(182b) Deployment of Digital Modelling for Cracking Furnace Online Yield Optimization

Yasser Al-Goufily, Abdullah Alqahtani, Abduljelil Iliyas, Steve Hall

Global Cracker Technology, Technology Management, SABIC

Process Systems Enterprise, PSE

SABIC is considered amongst the largest global producers of ethylene. In line with its 2025 strategy, SABIC is continually deploying new technologies to improve its efficiency and make its plants more profitable and sustainable. The key challenges to optimum steam cracker operations are obtaining accurate ethylene yield predictions as well as understanding the impact and magnitude of coke formation. As a result and in line with its 2025 strategy, SABIC has jointly co-developed with PSE an online yield optimization tool, gCRACKER Online, which has been implemented in one of its steam crackers. gCRACKER Online is an embedded run-time version of a set of ethylene cracking furnace models extensively validated by SABIC that are built in PSE’s gPROMS: Process Builder.

This work illustrates how SABIC is using gCRACKER Online to drive value improvements, and how the model is embedded into the advanced process control system. The model itself works as a virtual effluent analyzer, providing information on difficult or impossible-to-read plant information such as tube metal temperatures. gCRACKER Online is running as a digital model of the furnaces with conversion set-points being pre-optimized via a weekly cyclic approach. This approach involves the collaboration of different departments and functions such as Business Planning, Technology Management, Process and Operations departments which has led to a more profitable and sustainable operation. The steam cracker in which gCRACKER Online is implemented has achieved a 2% improvement in yield which translates to additional production of 2.8 TPH of light olefins.