--- title: "Hazem Mensi | Chemical Process Engineer | Aspen HYSYS® Certified Expert" description: "Process simulation (Aspen HYSYS), flare network backpressure & emergency blowdown (API 520/521), acid gas sweetening (AGRU), and multiphase hydraulics." canonical: "https://www.hazemensi.com/index.md" author: "Hazem Mensi" type: "ProfilePage" --- # Hazem Mensi | Chemical Process Engineer > **Aspen HYSYS® Certified Expert User (CERT00016555)** > **Chemical Process Engineering Student at INSAT (Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology)** > **Location:** Tunis, Tunisia · Open to worldwide relocation and international rotation > **Target Opportunity:** 4–6 Month End-of-Studies / Graduation Internship starting **February 2027** > **Contact:** Hazem.Mensi@insat.ucar.tn | [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hazemensi) | [Telegram](https://t.me/hazemensi) (@hazemensi) > **Website:** https://www.hazemensi.com/ | [Resume PDF](https://www.hazemensi.com/Hazem_Mensi_Resume.pdf) --- ## Executive Profile Hazem Mensi is a Chemical Process Engineer graduating from the Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (INSAT) with verified mastery in steady-state and dynamic process simulation, overpressure protection systems (API 520 / 521), acid gas treating (AGRU), column internals revamping, and flow assurance. He holds the official **Aspen Certified Expert User in Aspen HYSYS®** credential, alongside certified competencies in shell-and-tube exchanger rating (Aspen EDR) and amine-based carbon capture. His engineering background bridges classical thermodynamics with modern computational modeling, grounded in **3 completed industrial engineering internships** across Front-End Engineering Design (FEED), brownfield plant operations revamping, and Project Management Consultant (PMC) technical auditing. ### Key Value Proposition - **Plant Safety & Overpressure Protection:** Rigorous modeling of emergency blowdown, staggered depressuring to 50% design pressure in 15 minutes per API 521, flare network backpressure in Aspen Flare System Analyzer (FLARENET), and thermal radiation modeling. - **Gas Treating & Decarbonization:** Acid Gas Removal Unit (AGRU) simulation in BR&E ProMax and Aspen HYSYS, optimizing activated MDEA/piperazine formulations to meet pipeline CO₂ specifications (< 2.0 mol%) with minimized reboiler thermal duty. - **Equipment Revamps & Hydraulics:** Direct Contact Heat Exchanger (DCHE) hydraulic rating and packing revamps in Sulzer Sulcol, Koch-Glitsch KG-Tower, and Aspen Plus, achieving up to 85% pressure drop reduction. - **PMC Auditing & Flow Assurance:** EPC contractor calculation book audits (API 12J, API 14E, GPSA), multiphase gathering hydraulics in SLB PIPESIM, slug catcher surge reception in HYSYS Dynamics, and hydrate inhibition envelopes. - **Digital Process Automation:** Python and Excel engineering workbook development automating PSV sizing, two-phase separator calculations, and pump datasheets. --- ## Industrial Engineering Experience ### 1. EPPM (Engineering, Procurement & Project Management) - **Role:** Process Engineering Intern & PMC Technical Auditor - **Period:** January 2026 – August 2026 (8 months) · Hybrid - **Location:** Tunis, Tunisia / Libya / Iraq #### Project 1: Detailed Feasibility Study of New Gas Plant at Marsa El Brega (Libya) *Client: Taknia Libya Engineering Company (TLEC) · Final Client: Sirte Oil Company (SOC)* - **Safety Relief Valve (PSV) Sizing:** Sized relief valves and associated inlet/outlet lines strictly adhering to API 520 (Parts I & II) and API 521; verified the 3% inlet pressure loss rule and backpressure limits. - **Dynamic Depressuring & Blowdown