10/18/99 ASPEN Introduction 1
AN INTRODUCTION TO
ASPEN Plus
AT CITY COLLEGE
Prepared by
I,H,RINARD
Department of Chemical Engineering
November 1997 (Revised October 1999)
ASPEN Plus provided by
Aspen Technology,Inc.
Cambridge,Massachusetts
10/18/99 ASPEN Introduction 2
WHAT IS ASPEN?
uA computer program for steady-state process simulation
(a.k.a,process Flowsheeting)
uDeveloped for the simulation of
eChemical & Petrochemical Processes
eCoal-based Processes
ePetroleum Refining
ePolymer Processes
uOne of many commercially available flowsheeting
programs such as
ePRO II (Simulation Sciences)
eHYSIM (Hyprotech)
eChemCad (Chemstation)
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HOW DOES ASPEN WORK?
uBasic unit is the BLOCK model
eUnit operations (Distillation Columns,Reactors,etc.)
eRelated operations such as piping
uUser assembles flowsheet model by selecting and
connecting appropriate Block models and specifying
Block model parameters
uASPEN solves sequentially for output streams given
input streams and Block model parameters
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BLOCK MODEL
Input Streams Output Streams
Model
Parameters
Physical
Properties
10/18/99 ASPEN Introduction 5
M-1
P-1
R-1
C-1
V-1E-1St1
St2
St3 St4 St5
St6
St7
St8
St9
St10 Item ASPEN
# Name Model
M-1,Feed Mixer MIXER
R-1,Reactor RSTOIC
E-1,Condenser HEATER
V-1,Flash Drum FLASH2
C-1,Compressor COMPR
P-1,Purge Point FSEP
Process Flow Sheet
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MAJOR COMPONENTS OF ASPEN
u Unit operations (BLOCK) model library
u Physical properties system
ePhysical properties models (density,enthalpy,VLE,etc.)
ePure component and binary pair databases
eEstimation capability for missing values
u Flow sheet convergence capability for recycle
processes
u Control capability (Design Specs)
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USEFUL FEATURES IN ASPEN
u Sensitivity analysis
u Cost estimation and profitability evaluation
u Optimization
u Process flow diagram generation
u Physical properties data regression
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ASPEN BLOCK MODEL LIBRARY I
u Mixers and Splitters
eMIXER - Adds two or more streams together
eFSPLIT - Splits a stream into two or more
eSEP - Separates a stream component by component
u Flashes and Heaters
eFLASH2 - Two outlet flash
e FLASH3 - Three outlet flash
eHEATER - Heater/cooler
eHEATX - Two stream heat exchanger
eMHEATX - Multistream heat exchanger
eDECANTER - Liquid-liquid decanter
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ASPEN BLOCK MODEL LIBRARY II
u Reactors
eRSTOIC - Stoichiometric reactor
eRYIELD - Yield reactor
eREQUIL - Equilibrium reactor
eRGIBBS - Equilibrium reactor
eRCSTR - CST reactor (requires kinetic model)
eRPLUG - Plug flow reactor (requires kinetic model)
eRBATCH - Batch reactor (requires kinetic model)
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ASPEN BLOCK MODEL LIBRARY III
u Separators
eDISTIL - Shortcut distillation design
eDISTWU - Shortcut distillation rating
eRADFRAC - Rigorous distillation
eEXTRACT - Rigorous liquid-liquid extraction
eRATEFRAC - Rate-based distillation*
eBATCHFRAC - Batch distillation *
ePETROFRAC - Rigorous distillation for petroleum
* Requires special license
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ASPEN BLOCK MODEL LIBRARY IV
u Solids Processing
e CYCLONE - cyclone separator
e VSCRUB - Venturi scrubber
e CRYSTALLIZER - Mixed suspension mixed product
removal crystallizer
eCRUSHER - Solids crusher
eSCREEN - Solids separator
eFABL - Fabric filter
eHYCYC - Hydrocyclone
eCFUGE - Centrifuge
eFILTER - Rotary vacuum filter
eSWASH - Single-stage solids washer
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ASPEN BLOCK MODEL LIBRARY V
u Fluid Movers
eCOMPR - Compressor/turbine
eMCOMPR - Multistage compressor/turbine
ePUMP - Pump/hydraulic
u Piping
ePIPELINE - Multiple segment pipe
ePIPE - Single segment pipe
eVALVE - Valve
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ASPEN PHYSICAL PROPERTIES SYSTEM I
u What is an Option Set?
eA collection of methods used by ASPEN to evaluate
thermodynamic properties such as enthalpy,density,and
K-values as well as transport properties such as viscosity
u Some available Option Sets / K-value Method
eIDEAL - Ideal gas/ Raoult’s Law & Henry’s Law
eRK-SOAVE - Redlich-Kwong-Soave EOS
ePENG-ROB - Peng-Robinson EOS
eWILSON - RK/Wilson
eNRTL - RK/NRTL
eUNIFAC - RK/UNIFAC
eUNIQUAC - RK/UNIQUAC
10/18/99 ASPEN Introduction 14
ASPEN PHYSICAL PROPERTIES SYSTEM II
u Databanks
ePURECOMP - parameters for 1550 (mostly organic) cpds
eINORGANIC - data for 2450 (mostly inorganic ) cpds
eAQUEOUS - data for 900 ionic species
eSOLIDS - data for 3314solid cpds
eCOMBUST - special databank for high temperature,gas
phase calculations (59 cpds and free radicals)
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ASPEN PHYSICAL PROPERTIES SYSTEM III
uWHAT IF THE DATA IS NOT IN THE DATABANK?
ePROVIDE THE MISSING DATA - PROPS DATA Capability
eREGRESS RAW DATA - Data Regression Capability
eESTIMATE THE MISSING DATA
Pure Components
VLE and LLE - UNIFAC
uCOMPONENT NAMING AND FORMULAS
e[Cn1Hn2On3Nn4Othern5]-nx,nx for isomers
eExample,Acetaldehyde,C2H4O-1
Ethylene Oxide,C2H4O-2
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USING ASPEN
uTHREE STEPS
e1) Use the Model Manager to specify the problem
e2) Run the problem
e3) Analyze and report the results
uMODEL MANAGER
eTo start from a Sun station,type APLUS
eSelect equipment BLOCK models - drag and drop on work area
eClick and connect BLOCK models with streams
ePull down forms menus and fill out
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ASPEN SPECIFICATION FORMS
1) TITLE - Specify title for current problem
2) COMPONENTS - Specify what chemical components are to be
included in the simulation
3) PROPERTIES - Specify what Option Set (or Sets) is to be used
4) BLOCKS - Provide specification data for each block included in the
simulation [one form per BLOCK]
5) STREAMS - Specify each stream entering the flow sheet from
OSBL,also any important recycle streams,Must specify state,
composition and flow rate of the stream.
These forms are required,Other forms to invoke other ASPEN
capabilities are optional.