Part-1 of 3

Basic on Process Simulation

“Just Make It Simple”

8th September, 2010

By : Erwin Apriandi
OBJECTIVE
• Objective of this presentation is to guide

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and inform process engineer to see
Process Simulation as an easy and simple
task, and to understand a bit on what is
happen at the backgrounds of process
simulation

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INTRODUCTION
• Process Simulation is a software that
represent the model of chemical,
physical calculation, properties and
other technical process or unit
operation.

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• The calculation in Process Simulation
are performed based on chemical and
physical properties of pure components
or mixtures. Which further use the
chemical reactions, physical changes and
mathematical equations, and combined
it to make Heat and Material Balance
calculation or other analysis become
much more easier.
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HOW IT WORK???
An example :
300
Comp:
• C1 (Methane) - 50%
• C2 (Ethane) - 30%

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• C3 (Propane) - 20%
100 200
• P : 20 Barg
V-100
• T : 30 deg C
VLV-100
• Flowrate : 100 kg/hr
When we enter the composition, flowrate, P
& T of stream 100, enter the pressure at 400
stream 200 and connect it to a vessel in a
steady state process simulation. The simulation
software will calculate based on VLE the Question… What is actually happen in the background???
composition and properties for stream 300
and 400 4
HOW IT WORK??? (Cont…)
This is what happens :

1. When we enter the composition, flowrate, P & T of stream 100, the software will read the
pure components properties and made a calculation for the mixture properties based on
the amount of composition at given pressure, temperature and flowrate (The method of

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the calculation is determine based on what method we wanted to use, which we normally
called fluid package or equation of state) after the calculation complete the stream will
converged
2. For the valve (VLV-100), it will converged by calculating the pressure drop across it, based
on the given pressure downstream.
3. While for stream 200, after stream 100 and VLV-100 converged. It will collect all the
information from stream 100 and VLV-100 and made it as a basis for the calculation of
stream 200 properties calculation based on the given pressure. i.e. calculate the
temperature, density and etc.
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HOW IT WORK??? (Cont…)
This is what happens (cont…):

4. As stream 200 enter the vessel, the vessel will devide the stream to it respective phase (in
this case gas and liquid), the gas flowrate and properties will be transferred to stream 300
and the liquid flowrate and properties will be transferred to stream 400. Additional info

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can also be given here, like the carry over setup, pressure drop in the vessel internal etc.

Something to remember is that, in any process simulation the calculation is running in sequence. Means the
next operation will never be able to perform if the previous operation has not completed.
And a one degree operation is required, for the operation to run or the operation will not run, means except
for the first stream one parameter shall be let <empty>.
Example: 1+2+3=… or 1+…+3=6 (this mean 1 degree of freedom)
but 1+...+3=… or 1+…+…=6 (this is more than 1 degree of freedom, means
there are more than 1 value that can be given to resolve the equation)
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WHAT HAPPENS IN
THE BACKGROUNDS???
1. in the background of process simulation software, there are lots of calculation that

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happens, which before process simulation software are develop, the calculations is done by
manual calculation.
2. And by knowing what calculation is used, we’ll be able to analyze the results of the
simulation with better understanding
3. In this presentation, we are only going to review one major calculation, that is:

PVT calculation or Equation of State (fluid package)

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WHAT HAPPENS IN
THE BACKGROUNDS??? (Cont…)
PVT Calculation or Equation of State
• (Fluid Package)

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This calculation is the main calculation, that is why the selection of Fluid Package in process simulation is a
critical step. Since it responsible for the calculation of main parameter, which is later used for other calculation
Here is example of the calculation <click here>
Some suggestion for selecting fluid package (on HYSYS) Can be found in HYSYS documentation
• Simulation Basis Sub Chapter 2.4.1
• Or we can also find it by click on launch property wizard button on the fluid package windows <click
here> no longer available in V.11
• And for calculation used for other unit operation can be found in Operation Guide

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OVERVIEW…
❑ From the previous slide, we learn that in principle, process simulation software carried out
calculation that we normally do by manual calculation during our study in college.

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❑ Therefore, in principle to carry on task for making process simulation in a project is not a
hard and heavy task. Since, we actually already know what happens in the background and
has performed it before by manual calculation.

❑ This overview will end Part-1 of this tutorial presentation, next presentation will be focus
on doing the simulation thru an example

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Thank
You Erwin APRIANDI
erwin.apriandi@gmail.com
Property Wizard
 Ex. of Equation of State (EOS) RK

Redlich-Kwong EOS (fluid package)

Ex. of Equation of
State (EOS) PR

Pen-Robinson EOS (fluid package)