Welcome to the Aspen Plus webinar series

Distillation Column Design, Rating, and

Troubleshooting in Aspen Plus
Christopher Inglis, Product Management Specialist
Tami Okano, Product Marketing Manager
May 25th , 2017
The Team

Chris Inglis, Product Management

Tami Okano, Product Marketing

Jianjun Peng, Principal Engineer,

Research & Development

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Distillation Column Design

Physical Conceptual
Properties Design

Detailed
Simulation

Rate-
Column
Based
Hydraulics
Distillation

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 Variables Goals

Production Rate Increase Capacity

Feed Composition Minimize OPEX

Ambient Conditions Ensure Product Quality

Fouling Avoid unstable operation

4 2016
2017 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved.
Distillation Column Design

Physical Conceptual
Properties Design

Detailed
Simulation

Rate-
Column
Based
Hydraulics
Distillation

5 2017 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved.

Accurate Physical Properties Are Essential
Narrow boiling olefin system:
140 trays required
$18 Million Column

With 5% error in VLE predictions:

280 trays required
2 x $ 18 Million Columns
an 18 MM$ error

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Advantages of Aspen Properties
State-of-art property models
Extensive collection of property data
DIPPR pure component data
NIST pure Over 24,000 components
NIST source over 4 million sets of
experimental data
Binary parameters for over 30k pairs
Estimate properties from structure
Unique polymer property models
R&D 100 Award Winner 2009
Tight integration with Excel

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 New in V9!
Improved Binary Analysis
Improved Binary Analysis Pseudo-binary option
Study the impact of an entrainer (solvent)
on breaking a binary azeotrope.

Evaluate
Entrainers

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Distillation Column Design

Physical Conceptual
Properties Design

Detailed
Simulation

Rate-
Column
Based
Hydraulics
Distillation

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Separation Conceptual Design
Can the mixture be separated How many What is a good feed location
by simple distillation? stages? and reflux ratio?

Acetone Acetone
Isopropanol
Water ? Isopropanol
Water
Acetone Acetone Isopropanol
Is this
feasible?

Or this?
Water
Isopropanol Water
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Aspen Distillation Synthesis
Property Analysis Tools ConSep unit operation
Find Azeotropes Interactive Design
Azeotropes for mixtures at defined pressure Define pressure and reflux ratio
Ternary diagram with feasibility profiles
Ternary Diagram
Calculate number of stages
Residue curves (track pot composition)
Optimize feed location
Distillation boundaries
View Azeotropes

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Distillation Column Design

Physical Conceptual
Properties Design

Detailed
Simulation

Rate-
Column
Based
Hydraulics
Distillation

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RADFRAC

Simulates:
Simple distillation
Absorption
Stripping
Extractive and azeotropic distillation
Reactive distillation
Three-phase (Vapor-Liquid-Liquid)
distillation

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Rigorous and Flexible Separation Solution

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Using RADFRAC

Convert ConSep to RADFRAC seamlessly

Input Efficiencies (Tray & Component)
Design Specifications
NQ Curves
Thermal Targeting
Sensitivity
Optimization

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Distillation Column Design

Physical Conceptual
Properties Design

Detailed
Simulation

Rate-
Column
Based
Hydraulics
Distillation

16 2017 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Goals Constraints

Increase capacity
Thermodynamic limits

Minimize OPEX
Heat & mass-transfer limits

Ensure product quality

Hydraulic limits

Avoid unstable operation

17 2016
2017 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved.
 New in V9!
Concurrent Thermal and Hydraulic Analysis
Visual Upgrade External
design tools

Vendor creates design

Design against base case, confirm
proposal
hydraulic operability for off-design cases
collaboratively
Prior to V9: TPSR is used to model the internals, without the visualization
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Tray Rating Requires Detailed Information
Information Not Always Included in Current Simulations

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Validated Workflows to Save Time
Tested by Engineers in Operations and Design at Top Companies

Examples of added functionality:

Templates Autosizing Multiple Monitors Messaging

Abide by company Start off with suggested View inputs and results Use built-in and defined
standards, rules of sizing, overwrite as interactively constraints
thumb needed

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Correlation Improvements V9

Updated Tray
Correlations

Validated,
Proprietary Packing
Correlations

Compares:
Aspen HYSYS/Plus V9
Aspen HYSYS V8.8
Aspen Plus V8.8
KG-TOWER
SulCol
Experimental Data

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 Revamps and New Design

Optimize column performance

Maximize capacity
Minimize operating costs

Minimize capital expenses

Reuse equipment in revamps

Maximize operability range

Evaluate range of operating
conditions
Maintain safe operations
Avoid operational Issues

