(756c) Techno-Economic Analysis of the Petro-Chemical Complex (PCC) Retrofit With Simulated Moving-Bed (SMB) Unit

Basic petrochemicals such as olefins and aromatics are the building blocks of the chemical industry. An SMB unit with size exclusion has capability to separate n-paraffin from naphtha resulting in increasing yields of these petrochemicals both in naphtha cracking and reforming reactions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the economic feasibility of the petro-chemical complex (PCC) retrofit with the SMB unit.  To achieve this aim, firstly a model of naphtha SMB unit integrating to the PCC is developed using the process simulator, Aspen Plus. The SMB unit contains two adsorption chambers of SMB and two distillation columns to recover the n-butane as the desorbent. Secondly, reaction kinetics of naphtha thermal cracking and catalytic reforming after the SMB unit are also incorporated. The analytical semi-empirical model (ASEM) is applied to calculate product yields of the naphtha thermal cracking reaction, while a rigorous kinetics model is used to map the continuous catalytic reforming reaction. Then, the total capital investment (TCI) and an annual operating cost of the SMB unit are estimated by using industrial data and employing the process economic analyzer, Aspen Icarus. Economic feasibility of the retrofit PPC with SMB unit is evaluated in terms of the payback period (PBP), return on investment (ROI), and discounted cash flow rate of return (DCFROR). Finally, sensitive analyses of the operating conditions on the product yield and prices are performed.