Industrial design using simulation and design of experiments

This paper presents an integrated approach to process design, utilizing simulation and design of experiment methodologies applied to the design of digester blow heat and SO2 recovery at Tembec Specialty cellulose pulp mill in Canada. The objective of this project was to prevent SO2 release to atmosphere and to achieve optimized operation of the mill area while minimizing the required capital investment. Basic to this approach was a first principal model of the process along with relevant process and equipment constraints, which was based on the actual process and operational data. Design of Experiment methodology based on Projection to Latent Structures (PLS) has been employed to identify the significance and effect of the design parameters on the desired responses and to identify the interaction between design parameters. This approach has made it possible to identify process bottlenecks early in the design stage. It was found that the combined heat exchanger and pumping capacity was the most significant factor in meeting the process design goals. Based on the findings of this project, a new design for the process was implemented. The results agree well with the simulation results and satisfy the project objectives.