(572a) Leveraging Pilot Plants Through The Use Of Models

Throughout my experience in the modeling world, I have found that models without pilot plants cannot exist, and pilot plants without models take a longer time and effort to be optimized. Models provide an invaluable diagnostic and optimizing tool for pilot plants. On the other hand models need data, and you model will be only as good as the data you input, or as the old saying goes: ?garbage in, garbage out.? This paper presents a series of examples that highlight the synergies between models and pilot plants. The common element is that aspen was used as a simulating tool, but that is where the similarities stop. Modeling can be used in different pilot plants, for different process, and unit operations. The common thread through all these cases is that in every single one, pilot plants, and ultimately processes were optimized through the use of simulation.