Analysis:** Built dynamic simulation models in Aspen HYSYS Dynamics and steady-state to size blowdown orifices, achieving 50% design pressure within 15 minutes per API 521. Mitigated Joule-Thomson low-temperature embrittlement below Minimum Design Metal Temperature (MDMT). - **Flare Network Backpressure Analysis:** Designed and simulated the plant flare header system in Aspen Flare System Analyzer (FLARENET). Verified superimposed and built-up backpressures on conventional and balanced-bellows PSVs, ensuring flare header sub-acoustic velocities (Mach < 0.5) and flare stack thermal radiation within API 521 limits (1.58 kW/m² continuous exposure). - **Equipment Rating & Datasheets:** Performed thermal design and rating of shell-and-tube exchangers in Aspen EDR (HTFS); sized Flare Knock-Out Drums (FKOD) per API 521 droplet settlement criteria and prepared complete process datasheets. - **Hydraulics & Balances:** Executed Heat & Material Balances (H&MB) in HYSYS and Aspen Simulation Workbook (ASW); conducted centrifugal pump hydraulics and NPSHa vs NPSHr margin verification. #### Project 2: Naft Khana Oilfield Rehabilitation Detailed Engineering PMC (Iraq) *PMC Scope · Client Oversight of EPC Contractor Deliverables* - **Design Basis & Equipment Audit:** Critically audited EPC contractor process calculation books, equipment datasheets, and oil-gas-water separator sizing calculations against API 12J and GPSA Section 7. - **Multiphase Gathering Line Hydraulics:** Independently modeled multiphase flowline hydraulics in SLB PIPESIM and Aspen HYSYS Upstream to verify line sizing and identify hydrodynamic/terrain-induced slugging regimes. - **Dynamic Transient Startup & Hydrate Mitigation:** Evaluated cold restart scenarios, hydrate thermodynamic formation envelopes, inhibitor (MEG/methanol) dosage requirements, and topside slug catcher surge handling in Aspen HYSYS Dynamics. - **Technical Query (TQ) Management:** Drafted and resolved formal Technical Queries (TQs) and discrepancy escalations regarding contractor liquid hold-up and relief design assumptions. --- ### 2. Air Liquide - **Role:** Process Operations Engineering Intern - **Period:** July 2025 – August 2025 (2 months) · On-site - **Location:** Ben Arous, Tunisia - **Scope:** Direct Contact Heat Exchanger (DCHE) Column Internals Retrofit & Industrial Utilities - **Hydraulic Retrofit Modeling:** Spearheaded the hydraulic revamp of a direct contact cooling column in an industrial cryogenic Air Separation Unit (ASU). Modeled and benchmarked high-performance structured and random packings across Sulzer Sulcol, Koch-Glitsch KG-Tower, and Aspen Plus: - Koch-Glitsch FLEXIPAC® HC® 2Y metal structured packing - Sulzer MellapakPlus™ 252.Y metal structured packing - Sulzer NeXRing™ 2 metal high-performance random packing - **Quantitative Results:** - **85% Pressure Drop (ΔP) Reduction:** Eliminated suction pressure bottlenecks upstream of the main air compressor. - **+35% Flooding Margin Headroom:** Expanded column operating capacity beyond previous flood limits. - **Maintained Thermal Approach:** Preserved strict cryogenic cooling temperature approach requirements without requiring shell modification. - **Water Treatment & HSE Compliance:** Managed industrial cooling water treatment and testing (pH, conductivity, biocides, corrosion inhibitors) with 100% regulatory compliance. Strictly enforced plant HSE protocols and PPE standards during high-stakes chemical handling. --- ### 3. OMV - **Role:** Process Engineering Intern - **Period:** June 2025 – July 2025 (2 months) · On-site - **Location:** Tunis, Tunisia - **Scope:** Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for Nawara