Expanding the Column Overhead System 1

Expanding the Column

Overhead System

© 2008 AspenTech – All Rights reserved.

EB1017.065.07
05_ExpandingTheColumnOverheadSystem.doc
2 Expanding the Column Overhead System

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 Expanding the Column Overhead System 3

Workshop
In this module the Overhead Condenser unit operation of the DePropanizer Column
will be replaced by an overhead system consisting of various pieces of equipment.
This comprehensive condenser configuration is required in instances when you want
to perform detailed Rating Dynamics.

Learning Objectives
In this module you will:

· Add unit operations and controllers in the Dynamic mode

· Replace the standard Aspen HYSYS® Condenser unit operation with a
detailed overhead system
· Make necessary P/F Specs for the overhead system
· Implement appropriate control strategies

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4 Expanding the Column Overhead System

Partial Process Overview

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Build the Flowsheet

In this module, you will construct an expanded, detailed, overhead system in the
Dynamic mode. Up to this point, it was recommended that users construct
simulations in the Steady State mode and then move them into the Dynamic mode. It
is the goal of this module, however, to teach you how to built simulations in the
Dynamic mode.

Deleting the Condenser

Open the saved case Clm­Control.hsc from Module 4. Run the Integrator until
Steady State is reached.

In this module, we are going to replace the Condenser Overhead system for the
DePropanizer column.

Before the Condenser is deleted in the Column Environment, its associated product
streams and energy streams should be deleted in the Main Environment.

1. In the Main Environment, delete the Condenser product streams, Propane and
Q­Cond.

2. Enter the Column Environment. Create a copy of the Reflux stream. (Create a
new stream and use the Define from Other Stream button to copy the
conditions from the Reflux stream to the new stream). Give the new stream a
Flow specification (to compensate the to­be­deleted reflux stream) and connect
it as a feed stream to the top stage.

3. Delete the Condenser and associated other objects, but keep the overhead vapor
outlet stream, and place a pressure spec on it.

4. Run integrator for a few steps.

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6 Expanding the Column Overhead System

Later on, once the operations are added, the P/F specs need to be moved to the
boundary streams and the integrator should be run after each operation is added.

It is recommended that you periodically save your case as equipment is added

to the Flowsheet. You can use different case names, for example, Ovhd1.hsc,
Ovhd2.hsc etc., so as to provide snapshots at the various stages of building
the case.

Save your case!

Adding the Overhead System

It is possible to build a detailed overhead condenser system in the Column
Environment. However, there are unit operations in Aspen HYSYS that are
unavailable in the Column Subflowsheet, such as the Air Cooler. In these instances,
the overhead system must be built in the Main Environment. This example contains
an Air Cooler, so the overhead system will be built in the Main Environment.

Connecting the Column and Main Environments

The connection between the Column environment and the Main environment was
broken when the streams were deleted. The two environments must be reconnected
before construction can begin on the expanded overhead system.

Going back to main flow sheet, on the Design tab in the Column Property View,
select the Connections page and enter an appropriate stream name for overhead
vapor outlet (ToTee). Do not connect the copied Reflux stream yet, we will close the
loop later on.

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Adjusting the Pressure Flow Specs

It is important to keep track of the pressure­flow specifications for the Flowsheet. If
deleting streams has eliminated specifications, an equivalent number of
specifications must be added to keep the degrees of freedom at zero. Also, as
equipment is added to the Flowsheet, the pressure­flow specifications will be
correspondingly moved to the boundary streams.

Since product streams and the Condenser have been deleted, the flow sheet boundary
streams have changed and thus, the pressure­flow specifications must be moved. In
this case, the column overhead stream that had a pressure­flow specification was
deleted, so we added a pressure flow spec on the remaining overhead stream from
within the column sub flow sheet to compensate.

1. In the sub environment, open the property view of the copied Reflux stream and
examine the Dynamics page. The stream should have a Flow Specification.
Change it to 1600 kgmole/h (3500 lbmole/ hr).

2. Remove the pressure spec on ToTee in the column sub flow sheet and place
pressure spec on the ToTee in the Main Environment with 1925 kPa (279 psia).

