Plantwide Pre-Blending Optimization Using a Virtual Single Stage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multi-stage blending processes in processing plants, such as oil refineries, face challenges in optimizing operations due to errors and external factors, leading to products deviating from specifications, and existing optimization methods often yield inefficient or incorrect results.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method generates a virtual representation of the processing plant, aggregating stage components into a single virtual stage component, using a single-stage optimization process to produce a preblended product with minimized deviation from optimized operational parameters, and routes the product based on a specification satisfaction indicator to ensure compliance with product specifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multi-stage blending processes are used to handle errors and external factors, then product specification compliance is improved, but process complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent aggregates multiple stage components into a single virtual stage component, merging the complexity of multi-stage blending into a unified virtual representation that can be optimized as one integrated system while maintaining the ability to handle errors and specification compliance across what would traditionally be multiple stages
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual representation acts as an intermediary between the physical multi-stage blending system and the optimization process, allowing complex multi-stage operations to be managed through a simplified virtual model that mediates the optimization calculations
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional multi-stage optimization methods are used, then product specifications can be met, but optimization efficiency and accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy or representation of the physical blending system that can be optimized independently and more efficiently, allowing optimization calculations to be performed on the virtual model without the computational burden of traditional multi-stage optimization methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the optimization problem by changing parameters from individual stage optimizations to a unified virtual stage optimization, altering the mathematical formulation to improve both accuracy and computational efficiency simultaneously
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple subsequent stage components are used for further processing, then product quality can be improved, but processing time and operational duration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs optimization in advance on the virtual representation to determine optimal operating parameters before actual production, allowing the physical system to achieve high product quality without requiring multiple subsequent processing stages, thereby reducing overall processing time
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual optimization preemptively addresses potential quality issues by calculating optimal parameters that prevent deviations from specifications, eliminating the need for corrective actions in subsequent stages and reducing total processing duration
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for improved plantwide optimization with multistage pre-blending. Some embodiments generate a virtual representation of a plant that aggregates multiple stage components of the plant, process at least the virtual representation via a single-stage optimization process, cause production based on the results of the single-stage optimization process, generate an indicator of whether quality data for a preblended product, and cause routing, further processing, and/or the like, based on the specification satisfaction indicator. In this regard, some such embodiments optimize operation of a processing plant in circumstances where multistage blending is performed, such as due to expected and/or unexpected errors in operation for producing a particular final product.