help of a process flow diagram (PFD), or model crude distillation units. PRO/II offers a wide variety of thermodynamic models to virtually every industry and is incredibly cost effective, decreasing both capital and operating costs.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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Guest Post: How to best you can characterize your liquid hydrocarbons

I wish to personally thank Marimuthu for being the first guest blogger outside of Invensys! 

If you wish to be a guest blogger, don't hesitate to contact me. 
How to best characterize your liquid hydrocarbons
Guest Blogger: Marimuthu Ananthavelu of CB&I

Characterizing your hydrocarbons is surely an art; the history begins with efforts taken to prepare API technical data book sometime when the energy industry started realizing the importance of hydrocarbon resources and its much needed infrastructure.


Experiments at the Pennsylvania State University, Department of chemical engineering make remarks in the field of Liquid hydrocarbons characterization involving different mathematical manipulations to match the experimental data all the time. (While I was graduating, I did not realize that mathematics was going to be such an important thing in the field of chemical engineering)

We see hundreds of research papers getting published in the field of characterization of Liquid hydrocarbons and mainly tried with heavy oils.

It is very beautiful to understand how best the liquid hydrocarbons can be characterized in PRO/II. The best we characterize, there are always best results guaranteed. This will mainly be important when we have the raw true boiling numbers found with volume % of vaporization in industrial laboratory when we don’t have updated assay database or when we have the change in feed blend.

Let’s see some important features to be considered;

1. Look clearly at the numbers;

Whether it is TBP (True Boiling Point) curve or % of sulfur content or specific gravity curve or Watson K factor; the entry of these numbers are most important. Time which you may neglect giving these inputs correctly, will fire back heavily.

Make Lighters possibly into your characterization. In case if you get to have many different types of crude, define all the lighter components individually with respective composition in each crude before you blend. When you blend, don’t expect that the blended product stream will have the same number of components as any one of the crude type which has maximum number of components. You may think this helps reducing the convergence time, but it would give you less usable outputs, for example in the column overhead off gases stream quantity or the stream goes to ejector.

Better use as many components as possible since it takes very little time.

2. Define your impurities level for each cut point

It is preferred to give the impurity range for each cut-point or with respect to % distilled. It produces the % of impurity getting landed in each product or in by-products and become the basis for downstream processing units design.

3. Look at the Characterization options;

There are many different combinations for characterization in PRO/II that serve various chemical engineering applications. Look mainly at the different methods whore the key inputs are generated mainly Normal Boiling point of the pseudo components, Molecular weight of the pseudo components, and specific gravity of the pseudo components. These are just most important parameters based upon which the individual pseudo components properties getting calculated which all make one stream. There are different ways to calculate the above properties.

4. Look at the Thermodynamic models used;

You should have plenty of literature to choose your thermodynamic model. Customize your thermo model to the specificapplication.

When you are in doubt, just regenerate the base properties which were used to define the whole components properties for example NBP (bubble point) and specific gravity. Then compare with the base properties originally used. This will give you a quick view whether the thermo model used is conveniently true or not. 

5. Always have your eye on heavy oil

It is well understood by the industry, though many mathematical combinations have been successful in representing the experimental results, it is still a universal challenge for any process simulator to predict the properties of heavy oil with great accuracy. Refer data book, public crude assay data before you conclude in defining such hydrocarbons. (Editior’s note: SimSci-Esscor has done a lot of work on heavy oils – get more information here)

6. If you are in operating industry and having still doubt in selecting the right thermodynamic model, just try matching the basic engineering design data with your selected thermo model results and then fix your thermo model. Careful consideration is preferred before fixing the same.

7. Whenever possible use Crude assay database, it becomes an easy task when you integrate your Spiral crude assay database with PRO/II. (Editior’s note: direct integration between Spiral and PRO/II is coming soon) 

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From Hydrocarbon Processing: Shell to expand Singapore petrochemical complex

Shell said the expansion will increase the plant's production capacity of alcohol ethoxylate. The investment comes at a time when the traditionally strong Asian petrochemical industry is seeing margins squeezed by a resurgence in investment in US petrochemical plants based on cheaper shale.

Read the full article here

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What are the current versions of your SimSci-Esscor software?

Want to know what the current release of your favorite SimSci-Esscor software is?


Click here to vist the blog - look in the upper left hand corner of the blog where the current versions will always be listed!

As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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Modifying the default stream property display

How to modify the default stream property display in PRO/II

1. Create a user defined property list
2. Go to Option > Drawing Defaults and select Stream Display



3. On the Tooltip Property List select the user defined property list, which on the picture below is My List 1


4. When you now view the results in Tooltip view it will display the user defined list



5. The default option can also been modified for other result views also like Stream DRW, Stream Property Table, Toggle.
As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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Customizing the Excel Report

How do I customize the Excel Report in PRO/II?

1. By default there are two options while generating an Excel report i.e. Summary Report and Detailed Report



2. For customizing the Excel report go to > Output > Report Manager > New

3. Step 2 would open up the window shown below. Using the Flow-Sheet Explorer, which is the green portion to the right, parameters can be dragged and dropped onto the gray area.