Validate vendor proposals

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 Current Operations
Monitor current operations
Optimize production
Reduce operating costs
Get more out of current assets

Process Changes
Respond to changing conditions
Communicate findings
Understand safety margin

Troubleshoot
Diagnose operating issues
Quickly evaluate process changes
to return to normal operation

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Distillation Column Design

Physical Conceptual
Properties Design

Detailed
Simulation

Rate-
Column
Based
Hydraulics
Distillation

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Aspen Rate-Based Distillation in Aspen Plus
Alternative column solver using Mass & Heat Transfer correlations
Works as an option within the standard distillation column unit operation
Formerly called Aspen RateSep
Very useful for Absorber simulation

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Aspen Rate-Based Distillation
Traditional Rate-Based
Equilibrium Column Model
Stage Model

Lj-1 Vj
Lj-1
TLj-1 T Use heat and mass-
TLj-1 V
transfer correlations
Vj

vapor film
j

liquid film
bulk bulk
liquid vapor based on transport
TVj
properties and
tray/packing
Lj Vj+1 Lj Vj+1 geometry
TLj TVj+1 TLj TVj+1
T jvapor = T jliquid Q = f T vapor T liquid ( )
Ki , j = yi , j / xi , j m& i , j = g (xi. j yi , j )
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Rate-based Options:
Selecting the flow model
Yout Xin
Y X
Yin Xout

Mixed CounterCurrent Vplug Vplug-Pavg

Y=Yout Y= (Yout + Yin) Y= (Yout + Yin)
X=Xout X= (Xout + Xin) X= Xout Same as Vplug
Best for tray Best for packed except average
columns columns pressure is used
Easier to to evaluate
Easiest to May be hard to converge than properties
converge converge Countercurrent
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Rate-based Options:
Can Select Mass-Transfer Correlations

Be consistent

Default

Bubble-Cap Random Structured

Trays Sieve Trays Valve Trays Packing Packing
Bravo et al
AIChE AIChE AIChE Onda 1985
Chan-Fair Scheffe- Bravo et al
Hughmark (1984 & RF) Weiland Bravo-Fair 1992
Billet & Billet &
Gerster et al Zuiderweg Gerster et al Schultes Schultes
Hanley
Gerster et al Hanley (IMTP) (Structured)
Chen-Chuang Hanley (Pall)
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Why Use Rate-Based Models?

Reduced uncertainty in new design with calculated tray efficiencies

Faster creation of more accurate models for existing columns

HETP is known and tray efficiencies are calculated

Most accurate
representation of operating range
for models of absorption, desorption, gas scrubbing, and steam stripping where
component efficiencies vary widely
for modeling columns with reaction

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Software Demo

Holistic Distillation Design

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Demonstration Summary
From initial conception to equipment-
based design
Use Aspen Plus to:
Reduce uncertainty
Optimize operation
Troubleshoot operability

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Additional Resources

Whats New Videos - Whats New in aspenONE V9 Page

http://www.aspentech.com/products/v9-release/

Aspen Plus Resource Page: Make Confident Decisions in Your Plant

http://www.aspentech.com/aspen-plus-resource-center.aspx

White Paper: Column Analysis in Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS: Validation with
Experimental and Plant Data
https://www.aspentech.com/Val-WP-Col-Analysis/

Example Model:
Rate-Based Distillation Debutanizer Example
Ethylene Back End Design & Rating of Demethanizer and Deethanizer Example

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Want to see similar results? Consider a training from AspenTech!
View Courses and register for Classes on our Training Website

Training website - http://training.aspentech.com

Email us: apac.training@aspentech.com
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Training Courses Available
Full Curriculum to Meet Your Needs Can be Scheduled Upon Request
Course Course Name Duration Course Agenda & Schedule link
ID
Aspen Plus: Process
EAP101 3 days https://esupport.aspentech.com/t_course?id=a3p0B0000004YquQAE
Modeling

Aspen Plus: Distillation https://esupport.aspentech.com/t_course?id=a3p0B0000004YoFQAU

EAP250 2 days
Modeling

Aspen Rate-Based https://esupport.aspentech.com/t_course?id=a3p0B0000004YwOQA

EAP251 1 day U
Distillation

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Upcoming Webinars & On-Demand Content

Register at On Demand Webinars

http://www.aspentech.com/event http://www.aspentech.com/
s/webseminars.cfm events/ondemand_webinar.cfm

For more information

Miyuki.Fukuoka@aspentech.com

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Q&A

Join the AspenTech Community

www.aspentech.com/community

Teruhiko Suzuki
Sr Principal Business Consultant
Teruhiko.Suzuki@aspentech.com

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Thank You

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