Granulation Example Demo Guide PDF

Granulation
Guide to the Granulator Demo
Aspen Technology
Bedford, MA
2013
© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved

Granulation
 Growth of particles due to deposition of solid material on

primary particles (seeds)
– Granulation: Seed particles and deposited solids are made of

the same material
– Coating: Seed and deposited solids are made of different

material)
© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 2

Agglomeration
 Agglomeration: Aggregation of two or more primary particles
– Agglomeration by use of a binder

 Binder could be water, a suspension, solution or melt
 Particles are ‘glued together’
– Agglomeration by use of mechanical forces

 No binder is added
 Particles are ‘pressed together’

Modeling Agglomeration and Granulation
 The Aspen Plus Granulator allows to model:

– Granulation and Coating
Drum Fluidized Bed Plate
– Agglomeration
using binder
Drum Fluidized bed Plate
using mechanical forces
Compacting Press
Roller Aggl
omerator

Granulation - Model
 Particle Growth
– Population balance
– Mixed
 Ideal mixing in radial and axial direction
 Growth rate proportional to
– Surface, Volume or Diameter
– Plug flow
 Ideal mixing in radial direction
 No mixing in axial direction
 Drying of particles
 Define solids moisture content at the outlet
 Entrainment in Fluidized Beds

 Upstream gas velocity
 Terminal velocity of the particles

Modeling Granulation in Aspen Plus
- Granulator Input Form
Model Specifications Tab
Total mass
of bed
Set outlet solids

moisture content.
Active if a mositure
component is specified
in the “Solids“ tab
Wet or dry basis

Thermodynamic effect of the moisture definition
 After the granulator calculations are completed a equilibrium

calculation is performed
– If the moisture is in the MIXED
substream (Liquid components)
 Some liquid may evaporate
– If the moisture is in the CISolid

substream (Solids Moisture components)
 Liquid trapped within the solid is not
evaporated
 SMC is considered with its enthalpy during
the equilibrium calculation
 Effect on the solids density and heat
capacity is considered
 Shortcut drying model allows to define the amount of liquid
that is “stored” within the particles (CISolid substream)
- Granulator Input Form
Model Specifications Tab
Mixed or Plug
Flow model
Surface, diameter or
volume proprotional
particle growth.
Only active for
mixed flow.
Model entrainment
of fine particles in
fluidized bed
granulators.
Only active if vapor
streams are
attached.

- Granulator Results Form
Results tab
Seed and Product particle

size measures.
Additional details
available on the stream
results solids tab.
Entrainment of fine
particles with vapor
stream in a fluidized
bed granulator.

- Granulator PSD Plot
PSD Plot
Plots particle size

distributions of seed,
product , and offgas
streams.

Granulation Example
 The following example will demonstrate how a industrial

granulation process can be simulated and optimized with
Aspen Plus
– Simulation of a granulation process with external
classification/grinding circuit and product cooling
– Optimization study to increase throughput

Open the File Granulation_Example.bkp
Urea solution is
sprayed on a bed Middle fraction from
of seed particles. the screen is cooled
Particles grow by in a fluidized bed
pure granulation cooler and leaves the
process as product.
Product from
the granulator
is cooled in a
fluidized bed
cooler
Cooled particles are classified on
a double–deck screen:
- Coarse particles are milled,
mixed with the fines from the
screen and recycled as seed
particles back to the granulator
- Middle fraction is product

Review the Model for the Granulator
 In the current case the granulator has three chambers

– First two chambers for granulation
– Third chamber of drying
 Described by use of a hierarchy block

Granulator parameterization (chambers 1 and 2)
Particles grow by granulation
Outlet moisture is Vessel is assumed to be

set to be 0.5 wt-% adiabatic (heat duty = 0).
Temperature of gas and solids

is the mixing temperature of
Growth is proportional
all inlet streams.
to the particles surface
Entrainment of solids from

the bed is considered (air
streams connected to the
block).
Cross-section of the vessel

needs to be defined in order
to calculate the upstream
velocity of the gas.

Dryer parameterization (chamber 3)
Shortcut dryer is used

 Specify outlet moisture (no drying kinetics)
 Convective dryer will allow for that if
needed.
No additional heat
provided by the dryer
 Pure convective drying
Outlet moisture content

is defined on wet basis

Review the Model for the Cooler
 The fluidized bed cooler is described by an hierarchy block

– It is assumed that gas and solids reach thermodynamic equilibrium
 mix gas and solids stream results in the mixing temperature
– Fluidized bed cooler will entrain particles with the exhaust air
 Use of a Classifier (uses classification function) that classifies the particles
according to their settling velocity
 Controller is used to set the cut velocity in the classifier according based on
the gas volume flow and the cross-section of the cooler

Run the Model
Run the model
Ignore Warnings Open the layout

“ProductResults-BaseCase”
It is a reminder
that the PSD in
the granulator
outlet has been
normalized

Review results for the Base Case
Custom table allows to:

• enter values for key parameters
(spray rate, energy input of
mill)
• Review the key result
parameter (product flow rate,
recycle flow rate, product D10
and D90)

Review results for the Base Case
Plot shows the

development of the
PSD along the
granulator
Granulation in the 1st

and the 2nd chamber.
Drying in the 3rd
chamber.

