Term 252

Optimization of a Mixed-Feed Steam Cracker: Energy Efficiency, Hydrogen Purity & Recovery, CO2 Management with an Interactive Application

Project Type: Self-Initiated

Project Description

This project presents a simulation-based, design-oriented framework for improving the performance and sustainability of an existing mixed-feed steam cracking process. The study focuses on optimizing feedstock selection and operating conditions to enhance energy efficiency, hydrogen utilization, and CO2 emission management while maintaining the required ethylene production performance. Integrated process simulation models were developed using Aspen Plus to represent baseline and alternative operating scenarios for steam cracking furnaces and downstream separation units. A comparative performance assessment was conducted to evaluate the impact of feedstock composition and operating severity on key performance indicators, including ethylene yield, energy consumption, hydrogen recovery, and CO2 emissions. Trade-off analyses were performed to examine interactions between process efficiency, emissions reduction, and operational constraints. To ensure technical realism, hydrogen and CO2 management strategies were linked to subsurface feasibility considerations using screening-level assessments of geological storage, infectivity, pressure limits, and containment behavior based on literature-supported parameters. In addition, a conceptual framework for CO2 handling, including compression, transportation, injection, and storage, was considered, and a decision-support interface, implemented as a cross-platform mobile application, was incorporated to facilitate scenario comparison and support real-time engineering decision-making. Overall, the proposed framework demonstrates how multidisciplinary integration of process optimization, subsurface feasibility evaluation, and digital decision support can enable realistic and informed engineering decisions for low-carbon petrochemical operations.