CPF Amine Sweetening Tie-In - **AGRU Flowsheet Modeling:** Supported FEED engineering for an Acid Gas Removal Unit treating sour natural gas from 3 new production wells tied into the brownfield Nawara Central Processing Facility (CPF). Simulated systems in BR&E ProMax and Aspen HYSYS. - **Solvent Formulation & Performance:** Optimized solvent blend kinetics to 40 wt% MDEA activated with 2 wt% piperazine: - Reduced treated gas CO₂ content to **1.86 mol%**, safely below pipeline specification (< 2.0 mol%). - Reduced regenerator reboiler thermal duty to **3,500 kW**, significantly curbing operational expenditure. - Maintained rich solvent loading within the corrosion safety envelope (**≤ 0.45 mol CO₂/mol amine**). - **Engineering Deliverables:** Developed Heat and Material Balances (H&MB) with complete stream tables, Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), and preliminary Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) using AutoCAD P&ID and Bluebeam Revu. - **Lifecycle Well Decline Analysis:** Simulated gas composition transitions across well startup and depletion profiles, verifying continuous compliance with pipeline delivery pressure and Wobbe index limits. --- ## Technical Case Studies ### Case Study 1: Marsa El Brega Gas Plant Feasibility (EPPM) - **Title:** Detailed Feasibility Study: Dynamic Depressuring, Staggered Blowdown & Flare Network Design - **Dedicated Page:** https://www.hazemensi.com/case-studies/marsa-el-brega/ - **Key Metrics:** - Relief Standards: API 520 / 521 Sizing & Depressuring Criteria - Depressuring Target: 50% Design Pressure at 15 minutes (API 521) - Radiation Limit: 1.58 kW/m² continuous personnel exposure limit per API 521 - Simulation Tools: Aspen HYSYS Dynamics, HYSYS Steady-State, Aspen Flare System Analyzer (FLARENET) - **Engineering Challenge:** During emergency blowdown, intense Joule-Thomson cooling drops pipe wall temperatures below the Minimum Design Metal Temperature (MDMT), creating brittle fracture risks. Simultaneously, simultaneous blowdown across multiple fire zones risks choking the flare header and compromising PSVs. Restrictive orifices were sized to meet the 15-minute 50% DP target while staggering zone depressuring to prevent header choking. ### Case Study 2: Nawara CPF Brownfield Amine Sweetening Tie-In (OMV) - **Title:** Nawara CPF Brownfield Amine Sweetening Tie-In & AGRU Solvent Optimization - **Dedicated Page:** https://www.hazemensi.com/case-studies/agru-optimization/ - **Key Metrics:** - Treated Gas CO₂ Spec: 1.86 mol% (pipeline spec < 2.0 mol%) - Reboiler Duty: 3,500 kW thermal requirement - Solvent Formulation: 40 wt% MDEA + 2 wt% Piperazine Activator - Rich Solvent Loading: ≤ 0.45 mol CO₂/mol amine (corrosion limit) - **Engineering Challenge:** Raw gas from 3 new production wells contained excess CO₂. The objective was to minimize reboiler duty to 3,500 kW while preventing solvent degradation and staying within the rich loading corrosion envelope under fluctuating wellhead pressures. ### Case Study 3: Cryogenic DCHE Column Retrofit (Air Liquide) - **Title:** Direct Contact Heat Exchanger (DCHE) Retrofit & Cooling Systems - **Dedicated Page:** https://www.hazemensi.com/case-studies/dche-retrofit/ - **Key Metrics:** - Pressure Drop: -85% ΔP (dP) reduction via modern internals revamp - Packings Evaluated: FLEXIPAC® HC 2Y, MellapakPlus™ 252.Y, NeXRing™ 2 - Flooding Margin: +35% hydraulic capacity headroom above flood point - Modeling Software: Sulzer Sulcol, Koch-Glitsch KG-Tower, Aspen Plus - **Engineering Challenge:** Conventional random packing generated excessive hydraulic pressure drop and liquid maldistribution during peak ambient temperatures, throttling