(226a) Dynamic Simulation Modeling Of Multi-Sided Exchanger

Over the past 40 years, brazed aluminum plate-fin heat exchangers have become the preferred type for a variety of specialized and general applications, mainly as a result of their unique capabilities in heating and cooling liquids and gases, and boiling and condensing with single and multi-component streams. To realize the ability to accommodate many streams in the same exchanger thus giving greater flexibility in process flow-sheet design and in process integration, a rigorous dynamic model of the Multi-Sided Exchanger is developed to match the actual operational data. Matching plant data requires ingenuity when modeling a Multi Sided Heat Exchanger or Coldbox. A dynamic simulation model of the Cold Section was developed for an Ethylene Plant, to predict its behavior towards changing the compositions of feeds and the process conditions. Simulation guidelines for developing dynamic model of a Multisided Exchanger are illustrated in details in this paper. It also covers on how to handle the heat transfer coefficient for each exchanger pass that is required in the model by using iCON, PETRONAS process simulation software, steady state results. Results from this dynamic model are compared with the actual plant operation data. Temperature profile and individual stream heat duty confirm the model results match the plant data.