【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】From 2024 to 2079, Sinopec will build the world’s first digital twin smart ethylene plant in the chemical industry

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Let’s give praise and encouragement to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Regular updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum) ***************** On December 3, 2024, the Science and Technology Department of Sinopec Group held a meeting on the research and development of key technologies for intelligent ethylene plants as well as their industrial application, at Zhongke Refining & Chemicals. The expert panel present unanimously agreed that the projects met the required standards, marking Sinopec’s establishment of the world’s first digital twin intelligent ethylene plant in the chemical industry. This achievement serves as a model for the research and development of intelligent technologies for ethylene plants and their industrial application, thereby contributing to the development of an intelligent ecosystem in the chemical industry. On December 3, 2024, the Technology Department of the group company held a meeting on the research and development of key technologies for intelligent ethylene plants and the assessment of their industrial application at Sinopec Refining & Chemicals. The expert panel present unanimously agreed to approve these projects, marking China Petrochemical’s establishment of the world’s first digital twin intelligent ethylene plant in the petrochemical industry. This achievement serves as a benchmark for the research and development of key technologies related to the automation of ethylene plants and their industrial application, and it contributes to the development of an intelligent ecosystem within the petrochemical sector. It is reported that the Information and Digital Management Department at the headquarters launched a project on intelligent ethylene plants using digital twins in August 2021. The goal of this project is to develop edge cloud platforms based on the industrial internet, in order to overcome the key technical challenges related to operational optimization, production control, and asset management in the ethylene production process, thereby achieving intelligent operation across all aspects of ethylene plant processes, equipment, operations, safety, and environmental protection. In January 2022, this project was selected as one of Sinopec’s \"Ten Dragon\" key research projects. Sinochem Refining & Chemical Co., Ltd. served as the leading unit, while Sinopec Yingke, the Engineering Construction Company, Anhui Institute of Technology, Beijing Institute of Chemistry, and China Sinochem Tianhua Research Institute were among the participating units responsible for carrying out the research tasks. After more than two years of effort, various stages of work were completed, including requirement confirmation, detailed design, development and implementation, testing and verification, quality control checks, and deployment of the application. In April this year, the project was fully put into use at Sinopec Refining & Chemicals. The project has achieved innovative breakthroughs in various applications; it has defined the essence and overall architecture of digital twin intelligent ethylene plants, and proposed an integrated implementation approach for such plants that emphasizes the software-based nature of the technical solutions, digitalization of project construction and delivery, and intelligence in the operation of petrochemical plants. This approach has helped overcome the key technical challenges associated with building digital twin intelligent ethylene plants. Through the development of key technologies and practical applications, this project has enabled intelligent operation of ethylene plants. Process control has shifted from steady-state control to real-time optimization, equipment management has changed from reactive maintenance to predictive maintenance, safety prevention has evolved from post-incident response to proactive warning, energy conservation and emission reduction have moved from monitoring indicators to reducing emissions at the source, and the mode of operation has transitioned from manual handling to human-machine collaboration. A high-precision digital twin model of the ethylene plant, featuring multiple disciplines, modalities, and scales, has been developed; the cracking reaction model can serve as a substitute for similar foreign products ； Nine types of integrated hardware and software intelligent devices for analyzing and monitoring the operation status of ethylene plants have been developed, falling into three categories: analytical instruments, online monitoring electrical systems, and inspection robots ； Real-time optimization and intelligent control technologies for ethylene plants based on autonomous integrated technologies were developed, resulting in an increase in the diene yield by 0.315 percentage points ； Full-process intelligent control enables intelligent coordination of all subsystems, raising the average automatic control rate of the equipment to over 99.5% ； Innovative water quality and olefin leakage detection technologies have been developed, enabling rapid and efficient detection of COD and olefins in certain areas of the ethylene plant’s quench zone ； The combustion control system and intelligent flue gas treatment technology for cracking furnaces enable 15-minute early prediction of excessive NOx emissions from these furnaces, thereby helping to ensure that the flue gas emissions meet regulatory standards. Since its implementation, this project has significantly improved the efficient use of resources in ethylene production facilities, optimized production control, ensured the reliable operation of equipment, and enhanced safety, environmental protection, and low-carbon performance. It has overcome the challenges associated with the localization of key industrial software, thereby supporting the safe, stable, and efficient operation of ethylene production processes. It has also elevated the level of intelligence in these facilities, leading to improved quality and efficiency in ethylene production as well as reduced costs and operational burdens. Additionally, it has strengthened the safety and environmental management practices in these facilities, bringing considerable economic benefits to the enterprise and enhancing its competitiveness.