compressor suction. Retrofitting with modern structured packings resolved the bottleneck without costly vessel replacement. ### Case Study 4: Multiphase Flowline Hydraulics & PMC Audit (EPPM / Naft Khana) - **Title:** Multiphase Flowline Hydraulics, Slugging & Hydrate Transient Study - **Dedicated Page:** https://www.hazemensi.com/case-studies/naft-khana-flowline/ - **Key Metrics:** - Scope: PMC Technical Audit of EPC Contractor Deliverables - Flow Assurance: SLB PIPESIM & Aspen HYSYS Upstream - Standards Audited: API 12J (Separators), API 14E (Piping), GPSA Sec 7 - Hydrate Strategy: Thermodynamic subcooling and chemical inhibitor check - **Engineering Challenge:** Independent verification of an undulating gathering network to ensure contractor steady-state sizing accounted for terrain slugging at turndown rates, cold restart risks, and severe pigging liquid surges. Formal Technical Queries (TQs) were raised to safeguard downstream units. ### Case Study 5: Hydrogen Techno-Economic Assessment (INSAT Research) - **Title:** Techno-Economic Assessment: SMR with Carbon Capture vs. Alkaline Water Electrolysis - **Dedicated Page:** https://www.hazemensi.com/case-studies/hydrogen-techno-economic/ - **Key Metrics:** - Carbon Capture: > 95% deep decarbonization in SMR + CCS flowsheet - Steam-to-Carbon Ratio: S/C: 2.5–3.0 catalyst coking suppression envelope - Heat Integration: Waste heat recovery from syngas & flue gas to capture reboiler - Economic Model: Discounted Cash Flow TEA (CAPEX/OPEX) in Microsoft Excel - **Engineering Challenge:** Evaluating trade-offs between SMR + CCS heat integration and renewable-powered alkaline electrolysis under real-world utility costs and carbon abatement targets. ### Case Study 6: Process Engineering Automation & Deliverable Generator - **Title:** Automated Process Calculation & Deliverable Generator - **Dedicated Page:** https://www.hazemensi.com/case-studies/process-automation-platform/ - **Key Metrics:** - Turnaround Speed: 10x faster equipment sizing and verification - Relief Protection: Programmed API 520 / 521 PSV sizing equations - Vessels & Pumps: Automated API 12J separator rating and API 610 / Shell DEP pump datasheets - Core Technologies: Python, OpenPyXL, Microsoft Excel, Aspen Simulation Workbook (ASW) - **Engineering Challenge:** Eliminating manual data transfer between Aspen HYSYS simulation outputs and deliverable calculation spreadsheets, eradicating human transcription error. --- ## Verified Credentials & Certifications 1. **Aspen Certified Expert User in Aspen HYSYS®** - **Issuer:** Aspen Technology - **Credential ID:** `cb1c6c8f-da5a-4bd1-92bd-e08479146c60` | Certificate: `CERT00016555` - **Validity:** Issued Jul 2025 · Expires Jul 2028 - **Verification Link:** [credential.net/cb1c6c8f-da5a-4bd1-92bd-e08479146c60](https://www.credential.net/cb1c6c8f-da5a-4bd1-92bd-e08479146c60) - **Scope:** Master-level steady-state simulation, fluid EOS/activity property packages, column convergence, optimization, and dynamic depressuring routines. 2. **Aspen Certified User in Aspen Shell & Tube Exchanger** - **Issuer:** Aspen Technology (Aspen EDR) - **Credential ID:** `a6ab0933-ac77-45b3-9137-ea4a5b8a4268` | Certificate: `CERT00017116` - **Validity:** Issued Jul 2025 · Expires Jul 2028 - **Verification Link:** [credential.net/a6ab0933-ac77-45b3-9137-ea4a5b8a4268](https://www.credential.net/a6ab0933-ac77-45b3-9137-ea4a5b8a4268) - **Scope:** Thermal and hydraulic rating, vibration analysis, and mechanical optimization of shell and tube exchangers in Aspen EDR (HTFS). 