Aspen FIHR

Getting Started Guide

Copyright
Version Number: 2004
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Introduction
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Related Documentation
In addition to online help systems available via the product applications, a
number of printable documents are provided to help users learn and use the
HTFS family of products:

Title Content
HTFS Installation Guide.pdf Describes the installation routine

HTFS User Guide.pdf Provides an overview of the HTFS

family of products

ACOL Reference Guide.pdf User instructions for the ACOL product

ACOL Getting Started Guide.pdf

APLE Reference Guide.pdf User instructions for the APLE product

APLE Getting Started Guide.pdf

MUSE Reference Guide.pdf User instructions for the MUSE

product
MUSE Getting Started Guide.pdf

FIHR Reference Guide.pdf User instructions for the FIHR product

FIHR Getting Started Guide.pdf

FRAN Reference Guide.pdf User instructions for the FRAN product

FRAN Getting Started Guide.pdf

PIPE Reference Guide.pdf User instructions for the PIPE product

PIPE Getting Started Guide.pdf

TASC Thermal Reference Guide.pdf User instructions for the TASC

Thermal product
TASC Thermal Getting Started Guide.pdf

TASC Mechanical Reference Guide.pdf User instructions for the TASC

Mechanical product
TASC Mechanical Getting Started Guide.pdf

Introduction
 Getting Started 1-1

1 Getting Started

1.1 Overview...........................................................................................3

1.2 Example 1 .........................................................................................4

1-1
1-2 Getting Started

1-2
 Getting Started 1-3

1.1 Overview
Included with your FIHR software are a number of example input files
that can acquaint you with the program. The cases are fully defined and
ready to run. You can simply open the cases and run FIHR to see the
type of output that can be calculated. This Getting Started chapter will
step you through one of these example cases, as a brief introduction to
the FIHR architecture, input options and available output information.

A complete set of results for the sample input files is provided in a

separate location for Quality Assurance purposes. See Chapter 2 - QA
Examples.

A set of tutorials showing you how to set up input files for (different)
specific problems is included in Chapter 7 - Examples, of the Reference
Guide.

Before examining and running the example input files, it is important to

define the main types of calculations that FIHR can perform. These
allow you to calculate the performance of the firebox and/or convection
sections of a fired process heater. The examples in the Reference Guide
will elaborate on this.

The two fundamental FIHR calculation modes are shown in the

following table.

FIHR Calculation Modes

Fixed (Performance This is for simulation or design checking. You input information about the
Simulation) firebox geometry, the fuel, the combustion air, the convection section geometry
and the process fluids including the inlet condition of the process streams and
FIHR calculates the heat transfer, temperature and pressure drop distributions
in the heater and the stream outlet conditions.
Calculate (Burner This is a thermal rating option in which FIHR calculates the burner fuel flowrate
Rate Mode) required to achieve a specified heat load on the firebox process stream. You
input the same information as for the Simulation option and in addition specify
the outlet temperature of the firebox process fluid. (In Rate mode you must
also provide an initial estimate of the fuel flowrate required for the duty). FIHR
calculates the heat transfer, temperature and pressure drop distributions in the
heater. FIHR then compares the calculated outlet temperature of the process
stream in the firebox with that specified by you and iterates on the burner fuel
flowrate until the calculated temperature matches the specified temperature.
You can only use the Rate mode if you are modelling the firebox.

1-3
1-4 Example 1

1.2 Example 1
In this first example we will take a brief look at how an existing dataset
can be reviewed, run and the outputs accessed.
1. Start FIHR. This can be done several ways and will depend on
exactly how you set up your desktop. The two main ways are:
• Click the Start menu on the desktop, then select Programs-
HTFS-FIHR 2.10 command. See Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1

• Select FIHR from within Windows Explorer.

Once you have opened FIHR, it is recommended that you put the
short cut icon directly on your desktop.

Once the splash screen has cleared you will see the main FIHR desktop
and over the top of this is the Welcome! view (see Figure 1.2). From this
view you can select to create a New file or an Existing file. If you have
used FIHR previously, the project file you have worked with will appear
in the Recently Used Project File list, making it easy to get back to files
you were recently working on.

