ProPlan is a production planning process simulator. The product is an extremely powerful, yet user-friendly application that facilitates the optimization and planning of plant operations. An economic analysis together with flexible planning of products and or capacities may be conducted for the complete plant. The software utilizes a graphical user-interface.
ProPlan simulates plant operations by performing block-by-block calculations to determine all streams (e.g. feedstock, naphtha, oils, and blended products) flowing between the various units of the plant (e.g. splitter, crude unit, FCC).
The simulator uses non-linear equations to predict yields, product properties, and the consumption of utilities.
Profitability is maximized employing a numerical solver that determines the optimum operating conditions and allocation of components to finished products, subject to user-specified quality concerns.ProPlan Features Overall powerful optimizer for global optimum Report generation for each submodel, pooled components, utilities, Internal rate of return, Overall profitability, expense and profit charts and graphs, summary etc Product and feed blender to optimize feed purchase and product sales and overall profitability Short learning curve, full developmental capability for user to build and modify models Extensive library of process submodels for refining, petrochemical and chemical industryGraphical User-Interface. A clean graphical user-interface assists plant modeling.
The interface provides a convenient directory tree and means to develop flowsheets, enter data and constraints, and review the results of the simulation. The input forms are structured so that data for crude assay, streams, all blocks, and utilities may be intuitively entered. Crude Assay Database. The flowsheet is integrated with the HPI crude assay database as well as any other commercially available database through the OPC link of ProPlan. The HPI Assay Library presents crude oil assay data for 243 assays from around the world.
HPI Consultants developed the database from assays supplied by a variety of sources including national oil companies, public and private oil companies as well as from assays published in the technical literature. User friendly. ProPlan® requires a short learning curve. Other conveniences include a relatively low cost investment, concise, browser-friendly block-by-block reports, stream and property profiles, and a complete online user manual.Blend Optimizer.
Powerful feed and product blend optimizer to optimize the feedstocks as well as the products to meet the constraints and maximize the profitability of the plant.ProPlan ApplicationsProduction Planning: Versatile tool for Production planning operations. Helps evaluate changing feedstock and profitability of different products to be in tune with ever changing requirements of the process industry.Feasibility reports and Configurations: Ideal for conducting feasibility analysis and reports for existing or new plants/units.
Various configurations can be quickly and accurately tested using the easily customizable software to determine the feasibility and ideal configuration of the plant.Revamp Studies: Determine whether a revamp would be economical and profitable and will also suggest which revamp would be ideal for that plant. The user can easily add a new proposed unit & determine the feasibility of that unit within the existing configurationOptimization: Suggest the ideal ranges of operation of the existing units in a plant limited only by operating feasibility. Based on the chosen ranges ProPlan will carry out profit optimization for the entire complex.Impact of Proprietary technology: Demonstrate the economic impact of a technology developed or an improvement in existing technology or operation.
Training and Learning: Promote better understanding within the organization about the impact of various units in the plant and highlight the economics and interaction of various units in the plant. ProSched is Process Plant Scheduling software that includes modules for feedstock scheduling, product scheduling, operations scheduling, feed blend optimization and product blend optimization. ProSched has the flexibility of taking input from any production planning package and interacting with any data historian or plant management system via its OPC compliant interface.
Functions· Reduce demurrage & inventory cost Tank inventory management· Improved feed quality and reduced plant unpredictability · Better understanding of scheduling operations· Optimized scheduling to improve top & bottom line· Accurate feed and product blending to meet quality and operational constraints· Examine what-if scenarios· Capitalize on opportunity feed purchases and product sales· Daily, Weekly, and flexible schedule generationFeatures· State-of-the-art simulation engine for evaluating feasible schedules and optimization· Convenient and user-friendly data entry· Modern graphical user interface (GUI) with a user-friendly method for viewing data.· Easy troubleshooting and modification of scheduling operations· Quick solution and schedule optimization· Reports, schedule and Gantt chart generation for the entire process.
Applications· Refinery scheduling & optimization· Petrochemical and chemical scheduling· Pipeline scheduling & optimization· Gas, LNG and LPG scheduling· Dairy industry scheduling· Oil movement and storage· Tank farm managementData IntegrationThe overview graphic (Figure 1) indicates the schematic of a typical feedstock process and provides links to the detail, schedule, summary and Gantt charts for each area of the process such as tanker, tank, berth, and blender. The schematic can be easily customized. Data entry is automatic as well as manual. Schedule generation & OptimizationProSched is designed to produce schedules that can be realistically implemented in the plant.
This implies schedules that meet all physical and operational constraints and also maximize material run lengths on the blenders, process units and tank movements. Operational constraints include, amongst others, such things as Min/max tank inventories (heels), inventory levels of components and products, capacity maximization, Min blender run lengths, Time requirements for blender setup, tank line-up, and testing.A typical schedule is generated as shown in Figure 3. Detailed schedule for each operation is generated and the user can view the reports from the easy to use directory structure. This information is further used to generate the Gantt charts and overall schedule report.
The modeling code is developed using Microsoft Visual C++, which is integral to the solver. There are built-in algorithms, which contain heuristics, predetermined rules and infeasibilities. A detailed execution log is generated indicating a feasible or infeasible solution. If an infeasible solution is reached, then the error message indicates the infeasibility and possible cause for the error. This allows the user to determine the remedy and re-determine the feasible schedule.
A schedule is optimized based on the algorithms, rules, and constraints in the model including factors such as demurization costs, tanker availability, berth capacity, tank capacity, type of feedstock, etc. A summary report is generated for each operation, as shown in Figure 3. Based on the algorithms the most optimized solution is obtained in a schedule run. Schedules can change during a certain period depending on changes in certain variables in the real plant. This can be reflected in ProSched® by altering the changed variable in the model and running the schedule again.
The user can easily change the schedule period from 1day to 1 month or more. Based on the information entered by the user, ProSched® determines the properties of each operation such as schedule time, cargo code/name, arrival time, supplier, amount and other specific properties.Gantt Charts & Report GenerationProSched graphically displays the final feasible schedule, which can be modified for further upsets during scheduling period. Production run is determined by its start date and time, end date and time, time runs and throughput.User can modify production runs, properties of selected run and any changes will be instantly updated on the Gantt chart.