Optimization

Oil
Stabilization
Optimization

By: Eng. Ahmed Deyab 1

Email: eng.a.deab@gmail.com
Optimization

Workshop
A poor-boy stabilization scheme is used to separate an oil and gas mixture
into a stabilized oil and a saleable gas. A simple three-stage separation with
heating between each stage is used and the object of the exercise is to select
the let-down pressure and temperatures such that the products revenue less
the utilities cost is maximized. A special tool in HYSYS, the Optimizer, will
be used to find the optimum operating conditions.
HYSYS includes additional modelling and decision support tools that can
be used to enhance the usability of your models. In this module, you will
use the HYSYS optimization tool available in HYSYS to investigate the
debottlenecking and optimization of a crude column.

Learning Objectives
Once you have completed this section, you will be able to:

• Use the Optimizer tool in HYSYS to optimize flowsheets

• Use the Spreadsheet to perform calculations

By: Eng. Ahmed Deyab 2

Email: eng.a.deab@gmail.com
Optimization

Oil Stabilization
A feed stream @ 10oC, 4125 kPa with a flowrate of 1 MMSCFD is fed to a heater
(duty=4.25*105 kJ/hr) before entering the first separator where the separated
liquid is heated in a second heater (duty=3.15*105 kJ/hr). The outlet from the
heater is then sent to a letdown valve in order to decrease the pressure to 2050
kPa before entering the second separator where the separated liquid is heated
through a third heater (duty=1.13*105 kJ/hr). The outlet from the third heater is
then throttled through a valve (outlet pressure = 350 kPa) and then fed to a
third separator to obtain the final liquid oil product.
Each gas stream from the 2nd & 3rd separators is fed to a separate compressor
to raise the pressure to 4125 kPa and then mixed (using a mixer) with the gas
stream from the 1st separator to get the final gas product stream.

Notes:
- Pressure drop across all heaters and separators are 0.0.

Calculate:
- The total liquid product = …………………… barrel/hr
- The total gas product = ………………… m3_gas/hr

By: Eng. Ahmed Deyab 3

Email: eng.a.deab@gmail.com
Optimization

Oil Stabilization Optimization

In this case, we want to maximize the total operating profit while
achieving an RVP of Liquid Product less than 96.5 kPa. The incomes from
the Plant are both the Gas and Liquid Products. The operating costs are
the Steam Costs for each Heater plus the Power Cost for each
Compressor.
Profit = Income - Cost
Profit= (Gas Product + Liquid Product) – (Steam Costs + Compression Cost)

Prices & costs:

Oil Price= 15 $/bbl
Gas Price =0.106 $/m3_gas

Steam Cost= 0.682 $/kW-h

Compression Cost=0.1 $/kW-h

The variables to be adjusted:

- Heater duties (for the 3 heaters). Use range of 0 – 1e6 kJ/hr
- Valves outlet pressures.
- Use range of 650 – 3500 kPa for the first valve
- Use range of 70 – 1000 kPa for the second valve

Calculate:

- The optimum values for the adjusted variables

- The maximum profit …………….. $/hr

By: Eng. Ahmed Deyab 4

Email: eng.a.deab@gmail.com
Optimization

To start the program, From Start Menu, Select All Programs >>
Aspen Tech >> Process Modeling V8 >>>> Aspen HYSYS >>
Aspen HYSYS

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Optimization

1- First, Start a new case

2- Add the Components

3- Choose the system components from the databank:

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Now, select the suitable fluid package

In this case, select Peng-Robinson

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Now you can start drawing the flow sheet for the process by clicking the
Simulation button:

Now add a material stream to define the feed stream composition and
conditions

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Optimization

From the palette:

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Optimization

Add a heater with a duty of 4.25 * 105 kJ/hr and pressure drop of 0.0

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Optimization

Add the first separator

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 Optimization

The liquid stream is then heated, add a second heater with a pressure
drop of 0.0 & duty of 3.15 * 105

Add a valve with outlet pressure of 2050 kPa

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 Optimization

Add the second separator

The liquid from the second separator is now fed to a third heater with a
pressure drop of 0.0 & duty of 1.13 * 105

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Optimization

Add a second valve with an outlet pressure of 350 kPa

Add the third separator

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 Optimization

The vapor from the second separator is fed to a compressor to raise the
pressure to 4125 kPa

Add a compressor from the palette

The vapor from the third separator is fed to a second compressor to raise the
pressure to 4125 kPa

Add a second compressor with an outlet pressure of 4125kPa

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 Optimization

The three vapor streams will be mixed using a mixer

The RVP of the Liquid Product stream should be about 96.5 kPa to satisfy the
pipeline criterion.

