Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Design Procedure For An Absorption Unit On The Aspenplus Software
Design Procedure For An Absorption Unit On The Aspenplus Software
Example 1
Problem Statement: Absorption of Acetone in a Packed Tower
Acetone is being absorbed by water in a packed tower having a diameter of 0.4866 m at
293 K and 101.32 kPa (1 atm). The inlet air contains 2.6 mol% acetone and outlet 0.5
mol% acetone. The total gas inlet flow rate is 14.0148 kmol/h. The pure water inlet flow
is 45.36 kmol/h. (This example is EXAMPLE 10.6-2 taken from reference 1).
Schematic:
Gas Outlet
xacetone = 0.005
Absorber
T = 293 K
P = 1 atm
Gas Inlet
xair = 0.974
xacetone = 0.026
F = 14.014 kmol/h
Liquid Outlet
xacetone = 0.00648
SDSM&T
2/15
Procedure
Logon to the AspenPlus system and start a blank simulation. The flowsheet area should
appear. (Refer to AspenPlus Setup for a Flow Simulation if you need help.)
Shown above is the Columns subdirectory. Choose the RateFrac block from the
subdirectory by clicking on it. If you click on the down arrow next to the RateFrac block,
a set of icons will pop up. These icons represent the same calculation procedure and are
for different schematical purposes only. Choose the block that best represents the process
that you are designing. For our example we will use the RATEFRAC rectangular block
at the top left corner.
RateFrac is a rate-based nonequilibrium model for simulating all types of multistage
vapor-liquid operations such as absorption, stripping, and distillation. RateFrac simulates
actual tray and packed columns, rather than the idealized representation of equilibrium
stages.
A column consists of segments (see schematic for a packed
column at right). Segments refer to a portion of packing in
a packed column or one or more trays in a tray column.
RateFrac performs an initialization calculation where all
segments are modeled as equilibrium stages. The results
from the initialization step are used to perform the ratebased nonequilibrium calculations. To learn more about
RateFrac and its applications refer to the RateFrac help
pages.
SDSM&T
3/15
First, create a schematic similar to the one above using the RateFrac block. Refer to
AspenPlus Setup for a Flow Simulation if you need help. Attach the liquid inlet and
gas inlet streams to the feed port. Attach the gas outlet to the vapor distillate port and the
liquid outlet to the bottoms port. Once the flow sheet is complete, click the Next
button ( ) and the title screen should appear (see below). Give the example a title and
change the units from English to Metric on the same screen. Click the button.
SDSM&T
4/15
The components screen should appear next. Enter in the species used in the example (see
above). The Find button on the bottom of the screen enables you to quickly search for
components in the databanks by formula, name, CAS registry number, molecular weight,
and normal boiling point. The Elec Wizard button can be used to generate electrolyte
components and reactions for electrolyte applications from components you entered. A
custom component that is not found in the databanks can be created using the User
Defined button. The Reorder button will simply reorder the components that are
already defined on the selection sheet. When all components have been entered, click the
button.
On the next screen,
choose a Property
Method from the list by
pressing on the down
button to the right of the
box. If you need help
refer to AspenPlus Setup
for a Flow Simulation.
This example will use
NRTL. Then click the
button.
SDSM&T
5/15
The input sheet for the gas inlet stream should appear (see above). Enter the values from
the problem statement. If values are unknown, leave the respective boxes blank. When
finished, click the button. The input sheet for the liquid inlet stream should appear.
Once again, enter the respective values from the problem statement, and click the
button.
The input sheet for the absorber block will appear next. A column consists of segments
that are used to evaluate mass and heat transfer rates between contacting phases. A
segment refers to a portion of packing in a packed column or a series of trays in a tray
column. Enter the number of segments. As a rule of thumb, there should be one segment
per foot of column height. However, more segments could be used to increase the
accuracy. The height of the segment should not be less than the average size of the
packing used. This example will use ten. Also on this screen, you can select the
condenser and reboiler type. Since we are modeling an absorber, select none for
condenser and reboiler. Click the button.
SDSM&T
6/15
SDSM&T
7/15
The next sheet will ask you to enter the value for the column diameter. Since the column
diameter is given in the problem statement, enter the value of 0.4866 m. Click the
button. The next screen shown below asks you to specify the location of feed inlets and
outlets. Notice that the number eleven was entered for the gas inlet stream. This is
because the convention for stream location is above segment. Click the button
after entering all necessary information.
All required input is now entered and the simulation can be run. The Results screen is
shown below. You can browse through the results by clicking on the double arrow next
to the Results header.
Notice that the height
and packing
specifications that we
entered gave us the
separation specified
in the problem
statement. From the
problem statement,
the mole fraction of
acetone leaving in the
liquid phase is equal
to 0.00648, and the
mole fraction of
acetone leaving in the
gas phase is equal to
0.005.
SDSM&T
8/15
SDSM&T
9/15
Oftentimes, the value of the diameter is not given in the problem statement. The
following problem is a modification of example one, where percent of flooding is given
rather than diameter. The following example will utilize Design Specs to design an
absorber under these conditions:
Example 2
Problem Statement: Absorption of Acetone in a Packed Tower
Acetone is being absorbed by water in a packed tower having a percent flooding of 0.8 at
293 K and 101.32 kPa (1 atm). The inlet air contains 2.6 mol% acetone and outlet 0.5
mol% acetone. The total gas inlet flow rate is 14.0148 kmol/h. The pure water inlet flow
is 45.36 kmol/h. (This example is a modification of EXAMPLE 10.6-2 taken from
reference 1).
