Hysys Simulation - Learning Outcomes

Hysys Simulation – Learning Outcomes
• Define degrees of freedom (dof) in Aspen Hysys.

• Describe consistency error, its causes, and cures.
• List & classify modules in Aspen Hysys.
• Describe when and how to use
Tee
Spreadsheet
Absorber
Distillation Column
Component Splitter
• List key pointers for Aspen Hysys.

Copyright © IA Karimi 1
Degrees of Freedom (dof)
• Maximum inputs we can specify for a stream or module in
Hysys except species flows.
How many variables can you fix, before you cannot any more?
• Example: The dof for each stream in Hysys is TWO.
Duhem’s Theorem: Equilibrium state of a stream is fully fixed by two
independent variables, once species flows are known.
NEVER specify more than two of T, P, and f for ANY stream!
• Hysys tracks the inputs for each stream and module.
It will prevent over-specification, if its solver is “Active” (Awake!).
It will allow any inputs, if its solver is “On Hold” (Sleeping!)
• Often, we do not realize Hysys is “asleep” and is overeating!
When we realize and wake Hysys up, it gets indigestion!
Consistency Error
Why did the error arise?
Specify
Specify stream data: composition.
T, P, f, F, but no composition.
Consistency Error!
Consistency Error
• Hysys sees two different values for the same variable!
We specify something Hysys can compute to be different.
We always lose! Hysys slaps consistency error.
Do you know what you are doing? Don’t try to out-smart me!
• Hysys goes to sleep every time, this error occurs!
• What to do, when we get this error?

Read the error. Identify the variable that caused it.
Delete your input for that variable. Wake Hysys up.
If the error occurs again, Hysys will sleep again.
Repeat until, it keeps awake.
How to Avoid Consistency Error?
• Keep an eye on the solver! Don’t talk to sleeping Hysys!
Hysys will prevent overfeeding of data in most cases.
• Avoid haphazard data input.
Input data one stream and one unit at a time.
Always specify stream composition before conditions (P, T, f).
• Avoid installing streams and modules randomly.
Always install streams and modules in the direction of flow, ensuring
that previous streams/modules have become BLUE/BLACK.
• NEVER specify anything Hysys can compute or know!
If you know something, then Hysys knows it better than you.
In most cases, do not specify any output data, unless you are sure
Hysys allows it.
Modules or Blocks in Aspen Hysys
2-Phase Separator
3-Phase Separator Recycle
Tank Spreadsheet
Cooler Balance
Heater Blank Unit
LNG Exchanger EO Subflowsheet
Shell & Tube Simple Solid Separator
Exchanger Cyclone
Air Cooler Hydrocyclone
Fired Heater Rotary Vacuum Filter
Pump Baghouse Filter
Expander LL Hydrocyclone
Compressor Neutralizer
Gas Pipe Precipitator
Pipe Segment Crystallizer
Control Valve
Relief Valve Distillation Column LL Extractor
Mixer Refluxed Absorber Gibbs Reactor
Tee Component Splitter Equilibrium Reactor
CSTR Absorber Conversion Reactor
Plug Flow Reactor Reboiled Absorber Yield Shift Reactor
Adjust Short-cut Distillation Blank Column
Set 3-Phase Distillation
Physical vs Logical Modules
• Physical: Simulate various physicochemical operations.
• Logical: Execute a numerical algorithm or computation.
• Steady state vs. Unsteady state
Most steady-state models work in unsteady mode as well.
Steady state Unsteady state
Physical Reactors (CSTR, PFR, Conversion, Gibbs, Tank
Equilibrium, Yield Shift) Fired Heater
Movers (Pump, Compressor, Expander, Valve) Air Cooler
Mixer, Tee, Pipe Segment, Gas Pipe, Relief .
Valve
Exchangers (Heater/Cooler, S&T, LNG)
Flash Drums (2/3-Phase Separators)
Separators (Component Splitter, Distiller,
Absorber, Cyclone, Gas filter, Extractor)
Logical Set, Adjust, Recycle, Spreadsheet, Balance Dynamics
Tee
• Split one material stream into multiple streams with no change
in composition.
Use for purge, pipe split, etc.
• Specify Split = Flow of output / Inlet flow.
Spreadsheet
Calculator like Microsoft Excel®
Import (Read)
(stream conditions, equipment parameters)
Compute
Export (Set)
(stream conditions, equipment parameters)
Hysys Spreadsheet
BFD in BFD
Export only after computing, not before!
Spreadsheet - Example
• Mix A & B such that H2:N2 = 3 in C = A + B.
A and B have H2 and N2.
Compositions of A & B are known.
Flow(A) = 100 kgmol/h, Flow(B) unknown.
Flow(B) for H2:N2 = 3 in C?
• Let 1 = N2 and 2 = H2.
Mol fraction xA1 = 0.30 (nitrogen in A).
Mol fraction xB1 = 0.10 (nitrogen in B).
• Input data for A and B.
A: P=1 bar, T=100 C, Flow(A)=100 kgmol/h, xA1=0.3, xA2=0.7.
B: P=1 bar, T=100 C, xB1 = 0.1, xB2 = 0.9.
Spreadsheet - Example
• Why does Mix-100 not solve for C?
• Can I use Set? Set .

