Supporting Resource Efficiency in Chemical Industries - IT-based Integration of Flow Sheet Simulation and Material Flow Analysis

Abstract

Substantial resource efficiency increase in material-intensive chemical industries requires an integrated analysis and optimization of complex production systems including raw material and energy use, resulting costs and environmental and climate impacts. This necessitates the integration of computer-aided process engineering methods including flowsheet simulation and heat integration with IT-based tools for industrial ecology, life cycle analysis in particular. The paper presents preliminary results of conceptual and case study-based research within the InReff project with particular emphasis on linking flow sheet simulation software used in process engineering and material flow network software applied in industrial ecology.