ProMax Foundations - Oil & Gas Focus

The ProMax Foundations courses are designed to provide background understanding of how ProMax and Bryan Research & Engineering, Inc. approach process simulation.  The basics of process modeling and process optimization are covered in this course, with the exercises being slightly more focused to the Oil & Gas Processing field than the Refining field. 

This session is not designed to detail all the capabilities available within ProMax, but to allow an attendee to see the extent and breadth of applications for ProMax and the benefits it can provide, as well as an opportunity for hands-on learning with the program.

Attendees will learn:

·         Basics of process simulation methods

·         Capabilities and features of ProMax simulation software

·         Plant modeling techniques and methods

·         Basic understanding of oil & gas plant operations

·         Background in chemical or petroleum engineering

·         Instructor-led demonstrations

·         Hands-on simulation

·         Question-Answer

·         Open floor discussion

Day 1:

Installation of ProMax

The beginning of the course is reserved to give time to verify that all attendees can successfully run ProMax. 

Introduction to Process Simulation using ProMax

The first several exercises are designed with a focus on creating a project, and finding general information from the created project.  The related exercises are summarized below.

Exercise 1: Simple Gas Plant – This exercise is designed to give hands-on experience with the Visio drawing interface as ProMax uses it, and an introduction to making specifications within ProMax.  Special emphasis is given to drawing and modifying blocks, streams, and stream connections.   Creating an environment for use within the project is shown.  Blocks covered in this exercise include: heat exchangers, compressors, separators, simple distillation columns, and process stream recycles.   Analyses covered include: phase diagram analysis (including phase diagram generation and finding critical information for a stream), vapor pressure analysis (including finding the RVP and TVP of a liquid stream), and line sizing analysis.

Example of an Amine Sweetening Model – An example is shown from the ProMax Examples folder to present a solved amine sweetening unit simulation.  This provides a method to discuss the process for attendees unfamiliar with the basics of amine sweetening, and give some background information on the approach ProMax takes when modeling the amine sweetening process. Emphasis is given to the tray internal information required to utilize the TSWEET Kinetics rate-based model.

Exercise 3: Simple MDEA Sweetening Unit – This exercise is then provided to allow attendees to model an amine sweetening unit using information shown from the example.   Newly covered are the saturator and make-up/blow-down blocks.  Topics covered include modeling a column with attached condenser/reboiler, ionic information of a stream, lean/rich approach in the contactor, and the lean/rich loading of amine streams.  

Exercise 4: Export/Append Flowsheets – A simple exercise is offered to show how the two-step process of exporting and appending a project works within ProMax.  The resulting file is discussed to show how the appended environments, flowsheets, calculators, and other properties are incorporated into the joined file.

Exercise 5: Multiple Flowsheets – A new flowsheet is created utilizing a modified, existing environment. The ProMax Property Stencil set is shown here to discuss the additional features available for use within ProMax.  New blocks investigated include the flow multiplier and cross-flowsheet connector.

Example of a Glycol Dehydration Model – An example is then shown of a basic TEG dehydration unit, allowing for a short discussion of the process for attendees unfamiliar with these units.  The differences between glycol dehydration and amine sweetening are then discussed.  

Exercise 6: Glycol Dehydration Unit – After the glycol dehydration example is demonstrated, the attendees are provided an exercise.  The Energy Recycle and 3-phase separator blocks are displayed in this exercise.  Time is spent discussing the freeze analysis and hydrate formation prediction in ProMax, and aromatic emissions from the still.  Once the project is solved, a ProMax report is generated to show the flexibility of ProMax Reports.

Day 2:

Example of Sulfur Recovery – From the ProMax Examples, an example of a Claus Sulfur Recovery unit is shown.  A discussion is provided, giving some information on both the process and the method ProMax utilizes for constrained Gibbs Minimization reactions as the backbone of sulfur recovery predictions.  The reactor constraints and reactive species in each reactor are briefly mentioned, as well as the concept of shifting the equilibrium Claus Reaction towards sulfur production.

