Equation Oriented (EO) Simulation in Aspen

HYSYS®
Integrated Preheat Train Crude unit simulation
Gopal Paul, Senior Principal Technical Consultant, Customer Support & Training
Challenges in CDU Operations
Critical, Complex Operation
‒ Primary separation governing downstream
processing

High Energy Consumption

‒ Heat integration and energy saving is critical

Identification of Bottlenecks and Solutions

Frequent Feedstock Changes Causing

Operational Issues

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 2

Equation Oriented (EO) Solver in Aspen HYSYS

▪ A new Equation Oriented (EO) Solver has been introduced in Aspen HYSYS
V10. This has been improved further in V11.
▪ The EO solver incorporated powerful non-linear Dynamic Matrix Optimizer
(DMO) and Large Scale Sparse Quadratic Programming (LSSQP) solvers.
▪ The EO solvers have been field tested for decades in Real Time optimization
(RTO) to solve complex problems within seconds to minutes which otherwise
can take hours to solve by the standard HYSYS solver.
▪ This KB podcast utilized a complex integrated preheat train crude column
simulation typical in most refinery processes.

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 3

Integrated Preheat Train Crude Unit Flowsheet in Aspen HYSYS

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 4

Differences between Sequential Modular (SM) and Equation Oriented
(EO) Solvers
Sequential Modular Simulation (SM) Equation Oriented Simulation (EO)

Solves each block in the flowsheet in sequence Gathers all the model equations together and
solves simultaneously
Recycle (tear) streams and design specifications
are solved iteratively

Complex problems with nested recycle loops,
heat integration, multiple design specifications
can be tricky to converge
Can be difficult to enforce back-calculation, for
example setting upstream pressures from
downstream
Optimization and data reconciliation requires
hundreds or even thousands of flowsheet
evaluations – may take hours to run
Complex problems are compacted and solve
quickly and efficiently giving more robust solution
Flexible, relatively easy to reverse calculations
by changing specifications of pairs of variables
Optimization and data reconciliation run very
quickly

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 5

EO Workflow in Aspen HYSYS

1. Start Aspen HYSYS User Interface

2. Configure the flowsheet using Aspen Properties components and Aspen Properties fluid package. Solve
the flowsheet with Aspen Properties fluid package

3. Convert the flowsheet to EO method

4. Run the flowsheet in SM mode

5. Run the flowsheet in EO mode

6. Configure EO – Specifications, Data Reconciliation or Optimization

7. Run EO solver

8. Save the file

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 6

Demonstration: Integrated Preheat Train Crude Unit Flowsheet in
Aspen HYSYS

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 7

Step 1: Create an Aspen Properties component list
1. Open file: CDU - Integrated Preheat Train.hsc

2. Enter the Properties environment

3. Select Component Lists and then Click Copy

4. Change the Component List type Aspen Properties and then click copy

5. An Aspen Properties component list will be created

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 8

Step 2: Create an Aspen Properties Fluid package
6. Add Aspen Properties Fluid package

7. Select Peng Robinson property package. The Aspen Properties component list you created in step 5 will be linked with
this property package

8. Now return to the Simulation environment

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 9

Step 3: Assign Aspen Properties Fluid Package
9. In the Home group click Fluid Packages. The Fluid Package Manager will open

10. In the Fluid Package Manager assign Basis-2 for all sections of the flowsheet. After this the simulation will run with this
Aspen Properties Fluid package. You are now ready to convert the simulation to EO mode.

11. Save the HYSYS case as: CDU - Integrated Preheat Train-AP.hsc

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 10

Step 3: Convert Preheat Train Crude Model to EO Flowsheet
12. Open file: CDU - Integrated Preheat Train-AP.hsc or continue from Step 11

13. First Click Zoom To Fit option so that the entire flowsheet is visible in the Main Flowsheet.

14. Select all the objects displayed in the Main Flowsheet

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 11

Step 4: Convert the Integrated Preheat Train Crude Model to EO Mode
15. With all the objected highlighted, select Equation Oriented from the Ribbon menu

16. Now click Convert to EO

17. An EO Flowsheet will be created

18. Save the file as: CDU - Integrated Preheat Train-EO.hsc

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 12

Step 5: EO Flowsheet
19. Open the EO Flowsheet and then click Sub-Flowsheet Environment

20. The EO Flowsheet will appear same as the normal HYSYS Flowsheet

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 13

Model Palette in EO Flowsheet
▪ All the unit operations available in the EO flowsheet are shown in the model Palette groups.

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 14

Running the HYSYS model in EO Flowsheet
▪ After the creation of the EO flowsheet, the model will be in the Sequential Mod (SM)

▪ The user can switch between SM and EO mode by selection the corresponding buttons in the Equation
Oriented ribbon group

▪ In the SM mode the model will run when you enter or change any input

▪ The inputs can also be changed in the EO Simulation mode and the model will run in the same way as
in the SM mode

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 15

EO Configuration Group
▪ The EO Configuration group contains all the functions to implement the way the user requires to solve
the simulation. This group is available in the Equation Oriented ribbon tab

▪ Refer to the online help for detailed information of different actions available in the EO Configuration
group

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 16

Specifications
▪ A Specification group can be used to change the specifications of variables directly. The EO solver uses
the specifications instead of the original specifications in the simulation

▪ This is similar to Adjust block in HYSYS simulation in SM mode

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 17

Sensitivity Analysis
▪ The sensitivity analysis perturb one variable at a time. Once the analysis of one variable completes then
it starts the second variable

▪ Sensitivity analysis is available in the Case Study feature. This is a general feature in Aspen HYSYS
which can be used in both SM and EO modes

▪ The calculation in EO mode is fast, making sensitivity calculations ideal for complex computationally
intensive simulation containing recycle and adjust blocks

▪ Sensitivity analysis can be used to validate model robustness in a range of data inputs

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 18

Demonstration

▪ EO workflow

▪ Model Testing

▪ EO Specification

▪ Sensitivity Analysis

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 19

Summary
Aspen HYSYS enables rigorous simulation of integrated
CDU complex

EO solver provides faster solution enabling demanding

computationally intensive applications, such as
Converging complex simulation containing many recycle blocks
Case study and sensitivity analysis
Parameter estimation
Data reconciliation, and
Optimization

Refineries stand to gain considerable benefits from

improved operations using
an integrated CDU & preheat train simulation solution.
individual unit monitoring solutions for distillation columns and heat
exchanger networks

.
© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 20
Support Services

Virtual Training & Certifications

Access Support
esupport@aspentech.com

FREE E-Learning until end of May

customercare@aspentech.com

esupport.aspentech.com/t_homepage

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 21

Aspen HYSYS EO Training Courses
EHY301: Troubleshoot complex processes using advanced EO in Aspen HYSYS

https://esupport.aspentech.com/T_course?id=a3p0B000000hLjRQAU

EHY302: Faster optimization using advanced EO in Aspen HYSYS®

https://esupport.aspentech.com/T_course?id=a3p0B000000hMowQAE

© 2020 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. 22