Source 𝑥 must be known for Set to work!
Set has no composition variables!
• Can I use Adjust? If so, what adjusted/target variables?
• Adjust is iterative; can I do this non-iteratively?

H 2 ( A)  FB  xB 2 3N 2 ( A)  H 2 ( A)
 3  FB 
N 2 ( A)  FB  xB1 ( x B 2  3 x B1 )
Spreadsheet - Connections
What do I need to
compute Flow(B)?
Import N2(A) in cell A1.

Import H2(A) in cell A2.
2 Import xB2 in cell A3.
Import xB1 in cell A4.
Three types of flow variables in Hysys

Mass/Molar Flow = Total flow of a stream.
Master Comp Mass/Molar Flow = Total flow (all

phases) of a component in the stream.
Phase Comp Mass/Molar Flow = Flow of a component

in a particular phase (V, L, ..) of the stream.
Spreadsheet – Compute & Export Flow of B
N2(A) in A1
H2(A) in A2
xB2 in A3
xB1 in A4
A5 has the formula &

computed value for Flow(B).
Export Flow(B)
from A5 into stream B.
Absorber (Stripper)
• Simulate a tray (vs. packed) column using rigorous stage-by-
stage computations.
• Use for absorption or (stripping).
Remove a solute from a gas (solvent) into a solvent (gas).
• Three Absorber modules in Hysys
Absorber: No condenser, no reboiler.
 Liquid (vapor) solvent enters top (bottom) stage
& leaves bottom (top) stage.
Reboiled Absorber: Partial reboiler, no condenser
Refluxed Absorber: Condenser, no reboiler
• All absorbers allow feed and side product (draw) at any stage.
Recommended Procedure for Absorber
• Identify a solvent (stripping agent), composition, and flow.
Water, amines, NaOH, lime, heavy oil, etc. are common solvents.
Steam and air are most common stripping agents.
• Decide operating pressure.
How does it affect absorption (stripping)?
• Decide feed temperatures (feed gas and solvent).
How do they affect absorption (stripping)?
Avoid feeds and solvent with extreme temperatures.
• Fully specify all feeds & feed stages.
Inadequate flow may mean no convergence.
• Use sufficient stages for the desired separation.
Insufficient stages may not convergence.
• NEVER specify any output information.
Absorber (Stripper) Example
• Recover Acetone from a dryer gas (70 C, 100 kmol/h, 1 atm)
85 mol% N2, 10 mol% acetone, 5 mol% water
• Solvent? Assume pure.
• Pressure?
• Temperature? Heat/cool solvent and/or feed gas?
• Solvent flow? Take a high guess or any other way?
Assume 30 kmol/h.
• Column stages? Take a high guess or any other way?

Absorber – Streams & Stages
Liquid feed (Specify FULLY)
Vapor product
(Specify nothing)
Set
Stages
Liquid product
(Specify nothing)
Gas feed (Specify FULLY)

Absorber – Pressure Profile
Specify Top
pressure
Specify Bottom
pressure
Absorber - Temperatures
Top & bottom temperatures (optional)
Absorber - Run
Click to begin iterations
Absorber – Column Profiles
Pressure
Temperature
Liquid & vapor flows
Can we assume an isothermal absorber? Is McCabe-Thiele method applicable?
Absorber – Summary Results
Product Compositions Component Recoveries
Is this a good absorber? How can we improve?
Distillation Column (Tray)
• Simulate a tray (vs. packed) distillation column using rigorous
stage-by-stage computations.
Computes equivalent packing height as well.
• Separate one or more multi-component liquid streams into
products via distillation.
• Partial reboiler & a condenser.
If any absent, use an Absorber.
• Three condenser types and top products.
Total: One top product (liquid)
Partial: Two top products (liquid, vapor)
Full reflux: One top product (vapor) (Is this total reflux?)
 All the liquid from the condenser goes back as reflux.
Distillation Column - Example
• Separate 50:50 mol% Propane:n-Butane mixture into two
products – Propane & n-Butane.
Which will be the top product?
• 100 kmol/h of saturated liquid feed at 1000 kPa
How to make feed saturated liquid?
• Column data
20 trays (stages): Feed enters at stage 10.
Total condenser at 990 kPa with zero pressure drop.
Partial reboiler at 995 kPa with zero pressure drop.
Reflux ratio R = 2.
Top product (distillate) flow D = 50 kmol/h.
Last two are called specifications (specs).
Distillation Column - Example
Select
condenser
Type.
Condenser
& reboiler
duty streams
(No data)
Set
Stages.
One or more feeds