1-4
 Getting Started 1-5

2. Click the Existing button, to select an Existing file.

Figure 1.2

3. You are presented with an Open File view. To open the file for this
Getting Started example, go to the:
C:\PROGRAM FILES\HYPROTECH\HTFS\DATA directory.

(This is the default directory, the exact location may be different if you
changed the FIHR destination directory during installation.) See Figure
1.3 for the Open File view.

Figure 1.3

1-5
1-6 Example 1

4. For this example you should select the file QFIHR1.FHI. You will
know when the file has been loaded, because the Fired Heater
System diagram appears within the FIHR desktop. See Figure 1.4.

Figure 1.4

Tip -
If you cannot remember where a file is located, there is a Find File utility
to help you. Select Find File from the File Menu or use the keyboard
short cut by pressing CTRL F.

You can right-click within the Fired Heater System view to access the
Object Inspect menu. The Object Inspect menu allows you to
display other diagrams.

Object Inspect menu

1-6

To access the Preferences
view, select File-Preferences
command from the menu bar.
Open icon
Getting Started 1-7
If the Show Browser checkbox, in the General tab of the Preferences
view, has been checked, then the HTFS Data Browser view appears
automatically along with the system’s diagram.
Figure 1.5
Otherwise, the HTFS Data Browser can be obtained by selecting the
Browser command from the View menu. The HTFS Data Browser gives
access to all the input data.
Once FIHR has started you can open other files by selecting the Open
command from the File menu. To use the Welcome! view again, select
the Start Project command from the View menu. However, in either case
you can only have one project active at any one time. For most common
activities there are short cuts.
For example, to open a file you can either click on the Open icon or use
the keyboard short cut by pressing CTRL O.
1-7
1-8 Example 1

Now look a bit closer at the project file you have opened.
1. Open the HTFS Data Browser view.

The information and options in the HTFS Data Browser can be

accessed in three ways:
• Tree Browser. The left side of the HTFS Data Browser view
contains a tree browser menu. This tree browser is divided into
the different types of data you need to describe the fired heater
and the conditions under which it will operate. These include
different aspects of geometry, process conditions and physical
properties.
• Icons. The toolbar in the main FIHR desktop contains icons that
allow you to access data input pages in the HTFS Data Browser.
However, the icons have limited access to the top level of pages
in the tree browser.
• Input menu. The Input menu in the menu bar of the main FIHR
desktop contains commands that allow you to access data input
pages in the HTFS Data Browser view. Like the icons in the
toolbar, the commands in the Input menu are also limited to the
top level of pages in the tree browser.

Figure 1.6

The following steps show you how to access the information in the HTFS
Data Browser using each of the above mentioned methods.
2. Access the Firebox Tube Layout page from the HTFS Data Browser
view by selecting the Input-Firebox Geometry command from the
menu bar.

1-8
 Getting Started 1-9

3. Select Firebox Tube Layout from the tree browser on the HTFS Data
Browser view.

Figure 1.7

The page on Figure 1.7 allows the layout, tube orientation, and
arrangement of the firebox tubes to be set. This page is typical of
most pages in that the data are entered either in a text field, or by a
drop-down list. The drop-down list presents the list of possible
inputs, which you may select.

You may see minor differences in the views in your version of FIHR,
compared with the figures in this guide, which were generated on a pre-
release version of FIHR.

Tip -
If at any point you are not sure what input you want or something is not
clear, you can press F1 and get context sensitive help. If you select the
Tube Straight Line Length and press F1, you can see a description of
this parameter. This help also contains links to diagrams and related
topics that you can use by clicking with the mouse on any of the
highlighted text. For example at the bottom of the help there is a list of
links to diagrams which illustrate the concept of tube straight line length
as used in FIHR. Click on the link Straight Line Lengths for Vertical
Tubes. A new help page pops up showing you how the tube straight line
length can be defined for vertical tubes.

1-9
1-10 Example 1

4. Now look at process data by selecting Process-Process Data -

Streams from tree browser in the HTFS Data Browser view.

