Size & Rate Pressure Safety Valves with Aspen HYSYS and Aspen

HYSYS Dynamics
Webinar Q&A
This document summarizes the responses to questions posed before and during the webinar. Additional
questions should be directed to AspenTech Support.

Q: Can the PSV sizing feature be added to Aspen HYSYS V7.3 or is it only available in V8.3 and
higher?
A: PSV sizing is only available in version 8.3 or higher in Aspen HYSYS. If you are an existing
AspenTech customer, upgrading from your current version to version 8.3 is free of charge. Simply
contact AspenTech Support to request the upgrade.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: How do I get the latest version of HYSYS V8.3? I have version 8.0 installed on my computer.
Can I download it online or do I need to request a CD?
A: If you are a current AspenTech customer, you can request a FREE upgrade to the new version by
contacting AspenTech Support.
If you are a new AspenTech customer, you can order online here.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Does using the Safety Analysis environment for PSV sizing require additional tokens?
A: No additional tokens are required to use PSV sizing in Aspen HYSYS. Once Aspen HYSYS is
installed, you can use PSV sizing and acid gas cleaning features free of charge.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Which specific heat ratio (k) is used for PSV sizing in Aspen HYSYS?
A: The specific heat ratio used for PSV sizing is the ideal Cp/Cp-R value.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Can the discharge coefficient value be redefined?
A: Yes, the user can enter their own value for the discharge coefficient when sizing PSVs.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Can Aspen HYSYS detect the inlet and outlet piping pressure drop and sonic/choke flow in the
outlet line?
A: Yes, the line sizing tool detects both the pressure drop and the presence of sonic and choke flow when
sizing PSV lines.

Q: Can the user create relief valves based on information obtained from the manufacturer without
overriding the default values?
A: Yes, there is a customize orifice size option that gives the user the space to add extra valve sizing
options without having to remove the default values.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Is there a way to predict or simulate the effect of safety valve chattering on process variables in
dynamics mode?
A: Yes, chattering for a PSV can be simulated in Aspen HYSYS Dynamics, and strip charts or tables can
be used to monitor the change in process variables during a simulation.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Is a separate Microsoft Access license needed to use the Documentation Builder tool?
A: No, the user has access to the Documentation Builder tool, as long as Aspen HYSYS V8.3 or higher is
installed.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Can PSV sizing in Aspen HYSYS size for an exchanger tube rupture case?
A: Yes, this is a overpressure protection scenario that is sizeable in the PSV sizing feature in Aspen
HYSYS.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Does Aspen PSV handle sizing for supercritical relief flows?
A: Yes, if the relieving fluid flow set up in simulation is at supercritical conditions, the PSV sizing feature
will size a relief valve at the specified conditions.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Does the relieving temperature affect the setpoint of the valve?
A: No, they are separate inputs in the Safety Analysis environment.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Can the PSV sizing function be used to evaluate more than one piece of equipment as the inlet
to a valve?
A: Yes, a PSV at the end of a series of equipment pieces can be used for overpressure protection for
each unit.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Does it matter where the relief valve is placed in HYSYS? (i.e. will there be different results if it
is placed on the inlet, the vessel, or either outlet?)
A: If the stream conditions and properties differ for the various streams to which a PSV is attached, then
there will be different results.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: If you click on "Sizing Case, do you get the minimum orifice size of the valve?
A: Sizing case signifies the overpressure protection scenario for which the size of the valve is based on.
Therefore, the orifice size for the sizing case will be that for whichever scenario is chosen. Selecting
sizing case allows the user to continue to line sizing.

Q: Can Aspen HYSYS model liquid relief for a vapor trim valve to see the valve opening and
pressure changing?
A: Yes, the valve can be sized in the Safety Analysis environment, and the performance of the valve can
be observed using Aspen HYSYS Dynamics.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: How do you enter the orifice size given for each type of valve?
A: Either choose a standard orifice size from the dropdown in the scenario setup section in the Safety
Analysis environment or create a custom orifice.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: What is the difference between the steady-state relieving rate calculated and the one calculated
using dynamic simulation?
A: It depends on a multitude of factors in both conditions of the dynamic and steady-state simulation,
including how much the dynamic simulation deviates from the steady-state operating conditions, if control
loop operation was assessed during steady-state simulation, etc.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Do the piping calculations transfer over to the dynamic simulation?
A: You can use the line sizing generated in the Safety Analysis environment to create piping in the
Simulation environment for use in a dynamic simulation.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Can the characteristics of a relief valve that was sized in steady-state be imported into a
dynamic relief valve?
A: They cannot be directly imported but the characteristics can be manually copied and pasted.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Can a PSV be sized in dynamics mode?
A: Sizing occurs using the PSV sizing tool in Aspen HYSYS inside the Safety Analysis environment.
Valve performance and rating is performed using dynamic simulation in dynamics mode.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Can you use Refprop as a property method?
A: All fluid packages available in Aspen HYSYS can be used when sizing PSVs in the Safety Analysis
environment.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: In the liquid overfill case, there will be possible liquid relief. Can the pre-sized PSV handle the
liquid relief?
A: Yes, the orifice size provided in Aspen HYSYS is suitable to the properties and flow determined from
the stream to which the PSV is attached.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: What type of fluids are covered? Are slurries?
A: The fluid properties of anything that is modeled in the simulation environment are referenced by Aspen
HYSYS for relief valve sizing. Therefore, if you model a slurry in your simulation, those properties can be
used for relief valve sizing.

Q: Can I import P2I filescomposition and conditions(from ProII) into Aspen HYSYS to evaluate
relief on those streams?
A: There is a ProII to Aspen HYSYS converter available, therefore your models from ProII can be
imported into Aspen HYSYS and pressure relief can be evaluated.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: Once the selection of the safety valve is made, is the rated flow used to calculate the pressure
drops?
A: Yes, the rated flow is used in the line sizing.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q: How does PSV sizing perform when dealing with dense phase fluids? What about dynamics?
A: The fluid properties for a dense phase fluid from Aspen HYSYS are used to size a PSV in the Safety
Analysis environment, as well as used to run dynamic simulation.