(Specify FULLY with stage numbers.) Liquid products
(No data)
Distillation Column – Reboiler
Reboiler
Distillation column
Reboiler product mixes

with downcomer liquid.
Side draw from last tray,

no mixing.
Select heater or S&T heat exchanger.
Distillation Column – Pressure Profile
Specify condenser
pressure.
Specify condenser
pressure drop.
Assumes a linear
pressure profile.
Specify reboiler
(Why should reboiler
be higher?)
pressure drop.
Specify reboiler
pressure.
Feed stream pressure ≥ feed tray pressure

(Hysys gives warning, if lower.)
Distillation Column - Specifications
Specify product flow.

(Optional)
Specify reflux ratio.

(Optional)
Distillation - Run
Column is
unconverged
& RED.
(Needs data!)
Run (Clicking asks for more data in this case.)

Distillation - Specs
Why only two windows pop up?
Spec-2: Distillate rate = 50 kmol/h

Spec-1: Reflux ratio = 2
(Top liquid product rate)
Distillation - Convergence
Column converges
Reset initial conditions for Run.
(Useful, if not converging.)
without clicking Run.
Distillation - Performance
Hysys
computed
reboil
ratio!
Pressure
Temperature
Liquid flow
Vapor flow
Is CMO a good assumption? Does McCabe-Thiele method apply?
Distillation Column - Summary
Product Compositions Component Recoveries
Is this a good distillation column? Why?

What specs did we ask from the column? Did it satisfy them?
Can we ask for any more specs?
Distillation – Types of Specs
• Active (binding = must meet) vs inactive (nonbinding)
Reflux ratio is active (We asked for it!)
• Fixed (single value) vs. ranged (minimum, maximum)
• Primary (1st preference) vs. alternate (2nd preference)
Active becomes
current automatically.
(Cannot change!)
Fixed vs Ranged
(Fixed met exactly)
Primary vs Alternate
Hysys tracks
degrees of freedom.
(No more specs!)
Distillation - Specs Summary
Two active specs
Bounds for
ranged specs
Estimates for inactive may help convergence!
Which Specs are Natural for Design?
• Hysys allows a variety of specs.
Purity and recovery are more natural for design.
• Target min 98% pure products instead of R & D.
Make
reflux ratio &
distillate rate
inactive.
Column is
unconverged.
Distillation - Adding Purity Spec 1
Add spec Note degrees of freedom

Select spec
(Product purity can be expressed as component fraction.)
Distillation - Adding Purity Spec 2
Select stream.
Specify
bounds
& value.
Select spec type (fixed or ranged).

Specify component.
Select stream.
Do the same for bottom product.
98 mol% Pure Products
Converging Distillation is Tricky!
• Avoid highly subcooled/superheated feed.
Feed between BPT and DPT is easier to converge.
Add appropriate heater/cooler before the column.
• Ensure sufficient stages in BOTH top and bottom sections.
• Use a total condenser, ONLY IF the coolant can FULLY
condense the vapor from the column top. Else, use partial.
If a non-condensable is in the vapor, then how will it affect the
temperature of a total condenser?
• Need THREE specs for a partial condenser.
Condenser temperature can be a useful spec.
Vapor will have mostly the non-condensable gases.
Selecting Right Specs is Critical
• Specs must be achievable, else column will not converge.
First converge with “loose” or “mild” specs, then tighten gradually.
Excess trays, high R, low product purities, low recoveries, etc.
• Use intensive specs, if you expect feed flows to vary.

Rates (distillate, bottoms. vapor., reflux, reboil, … are extensive or
feed-flow-dependent.
You must change them manually, whenever feed flow changes.
Condenser temperature, product purities, reflux ratios, recoveries, ...
are intensive.
No change needed with feed flows. Useful in design project.
Dr Gavin Towler’s Recipe for Convergence
• Dr Gavin Towler: VP R&D & CTO of UOP
Co-author of recommended textbook.
• His recipe to converge any column in < 5 min.

Specify R and D (default specs of Hysys).
OR specify reboil ratio and bottoms rate.
Internal solution algorithm is designed for these specs.
• Use them as estimates and impose purity/recovery specs

Converge the column with new specs.
• Try / test the above.

