Development and Integration of a Co-Current Hollow Fiber Membrane Unit for Gas Separation in Process Simulators Using CAPE-OPEN Standards

Process simulation is essential for optimizing chemical processes, offering a cost-effective alternative to the experimental approach. This study presents a co-current hollow fibre membrane model for CO2 separation, integrated into Aspen HYSYS� using the CAPE-OPEN standard. A one-dimensional boundary value problem (BVP) is solved through the shooting method, ensuring accuracy for complex gas separation processes. The unit is implemented in C++, facilitating interoperability, error handling, and optimization of key performance indicators like energy consumption and separation efficiency. Appropriate output variables are employed in the Aspen HYSYS� environment to enable direct sensitivity analysis and optimization within the process simulator. Results Sensitivity analysis results demonstrate that the co-current hollow fiber membrane unit improves methane recovery compared to a pressure swing water absorption (PSWA) column for biogas upgrading to biomethane. While membrane technology showed a 24% reduction in energy consumption for biomethane production, PSWA exhibits higher efficiency for biomethanol production. This study not only demonstrates the value of CAPE-OPEN standards in implementing custom unit operations but also lays the groundwork for future developments in process simulation using advanced mathematical modelling and optimization techniques.