SIMULATION OF FLOW STATION

ABSTRACT

In this work, the exit conditions of the oil and gas in a flow station refinery process was simulated using the Aspen HYSYS software. The relationship between the exit conditions and the initial conditions of the oil and gas was analyzed and optimized employing the central composite design of response surface methodology. The process variables considered and their range of values were initial pressure (90 – 350 psig), initial flow rate (25 – 90 mmscf/d) and initial temperature (58 – 102) of the oil and gas. Analysis of simulated conditions obtained at the exit of the process showed that initial pressure, initial flow rate and initial temperature had significant effects on the final flow rates and temperatures of the oil and gas. The optimal conditions which gave maximum flow rates and temperatures for the oil and gas are as follows; for gas (initial pressure of 350 psig, initial flow rate of 90 mmscf/d and initial temperature of 70.20 giving a maximum flow rate of 77.69 mmscf/d; initial pressure of 349.63 psig, initial flow rate of 38.69 mmscf/d and initial temperature of 101.90 giving a maximum temperature of 162.52) and for oil (initial pressure of 350 psig, initial flow rate of 90 mmscf/d and initial temperature of 58.00 giving a maximum flowrate of 12.47 mmscf/d; initial pressure of 350 psig, initial flow rate of 25.00 mmscf/d and initial temperature of 102.00 giving a maximum temperature of 181.77). High R-squared values close to unity and the strong correlation between observed and predicted values indicated that response surface methodology is efficient for analyzing and modeling simulated oil and gas flow stations.