Development of a Digital Twin for the Sour Water Collection and Purification Process

In the oil and gas industry, the collection and purification of sour water during crude gas distillation is a crucial technological process. Optimal control of this process can increase production efficiency, reduce environmental emissions of acids and carbon dioxide, and enable more rational use of natural resources amid the growing demands of the oil and gas industry. This study focuses on the design of a digital twin using Honeywell Unisim Design software. Special attention is given to the development and implementation of a split-range control system within a dynamic model. The developed model has been analyzed using historical data to verify its accuracy. A control strategy has been designed for the C300 industrial controller, along with an HMI interface for operators to integrate the digital twin with the Experion PKS distributed control system. The digital twin unlocks new opportunities for developing and testing control schemes, optimizing parameters, and fine-tuning safety systems. According to customer surveys conducted by Honeywell, the implementation of digital twins can reduce significant expenses for design by more than 10%, shorten development time by 10%, and increase plant productivity by 3–8%.