Runtime Modeling Approach To Updating Refinery Planning Models (Aspen Technology)

CATEGORY: REFINERY: RUNTIME MODELING
Runtime Modeling Approach To Updating Refinery Planning Models (Aspen Technology)
United States Patent Application 20160147202
Nandigam; Ravi ;   et al.   May 26, 2016
Applicant: Aspen Technology
Abstract
A method, apparatus, and computer program product for increasing efficiency in a plant by creating a planning model for said plant comprising a plurality of runtime models stored in a database. Each runtime model corresponds to a reactor in the plant and mimics real world behavior of the reactor by identifying the mathematical relationships of the inputs and outputs of the reactor. Each runtime model further comprises a set of tuning factors, which allows the user to adjust the runtime model to more closely align with the user's desired output or otherwise account for real-life plant activity. By properly creating and utilizing a plurality of runtime models and implementing them into a planning model, a user can increase efficiency of the plant by optimizing product output, forcing the plant to balance materials-in and materials-out, or forcing the plant to stoichiometrically balance elements going in, and coming out of the plant or reactor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The refining industry experiences volatility in areas such as crude supply and demand fluctuations, product availability and pricing, and refining margins. Refiners must, therefore, optimize the refining process in the face of limited crude supply to produce product or otherwise increase profitability. A refiner or planner, generally, can create a plan which identifies a potential refining margin that will allow the refiner to take advantage of a wide variety of crude materials while still aiming to meet product demand. A poor plan, however, can cause sub-par refinery performance and lower product margins, whereas a high-quality plan will result in optimal performance and larger product returns. Refinery reactors are complex unit operations, however, and unforeseen circumstances can turn a high-quality plan into a poor plan.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] To assist planners in creating high-quality plans in the face of unforeseen circumstances, a new method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for increasing efficiency in a refinery or processing plant, such that the refiner can optimize product returns or efficient use of crude materials.
[0003] Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention is a method, apparatus, or computer program product for increasing efficiency in a processing plant, the method, apparatus, or computer program product comprising, by a processor: from a source of templates, identifying a template corresponding to a configuration of a reactor, wherein each template comprises a set of pre-defined independent variables and a set of pre-defined dependent variables; creating a rigorous reactor model, said rigorous reactor model comprising the set of pre-defined independent variables and the set of pre-defined dependent variables in the identified template; using a simulator, running the rigorous reactor model with possible candidate values for the set of pre-defined independent variables and the set of pre-defined dependent variables to identify a set of relationships between the set of pre-defined independent variables and the set of pre-defined dependent variables; building a runtime model using the identified set of relationships between the set of pre-defined independent variables and the set of pre-defined dependent variables; and storing the runtime model on a database. The runtime models further comprise a set of tuning factors, and implementation of results produced by at least one of the runtime models into a planning model increases efficiency in the plant.
[0004] In another embodiment, running at least one of the runtime models results in material balance for the corresponding reactor.
[0005] In another embodiment, running at least one of the runtime models results in elemental balance for the corresponding reactor.
[0006] In another embodiment, the runtime models are shared between an engineering environment and a planning environment.
[0007] In another embodiment, the runtime models in the database are organized according to reactor type.
[0008] In another embodiment, the templates correspond to the configuration of a reactor selected from one of the following types of reactors: a fluid catalytic cracking unit, a hydrocracker, a coker, a reformer, and a visbreaker. Other reactor types are suitable as well.
[0009] In another embodiment, the method, apparatus, or computer program product further comprise creating a plurality of linear relationships from the runtime models.
[0010] In a second aspect, the present invention is a method, apparatus, or computer program product for increasing efficiency in a processing plant, the method, apparatus, or computer program product comprising, by a processor: creating a planning model comprising a set of model parameters that models a configuration of a plurality of reactors in the plant; receiving (or otherwise accessing), from a database, at least one of a plurality of runtime models corresponding to at least one reactor of the plurality of plant reactors, wherein for each runtime model, the runtime model comprises a set of relationships between a set of pre-defined independent variables and a set of pre-defined dependent variables that correspond to real-world behavior, and a set of tuning factors; running the received runtime models to update the set of planning model parameters such that the planning model behavior corresponds to real-world behavior of the plurality of reactors in the plant, thereby creating an updated planning model; and applying the updated planning model to increase efficiency in the plant.
[0011] In another embodiment, the runtime models are incorporated directly into the planning model for representing corresponding reactors in the plant.
[0012] In another embodiment, prior to running the received runtime models, tuning the received runtime models by adjusting the set of tuning factors such that the runtime models correspond to real-life behavior of one of the plurality of reactors.
[0013] In another embodiment, wherein running the received runtime models produces a dataset corresponding to real-world behavior of the plurality of reactors in the plant.
[0014] In another embodiment, the set of model parameters are updated using the produced dataset.
[0015] In another embodiment, prior to running the received runtime models, tuning the runtime models by adjusting the set of tuning factors are according to advanced process control model information.
[0016] In another embodiment, the advanced process control model information includes steady-state gains.
[0017] In another embodiment, the advanced process control model information includes a base operating point.
[0018] In another embodiment, prior to running the received runtime models, tuning the runtime models by adjusting the set of tuning factors according to plant historical data.
[0019] In another embodiment, the plurality of runtime models in the database are organized according to reactor type.
[0020] In another embodiment, each of the plurality of reactor models is selected from one of the following types of reactors: a fluid catalytic cracking unit, a hydrocracker, a coker, a reformer, and a visbreaker. Other reactor types are suitable as well.
[0021] In another embodiment, the method, apparatus, or computer program product further comprise creating a plurality of linear relationships from the runtime models.
[0022] In another embodiment, the plurality of linear relationships are incorporated into the planning model.
[0023] In a third aspect, the present invention is a method, apparatus, or computer program product for increasing efficiency in a processing plant, the method comprising, by a processor: creating a planning model that models a configuration of a plurality of reactors in the plant; receiving (or otherwise accessing), from a database, at least one of a plurality of runtime models corresponding to at least one reactor of the plurality of reactors, wherein for each runtime model, the runtime model comprises a set of relationships between a set of pre-defined independent variables and a set of pre-defined dependent variables that correspond to real-world behavior, and a set of tuning factors. The runtime models being created by: from a source of templates, identifying a template corresponding to a configuration of a reactor, wherein each template comprises a set of pre-defined independent variables and a set of pre-defined dependent variables; creating a rigorous reactor model, said rigorous reactor model comprising the set of pre-defined independent variables and the set of pre-defined dependent variables in the identified template; using a simulator, running the rigorous reactor model with possible candidate values for the set of pre-defined independent variables and the set of pre-defined dependent variables to identify a set of relationships between the set of pre-defined independent variables and the set of pre-defined dependent variables; building the runtime model using the identified set of relationships between the set of pre-defined independent variables and the set of pre-defined dependent variables; and storing the runtime model on a database. The runtime models further comprise a set of tuning factors. Running the received runtime models updates the set of model parameters inside the planning model such that the planning model corresponds to real-world behavior of the plurality of reactors in the plant; and applying the updated planning model increases efficiency in the plant.
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