(454f) Reconciling Mass and Energy Balances in An Ethylene Complex

All instrumentation inherently has measurement errors and requires periodic calibration and servicing. When these meters are used for production and utility accounting or custody transfer, it is important to ensure that these metering errors are eliminated or at least minimized. But given the large number of measurments involved in an olefin complex material balance, how can you tell which meters are correct and where the mass balance errors are coming from?

Many companies have applied statistically-based mass and energy balance reconciliation techniques to solve this problem. These projects involve not only software, but also evaluating the actual measurement devices, their installation, calibration and the overall production accounting process.

This paper describes the imporant aspects of implementing a mass and utility balance system in an ethylene complex and highlights the benefits that companies have acheived from this technology.