Figure 1.8

This page shows another form of input page where the input items are
arranged in the form of a spreadsheet. If the data do not fit the page, a
scrollbar appears and allows you to access the other input items. The
spreadsheet is used when data are required several times, in this case for
the two streams in the heater.
5. Finally, look briefly at the physical properties input by clicking on
the Physical Properties icon in the toolbar.
Physical Properties icon

1-10
 Getting Started 1-11

The initial page in the figure below shows the top level information
about Stream 1.

Figure 1.9

Depending on the type of physical property data you are working with,
you can either enter the property data for the stream directly or enter
data for components and allow FIHR to perform vapour liquid
equilibrium and mixture calculations. All of the physical property data
are managed through these pages.

Since this is an existing case all the necessary data have already been
entered.
6. Run FIHR by doing one of the following:
• Click on the Run icon in the toolbar.
• Select the Run-Calculate All command from the menu bar.
Run icon • Press F4.

FIHR now displays a status view that reports progress of the run.

1-11
1-12 Example 1

When the run completes there are three possible outcomes and
corresponding outputs appear:
• Successful run with no fatal errors and no warnings. A view
showing the Results Summary appears, and the result status
bar (at the bottom of the FIHR view) is green and displays OK.
• Successful run with no fatal errors but with one or more warnings.
The Results Summary appears, and the results status bar is
orange and displays Warnings.
Double-clicking on the status bar opens the Error/Warning
Message Log view, which contains a description of the warnings
that have occurred.
• Failed run due to fatal errors. The Error/Message Log view
appears with a description of the errors that have occurred.

To access the Preferences
view, select File-Preferences
command from the menu bar.
If the Display After Calculation option is set to Full Results (in the
General tab of the Preferences view), then you will see the Full Results
view rather than the Results Summary view.
It is recommended that you look at Results Summary first, as this gives
the Efficiency of the Firebox and Convection Sections and their Solution
Errors, from which you can see immediately whether the results are
sensible.

The Results Summary displays, in each part of the heater, the main
process and performance data such as:
• The inlet and outlet process fluid and gas temperatures.
• The inlet and outlet process fluid pressure and quality.
• The tube maximum and minimum temperatures
• The firebox tube temperature profile allowing for circumferential
heat flux (as in API530).

1-12
 Getting Started 1-13

The figure below displays an example of the Results Summary view.

Figure 1.10

There are several different outputs that can be viewed by selecting the
appropriate command from the Output menu.

Notice from this menu the different types of output available. The Brief
Output is the same as the Results Summary, and the Error / Message
Log appears automatically if necessary when a run completes. We will
look here at the different types of detailed output available through the
Output menu Results command from the Output menu.

FIHR carries out very detailed calculations on many parts and aspects of
a fired process heater system and therefore produces a large number of
results. These results have been carefully categorised to give you the
maximum choice in the type, content, and quantity of the output you
want to view and subsequently include. A hard copy can be produced
from the Reports Output, though simple printing facilities are also
available in other output views as well.

1-13
1-14 Example 1

7. Select Full Results from the Output menu to access the main FIHR
Output view.

You can use the Topic links, at the top of the view, to select which
sections of the results you want to view, and if necessary, decide on
what to include in the Line Printer output for printing off.

Figure 1.11

The Topic Temperatures Summary section is exactly the same as the

information displayed in the Brief Output view.

1-14
 Getting Started 1-15

8. Click on the Performance of the Firebox topic link to see concise

output for the firebox.

Figure 1.12

This section of the output details all of the major geometry and
performance parameters for the firebox.
9. Scroll through the text and you will see a similar section for
Performance of Convection Banks, tube bank 1 followed by 2.
10. Click the Close icon at the top right corner to close the Full Results
view.
Close icon

1-15
1-16 Example 1

11. Now select Output-Reports command from the menu bar.

The Report Generation view appears. On the left side of the Report
Generation view is a tree browser with three categories, Main,
Details, and Graphs.

Figure 1.13

The Main and Details reports contain and display the same data as
the information in the Full Results view. The differences are the
information in the Main and Details reports are presented in a
neater form, and are arranged for better printing or exporting to
another application. Clicking the Generate Report button, at the
bottom right corner of the Report Generation view, allows you to see
the reports in the form that they are printed or exported.

