Chemical Process Simulation v3.2

What’s this simulation about? You are going to find out what it might be like to run a real, large, chemical factory, manufacturing chemicals by the tonne. It is a costly and sometimes difficult job. How will you do this?

..by using a computerised Mimic Diagram. A Mimic Diagram is a picture which shows a large process/machine etc that needs to be monitored or controlled. It shows what is happening diagrammatically and allows the operator to directly control what is happening. Examples of mimic diagrams include...

The San Francisco Metro

A large-scale boiler

Pumping System for a Korean tanker

A Canadian Electricity Company

An Italian Fire Alarm System

A huge mimic board!

A Greek Water Supply Company

A Nuclear Power Plant Control Room

Crescent Plastics – Production Line

A mimic diagram for four holding-tanks

A Chemical Plant

The CPS Mimic Board

Tanks A and B: the starting materials kg of starting material A is shown here in a holding tank. You can pump it into the reactor at anything between 0 and 50 kg per minute. Adjust the slider control with the mouse to change the flow rate.

The Reactor This is the reactor. Starting materials come in from the left. Products (and any unreacted starting materials) leave from the right. The temperature of the reactor is displayed and you can control it.

The Processing Unit The mixture of materials passes next into the Processing Unit, where the starting materials (A and B) are separated from products (C and D). This unit is controlled by the heater on it... A B C D

How the Processor works... Reaction mixture goes into the Processor FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION To Tank C To Tank A To Tank B To Tank D HEAT

The Desired Product Tank C holds the finished product. Try to minimise the cost/kg of C, thereby making the largest possible profit. Your process lasts 24 hours (24 minutes in the simulation).

The Waste Products Tank D holds waste material from the reaction. The amount of waste has to be kept as low as possible to minimise pollution.

The Information Windows Four information windows are accessible from the Windows menu. They provide important information about the costs of the process as it happens, and the cost/kg of the desired product.

The Control Status Window Whenever one of the four controls is altered, the change is logged on this window.

The Cost of Materials

Energy Costs

Total Cost The cost/kg of C must be as low as possible.

Extension - Advanced Operation Advanced Operation gives you the chance to recycle some of the material in tank D and reduce the amount of waste material. There is an energy cost involved in doing this.

The Recycling Window Click on:Process > Advanced Operation then:Window > Recycling