Digital twin-based modeling of heat transfer processes in soda ash production

The production of soda by the Solvay process is based on complex phenomena of mass and heat transfer in multiphase systems, involving gas–liquid and liquid–solid reactions. The foundation of such analyses lies in understanding and optimizing the nonlinearity and dynamics of the processes involved. This paper presents a digital design, optimization, and comparison of process data obtained through simulation of the post-filtration liquor heating together with ammoniacal recirculating condensates cooling using plate heat exchangers, aimed at replicating realistic operational conditions of the process. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of modeling technologies in predicting process parameters, optimizing operations, and identifying operational deviations. As a result of the simulations conducted in the digital environment, 99.04% agreement was achieved between the process parameters obtained from the model and those measured in production. The simulation data served as the input basis for production tests, which resulted in an increase of 25 K in the temperature of the post-filtration liquor directed to the distillation unit, which enables further research towards the potential reduction of heat consumption in the form of steam within the ammonia recovery installation.