Episode 21: Digitalizing the Process to Optimize Operations

Process modeling, mostly in the form of process simulation, has been a key tool in the process industries for many decades.  Traditionally this has been for offline applications such as front-end engineering design and control system design.  But the usage of process modeling has expanded as it is now possible to implement online plant models that contain deep process knowledge; the models are connected to real-time data on operational plants. These so-called digital applications can operate at a unit level, a plant level, a site level, and even a multi-site level, providing significant new information to operations and maintenance that allows them to run at an ‘always optimal’ condition. In this episode we discuss the benefits and why this is possible now.  We also cover how this is possible, challenges to overcome, and first steps to take to implement a digital application.  Our guest is Costas Pantelides, CEO of Siemens Process Systems Engineering and Professor of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. Show notes:Whitepaper (Siemens): Using digital process twin technology to drive Operational Excellence (https://www.psenterprise.com/documents/digitalization-for-the-process-industries-v1.pdf)Website (Siemens): Advanced Process Modelling Examples (https://www.psenterprise.com/concepts/examples)Website (Siemens): gPROMS – Deploying deep process knowledge to generate sustainable value (https://new.siemens.com/global/en/products/automation/industry-software/gproms-digital-process-design-and-operations.html)Video (Siemens): Simulation and Optimization for Process Industries and beyond (https://youtu.be/7KF1CWUupxc)Video (Siemens): Gain more with gPROMS and SIMIT (https://youtu.be/E9XVqZSjezk) Contact us:Costas Pantelides (costas.pantelides@siemens.com)Jonas Norinder (jonas.norinder@siemens.com)Don Mack (mack.donald@siemens.com)