3. Run integrator to stabilize. Save case as you need.

Adding a Splitter
A TEE operation will be added to the Flowsheet to separate the overhead vapor into
a vapor bypass stream and an overhead stream, which will be condensed. The
overhead bypass stream flows to the flare system.

Add a TEE operation with the following information.

In this cell... Enter...

Connections

Name TEE­100
Feed To Tee

Products Bypass to Valve

Ovhd

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Moving the P­F Specs

With the addition of the Splitter, the pressure­flow specifications must be adjusted.
Stream To Tee is no longer a boundary stream, thus it should not contain a Pressure­
Flow spec.

1. Remove the pressure specification from To TEE and add a Molar Flow
specification on Bypass to Valve.

2. Supply a Molar Flow of 100 kgmole/hr (220 lbmole/hr).

3. Supply a Pressure Specification for stream Ovhd. With no pressure drop across
the Tee, the pressure in this stream should be the same as the pressure in the
feed stream (1925kPa).

4. Run the Integrator for a few minutes to propagate the values to the boundary
streams.

Adding the Condenser

An Air Cooler operation is used to model the Condenser. The overhead vapor
stream, Ovhd, is fed into the Air Cooler operation.

1. Add an Air Cooler operation and supply the following information.

In this cell... Enter...

Connections

Name Ovhd Cooler

Feed Ovhd

Product ToAccumulator
Parameters

Overall UA 1.14e6 kJ/C­h (6.0e5 Btu/F­

hr)

Configuration two tube rows, one pass

Air Intake Temperature 25°C (77°F)

Dynamics ­> Specs

Overall Delta P 70kPa (10psi)

3 3
Fluid Volume 1.0 m (35 ft )

2. Leave the pressure spec on Ovhd for now and run integrator for a few minutes.

3. Calculate the k Value for the Air Cooler and move the Dynamic Specification
from an Overall Delta P spec to an Overall k Value specification.

What “overall k value” does Aspen HYSYS calculate here?____________________________

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4. Run the Integrator for a few minutes to propagate the values to the boundary
streams.

Adding the Accumulator

A Separator unit operation will be used as the overhead accumulator. The cooled
overhead stream will be used as the feed for the unit. The size of the Accumulator
will be the same as that used for the Condenser in module 4.

1. Add a Separator and provide the following information:

In this cell... Enter...
Connections

Name Accumulator
Feed ToAccumulator

Vapor Outlet ToPropane

Liquid Outlet LiquidReturn

Parameters
3 3
Volume 10 m (530 ft )

Adding the Vapor Product Valve

A Valve unit operation will be added to the flowsheet so adjustments can be made to
the vapor stream from the Accumulator.

1. Add a Valve and provide the following information.

In this cell... Enter...
Connections

You can specify the Cv if Name Propane Valve

you have a valve of known
Inlet ToPropane
Cv that you want to use in
the simulation. Outlet Propane
Rating

Cv 300

Adding the Pump

A Pump unit operation will be added to the flowsheet to increase the pressure of the
Reflux stream returning to the tower.

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1. Add a Pump and provide the following information.

In this cell... Enter...

Connections

Name RefluxPump

Inlet LiquidReturn
Remember to change the Outlet To Reflux
Flow and Head units
before entering the curve Energy RefluxPump­Q
data.
2. On the Rating tab, input the following curve for the Pump. The Pump has been
in service for quite some time so the vendor curves are only in Imperial units.
The Speed for the curve is 60 rotations per min.
Flow (USGPM) Head (ft) %Efficiency
0 275 0
100 260 42
If the Pump speed is 200 235 60
different than the curve
speed, Aspen HYSYS will 300 190 66
extrapolate values for head
400 150 70
and efficiency.
500 140 75

600 100 69
700 70 65

800 40 60

3. Move to the Dynamics tab, Specs page to make the dynamic specifications for
the Pump. In general, two specifications should be selected in the Dynamics
Specifications group in order for the pump operation to fully solve. In this case,
we will supply a Speed and a Curve. Enter a Speed of 85 round per min and
make that specification Active; Make Use characteristic curves as another
You can only use Speed Active specification and remove other specs if any.
as a specification if the Use
characteristic Curves
checkbox is checked Adding a Reflux Valve
A Valve unit operation will be added to the flowsheet to connect the streams To
Reflux and Reflux. This last piece of equipment will close the overhead condenser
loop.