4. By right clicking on Report1 the report can be renamed

5. When this report is saved, PRO/II Excel report option will display three options

6. Choose the report option and click on Generate Excel Output to generate a customized Excel report

As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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Mobility is Paying Off

Mobility is Paying Off

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How can results from CALCULATOR be written to a file?

How can results from CALCULATOR in PRO/II be written to a file?
CALCULATOR results (stored in arrays: R, P, C, V, IX, or IS) can be written to a ASCII file by first opening an output file and providing a filename, and then writing the results to the file. 
This file will have the extension CAL, and will contain the CALCULATOR results vector R as well as any of the other arrays if the user requests that they be printed out.  An example of the OPEN and OUTPUT statements follow.  More information is given in the PRO/II  Keyword Input Manual on page 121-12 under the Print Control Statements sub-heading.

OPEN (FILE=fileid)

OUTPUT R(1:4), P(1:5)

About PRO/II: PRO/II is the major product in the Process Engineering Suite (PES). This process simulation software optimizes plant performance by improving process design, operational analysis, and performing engineering studies. It is designed to perform rigorous heat and material balance calculations for a wide range of chemical processes. PRO/II allows users to evaluate the use of heat integration with case studies, rigorously evaluate process improvements with the help of a process flow diagram (PFD), or model crude distillation units. PRO/II offers a wide variety of thermodynamic models to virtually every industry and is incredibly cost effective, decreasing both capital and operating costs.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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Improve refinery profitability – integrate your off-sites and process optimization applications - on demand webinar available now!

Off-sites applications and online optimization applications are both important to your business. However, enabling these systems to share data in real time will allow each application to perform more effectively because each will be working with better data.
Integration allows off-sites blend operations data to be utilized within the process optimizer and this yields superior optimization results due to more accurate feedstock data. The process optimization results, in the form of bulk property information, are then fed back to product blending applications, giving those applications more accurate input and enabling improved product blending.


The optimizer can also be integrated with LP model vector updating, typically a difficult, time intensive task that can be streamlined with process optimization software. The key benefit is that the data required for LP model vectors can be sent directly from the optimizer, eliminating the need for manual re-inputting of data. This significantly improves model accuracy and reduces the resource burden and time required to gather plant information, sort and filter through the data, and then generate LP vectors.

You can view this recording on demand now!





About Planning & Off-sites Integration: Planning & Off-sites Integration with ROMeo is an Invensys solution that optimizes performance in refineries, petrochemical plants, and other facilities. It leverages both blending operations and optimization practices. Blending operations consist of crude blending and product blending. This process is optimized with the help of ROMeo optimization which uses the crude blending information to produce better results for the product blending software. This solution automatically model updates ROMeo vector data into LP vectors, allowing for linear and crude planning to result in more efficient operations in facilities.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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Which method is an overall efficiency approach?

Which method is an overall efficiency approach in PRO/II?
None of the tray efficiency model is an overall approach.  The overall approach must be taken directly by the user when he converts the number of actual trays to theoretical trays prior to setting up the column simulation.

About PRO/II: PRO/II is the major product in the Process Engineering Suite (PES). This process simulation software optimizes plant performance by improving process design, operational analysis, and performing engineering studies. It is designed to perform rigorous heat and material balance calculations for a wide range of chemical processes. PRO/II allows users to evaluate the use of heat integration with case studies, rigorously evaluate process improvements with the help of a process flow diagram (PFD), or model crude distillation units. PRO/II offers a wide variety of thermodynamic models to virtually every industry and is incredibly cost effective, decreasing both capital and operating costs.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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SIM4ME Portal - Bringing your simulations to Microsoft Excel

The SIM4ME Portal from Invensys is an application that integrates simulation software from SimSci-Esscor with Microsoft Excel, which widely extends the user base. It has already been integrated with PRO/II, PIPEPHASE, INPLANT, VISUAL FLOW, ARPM, and ROMeo. It will also be simulated with more applications soon. This application significantly increases a company’s return on investment (ROI) by making it more user-friendly and decreasing the learning curve. It helps to evaluate current performance and determine future performance.

Guest Blogger: Kaylen McMullen, Marketing Assistant, Invensys Operations Management

About SIM4ME Portal: The SIM4ME Portal from Invensys is an application that integrates simulation software from SimSci-Esscor with Microsoft Excel, widely extending the user base and giving users the ability to run case studies to further evaluate the process. SIM4ME Portal has already been integrated with PRO/II, PIPEPHASE, INPLANT, VISUAL FLOW, ARPM, and ROMeo. This application significantly increases a company’s return on investment (ROI) by making it more user-friendly and decreasing the learning curve giving access to less experienced simulation users. The SIM4ME Portal can be used to help evaluate current performance and determine future performance of the process or equipment.

Technical Support: As always, feel free to reach out to your local technical support team for more information.

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From DOWNSTREAMTODAY: Shale Oil Revolution May Cut Russian Oil Exports by 50MM t/y by 2040

"Russian hydrocarbon exports may fall by 2040 given a substantial increase in global production of shale oil and gas, according to the Forecast for Global Energy Development to 2040, prepared by the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute for Energy Research and the Russian government's analytical center."

Read the full article here

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