Process Optimization – Task Definition
 Base Case:
– Spray rate 5 kg/s (97 wt-% Urea, 3 wt-% Water)
– Energy input to the mill 2 kW
 Objective
– Increase throughput by at least 60%
– Keep product within specifications
 Constraints:
– Keep product within specifications
 D10 > 1.2 mm (base case: D10 = 1.35 mm)
 D90 < 2.9 mm (base case: D90 = 2.89 mm)
– Maximum recycle mass flow 3 kg/s (base case 2.23 kg/s)

Process Optimization – Change flow Rate
Open the layout Flowsheet-Optimization
Change urea spray rate to

8 kg/s (5 kg/s = 60%)
and run the model

Process Optimization – Review Results
Changing the urea spray rate to 8

kg/s increases the product flow
rate by 60%
BUT
- Recycle flow rate above limit of 3

kg/s
- D90 above limit of 2.9 mm
Idea: Adjust energy input to the mill in order to fulfill

the constraints
First test: Set energy input to 3 kw and run the model

 Increasing the energy input to the mill For explanation

of warnings,
– decreases the recycle flow rate see appendix
– decrease D90
 Question: What is the necessary energy input?

 Idea: Use sensitivity to see how the energy input of the mill
influences the recycle flow rate and the D10 and D90 of
the product ( find optimal value for the energy input).

Process Optimization – Setup Sensitivity
Activate the pre-defined sensitivity task
Open the layout SensitivitySetup

Process Optimization – Setup Sensitivity
Recycle flow rate, D10 and

D90 of the product will be
saved for each step of the
sensitivity analysis
Energy input of the mill is

varied from 2 kW to 5 kW
in 11 steps
Recycle flow rate, D10 and
D90 of the product will be
tabulated as function of
the energy input

Process Optimization – Run the Sensitivity
Run the model
Open the layout SensitivityResults

Process Optimization – Review the Results
Energy input of 4.2

kW fulfills all
constraints
Energy input of ~5
kW produces so
much fines that the
recycle flow rate
jumps to ~8.9 kg/s

Process Optimization
- Run with Optimized Values
Deactivate the sensitivity task
Switch to layout Flowsheet-Optimization.
Enter optimal value (4.2 kW) for the

energy input and run the model

 With the optimized energy input it is possible to increase

the product flow rate by 60%
 All constraints are fulfilled
– D10 > 1.2 mm
– D90 < 2.9 mm
– Maximum recycle mass flow 3 kg/s
Base Case Optimized Case

Appendix- Warnings
 When running the second

variation of the base case,
you may have come
across a warning stating
that the given moisture
content is not possible.
 In the second granulator,
the moisture content at
the outlet was set to
0.005 kg/kg dry. The
moisture content
calculated was 0.00495
kg/kg, which is slightly
lower than what was
specified.

Appendix- Warnings
 Sensitivity Analysis
Warnings are a result of
the previous warnings and
also can be ignored.

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Granulation

Guide to the Granulator Demo

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved

 Growth of particles due to deposition of solid material on

– Granulation: Seed particles and deposited solids are made of

– Coating: Seed and deposited solids are made of different

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 2

 Agglomeration: Aggregation of two or more primary particles

– Agglomeration by use of a binder

– Agglomeration by use of mechanical forces

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 3

 The Aspen Plus Granulator allows to model:

Drum Fluidized Bed Plate

Drum Fluidized bed Plate

using mechanical forces

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 4

 Entrainment in Fluidized Beds

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 5

Model Specifications Tab

Set outlet solids

Wet or dry basis

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 6

 After the granulator calculations are completed a equilibrium

– If the moisture is in the CISolid

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 8

Seed and Product particle

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 9

Plots particle size

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 10

 The following example will demonstrate how a industrial

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 11

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 12

 In the current case the granulator has three chambers

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 13

Granulator parameterization (chambers 1 and 2)

Particles grow by granulation

Outlet moisture is Vessel is assumed to be

Temperature of gas and solids

Entrainment of solids from

Cross-section of the vessel

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 14

Dryer parameterization (chamber 3)

Shortcut dryer is used

Outlet moisture content

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 15

 The fluidized bed cooler is described by an hierarchy block

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 16

Run the model

Ignore Warnings Open the layout

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 17

Custom table allows to:

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 18

Plot shows the

Granulation in the 1st

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 19

– Maximum recycle mass flow 3 kg/s (base case 2.23 kg/s)

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 20

Open the layout Flowsheet-Optimization

Change urea spray rate to

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 21

Changing the urea spray rate to 8

- Recycle flow rate above limit of 3

Idea: Adjust energy input to the mill in order to fulfill