Component Splitter
• Simplest, primitive, and imaginary separation unit.
Simulate ANY separation (distillation, absorption, membrane, etc.)
without any details on the method or equipment.
• Use for the interim report in CN4123R/E.
Use in final simulation, ONLY IF Hysys cannot simulate the real
process.
• Multiple inputs & energy streams
Specify all inputs (BLUE).
Specify all energy streams, but one.
• Multiple Overhead streams
• One Bottoms stream
• Specify two of (P, T, f) of outputs.
DO NOT specify any F, x, or y.
Component Splitter
• Distributes TOTAL inflow of each component among outputs.
How much to each Overhead? How much to Bottoms?
• Specify each distribution via one of three split fractions.

FeedFrac to Products (fraction, not %)
 Component recovery (fraction of inflow) in Overhead or Bottoms
Fraction in Products (not %)
 Component fraction (mol or mass fraction) in Overhead or Bottoms
Flow in Products (actual flow)
 Component flow (mol/mass flow) in Overhead or Bottoms
• I have faced issues with the last two split fractions.

Component Splitter – Splits
Single feed (propane + butane), one Overhead, one Bottoms

99% (mol/mol) of propane from feed goes to Overhead.
99% (mol/mol) of n-butane from feed goes to Bottoms.
Component Splitter - Propane-Butane Example
• You wish to design a distillation column to separate a 50:50 mol%
feed into two high-purity products. Simulate it roughly for the
interim report using a Component Splitter.
Feed: 100 kmol/h of saturated liquid at 1000 kPa (10 bar).
Total condenser at 990 kPa and a partial reboiler at 995 kPa.
Estimate product flows, compositions, and temperatures.
• R is not easy: Aim to recover 99% of feed propane in the Overhead,
and 99% of feed butane in the Bottoms.
Split type is component recovery or FeedFrac to Products.
0.99 for propane in the Overhead and n-butane in Bottoms
1 = Feed
Overhead = Top_Prod
Bottoms = Bot_Prod
Q = Reb_Duty – Cond_Duty
Component Splitter – Splits
How to make the feed a saturated liquid?

0.99 (molar) for propane in Overhead and n-butane in Bottoms
P = 990 kPa for Overhead; P = 995 kPa for Bottoms.
Assume saturated liquid from condenser.
Component Splitter - Results
Key Pointers for Aspen Hysys
• Always monitor the solver signal (RED/GREEN).
If Hysys is not responding, look at the signal.
Do not input any data, if the signal is RED (On Hold).
• Attain identical pressures before mixing streams.
• For a stream, always input composition first, if known.
• Specify f (vapor fraction) for a stream, IF & ONLY IF you
want two phases (BPT T DPT).
NEVER specify f, just because it is liquid/vapor.
• Always add an energy stream, if a model allows.
Set its flow to zero, if it is an adiabatic unit.
• Use the recommended procedure for Adjust every time.

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Hysys Simulation – Learning Outcomes

• Define degrees of freedom (dof) in Aspen Hysys.

• List key pointers for Aspen Hysys.

Why did the error arise?

• Hysys goes to sleep every time, this error occurs!

• What to do, when we get this error?

Calculator like Microsoft Excel®

Export only after computing, not before!

• Can I use Set? Set .

• Can I use Adjust? If so, what adjusted/target variables?

• Adjust is iterative; can I do this non-iteratively?

Import N2(A) in cell A1.

Three types of flow variables in Hysys

Master Comp Mass/Molar Flow = Total flow (all

Phase Comp Mass/Molar Flow = Flow of a component

A5 has the formula &

• Column stages? Take a high guess or any other way?

Gas feed (Specify FULLY)

Top & bottom temperatures (optional)

Click to begin iterations

Liquid & vapor flows

Can we assume an isothermal absorber? Is McCabe-Thiele method applicable?

Is this a good absorber? How can we improve?

One or more feeds

Reboiler product mixes

Side draw from last tray,

Select heater or S&T heat exchanger.

Feed stream pressure ≥ feed tray pressure

Specify product flow.

Specify reflux ratio.

Run (Clicking asks for more data in this case.)

Why only two windows pop up?

Spec-2: Distillate rate = 50 kmol/h

Is CMO a good assumption? Does McCabe-Thiele method apply?

Is this a good distillation column? Why?

Two active specs

Estimates for inactive may help convergence!

Add spec Note degrees of freedom

Select spec type (fixed or ranged).

• Use intensive specs, if you expect feed flows to vary.

• His recipe to converge any column in < 5 min.

• Use them as estimates and impose purity/recovery specs

• Try / test the above.

• Specify each distribution via one of three split fractions.

• I have faced issues with the last two split fractions.

Single feed (propane + butane), one Overhead, one Bottoms

How to make the feed a saturated liquid?

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