1. Add a Valve and provide the following information.

A Recycle Operation is
NOT needed in the In this cell... Enter...
Dynamic mode. This was
one of the reasons for Connections
constructing this simulation
in the Dynamic mode. Name Reflux Valve

Feed To Reflux

Product Reflux

Parameters
Cv 250

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2. Remove pressure spec from Ovhd

3. Add pressure spec on Propane 1750kPa/260psi

4. On the connections page of Design tab of the DePropanizer property view, set
the Reflux stream in the Main Environment as the top stage inlet.

5. In column sub flow sheet, remove flow spec on Reflux.

6. Check that all your Pressure Flow specifications are correct. You may go to
simulation/equation summary view and click on full analysis and partitioned
analysis to see whether your model is square.

7. In manual mode, start the integrator for a few seconds. You will notice variable
disturbances due to the mismatch between the reflux in main flow sheet and that
in column sub flow sheet. Warning: since controllers are not implemented yet,
if you run it too long (more than a few sec), the model could get into reverse
flow domain, and/or vessels drying up/over flooding which in turn causes model
harder to restore to normal operation later on and you will be having a
destabilized model.

8. Save the case (Optionally in a new name)

Adding the Controllers

Just as with the default Condenser, the overhead system requires controllers to
stabilize the model. Two controllers are going to be added, one Pressure and one
Level Controller for the Accumulator.

Accumulator Pressure Controller

1. Add the following pressure controller to the flowsheet.
In this cell... Enter...
Connections

Name Accumulator­PC
Process Variable Source Accumulator, Vessel Pressure

Output Target Object Propane Valve

Parameters ­ Configurations

Action Direct

Mode Auto
PV Minimum 1725 kPa (250 psia)

PV Maximum 2100 kPa (300 psia)

Kc 2.0

Ti 2.0 Minutes
SP 1900 kPa (275 psia)

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Accumulator Level Controller

2. Add the following level controller to the Flowsheet.
In this cell... Enter...

Connections

Name Accumulator­LC

Process Variable Source Accumulator, Liquid Percent

Level

Output Target Object Reflux Valve

Parameters ­ Configurations

Action Direct

Mode Auto
PV Minimum 0%

PV Maximum 100 %
Kc 1

Ti 10 Minutes

SP 50 %

Adding Strip Charts

Create strip charts to monitor primary variables in your flowsheet.

Start the Integrator and allow the model to stabilize. Once the model has reached
steady state,

Save your case!

As Ovhd controlled.hsc and create a disturbance to test your model.

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Exercises
When the DePropanizer was originally built in the Steady State mode, it was
specified that the mole fractions of Ethane and Propane would sum to a value of
0.95. Once the column was run in the Dynamic mode, this specification did not
apply. Now, let’s change the control strategy around the column to reintroduce this
specification.

1. First, use a Spreadsheet SPRDSHT­1in Aspen HYSYS to calculate the

specification value. Import both mole fractions into the Spreadsheet and use an
addition equation (+a1+a2) to add the two values and put into B3.

What is the current value of the sum? ____________________________________________

2. Next, set the mode of the Accumulator­PC as Off. The new control strategy
will vary the Accumulator pressure in an effort to control the Propane
composition.

3. Add another Controller to the simulation with the following data:

What action should this controller have? _________________________________________

In this cell... Enter...

Connections
Process Variable Source SPRDSHT­1, B3

Output Target Object Propane Valve

Parameters ­ Configuration
If you choose the wrong
Mode Auto
action, the system will have
no chance of being stable. PV Minimum 0.8
The Process Variable that PV Maximum 1.0
you choose may vary
depending on which cell Kc 1 (­> bigger later on)
contains your addition
equation. Ti 10 Minutes

SP Current ­> 0.95

4. Add the Accumulator pressure to the current strip chart and run the Integrator.

At what Accumulator pressure does the system eventually “flat line”? __________________

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