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Using user models in Matlab® within the Aspen Plus® interface with an Excel® link
Usando modelos de usuario en Matlab® en la interfaz de Aspen Plus® con Excel® como puente
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15446/ing.investig.v34n2.41621Keywords:
Matlab, Aspen Plus, process simulation, process intensification, hybrid systems, distillation, membrane technology (en)Matlab, Aspen Plus, simulación de procesos, intensificación de procesos, sistemas híbridos, tecnología de membranas (es)
Process intensification and new technologies require tools for process design that can be integrated into well-known simulation software, such as Aspen Plus®. Thus, unit operations that are not included in traditional Aspen Plus software packages can be simulated with Matlab® and integrated within the Aspen Plus interface. In this way, the user can take advantage of all of the tools of Aspen Plus, such as optimization, sensitivity analysis and cost estimation. This paper gives a detailed description of how to implement this integration. The interface between Matlab and Aspen Plus is accomplished by sending the relevant information from Aspen Plus to Excel, which feeds the information to a Matlab routine. Once the Matlab routine processes the information, it is returned to Excel and to Aspen Plus. This paper includes the Excel and Matlab template files so the reader can implement their own simulations. By applying the protocol described here, a hybrid distillation-vapor permeation system has been simulated as an example of the applications that can be implemented. For the hybrid system, the effect of membrane selectivity on membrane area and reboiler duty for the partial dehydration of ethanol is studied. Very high selectivities are not necessarily required for an optimum hybrid distillation and vapor permeation system.
El diseño de procesos intensificados y de nuevas tecnologías requiere de herramientas de simulación como Aspen Plus®. Sin embargo, las operaciones unitarias que no se incluyen en Aspen Plus pueden ser simuladas usando Matlab e integradas con la interfaz de Aspen Plus. De esta forma se pueden aprovechar todas las capacidades de Aspen plus como la optimización, el análisis de sensibilidad y la estimación de costos. Este artículo describe en detalle cómo implementar esta integración. La interfaz entre Matlab y Aspen Plus se logra enviando información de la simulación desde Aspen Plus a Excel y desde éste a Matlab, quien la retorna procesada hacia Excel y finalmente es retroalimentada a Aspen Plus. Este artículo incluye los archivos base de Excel y Matlab que le permitirán al lector desarrollar sus propias simulaciones en Aspen Plus. En este artículo se aplica este protocolo para simular un sistema híbrido de destilación y permeación de vapor para la deshidratación parcial de etanol como un ejemplo del tipo de aplicaciones que se puede implementar. Para este sistema híbrido se estudia el efecto de la selectividad de la membrana sobre el área de membrana y sobre el consumo de energía en el rehervidor. Se encuentra que no necesariamente las altas selectividades son convenientes para desarrollar un sistema híbrido óptimo de destilación y permeación de vapor.
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Copyright (c) 2014 Javier Fontalvo
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