Model a Refrigerated Gas Plant

Workshop
Files can be found in folder: 04_RefrigeratedGasPlant

Objective
In this workshop, you will define and calculate the Heat Exchanger unit operation as well
as implement two logical operations; the Balance and the Adjust. You will also learn
how to install a template file into an existing HYSYS simulation.

In this workshop scenario, a simplified refrigerated gas plant will be modelled to

determine the operating conditions required to meet the product dew point target. In this
scenario, the hydrocarbon dew point temperature of the product gas stream should be
equal to -15 °C (5 °F) at 6000 kPa (870 psia).

This workshop includes the following tasks:

• Task 1 – Build the Base Case

• Task 2 – Add a Balance Operation
• Task 3 – Configure an Adjust Operation
• Task 4 – Install a Template

Task 1 – Build the Base Case

The GasPlant.fpk fluid package which was created in the GetStarted workshop will be
used as the starting point for this simulation. By utilizing this Fluid Package file, you
avoid the re-work of defining components and physical property options that are already
available elsewhere. This approach helps to standardize physical property assumptions
across a spectrum of simulations by a variety of HYSYS users.

1. Open Aspen HYSYS and create a New case.

2. Select the Fluid Packages folder from the Navigation Pane and click the Import
button at the bottom of the form.

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3. Navigate to the GasPlant.fpk Fluid Package file you exported during the Get
Started workshop. Once you locate and select the file, click Open.

4. Review the data included in the GasPlant.fpk file. You should note that both the
Peng-Robinson property package and component list from the Getting Started
workshop are in place.

5. Click the Simulation Environment button to continue.

6. Add a new Material Stream to the flowsheet with the following values:

In this cell... Enter...

Name To Refrig
Temperature 15°C (59°F)

Pressure 6200 kPa (899.2 psia)

Flow Rate 1440 kgmole/h (3175 lbmole/hr)

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 Component Mole Fraction

Nitrogen 0.0066
H2S 0.0003

CO2 0.0003
Methane 0.7575
Ethane 0.1709

Propane 0.0413
i-Butane 0.0068
n-Butane 0.0101

i-Pentane 0.0028
n-Pentane 0.0027
n-Hexane 0.0006

H2O 0.0000
C7+ 0.0001

7. Add a Separator to your flowsheet.

8. Enter the following information on the Design | Connections page of the

Separator to fully define the operation:

In this cell... Enter...

Name Inlet Gas Sep

Feed To Refrig

Vapour Outlet Inlet Sep Vap

Liquid Outlet Inlet Sep Liq

Next, you will add a HYSYS Heat Exchanger unit operation. The Heat Exchanger
performs energy and material balance calculations based on a shell and tube-type
exchanger. Depending upon the input parameters, the heat exchanger is capable of
solving for stream temperatures, pressures, mass flows, heat flows (including heat loss
and heat leak) and UA.

9. Double-click the Heat Exchanger icon on the Model Palette.

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 10. On the Design | Connections page, enter the following information:

In this cell... Enter...

Name Gas-Gas
Tube Side Inlet Inlet Sep Vap
Tube Side Outlet Gas to Chiller
Shell Side Inlet LTS Vap
Shell Side Outlet Sales Gas

11. Select the Design | Parameters page and select Simple Weighted as the Heat
Exchanger Model.

12. Enter a pressure drop of 7 kPa (1 psi) for the shell side 35 kPa (5 psi) for the tube
side.

13. Uncheck the Use Ft check box.

To solve the heat exchanger, unknown parameters such as stream flows and temperatures
are manipulated by the solver in order to meet user defined design specifications. Each
design constraint that is entered will reduce the degrees of freedom for the heat exchanger
by one. In order to arrive at a unique solution, the number of constraints must equal the
number of unknown variables.

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To solve for the unknown product temperatures in the Gas-Gas exchanger, two design
constraints are needed. You will use the heat balance between hot and cold sides (this is
a default) and a minimum approach temperature specification.

14. Select the Specs page from the Design tab. Note the first listed specification
mentions a heat balance. This specification is used to ensure that the heat transfer
equations balance for both sides of the exchanger. As a default specification, it is
always enabled by Aspen HYSYS.

15. Remove the default UA specification by deactivating the Active check box for the
E-100 UA specification.

16. To add the minimum approach specification, click the Add button on the right
side of the form.

17. Provide the following information for the Gas-Gas exchanger specification:

In this cell... Enter...

Name Temp Approach

Type Min Approach

Pass Overall

Spec Value 5°C (9°F)

The Minimum Approach Temperature defined above is the minimum temperature

difference between the hot and cold stream at any point inside the exchanger.

18. The Gas-Gas exchanger is not yet ready to solve as the shell side flow rate is not
known. But make sure your Design | Specs form looks like the one below and
move on. The exchanger will solve once the remainder of the flowsheet is
specified.

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Note: You can have multiple Estimate specifications. These are just used as initial
conditions to help the exchanger solve. The Heat Exchanger will only use the Active
specifications for the final solution.

19. Return to the flowsheet and add a Cooler operation, providing the following
information:

In this cell... Enter...

Connections
Name Chiller
Inlet Stream Gas to Chiller
Outlet Stream Gas to LTS
Energy Stream Chiller-Q
Parameters
Delta P 35 kPa (5 psia)

20. Add a Separator and provide the following information on the Connections form:

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 In this cell... Enter...
Name LTS
Inlet Stream Gas to LTS
Vapour Outlet LTS Vap
Liquid Outlet LTS Liq

21. The flowsheet still has not calculated from the Gas-Gas heat exchanger on
downstream. The LTS Separator is actually the critical item in this flowsheet.

QUESTION: What piece of information is required for the LTS separator to solve that is
not available? [Write your answer below]

In the next workshop task, the LTS feed temperature will be varied using an Adjust
operation to find a temperature at which the dew point constraint is met. For now, you
will simply estimate a constant value for this temperature.

22. Specify the temperature of stream Gas to LTS at -20 °C (-4 °F).The entire
flowsheet should now calculate.

QUESTION: What is the temperature of the Sales Gas stream? [Write your answer
below]

23. Save your case as 04-RefrigGasPlant.hsc.

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Task 2 – Add a Balance Operation
The Balance operation provides a general purpose heat and material balance facility.
There are several different Balance calculation options available in Aspen HYSYS, as
described in the table below:

Balance Type Description

Component Mole Flow
An overall balance is performed in which only the molar flow of
each component is conserved. Combined outlet streams will
have the same component flow rates as the combined inlet
streams, but will contain no vapour fraction, temperature, or
pressure values.

Mass Flow An overall balance is performed in which only the mass flow is
conserved. The outlet stream will contain no composition, vapour
fraction, temperature, or pressure.

Heat Flow An overall balance is performed in which only the heat flow is
conserved.

Component Mole and An overall balance is performed in which the heat and
Heat Flow component molar flows are conserved.

Mass and Heat Flow An overall balance is performed in which the heat and
component mass flows are conserved.

If you open the property view of the Sales Gas stream, you will notice that the stream
parameters are all calculated, so there is no direct way to calculate a dew point
temperature at 6000 kPa (870 psia). Adding a Component Mole Flow Balance allows
you to create a second stream with the same flow rate and composition as the Sales Gas,
without fixing the vapor fraction, temperature, or pressure.

24. Add a Balance operation by double-clicking the Balance icon on the Model
Palette.

25. Add the following information on the Connections tab:

In this cell... Enter...

Inlet Stream Sales Gas
Outlet Stream HC Dewpoint
Type (on Parameters tab) Component Mole Flow

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26. Return to the flowsheet and double-click the HC Dewpoint stream.

27. Specify a Pressure of 6000 kPa (870.2 psia) and a vapor fraction of 1.0. This
will allow the HC Dewpoint stream to calculate its dew point temperature based
on composition.

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QUESTION: What is the calculated dew point temperature in HC Dewpoint? [Write
your answer below]

QUESTION: The required dew point temperature is -15 °C (5 °F); is the current dew
point temperature higher or lower? [Write your answer below]

QUESTION: Assuming that pressure is fixed, what other parameter affects the dew
point temperature? [Write your answer below]

28. Save your case as 04-RefrigGasPlantBal.hsc.

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Task 3 – Configure an Adjust Operation
The Adjust is another logical operation; meaning, like the Balance operation, it is a
mathematical calculation rather than a physical unit operation. The purpose of an Adjust
is to vary the value of one process variable (the independent variable) to meet a target
value or specification (the dependant variable) elsewhere in the simulation.

29. Double-click the Adjust icon on the Object Palette; the Adjust property view
displays.

30. Click the Select Var... button in the Adjusted Variable group.

31. The Variable Navigator view displays. From the Object list, select Gas to LTS.
From the Variable list, select Temperature.

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Note: The Adjusted Variable must always be a user-specified value!

32. Click Select to accept the variable and return to the Adjust property view.

33. Click the Select Var... button in the Target Variable group and select the object
HC Dewpoint, and then select Temperature as the variable.

34. Click Select to accept the variable and return to the Adjust property view.

35. Enter a value of -15 °C (5 °F) in the Specified Target Value box.

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 36. Select the Parameters tab. Here you can specify a different Tolerance or Step
Size value from the defaults, or provide minimum/maximum allowable values for
the Independent variable. In this case the default settings are sufficient.

Note: When adjusting certain variables, it is often a good idea to provide a minimum or
maximum which corresponds to a physical boundary, such as zero for pressure or flow.

Tip: Take note of the Step Size used. When entering a step size, select a sufficiently large
value such that an approximate solution can be achieved in two or three iterations. Since
the Secant convergence method works best once the solution has been bracketed, a larger
step size ensures that you are more likely to bracket the solution quickly. It is also
recommended to try a manual change on the adjusted variable prior to running the
Adjust so as to verify the relationship between the adjusted and target variables.

37. Click Start to begin calculations. To view the progress of the Adjust calculation,
select and view the Monitor tab.

QUESTION: What Chiller outlet temperature is required to achieve the dew point
specification? [Write your answer below]

38. Save your case as 04-RefrigGasPlantAdj.hsc.

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Task 4 – Install a Template
The current setup of your Refrigerated Gas Plant uses a simple Cooler model for the Gas
Chiller. The next step will be to link the Propane Refrigeration Loop you built in the last
workshop to that Chiller. Once linked, the refrigerated propane in the refrigeration loop
will be providing the cooling duty to chill the gas.

39. View the Model Palette and double-click the Standard Sub-flowsheet icon:

40. In the Sub-Flowsheet Option dialog box that appears, select Read an Existing
Template.

41. Navigate to the 03-PropaneRefrigLoop.tpl file you saved in the previous

workshop, select it, and click Open.
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Note: Once a template is installed as a new sub-flowsheet, any subsequent changes only
affect the template objects as they exist in the current simulation. These changes would
not affect the template file from which the sub-flowsheet was derived.

On the Connections tab of the Sub-Flowsheet Operation property view, you can define all
the inlet and outlet connections between the sub-flowsheet and the main flowsheet. Inlet
connections are material or energy streams entering the sub-flowsheet; Outlet
connections are streams leaving the sub-flowsheet.

42. In the Inlet Connections to Sub-Flowsheet group box, click the External
Stream box next to Chill-Q and select Chiller-Q from the drop down menu.

43. You will notice the Chill-Q stream on the sub-flowsheet side is automatically
renamed Chiller Q to match the main flowsheet stream name.

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Note: Internal streams refer to streams in the sub-flowsheet. External streams are located
in the main/parent flowsheet.

44. Rename the sub-flowsheet C3 Refrig Loop.

Aspen HYSYS allows for the option to model a sub-flowsheet using a different fluid
package than the main flowsheet. As a result, a flash calculation must be done for any
material streams passing between flowsheets, as each fluid package could calculate
different vapour-liquid equilibrium or transport properties. The type of flash calculation
performed at a flowsheet boundary is fixed by the user via the Transfer Basis tab on the
Sub-Flowsheet Operation property view. A brief description of each option is given in
the table below:

Flash Type Description

P-H Flash The Pressure and Enthalpy of the material stream are passed
between flowsheets. A new temperature and vapour fraction
will be calculated. Since the Enthalpy basis may be different for
each property package this option is only recommended when
the same fluid package is in use for both material streams in the
two flowsheets.
T-P Flash The Pressure and Temperature of the Material stream are
passed between flowsheets. A new Vapour Fraction will be
calculated.
VF-T Flash The Vapour Fraction and Temperature of the Material stream
are passed between flowsheets. A new Pressure will be
calculated.
VF-P Flash The Vapour Fraction and Pressure of the material stream are
passed between flowsheets. A new temperature will be
calculated.
None Required No calculation is required for an Energy stream. The heat flow
will simply be passed between flowsheets.

In this case, the appropriate choice for a transfer basis would be “None Req’d”, since
only energy streams pass across the flowsheet boundary. Next, you’ll explore linking the
parent flowsheet and sub-flowsheet with material streams. This can be a bit of a
challenge when the two flowsheets utilize different Fluid Packages.

45. Click the Properties Environment button and view the Fluid Packages folder.
Note that there are two Fluid Packages, one associated with the Refrigerated Gas
Plant (GasPlant), and another associated with the Propane Loop (Basis-1). Both
Fluid Packages use the same property package (Peng-Robinson) and the Propane
Loop component (propane) also exists in the GasPlant Fluid Package.

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 46. Based on these observations in the Properties Environment, the GasPlant Fluid
Package can be applied to the Propane Refrigeration Loop in the sub-flowsheet.
Return to the Simulation Environment.

47. Click the Fluid Package Associations button in the Home tab of the HYSYS
ribbon.

48. Change the Fluid Pkg To Use for the C3 Refrig Loop to GasPlant.

By specifying both the parent flowsheet and sub-flowsheet to use the same Fluid
Package, you are avoiding potential issues that can arise when linking those flowsheets
together. Recall earlier you reviewed available Transfer Basis options for linking
together parent flowsheet and sub-flowsheet material streams. By listing just one Fluid
Package for the entire simulation, you can avoid dealing with Transfer Basis calculation
problems in most cases.

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When two different Fluid Packages are required (one in each flowsheet), then the
treatment of Transfer Basis options becomes more complex. To determine an appropriate
Transfer Basis, it is usually a requirement to analyze the connecting material streams,
noting which process variables are specified and which are calculated. These variables
must agree with the Transfer Basis, which indicates the variables to be held constant
across the parent flowsheet/sub-flowsheet transition.

49. Return to the flowsheet and double-click on the sub-flowsheet icon. Select the
Sub-Flowsheet Environment… button. The Propane Refrigeration Loop
flowsheet will then display.

QUESTION: What is the calculated molar flow rate of propane in the refrigeration
loop? [Write your answer below]

50. Return to the Parent (main) flowsheet by clicking the Go to Parent icon in the
Flowsheet/Modify tab of the ribbon.

51. Save your case as 04-RefrigGasPlantTempQ.hsc.

The gas chiller is currently represented by linking a Cooler and Heater together via a
common energy steam. This assumes each unit operation as one “side” of a theoretical
heat exchanger. Although this can be a simple and effective way to simulate a heat
exchanger, it is an impractical way to assess certain performance-related parameters such
as exchanger UA and LMTD. It also makes it difficult to detect operational concerns like
temperature crosses. In the next section, the heater and cooler operations representing the
gas chiller will be replaced with a single heat exchanger unit operation.

Taking this approach will require material stream connections between the parent and
sub-flowsheet levels. Since you defined both levels to use the same Fluid Package, you
should find that these connections should compute without problem!

52. In the Main flowsheet, delete the Chiller operation and Chiller-Q energy stream.

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53. Add a Heat Exchanger and enter the following information:

In this cell... Enter...

Connections
Name Chiller HX
Tube Side Inlet Gas to Chiller
Tube Side Outlet Gas to LTS
Shell Side Inlet C3 In
Shell Side Outlet C3 Out
Parameters
Heat Exchanger Model Simple Weighted
Shell Side Pressure Drop 7 kPa (1 psi)
Tube Side Pressure Drop 35 kPa (5 psi)

54. Return to the flowsheet and double-click the C3 Refrig Loop icon and click the
Sub-Flowsheet Environment… button.

55. Delete the Chiller operation and Chiller-Q energy stream from the sub-flowsheet.

56. Return to the Main flowsheet by clicking the Go to Parent button on the
Flowsheet/Modify ribbon tab.

57. Double click the Sub-flowsheet.

58. Select the Connections tab of the Sub-flowsheet view and click on the External
Stream box beside 3 and select C3 Out from the drop down menu.

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59. In the Outlet Connections to Sub-Flowsheet group box, click the External
Stream box next to 2 and select C3 In from the drop down menu. The Chiller
HX heat exchanger should be able to solve.

QUESTION: What is the UA of Chiller HX? What is the minimum approach

temperature? [Write your answer below]

60. Save your case as 04-RefrigGasPlantTempHX.hsc.

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Challenge Exercises
1. The available UA for the Gas-Gas Heat Exchanger is only 2.0 E+05 kJ/C-h
(1.053 E+05 Btu/F-h). Make the necessary modifications to your exchanger
specifications to achieve this UA.

QUESTION: How does this affect your exchanger LMTD and minimum approach
temperature? [Write your answer below]

2. In the previous section, the heater and cooler operations representing the chiller
were replaced with a single heat exchanger in the main flowsheet. To facilitate
this, two new streams were created in the main flowsheet and linked with the
chiller feed and product streams in the refrigeration sub-flowsheet.

Reload the 04-RefrigGasPlantTempQ.hsc file you saved in Task 4. Remove the

Chiller unit operations and associated energy streams from both the parent and sub-
flowsheets.

Add a Heat Exchanger with the same settings as Chiller HX used in Task 4 – with one
exception! Utilize the propane refrigerant streams already available in the sub-
flowsheet instead of creating new streams.

Hint: Change the Shell Side Flowsheet on the Heat Exchanger Connections page to
access the sub-flowsheet streams.

QUESTION: Is your model able to solve? Would you prefer this approach of
linking the parent flowsheet to the sub-flowsheet, or the option utilized in Task 4 of
the workshop? [Write your answer below]

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Recommended Reading
Knowledge Base Article 000029063
Difference between 'Define from other stream' and 'Balance' unit operation

Knowledge Base Article 000029250

How do I convert a flowsheet into a template, and does it work for subflowsheets?

Knowledge Base Article 000029933

What does "Transfer Basis" mean?

Knowledge Base Article 000031065

How do I select the best transfer basis for my simulation?

Knowledge Base Article 000031043

How to associate fluid packages with flowsheets

Knowledge Base Article 000031111

How do I change the fluid package for the template imported in the flowsheet?

Knowledge Base Article 000044544

How is the Energy Balance performed for a Heat Exchanger unit operation in Aspen
HYSYS?

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 Notes:

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 Model a Refrigerated Gas Plant
Solutions
Files can be found in folder: 04_RefrigeratedGasPlant/Solutions

Questions
Task 1
QUESTION: The flowsheet still has not calculated from the Gas-Gas heat exchanger on
downstream. The LTS Separator is actually the critical item in this flowsheet. What
piece of information is required for the LTS separator to solve that is not available?

The inlet stream (Gas to LTS) temperature is unknown and therefore needs to be
specified.

QUESTION: What is the temperature of the Sales Gas stream?

10 °C (50 °F)

Task 2
QUESTION: What is the calculated dew point temperature in HC Dewpoint?

-19.8 °C (-3.64 °F)

QUESTION: The required dew point temperature is -15 °C (5 °F); is the current dew
point temperature higher or lower?

The current dew point is lower than the required dew point.

QUESTION: Assuming that pressure is fixed, what other parameter affects the dew
point temperature?

Composition will also affect the dew point temperature of Sales Gas.

Task 3
QUESTION: What Chiller outlet temperature is required to achieve the dew point
specification?

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-15.18 °C (4.68 oF)

Task 4
QUESTION: What is the calculated molar flow rate of propane in the refrigeration loop?

156.8kgmole/h (345.8 lbmole/hr)

QUESTION: What is the UA of Chiller HX? What is the minimum approach

temperature?

UA = 1.71 E +05 kJ/°C-hr (9.016 E+04 Btu/°F-hr)

Min. Appr. Temp. = 4.032 °C (7.257 °F)

Challenge Problems
QUESTION: How does this affect your exchanger LMTD and minimum approach
temperature?

LMTD = 9.153 °C (16.47 °F)

Min. Appr. Temp. = 7.308 °C (13.15 °F)

QUESTION: Is your model able to solve? Would you prefer this approach of linking
the parent flowsheet to the sub-flowsheet, or the option utilized in Task 4 of the
workshop? [Write your answer below]

Yes. This approach is easy and convenient but hard to tell the connection from the PFD.

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