<![CDATA[The oil and gas industry plays a crucial role in meeting global energy needs, with crude oil from production wells being the primary product of upstream operations. Prior to further processing, crude oil requires pretreatment at the production site, one of the key stages being phase separation using a flash separator. This study examines the effect of variations in cooling temperature on the performance of liquid phase separation and energy requirements in the flash separation process of light hydrocarbons. The analysis was conducted through process simulation using Aspen HYSYS version 14.2 with the Peng Robinson property package. The feed stream had a mass rate of 10,000 kg per hour, a temperature of 50°F, and atmospheric pressure, with compositions of ethane, propane, isobutane, and normal butane. The process configuration included compression, cooling, and phase separation in a flash separator at a constant pressure of 50 psia. Variations in cooling temperature were applied at 20, 10, and 0°C. The simulation results indicated a thermodynamic critical point at 10°C. At 20°C, no liquid phase was formed, while at 10°C, significant liquid yield was obtained with moderate energy consumption. Lowering the temperature to 0°C dramatically increases liquid recovery, but the cooling energy requirement also increases sharply. Sensitivity analysis confirms a strong inverse relationship between temperature and condensation yield, as well as a surge in energy consumption at low temperatures. The optimal operating condition is set at 10°C, providing a balance between separation efficiency and energy efficiency in accordance with sustainable manufacturing principles.]]>
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