PIL has presented at the 10th Middle East Refining & Petrochemicals Conference & Exhibition held on 26th-29th September 2016 in Bahrain. The Middle East Petrotech 2016 conference will feature over 100 high-level technical papers represented by worldwide technical experts and refining industry professionals. The conference addressed current issues of widespread importance to the downstream oil and gas industry.

Under Technical Session 16: Energy Management, Mr Labanca presented the topic of ‘Comprehensive Modelling and Optimisation of Industrial Steam Systems’, a paper by Dr Yuhang Lou, PIL’s Senior Consultant and the Utility Division Leader.

The paper introduces a new mathematical modelling approach which includes the detailed hydraulic models for the steam pipeline system. This approach enables a more comprehensive modelling of the utility system wherein the combined heat and power (CHP) station, steam distribution pipelines and the utility systems within individual processes are all represented together in a single model.

Such a comprehensive system modelling approach aims to reduce the difference between model predictions and actual values as it takes into account the practical features of the steam distribution network such as steam flow directions, mixing effects, pressure drops, heat loss, and condensate formation. This enables a more accurate prediction of the steam conditions at various points in the network.

Operational optimisation studies using this novel approach provides additional degrees of freedom to optimise the performance and efficiency of the system. Also, it ensures that all critical requirements, such as pressures and temperatures, within the system are met reliably. As a result, higher savings with increased practicality are realised from this approach as compared to conventional methods.

An industrial case study based on an energy conservation project for a major oil refiner in Asia has been presented to demonstrate the increased economic benefits and reliable results achieved by the new mathematical modelling approach.

A copy of the abstract is available in the Download section.