Polymer property distribution functions methodology and simulators
First Claim
1. In a digital processor, a method for modeling a polymerization process carried out in a polymer manufacturing system formed of plural reactors and ancillary equipment, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving indications of reactor type and polymers involved in the polymerization process, each polymer having at least one molecular property;
determining instantaneous property measures of the molecular properties of the polymers;
generating and tracking respective instantaneous property distributions of the molecular properties from the determined instantaneous property measures;
from the instantaneous property distributions, calculating full distributions of the molecular properties at any location in the manufacturing system;
using the calculated full property distributions, forming and reporting a model of the polymerization process such that the polymer manufacturing system is modeled; and
the method being capable of modeling both linear and non-linear polymerization processes.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process simulator and modeling methodology employs instantaneous property measures. The instantaneous measures of various polymer properties are tracked throughout the subject polymer manufacturing system and used to calculate respective property distribution functions. For example, property distributions of composition, molecular weight, stereoregularity and long chain branching are calculated, tracked in time and location throughout the manufacturing system, and used to model the polymer manufacturing system and polymerization process performed by the system. More specifically, the present invention calculates full distribution of polymer properties from the instantaneous property measures and tracked instantaneous property distributions. This enables accurate and computationally efficient modeling of the polymerization process and manufacturing system for carrying out the same. The present invention method and apparatus thus enables modeling of polymer manufacturing systems (a) operating under transient or steady-state conditions, using free radicals or catalysts with a plurality of active center types, and having reactor types of CSTR, PFTR or any combinations thereof operating in batch, semi-batch or continuous operation, and (b) for carrying out polymerization processes including solution, slurry, gas phase, suspension and emulsion polymerizations.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. In a digital processor, a method for modeling a polymerization process carried out in a polymer manufacturing system formed of plural reactors and ancillary equipment, the method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving indications of reactor type and polymers involved in the polymerization process, each polymer having at least one molecular property; determining instantaneous property measures of the molecular properties of the polymers; generating and tracking respective instantaneous property distributions of the molecular properties from the determined instantaneous property measures; from the instantaneous property distributions, calculating full distributions of the molecular properties at any location in the manufacturing system; using the calculated full property distributions, forming and reporting a model of the polymerization process such that the polymer manufacturing system is modeled; and the method being capable of modeling both linear and non-linear polymerization processes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A computer based simulator for simulating a polymer manufacturing system formed of plural reactors and ancillary equipment for carrying out a polymerization process, the simulator comprising:
- input means supportable by a digital processor, for enabling an end-user to provide indications of reactor type and polymers involved in the polymerization process, each polymer having at least one molecular property;
a calculating member responsive to the input means for determining instantaneous property measures of the molecular properties of the polymers throughout the polymer manufacturing system, and from the determined instantaneous property measure, the calculating member calculating full property distributions at any location in the manufacturing system, said full property distributions at any location in the manufacturing system forming a model of the polymerization process; a reporter coupled to the calculating member for reporting the model of the polymerization process using the calculated full property distributions, such that the polymer manufacturing system is modeled; and the simulator being capable of simulating both linear and non-linear polymerization processes. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- input means supportable by a digital processor, for enabling an end-user to provide indications of reactor type and polymers involved in the polymerization process, each polymer having at least one molecular property;
-
16. A method of tracking polymer properties, including molecular, rheological and mechanical properties, of pulses of polymer produced in a polymerization process of a polymer manufacturing system, there being a plurality of site types produced in the polymerization process, and the manufacturing system including polymer reactors and ancillary equipment, comprising the steps of:
-
(i) identifying a mass and birth time of polymer pulses formed on each one of plural reactors and ancillary equipment in the polymer manufacturing system; (ii) for each polymer pulse, obtaining instantaneous property measures of the polymer properties at birth time of the pulse and thereafter in the polymer manufacturing system; and (iii) summing the obtained instantaneous property measures of the polymer pulses across all pulses formed in the polymer manufacturing system, to determine full distributions of the polymer properties for a composite polymer at any point in the manufacturing system, the method being capable of tracking both linear and non-linear polymerization processes. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification