Possibilities of Integration Today

Let us imagine a perfect chromatographic method. Every single component of a sample would be displayed as a fine single graph. 

But (especially) in biotechnology or in the chemistry of natural products, this is not usual. 

For example, if substances are generated by microorganisms, the by-products obtained are often very similar to the main product. And this will cause peaks with overlapping areas, which cannot be often separated completely. 

If two peaks do overlap, this does not mean that one is hiding behind the other. Both signals are combined. So the signal from components A and B, and other possible components is assembled. The result is a sum curve or envelope. 

Overlapping peaks always run the risk of making errors in area integration. As this is a systematic error, it usually remains undetected. Therefore, in the method development, baseline separation of the peaks is desirable. The larger the peak size ratio, the better the resolution needs to be. However, as explained in the introduction, even with enormous strain in method development, in some cases, a baseline separation is not possible. 

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In the recent past the capital value of the physical plant normally dominated the balance sheet. Today a number of companies have to include a greater provision to cover the potential costs of remedying problems or liabilities, associated with the plant such as land contamination or problems associated with either the use or abuse of the product or byproducts. Whilst in certain well-publicised cases these costs are indeed very substantial, many other companies are blighted by the possibility of the costs. Much modem regulation, such as Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH), Integrated Pollution... 

Hence, the development of a Plant Simulation Model is the proper approach to deal with industrial simulation problems. The progress in software technology makes possible today the development of integrated steady state and dynamic models. However, these require significant investment in qualified staff. Recently, generic simulation products have been proposed for applications in refining and petrochemical industries, which can be customised for specific processes. 

Clearly, a model to be developed should meet the accuracy requirements of an application and at the same time should be as simple as possible. However, as today s engineering systems tend to become larger, more complex, and more integrated, it is not always obvious at the beginning of a modelling process which phenomena are relevant with regard to the application and to decide what to include into a model and what to neglect. As a result, one approach often applied is to start with a complex model and to reduce its complexity subsequently as far as the application permits. 

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