Use of MATLAB and 20-sim to simulate a flash separator

Abstract

This work presents the simulation of a two-phase flash separator, one of the processes of an industrial natural gas liquefaction plant. The model simulated was developed using the bond graph methodology, and MATLAB and 20-sim software were used to obtain the dynamic behavior of the flash. MATLAB was used to determine the input conditions of the separator as they were not provided by the plant information, and 20-sim was used to simulate the bond graph model. The simulation results were validated using real operating conditions of the plant. The paper shows how this two widely used computer programs can help in the understanding of the behavior of real process.