Model-Based Scale-up in Practice

This paper describes a recently developed methodology for Model-Based Scale-up and its application to industrial practice.

The new methodology has two major components. First, high-fidelity first-principles models of equipment at the laboratory and pilot-plant scale are used to provide a quantitative characterization of the key physical phenomena (e.g. chemical reaction, heat and mass transfer etc.) taking place in the process. A model-based model-targeted approach to experimentation is employed which combines advanced parameter estimation techniques and model-based experiment design to arrive at accurate values of the model parameters with the minimum number of experiments. Both the models and the approach are implemented in PSE's gPROMSŪ modeling environment.

The second element of our model-based scale-up methodology is the use of hybrid models which combine gPROMS models of the key phenomena identified at the first stage with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of mixing and fluid flow. This allows the accurate description of full industrial-scale equipment, allowing its design and operation to be optimized.

We describe the above methodology as practiced in several industrial reactor and crystallizer design projects. Two case-studies drawn from PSE's experience will be used to illustrate specific aspects of the tools and methods.