Exercise 7: Three-Bed Claus Unit – This exercise is presented to give experience with creating a process using simple Gibbs Minimization reactions with ProMax.  It also helps demonstrate the constraints that ProMax will generate automatically based on the Gibbs Set selected in each process block.  Reactor-specific information is discussed, including the Bypass Fraction.  Block plots and analyses are shown.

Exercise 8: Hydrogenation Reactor – If interest is given by the attendees, a tail-gas treating hydrogenation reactor is available.  This demonstrates another use of the reactor blocks in ProMax, as well as the combustion stream analysis, and conversion in reactors.

Exercise 9: Pipeline Simulation – If interest is given by the attendees, this rigorous pipeline block exercise is provided.  This exercise is designed to show the options available for pressure drop calculations across a pipeline, the correlations allowed by ProMax for multiple flow types (including vertical flow), and how the block can separate a single pipeline into increments consisting of pipe lengths and fittings.

Introduction to Process Optimization using ProMax

The next group of exercises focuses on optimizing an existing project in several ways using some of the tools available with ProMax.    

Exercise 11: Import/Export from Excel – ProMax allows for very simple OLE-embedding of Excel spreadsheets into a project.  Advantages of embedded spreadsheets are mentioned, followed by an exercise using the import/export function in ProMax and calculations in Excel with ProMax values.

Exercise 12: Scenario Tool with Methanol Injection – This exercise is used to provide a simple example of how to use the Scenario Tool with ProMax.  This exercise is worked together with the attendees to show how to connect Excel with the desired project.  Input variable requirements are shown, and output flexibility is demonstrated.  The process tree diagram in ProMax is discussed in more detail than previously, as it is used quite often in subsequent exercises.

Exercise 13: Scenario Tool with Amine Absorber – The second Scenario Tool exercise is given to provide some additional time setting up a scenario as desired with Excel.  Additional outputs are used that demonstrate finding stream, block, and analysis output information from the process tree diagram in ProMax. 

Exercise 14: Simple Specifiers – Several examples of Specifier use are given as separate parts to this exercise.  The first is worked together as a group to demonstrate how to define one process specification from one or more other process variables.  Additional Specifiers are worked by the attendees in the class to show both simple and slightly more difficult uses of the functionality.

Day 3:

Exercise 15: Simple Solvers – Using a few separate examples, the iterative method of solving indirectly for a desired outcome is shown using the Simple Solver in ProMax.  The interaction between Simple Solvers and process recycles is discussed, along with the priorities each are assigned.

Exercise 16: User Value Sets – This exercise is designed to demonstrate some of the flexibility ProMax offers the user.  There are many variables that ProMax does not calculate, but can be created by defining a personal variable, or a User Value, within a User Value Set.  Specific examples include creating and using an ambient temperature throughout the project, summing a total pump HP requirement for a unit, and simple cost estimation.

Exercise 17: Separator Sizing – The sizing of a separator is shown for a 3-phase horizontal bucket and weir separator.  A discussion of the Help topic and its guidance is given, and if enough interest is shown by the attendees, the exercise may be worked during the course.

Exercise 18: Heat Exchanger Rating – The rating of an air cooler and a shell & tube exchanger is demonstrated, with discussion of the Help topic and the guidance it can provide.  If time permits, and interest in shown by the attendees, one or both ratings may be demonstrated together.  The generation of specification sheets can be shown, as well as importing and exporting heat exchanger rating files.

Additional Exercises – Several additional exercises are available for attendees to work through if time permits, covering a wide range of topics.  If no exercises cover a topic of interest, attendees may look through the ProMax Help and ProMax Example files to see if there is any applicable information or example available.  The instructors are always available to answer any questions that may arise.

Our agenda is provided to give the approximate material to be covered in the course, in the approximate order it will be covered.  All courses we provide will be tailored to the needs of the host company providing the training accommodations, as well as the needs of the course attendees.  Some courses may cover additional topics, while some may cover less than indicated in the agenda.

Some courses may be shortened to one or two days when represented by a three-day agenda.  These courses will typically cover both process simulation and process optimization topics, but will exclude several exercises.  Please contact us at training@bre.com, or through the consulting engineer for your region, for specific information for any course.