Use cold properties analysis to see the current Reid Vapor Pressure for the
liquid product from the third separator:

From the attachments tab, select Analysis and then Create:

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Optimization

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Optimization

Changing the Units

We need to change the default unit set to fit this case

Change the units as follows:

Molar flow: m3_gas/hr

Liq. Vol. Flow: barrel/hr

Std. Vol. Flow: barrel/hr

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Optimization

Optimization
HYSYS contains a multi-variable Steady State Optimizer. Once your flowsheet has
been built and converged, you can use the Optimizer tool to find the operating
conditions which minimize or maximize an Objective Function. The Optimizer owns
its own Spreadsheet for defining the Objective Functions as well as any constraint
expressions to be used. This allows you to construct Objective Functions which
maximize profit, minimize utilities or minimize exchanger UA.

In this case, we want to maximize the total operating profit while achieving an RVP of
Liquid Product less than 96.5 kPa. The incomes from the Plant are both the Gas and
Liquid Products. The operating costs are the Steam Costs for each Heater plus the
Power Cost for each Compressor.
Profit = Income - Cost
Profit= (Gas Product + Liquid Product) – (Steam Costs + Compression Cost)

Use the Optimizer tool:

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Optimization

The variables to be optimized in order to maximize the profit should be

added now, these variables are:

The 3 Heaters’ duties and Valves outlet pressures

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Optimization

After adding all the 5 variables, set the upper and lower ranges for each
variable as follows:

The Optimizer has its own Spreadsheet for defining the Objective and
Constraint functions.

Now we have to start building the profit module using the spreadsheet
operation:

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Optimization

Profit= Income - Cost

Profit= (Gas Product + Liquid Product) – (Steam Costs + Compression Cost)

Prices & costs:

Oil Price= 15 $/bbl
Gas Price =0.106 $/m3_gas

Steam Cost= 0.682 $/kW-h

Compression Cost=0.1 $/kW-h

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Optimization

The RVP spec for the liquid should be added in the spread sheet in order to use it as
a constraint.

RVP spec= 96.5 kPa

First we need to increase the number of rows in the spread sheet to be 20 from the
parameters tab:

Now return to the spreadsheet tab again and add all the profit equation
parameters & variables.

After adding the labels, import the variables in each labeled cell:

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Optimization

Add all duties for heaters & compressors the same way as we did in the
previous step.

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Optimization

Do the same for Oil & gas production flow rates

The RVP current value should be imported from the Analysis:

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Optimization

The Prices should now added manually without importing it

Calculate the Income, Cost & Profit using the current formulas:

Income: =d7*b7+d8*b8

Cost: =(b1+b2+b3)*d1+(b4+b5)*d4

Profit: =d12-d13

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Optimization

After calculating the operating profit @ current conditions, use the

optimizer to maximize the profit by changing the 5 variables which we
added before

Open the optimizer and go to Functions tab:

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Optimization

You may need to press the Start button 2 or 3 times to ensure reaching
the optimum solution as follows:

You may see the new values for the variables from the Variables tab:

Now you can return back to the spreadsheet to observe the results:

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Optimization

Save Your Case!

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Optimization

Exercise:

One thing you may notice with the Optimized solution is that the Pressure
of V3 has been decreased to 70 kPa (10 psia) which is less than
atmospheric. This is not a desired condition for the inlet of a compressor.
The inlet of the second compressor, cannot be less than 125 kPa (19 psia).
What is the maximum profit if you adhere to this guideline?

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