Page 225 - Sustainability in the Process Industry Integration and Optimization

202 Cha p te r N i n e

Automatic design of water reuse networks: All constraints relating to
maximum and minimum flow rates, forbidden matches, and water
losses or gains in individual operations can be accounted for. The
designer also has control over network complexity.
Regeneration of water: Once water reuse has been maximized,
further reduction in water consumption can only result from
regenerating wastewater. WATER enables a network designer to
examine and compare the effects of regeneration reuse and
regeneration recycling.
Automatic design of water reuse and effluent treatment networks:
WATER can automatically generate not only water reuse networks
but also effluent treatment networks at a minimum cost. The design
engineer maintains control over network complexity and over the
relevant constraints (e.g., forbidden matches, flow-rate ranges, water
losses and gains during treatment operations).
Pipe work and sewer costs in network design: In addition to the capital
cost associated with regeneration and treatment processes, WATER
also incorporates the cost of connecting the operations that involve
running new pipes and sewers. These factors are included with the
freshwater cost and other capital cost when assessing trade-offs
between cost and overall performance. It is important to consider
pipe work and sewer cost because they have a profound effect on
network structure and complexity.

9.5 Flowsheeting Simulation Packages

9.5.1 ASPEN
Aspen Technology, Inc., provides integrated software applications
for a variety of industries—oil and gas, petroleum, chemicals, and
pharmaceuticals—that manufacture products using chemical
processes. Aspen ONE (AspenTech, 2009d) is an application suite
that enables process manufacturers to implement best practices for
optimizing their engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain
operations. This software package addresses inefficiencies
throughout the plant, resulting in significant cost savings. Aspen
Plus (Aspen-Tech, 2009c) is a core element of the Aspen ONE process
engineering suite. It is a process modeling tool used in conceptual
design, optimization, and performance monitoring for the chemical,
polymer, specialty chemical, metals and minerals, and coal power
industries. Aspen Plus includes a large database of pure component
and phase equilibrium data for conventional chemicals, electrolytes,
solids, and polymers. This information is updated regularly using
data from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Aspen Plus is well integrated with Aspen’s software for cost analysis
(AspenTech, 2009a) and heat exchanger design (AspenTech, 2009b).
These software applications enable rigorous sizing and rating of