The Reports are paginated, and you will need to use the arrow keys in
the menu bar to move from viewing one page to viewing the next.

We will now look at the graphical output available in FIHR. This can be
viewed under the reports, but it is simpler initially to check it under the
main Output Menu.
12. Close the Report Generation view by clicking the Close icon located
at the top right corner of the view.
Close icon
13. Select Output-Graphical Results command from the menu bar.

1-16
 Getting Started 1-17

The FIHR Output view appears.

Figure 1.14

You can select which graphs and for which part of the heater system
you want to see in the graphs. We will look at the temperature pinch
chart for the Full System.
14. Check the Temperature Pinch Chart checkbox and click the Full
System button. A graph view, showing the process fluid and
combustion gas temperature throughout the heater system,
appears.

Figure 1.15

1-17
1-18 Example 1

If you want to print any of the graphs you seen:

1. Go back to the Report Generation view, by selecting Output-Reports
command from the menu bar.
2. Generate the graph in the Report Generation view by selecting the
graph’s name in the tree browser and clicking the Generate Report
button.
3. Select File-Print command from the menu bar.

Alternatively, you can export the graph to a print file format and save the
file for printing later:
1. In the Report Generation view, select the graph you want to export
in the tree browser.
2. Click the Export Report button. The Export view appears.
3. In the Export view select the format to incorporate the graph in the
Format drop-down list. For example, a Word document or Excel
spreadsheet.
4. Select the location to place the file in the Destination drop-down
list.
5. Click the OK button to export the graph.

1-18
 QA Examples 2-1

2 QA Examples

2.1 Overview...........................................................................................3

2.2 Creating Output for Comparison....................................................4

2.3 Comparing Outputs .........................................................................5

2-1
2-2 QA Examples

2-2
 QA Examples 2-3

2.1 Overview
A set of two sample FIHR cases, including both input and output files
are provided with FIHR for Quality Assurance (QA) purposes. As a check
that you have installed FIHR correctly, you should run the input files and
compare your results files with those provided.

FIHR files have a file extension *.FHx (where x is an indicator of the type
of file - input or one of the various outputs). A full listing is given in the
Help Text.

On installation, the QA files are stored in a subdirectory QADATA of the

directory containing the main FIHR folder. The two sample cases have
file names QFIHR1 and QFIHR2, and files extensions *.QAx instead of
*.FHx. The different extensions are used to ensure that you don’t
accidentally overwrite the QA files when running FIHR.

Copies of the two QA input files, with the standard input file extension
*.FHI are placed in the \HTFS\DATA directory by the installation
procedure.

2-3
2-4 Creating Output for Comparison

2.2 Creating Output for Comparison

Using the QFIHR1 example, a typical check on FIHR installation would
be as follows:
1. Copy the QFIHR1.QAI file from the \HTFS\FIHR210\QADATA
directory to some other directory for example \HTFS\DATA.
2. Rename the file, and give it the extension *.FHI for example
MYTEST1.FHI.
3. Start FIHR, and the Welcome! view appears. Click the Existing
button and select MYTEST1.FHI

Figure 2.1

4. Run FIHR with this case.

5. Compare the results files from your run with the results files
supplied with FIHR.
6. Checks may be repeated with the other QA files supplied.

2-4

Remember, the QADATA files
supplied with FIHR have the
extension *.QAx.
QA Examples 2-5
2.3 Comparing Outputs
Your calculated results are files named MYTEST1.FHx, in directory
\HTFS\DATA and these need to be compared with the supplied results
files QFIHR1.QAx in directory \HTFS\FIHR210\QADATA.
The most important comparison is the *.FHV file, but other files can be
compared as well. The *.FHV file is the Results Summary and is a
relatively short file. You can do the comparison using a file difference
utility, or by printing off the two files and looking for differences.
If the files are exactly identical, (except for the run time and input file
name recorded in the output), the QA check is successful. If the files
differ slightly, but only in the fourth or fifth significant figure of one or
two variables, the QA check on this example is also successful. If there
are more significant differences, consult AspenTech Technical Support.
2-5
2-6 Comparing Outputs

2-6