Gas Outlet
xacetone = 0.005
Absorber
T = 293 K
P = 1 atm
Gas Inlet
xair = 0.974
xacetone = 0.026
F = 14.014 kmol/h
Liquid Outlet
xacetone = 0.00648
SDSM&T
10/15
Procedure
Logon to the AspenPlus system just as in the first example. Create an identical
flowsheet, and enter all data exactly the same as in Example one, until you get to packing
specifications. This time, we do not know the packing height, so we must make an
estimate. For this example, we will estimate a packing height of 1 meter. Click the
button.
A value for the
total packing
height must be
entered in order
for the AspenPlus
simulation to run.
This estimated
value will be
overridden in the
Design Specs area
of the program,
where the height
will be varied in
order to satisfy
entered mole
fraction values.
The diameter input screen should appear next. In this example, the value of the diameter
is not known. AspenPlus can calculate the diameter based upon the percent flooding of
the column. Choose Use calculated diameter and enter the values as shown below. An
estimate must also be entered for the diameter. This example will use 1 meter.
SDSM&T
11/15
Now, you must enter the Design Specification information. We are going to vary the
packing height in the column in order to satisfy the mole fraction of acetone leaving the
column in the gas outlet stream. Scroll down the data browser and choose Flowsheeting
Options and then Design Specs. Click the New button on the screen that appears.
The design spec of DS-1 will appear and choose okay to accept. The screen for the
Fortran variable will appear. Choose new. The screen shown below will appear.
In the area labeled
Spec, enter the
variable name that we
know. In this case, it
is the mole fraction of
acetone leaving the
column in the gas
outlet stream. In our
example we will
arbitrarily call this
variable CONC. On
the next line, enter the
target value of the
variable, and finally
set the tolerance.
Click the button.
The screen for the manipulated variable will appear next. For the manipulated variable
type, choose Block-Var (the variable that we are manipulating is a block variable). Fill in
the block name and the variable name. In the area labeled ID1 enter the number one.
This refers to the column number. In the area labeled ID2, enter the number one. This
refers to the starting segment number. Choose values for the lower and upper
manipulated variable limits. For our example, we will use a packing height between 1
and 10 meters. Click the button.
A list of manipulated
variables can be accessed
by clicking on the down
button to the left of the
variable blank. Short
descriptions of the
variable abbreviations
are given as each of the
variable names is
highlighted.
Whenever you are unsure
what information you are
supposed to enter,
highlight that area and
refer to the dialogue box.
It may contain a
description of the data.
SDSM&T
12/15
All required input has now been entered and the simulation can be run. The results
screen are shown below.
Mole fraction values
for the gas outlet
and liquid outlet
stream closely
match the values
that we were trying
to obtain in the
problem statement.
The value of packing height that satisfied our design conditions was 1.94 meters. This
value is equal to the 1.94 meters calculated by reference one.
REFERENCES
1. Geankopolis, C.J. Transport Processes and Unit Operations. 3rd ed., Prentice Hall,
1993.
2. Help pages. AspenPlus Software.
SDSM&T
13/15
SDSM&T
14/15
SDSM&T
15/15
GAS-OUT
LIQ-IN
ABSORBER
GAS-IN
LIQ-OUT
Stream ID
From
To
Phase
Substream: MIXED
Mole Flow
ACETONE
WATER
AIR
Mole Frac
ACETONE
WATER
AIR
Total Flow
Total Flow
Total Flow
Temperature
Pressure
Vapor Frac
Liquid Frac
Solid Frac
Enthalpy
Enthalpy
Enthalpy
Entropy
Entropy
Density
Density
Average MW
Liq Vol 60F
LIQ-OUT
ABSORBER
LIQUID
KMOL/HR
KMOL/HR
KG/HR
L/MIN
K
ATM
CAL/MOL
CAL/GM
CAL/SEC
CAL/MOL-K
CAL/GM-K
MOL/CC
GM/CC
L/MIN
.3643640
0.0
13.64964
.0761541
.3171725
13.59127
0.0
45.36000
0.0
.2882099
45.04283
.0583660
.0260000
0.0
.9740000
14.01400
416.3316
5615.509
293.0000
1.000000
1.000000
0.0
0.0
-1376.595
-46.33711
-5358.779
-1.227476
-.0413176
4.15931E-5
1.23566E-3
29.70827
7.937254
5.44557E-3
.0226801
.9718743
13.98460
403.6166
5611.735
293.4187
1.000000
1.000000
0.0
0.0
-1623.627
-56.25579
-6307.159
-.3513392
-.0121732
4.15338E-5
1.19873E-3
28.86151
7.645211
0.0
1.000000
0.0
45.36000
817.1731
13.64048
293.0000
1.000000
0.0
1.000000
0.0
-68319.40
-3792.303
-8.6082E+5
-39.14193
-2.172707
.0554232
.9984660
18.01528
13.64580
6.34972E-3
.9923644
1.28590E-3
45.38940
829.8881
13.92747
292.2765
1.000000
0.0
1.000000
0.0
-68199.92
-3730.086
-8.5988E+5
-39.35059
-2.152218
.0543163
.9931067
18.28374
13.93784