Process Description
The styrene production process by direct dehydrogenation of ethyl-benzene can be split into four main sections:
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Feed section: stream of fresh and recycled ethyl-benzene and the steam inlet.
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Reaction: the major reaction is the reversible, endothermic conversion of ethyl-benzene to styrene and hydrogen. This gas-phase reaction proceeds thermally with low yield and catalytically with high yield.
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Heat exchange: the feed and product streams are passing through a heat exchanger network.
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Separation: the three phases (lights, product and aqueous phase) are separated by distillation.
Objective
The objective was to create a dynamic model of the entire styrene production plant based on the direct dehydrogenation of ethyl-benzene process. This model should be connected to a 3D Explain Media interface and become a showcase tool for academic purposes: the students would be able to interact with the dynamic model of a chemical plant in a 3D environment.
Outcome
Mobatec and Explain Media have created the 3D chemical plant dynamic model that allows the user to operate and interact with the chemical plant (opening and valves, switching on and off pumps, access to monitoring displays, etc.) in an 3D environment.
