Distillation in HYSYS:

Introduction:
In this tutorial, you will be walked through a simple distillation process in HYSYS. A
binary liquid stream containing 70 mass percent en!ene and the rest "oluene entering at
#0$% and & atm 'lowing at a rate o' & kg(mol)sec will be distilled to ultra pure distillate
and bottoms streams.
Initial Setup:
&. Start a new case in HYSYS
*. Select en!ene and "oluene 'or the components.
#. +se the ,eng(-obinson .luid ,ackage.
Setting up the Distillation Column:
&. Since this is a simple distillation case, # process streams are needed. ,lace # material
streams 'or the 'eed, the distillate, and the bottoms, and * energy streams 'or the re(
boiler and condenser.
*. In order to make the simulation easy to 'ollow, rename the material streams to 'eed,
distillate, and bottoms. -ename the energy streams to condenser energy, and reboiler
energy.
#. /ow a distillation column should be placed. %lick on the 0istillation %olumn button
in the Simulation "oolbar, and then place it on the simulation window.
1. /ow the column is ready to be hooked up to the process and energy streams. "o do
this, double click on the 0istillation %olumn to bring up the 20istillation %olumn
Input 3i!ard4. Hook up the streams to their appropriate locations.
5. /ow the type o' condenser must be speci'ied. HYSYS simulates # di''erent types o'
condensers6 a partial, 'ull re'lu7, and total. Select a total condenser. %lick 2/e7t 84
to proceed.
9. "he ne7t step is to speci'y the pressures o' 0istillation column. "here are no pressure
drops in the condenser and the whole process is run at &0&.# k,a. "ype those into the
respecti:e 'ields and click 2/e7t 84.
7. In the ne7t step, HYSYS prompts 'or temperature estimates 'or the top stage,
condenser, and re(boiler. Since these are optional 'ields, they can be ignored and
HYSYS will calculate them when the simulation is run. %lick 2/e7t 84 to proceed to
the 'inal step.
;. "he last step to 'ully con'igure the column is to speci'y the re'lu7 ratio and distillate
'low rateA re'u7 ratio o' # and a distillate 'low rate o' *700 kgmol)hr ha:e been
speci'ied. %lick 20one<4 to complete the distillation column connection and
speci'ications.
=. %licking done will bring up a window displaying all o' the data and options o' the
distillation column. In order to achie:e the ultra pure distillate stream that is needed,
it has been estimated that the column needs *# trays with the 'eed entering at tray 7.
HYSYS sets the de'ault number o' trays at &0 with the 'eed entering at tray 5, so &#
trays need to be added and the location o' the 'eed needs to be changed.
Note: y de'ault HYSYS numbers the trays in numerically ascending order, with
tray & being at the top.
&0. "o add the e7tra trays, Simply click on 2n > 4 tab under 2/um o' Stages4 on the
drawing o' the column, and simply enter in *#.
&&. "o change the "ray location 'rom tray 5 to 7, %lick the arrow that appears by
25?@ain "S4 and select 27?@ain "S4 to change the inlet 'eed location.
Specifications of the Feed Stream:
A'ter completing the steps abo:e, the 0istillation column should be 'ully speci'ied 'or
most simple distillation cases. "o complete and run the simulation, the 'eed stream needs
to be speci'ied.
&. 0ouble click on the .eed stream. "his will open its speci'ication menu. Select the
appropriate tab and simply type in the desired :alues. .or this e7ample, an inlet
temperature o' #0 %, a pressure o' &0&.# k,a, a 'low rate o' & kg(mol)sec, and a 'eed
with 70 mass A ben!ene ha:e been speci'ied.

Running the Simulation with a Distillation Column:
/ow the distillation column and 'eed stream are properly speci'ied and the simulation is
ready to run.
&. "o get HYSYS to start acti:ely running the simulation and sol:ing 'or unknown
properties, the sol:er must be acti:e. "o acti:ate the sol:er, simply click on the green
light in the upper toolbar.
*. 3hen a distillation column is present in a simulation, it must be started separately.
0ouble click on the column to bring up its main window. %lick on the 2-un4 button
to simulate the distillation process. %lose the window, and you will see that the
distillate and bottoms streams ha:e turned 'rom turquoise to dark blue, signi'ying that
HYSYS has success'ully sol:ed 'or those streams unknown properties, and the
simulation is success'ul.
Note: A'ter this stage, i' any o' the speci'ications on the distillation column are
changed, the 2-eset4 button must be pressed, and then the 2-un4 button pressed
again to rerun the distillation simulation with the new speci'ications.
Advanced Specifications of the Distillation Column:
HYSYS has the ability to use di''erent criteria other then the re'lu7 ratio and distillate
'low rate to simulate the column. .or e7ample, the bottoms 'low rate or the composition
o' the distillate at any gi:en tray can be speci'ied, and HYSYS can simulate the column
based on those new speci'ications.
&. "o change the speci'ication criteria o' the distillation column, double click on the
column, and bring up the main window. "hen %lick on 2Specs4 to bring up the
ad:anced speci'ication window.
Note: /otice that there are 1 column speci'ications present6 * are acti:e and * are
not. 3hen a speci'ication is acti:e, that means HYSYS is using it to simulate the
distillation.
*. Say that the speci'ication has changed to a bottoms 'low rate o' 950 kgmol)hr. "o
a:oid o:er speci'ying the distillation column, the 0istillate 'lowrate must be inacti:e.
"o do that, select 20istillate -ate4 and uncheck 2Acti:e4 to make it inacti:e.
#. "o make the bottoms 'low rate o' 950 kgmol)hr speci'ication, select the 2tms ,rod
-ate4 and check 2Acti:e4 acti:ate it. "ype in 950 in the 2Speci'ication Balue4
column. "hen click 2-eset4 and then 2-un4 to simulate the column using the new
speci'ications.
1. HYSYS has the ability to simulate the column based on di''erent speci'ications not
currently seen. .or e7ample, a composition o' ;0 mass A ben!ene is needed in the
distillate. "o use that speci'ication, click 2Add4 in the %olumn Speci'ications section
and select 2%olumn %omponent .raction4 'rom the list. "hen %lick 2Add SpecCsD<4
5. %licking Add Specs will automatically bring up a window asking 'or the composition
speci'ications. Since the composition is speci'ied at the 0istillate stream rather then a
speci'ic stage, check 2Stream4. "hen under 20raw4 select 20istillate E%FG&4.
Since the speci'ication was gi:en in @ass percent, select 2@ass .raction4 in the
2asis4 category. "hen enter .; 'or the Spec Balue. .inally select en!ene as the
component 'or calculation and close the window.
9. "o a:oid con'licts and o:er speci'ication, the bottoms 'low rate speci'ication must be
de(acti:ated, and the mass 'raction speci'ication acti:ated. 0o so by the procedures
outlined abo:e. "hen click 2-eset4 and 2-un4 to simulate the process using the
distillate composition as the basis 'or calculation.