Build the Flare System

Workshop

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Files can be found in folder: 01_Introduction

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Objective
In this workshop, you will get familiar with Aspen Flare System Analyzer and design a

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Flare System model by building the pipe network. You will review the Aspen Flare
System Analyzer capabilities. You will also identify typical uses and benefits of the
program and to review the requirements for building an Aspen Flare System Analyzer

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model.

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In this workshop, you will explore the basic principles involved in graphically building a
flare system for analysis using Aspen Flare System Analyzer. This workshop assumes
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that you are familiar with the use of Microsoft Windows and have some prior experience
in the design of flare systems. The network will then serve as a starting point for
subsequent exercises where we will add details to the network so that we can perform a

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series of design, rating, and debottlenecking calculations.

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This workshop includes the following tasks:

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  Task 1 – Start a New Model
 Task 2 – Build the Pipe Network

Task 1 – Start a New Model

You will create a new case. Therefore, the first thing is to set up the simulation.

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1. Click the File button from the main program menu bar and select New. Alternatively,
you could click the New icon on the Quick Access Toolbar.

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2. Enter any desired data into the User Name, Job Code, Project and Description edit
boxes of the Documentation Editor window, and then click OK.
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Note: This information is optional.
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The Component Manager Dialog box will be displayed next. In this model, we will be
using the following components: Nitrogen, CO2, Methane, Ethane, Propane, n-Butane
and H2O.

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3. In the Selection Filter field of the Component Manager, type Nitrogen and notice
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that the middle Available Components column truncates to the desired component.
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4. Double click on the Nitrogen entry in the Available Components field and it will
appear in the Selected Components column. After deleting the component name in
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the Selection Filter, the Available Components column will return to the original
full list.
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5. Repeat this procedure using the Selection Filter field to add CO2, Methane, Ethane,
Propane, n-Butane and H2O.
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As an alternative method, you may single-click the desired component in the Available
Components list box to highlight the component, and then click the Add button to place
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it in the Selected Components list.

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6. Upon successful addition of all components in this workshop, the Component

Manager dialog box will appear as follows:
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7. Click OK to close the Component Manager.
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8. Click on the File menu and select Save As.

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9. Select an appropriate location, and then enter the name WS1-Topology in the File
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Name edit box.

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Note: You save the workshop files in an accessible folder. For this you create a folder
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on the desktop and save all the workshop files.

You can also set the default working directory for Aspen Flare System Analyzer by
opening the Preferences | General window using the File menu.
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10. Click Save to save the file.

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Task 2 – Build the Pipe Network

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Before you can start to build your flare header system, you must first define all the data
that determines your system. The following information regarding the pipe segments is
usually known:

 Connectivity — you would normally have prepared a system sketch that defines
the nodes to which the pipe segments are connected.

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  Length and fittings loss coefficients for each pipe segment — these will be based
on either a preliminary assumptions for your project or detailed isometric
drawings of the piping plans.
 Diameter and pipe schedule for each pipe segment — when sizing a new
convergent flare system, the pipe diameters that you define are relatively
unimportant as the program will calculate them.

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11. Choose a preferred unit set via the Home tab. Metric or British (English-Imperial)
units may be chosen, as well as their gauge equivalents.

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12. Start to build the pipe network from the flare tip and work towards the sources, which
will be installed last.

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Note: In order to be able to build the piping network layout as quickly as possible, it

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is recommended to turn off the Edit Objects on Add checkbox in the session
Preferences. If this option remains checked, a dialog box will be displayed for each

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flare system component graphically added to the PFD.
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By default, the Palette Toolbar is positioned beside the Process Flowsheet. If the Palette
is not visible, click the Palette Display icon on the Modify tab.

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The window position for the Palette Toolbar is set to Dockable by default so that the
Palette appears in a separate window docked beside the Process Flowsheet.

13. Click the drop-down button on the Palette and select the type of position that you
would like to set for the Palette. The options are: Floating, Dockable, Tabbed, and
Auto Hide.

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14. Click the Flare Tip icon and drag it onto the PFD, positioning it at the top-right corner

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of the drawing. Typically, it is best to build the flare network starting with the flare
tip at the upper right corner of the PFD and then adding subsequent equipment.
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15. Add the Flare Stack (pipe), knockout drum (vertical separator), two tees, one control
valve and one PSV (relief valve).
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16. Use the rotate option to change the orientation of Pipe 1 to vertical. Flow direction in
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the pipe is from red to blue.

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Tip: To connect equipment: Press and hold the CTRL key (or click the Toggle
Connection/Arrange Mode button on the Modify tab). The connection points (red and

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blue dots) become bigger and will be highlighted when the cursor hovers over the
connection node.

17. Move the mouse over a blue dot on one of the pieces of equipment.

18. Click the left mouse button on the dot and hold while still pressing the CTRL key. As
you drag the mouse, you will see a black line emanate from the blue connector.

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19. Continue to hold the CTRL key and move the line to the red dot on the desired piece

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of equipment (i.e. where you wish to terminate the connection).

20. Once the cursor is over the red dot, release the left mouse button to terminate the line

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and make the connection.

21. Repeat the same procedure to connect the remaining equipment from blue to red dots.

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Note: Aspen Flare System Analyzer adds any connecting pipes automatically when
connecting from one node to another.
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22. Change the names of the added equipment. Double click on Pipe1 and type Flare
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Stack in the Name box on the Connections tab.

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23. Click OK and close the window.

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Note: pressure and temperature labels will appear on the PFD, select “None” labels
from the drop down menu in the Modify tab to remove them.
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If desired, the corresponding label displayed on the PFD can be moved via clicking and
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dragging the text box.

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24. Repeat with the remaining equipment until your Process Flowsheet resembles the
diagram below:

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25. Once complete, your initial PFD should look as follows:

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26. Use Copy/Paste function. Select the equipment upstream of the KO drum using your
mouse by clicking and dragging or by holding down Ctrl key and clicking each
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object.
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27. Right-click on any of the selected icons.

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28. Choose the Copy command from the menu, and then move your mouse to an empty
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space on the Process Flowsheet:

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29. Right-click your mouse button and choose Paste.

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30. Select the new branch that was just added and then hold the left-mouse button down
and drag them into a desired place.

31. Delete the connections between ControlValve1 and Pipe3, and between ReliefVave1
and Pipe 4, as shown below:

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32. Switch the position of new control valve and relief valve on the Process Flowsheet.
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33. Connect ControlValve1 to Pipe 4, and ReliefVave1 to Pipe3.

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34. Connect Pipe 1 to Tee1.

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35. Rename the objects such that your PFD looks like the example below:
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36. Continue to add the piping and sources for the remainder of the network shown in the
next figure. Note that we will specify the details of the flare network equipment later.

Note: Remember the suggested sequence:

- Add a few icons...connect them together …tidy them up … move on.

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- Placing a large number of icons and then trying to clean up the drawing later will
prove to be a difficult and time consuming task.

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37. Save your case as WS1-Topology.fnwx.

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Notes:

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