Dynamic Analysis of Prime Mover Combined Heat and Power Delivery to Chemical Processing

This paper presents a study of the impact of combined heat and power generation from prime mover engines on coupled chemical processes. Medium- and large-bore engines are frequently used in refineries and chemical plants to provide dedicated mechanical power to unit operations. Currently, the prime mover is included in the chemical process design as a single, steady-state power input. This design does not take into account, dynamic engine operation including load changes, start-up, shut-down, and malfunction, all of which have a direct and immediate impact on unit operations. The research team has developed a dynamic model of a “proof of concept” example chemical process in Aspen Custom Modeler to investigate the impact of dynamic operation and integration of a dedicated prime mover unit on an example chemical process.