3. **Amine-Based Carbon Capture Process Optimization using Aspen HYSYS®** - **Issuer:** Aspen Technology - **Credential ID:** `65da1870-7685-4d27-bcb6-80928d57971f` | Certificate: `CERT00017014` - **Validity:** Issued Jul 2025 · Expires Jul 2028 - **Verification Link:** [credential.net/65da1870-7685-4d27-bcb6-80928d57971f](https://www.credential.net/65da1870-7685-4d27-bcb6-80928d57971f) - **Scope:** Rate-based absorption kinetics, solvent optimization (MDEA/piperazine), and reboiler duty reduction for CO₂ capture. 4. **Sustainability Fundamentals: Process Modeling CO₂ Capture & H₂ Production** - **Issuer:** Aspen Technology - **Credential ID:** `e7aad773-5bb7-438c-be1a-8d4f94251e29` - **Validity:** Issued Jun 2025 · Expires Jun 2028 - **Verification Link:** [credential.net/e7aad773-5bb7-438c-be1a-8d4f94251e29](https://www.credential.net/e7aad773-5bb7-438c-be1a-8d4f94251e29) - **Scope:** Blue hydrogen flowsheet simulation, Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) with CCS integration, and electrolytic hydrogen production. 5. **Aspen Certified User in Aspen HYSYS®** - **Issuer:** Aspen Technology - **Credential ID:** `615d03ee-523d-487c-be12-a1b772ee3e19` | Certificate: `CERT00015878` - **Validity:** Issued Apr 2025 · Expires Apr 2028 - **Verification Link:** [credential.net/615d03ee-523d-487c-be12-a1b772ee3e19](https://www.credential.net/615d03ee-523d-487c-be12-a1b772ee3e19) - **Scope:** Flowsheet architecture, unit operations, separation columns, and physical property validation. 6. **Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) - ISO 14040/14044** - **Issuer:** University of Michigan (Coursera) - **Credential ID:** `W2SYN8SKMVWD` - **Validity:** Issued Dec 2024 · Permanent - **Verification Link:** [coursera.org/account/accomplishments/verify/W2SYN8SKMVWD](https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/verify/W2SYN8SKMVWD) - **Scope:** LCA methodology, ISO 14040/14044 compliance, Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) modeling, and carbon footprinting. 7. **EF SET English Certificate – C2 Proficient (75/100)** - **Issuer:** EF Standard English Test (EF SET) - **Credential ID:** `uSYWqV` - **Validity:** Issued Dec 2025 · Permanent - **Verification Link:** [cert.efset.org/en/uSYWqV](https://cert.efset.org/en/uSYWqV) - **Score:** 75/100 overall (Reading: 78/100 C2, Listening: 71/100 C2). Verified CEFR C2 English mastery in technical and executive communication. --- ## Technical Competencies & Software Matrix | Engineering Domain | Primary Software & Tools | Engineering Standards & Codes | |---|---|---| | **Process Simulation & Flow Assurance** | Aspen HYSYS (Steady & Dynamic), BR&E ProMax, Aspen Plus, PetroSim, SLB PIPESIM, OLGA, FLARENET, AFT Fathom, AFT Impulse | API 520, API 521, API 14E, GPSA Sec 5 & 21 | | **Equipment Rating & Thermal Design** | Aspen EDR (HTFS), HTRI Xchanger Suite, Sulzer Sulcol, Koch-Glitsch KG-Tower | TEMA, API 12J, API 521 (FKOD Droplet Settlement), CTI Standards | | **Safety & Overpressure Protection** | Aspen Flare System Analyzer, PSV Calculation Workbooks, Blowdown Orifice Sizing | API 520 Part I & II, API 521 / ISO 23251, API STD 2000, ASME Sec VIII | | **Piping & Mechanical Integrity** | Pipe Sizing Worksheets, Pump NPSHa/NPSHr Margin Calculators | ASME B31.3, API 610 (Pumps), API 14E (Erosional Velocity), Shell DEP | | **Engineering Computing & Automation** | Python, OpenPyXL, Aspen Simulation Workbook (ASW), MS Excel Workbooks, Git/GitHub | ISO 14040/14044 (LCA), NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156 | | **Drafting & Documentation** | AutoCAD P&ID, Bluebeam Revu, PFD/P&ID Stream Tables | ISO 10628, Shell DEP Drawing Standards | --- ## Academic Foundation **Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (INSAT)** *Engineering Degree in