Process Simulation| Muhammad Aftab

Lab#2
Objective
To simulate two different problem using aspen plus

Tool Used:
Aspen Plus ( A+¿ ¿) has been used for simulation.

Theory:
Aspen Plus are typical tools used in Chemical Engineering courses to Analyze and optimize
Chemical Processes. Automation is linking commercial software to third-party applications built
in Excel-Visual Basic for applications. Chemical process engineers deal with two types of tasks:
designing new processes and analyzing existing ones. Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS, are very
robust program packages capable of solving complex tasks related to process engineering and
give the opportunity to make fast and complex calculations (Valverde et al., 2023).
Mixer:
Mixing is the random distribution, into and through one another, of two or more initially
separate phases. A single homogeneous material, such as a tankful of cold water, can be
agitated, but it cannot be mixed until some other material (such as a quantity of hot water or
some powdered solid) is added to it. The term mixing is applied to a variety of operations,
differing widely in the degree of homogeneity of the "mixed" material. Consider, in one case,
two gases that are brought together and thoroughly blended and, in a second case, sand, gravel,
cement, and water tumbled in a rotating drum for a long time. In both cases the final product is
said to be mixed. Yet the products are obviously not equally homogeneous (CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING VOLUME 2 FIFTH EDITION Particle Technology and Separation Processes, n.d.).
Samples of the mixed gases--even very small samples--all have the same composition. Small
samples of the mixed concrete, on the other hand, differ widely in composition.
Heater:
Heater, a piece of equipment which is integral to the function of power plants and industry
globally. A heat exchanger is a device that is used for transferring thermal energy between two
or more fluids, between a solid surface and a fluid, or between solid particulates and a fluid, at
different temperatures and in thermal contact. Typical applications imply heating or cooling of a
fluid stream of concern and evaporation or condensation of single- or multicomponent fluid
streams (Bedica, 2012).

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Synthesis of Sanitizer:
Hand sanitizer is a widely used personal hygiene product that plays a crucial role in reducing the
transmission of infectious diseases, particularly in situations where soap and water are not
readily available (Hasani et al., 2020) .The formulation of hand sanitizer typically consists of
several key ingredients, each with a specific purpose:
Ethanol (or Isopropyl Alcohol):
Ethanol is the primary active ingredient in hand sanitizer. It serves as a disinfectant by
denaturing and destroying the proteins and lipid membranes of various microorganisms,
including bacteria and viruses. The minimum recommended concentration of ethanol in hand
sanitizer is typically around 60-70% to ensure effective disinfection.
Glycerol (or Glycerin:
Glycerol is added to hand sanitizer to serve as a humectant. It helps retain moisture in the skin,
preventing the sanitizer from excessively drying the hands. This is important to maintain hand
hygiene compliance, as frequent hand sanitization can lead to skin dryness and irritation.
Hydrogen Peroxide:
Hydrogen peroxide is used in smaller amounts to enhance the overall effectiveness of ethanol
against certain types of microorganisms. It may also help maintain the stability of the
formulation.
Water:
Water is used to dilute the mixture, achieving the desired alcohol concentration in the final
product. The addition of water is necessary to ensure that the sanitizer is safe and gentle for
skin application, as using undiluted ethanol can be harsh on the skin.

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 Process Simulation| Muhammad Aftab

Procedure:
1. To Simulate the mixer on aspen Plus for synthesis of sanitizer, Open the Aspen plus and
add new blank simulation file.

2. Add the components from component list.

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3. Select the Peng-Robenson base method from properties.

4. . Add the mixer from Simulation< Model Palettes and their streams from material.

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5. Double click on each stream one by one and set the given value of each.

6. The simulation is completed go the results summary< streams to check the results.

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Simulation of mixer, pump, and heater to find pump work and heater duty.

Procedure:
7. To Simulate the mixer on aspen Plus for synthesis of sanitizer, Open the Aspen plus and
add new blank simulation file.

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 Process Simulation| Muhammad Aftab

8. Add the components from component list.

9. Select the Peng-Robenson base method from properties.

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 Process Simulation| Muhammad Aftab

10. Add the mixer, pump, and heater from Simulation< Model Palettes to main flowsheet
and their streams from material.

11. Double click on stream S1, S2, on pump, and heater one by one and set the given value
of each.

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12. The simulation is completed to check the pump work and heat duty of heater go in the
results of B2 and B3 Block from simulation items.

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Results and Discussion:

From the table 1 the mass fraction of ethanol is 0.95, mass fraction of glycerol is 0.037, water
has mass fraction 1 and mass fraction of H2O2 is 0.986. The
Table1: Production of Sanitizer

In task 2 the calculated heat duty and net pump work was found which are 151.85KW and pump
work is 2.82 KW that are tabulated is table 2 and 3.
Table 2: heater duty

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 Process Simulation| Muhammad Aftab

Table 3: Pump Work

Conclusion:
The simulated production of sanitizer in Aspen Plus has resulted in a product with a high mass
fraction of ethanol, which is the primary active ingredient responsible for its antimicrobial
properties. Glycerol and hydrogen peroxide are included in the formulation, with glycerol
serving as a humectant and hydrogen peroxide potentially contributing to the sanitizer's
stability and antimicrobial properties.
In task 2 the simulation results indicate that the system requires a heat duty of 151.85 kW to
maintain the desired temperature, and the pump work necessary for fluid circulation is 2.82 kW.
These findings have important implications for the system's energy requirements and efficiency.

References:
1. Bedica, B. (2012). FIRE HEATER ENGINEERING ECONOMICS & DESIGN.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257728119

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2. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING VOLUME 2 FIFTH EDITION Particle Technology and Separation

Processes. (n.d.).
3. Valverde, J. L., Ferro, V. R., & Giroir-Fendler, A. (2023). Automation in the simulation of
processes with Aspen HYSYS: An academic approach. Computer Applications in
Engineering Education, 31(2), 376–388. https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22589
4. Hasani, M., Wu, F., Hu, K., Farber, J., & Warriner, K. (2020). Inactivation of Salmonella and
Listeria monocytogenes on dried fruit, pistachio nuts, cornflakes, and chocolate crumb
using a peracetic acid-ethanol based sanitizer or Advanced Oxidation Process.
International Journal of Food Microbiology, 333.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108789
5. Valverde, J. L., Ferro, V. R., & Giroir-Fendler, A. (2023). Automation in the simulation of
processes with Aspen HYSYS: An academic approach. Computer Applications in
Engineering Education, 31(2), 376–388. https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22589

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