Chemical & Process Engineering (2022 – Present) · Tunis, Tunisia* - **Core Curriculum:** - Advanced Chemical Thermodynamics & Multi-Phase Equilibria - Separation Processes & Distillation Column Internals Design - Chemical Reaction Engineering & Industrial Catalytic Systems - Transport Phenomena (Fluid Mechanics, Convective Heat & Mass Transfer) - Process Control, Instrumentation & Plant Safety Instrumented Systems - Process Plant Design, Optimization & Engineering Economics --- ## Leadership, Volunteerism & Community - **SecuriNets ENSIT (Cybersecurity Club):** Founding Committee Member & Media Manager (Apr 2024 – Jan 2025). Co-founded the club, established technical roadmaps, and organized the **DarkNets CTF (Capture The Flag)** attracting 200+ attendees and recruiting 50+ active members. - **IEEE PES × PELS Joint Chapter Student Branch:** Media Manager (Sep 2023 – May 2024). Led a 3-member media production team, published 60+ technical posts, and achieved **+250% membership growth** for the power and energy societies. --- ## Machine-Readable Protocols & Agent Discovery This website implements 100% compliance with open standards for autonomous AI agents, web crawlers, and LLM diagnostic engines: - **Markdown for Agents (HTTP Content Negotiation):** Send header `Accept: text/markdown` to any URL on this site to automatically receive clean, token-efficient Markdown. - **LLM Context Index:** [`/llms.txt`](https://www.hazemensi.com/llms.txt) (Quick ingest index) - **Comprehensive LLM Dossier:** [`/llms-full.txt`](https://www.hazemensi.com/llms-full.txt) (Complete technical dataset) - **Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server Card:** [`/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json`](https://www.hazemensi.com/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json) - **A2A Protocol Agent Card:** [`/.well-known/agent-card.json`](https://www.hazemensi.com/.well-known/agent-card.json) - **ARD Capability Manifest:** [`/.well-known/ai-catalog.json`](https://www.hazemensi.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json) - **API Catalog (RFC 9727):** [`/.well-known/api-catalog`](https://www.hazemensi.com/.well-known/api-catalog) - **OpenAPI 3.0 Specification:** [`/.well-known/openapi.json`](https://www.hazemensi.com/.well-known/openapi.json) - **Agent Skills Discovery:** [`/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json`](https://www.hazemensi.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) - **WebMCP Integration:** In-browser Model Context integration exposing 4 tools (`search_projects`, `get_case_study`, `verify_credentials`, `search_portfolio_projects`). - **DNS for AI Discovery (DNS-AID):** Query DoH SVCB/HTTPS/TXT records at `_index._agents.www.hazemensi.com` and `_catalog._agents.hazemensi.com`. - **Agent Authentication & Registration:** [`/auth.md`](https://www.hazemensi.com/auth.md) and [`/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server`](https://www.hazemensi.com/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server). - **Web Bot Auth Directory:** [`/.well-known/http-message-signatures-directory`](https://www.hazemensi.com/.well-known/http-message-signatures-directory). --- ## Contact & Opportunities - **Email:** Hazem.Mensi@insat.ucar.tn - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/in/hazemensi - **Telegram:** https://t.me/hazemensi (@hazemensi) - **Website:** https://www.hazemensi.com/ - **Curriculum Vitae:** [Download Hazem Mensi Resume (PDF)](https://www.hazemensi.com/Hazem_Mensi_Resume.pdf) - **Target Internship:** 4–6 Month End-of-Studies / Graduation Internship starting **February 2027** (Open to worldwide relocation and rotation).