Aspen Plus is one of the most popular process simulation software programs used industrially and academically. The book is designed to enable chemical engineers to go through a step-by-step process of learning the basic ideas underlying chemical process simulation, by studying the primary functions of the Aspen Plus software. Because of the major changes Aspen Technology has made in the user’s interface in release 8.x, parts of the first edition which is based on release 7.x have become obsolete. However much of the scientific and engineering material has not changed; for example the material describing the distillation modules is completely suitable for self-study however some of the displays have changed. New chapters include Equation-Oriented Simulation, Electrolytes, and an appendix on The NIST Thermo Data Engine as a data source.
Each chapter starts with the equivalent of a classroom lecture followed by workshops which provide experience in the chapter's subject matter. The downloadable files contain solutions, both in Aspen Plus and text formats, to examples imbedded in the text as well as to all the workshops. There are also notes at the end of each chapter designed to aid readers that have difficulty with the workshops.
Table of Contents:
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION xiii
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION xv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xix
ABOUT THE COMPANION WEBSITE xxi
1 INTRODUCTION TO ASPEN PLUS 1
1.1 Basic Ideas / 1
1.2 Starting Aspen Plus / 4
1.3 The Next Function / 6
1.4 The Navigation Pane / 6
1.5 The Property Environment / 8
1.6 Properties for Simulation / 11
1.7 The Simulation Environment / 13
1.8 Simulation Options / 13
1.9 Units / 14
1.10 Streams / 15
1.11 Blocks / 16
1.12 The Object Manager / 17
1.13 Model Execution / 17
1.14 Viewing Results / 18
1.15 Plotting Results / 20
References / 20
2 PROPERTIES 21
2.1 Introduction / 21
2.2 The Pure Component Databanks / 22
2.3 Property Analysis / 25
2.4 Property Estimation / 29
2.5 Workshops / 32
2.6 Workshop Notes / 33
References / 34
3 THE SIMPLE BLOCKS 35
3.1 Introduction / 35
3.2 Mixer/Splitter Blocks / 35
3.3 The Simple Separator Blocks / 37
3.4 Some Manipulator Blocks / 40
3.5 Workshops / 43
3.6 Workshop Notes / 44
4 PROCESSES WITH RECYCLE 47
4.1 Introduction / 47
4.2 Blocks with Recycle / 48
4.3 Heuristics / 51
4.4 Workshops / 51
4.5 Workshop Notes / 55
References / 56
5 FLOWSHEETING AND MODEL ANALYSIS TOOLS 57
5.1 Introduction / 57
5.2 Introduction to Fortran in Aspen Plus / 58
5.3 Basic Interpreted Fortran Capabilities / 58
5.4 The Sensitivity Function / 61
5.5 The Design Specification / 63
5.6 The Calculator Function / 65
5.7 The Transfer Function / 68
5.8 Workshops / 69
5.9 Workshop Notes / 71
References / 71
6 THE DATA REGRESSION SYSTEM (DRS) 73
6.1 Introduction / 73
6.2 Parameters of Equations of State / 74
6.3 Parameters of Activity Coefficient Equations / 76
6.4 Basic Ideas of Regression / 78
6.5 The Mathematics of Regression / 80
6.6 Practical Aspects of Regression of VLE or LLE Data / 82
6.7 VLE and LLE Data Sources / 90
6.8 Workshops / 93
6.9 Workshop Notes / 95
References / 96
7 FLASHES AND DECANTER 99
7.1 Introduction / 99
7.2 The Flash2 Block / 99
7.3 The Flash3 Block / 104
7.4 The Decanter Block / 105
7.5 Workshops / 107
7.6 Workshop Notes / 108
References / 109
8 PRESSURE CHANGERS 111
8.1 Introduction / 111
8.2 The Pump Block / 111
8.3 The Compr Block / 112
8.4 The MCompr Block / 113
8.5 Pipelines and Fittings / 114
8.6 Workshops / 115
8.7 Workshop Notes / 116
References / 116
9 HEAT EXCHANGERS 117
9.1 Introduction / 117
9.2 The Heater Block / 118
9.3 The Heatx Block / 122
9.4 The Mheatx Block / 126
9.5 Workshops / 127
9.6 Workshop Notes / 128
References / 129
10 REACTORS 131
10.1 Introduction / 131
10.2 The RStoic Block / 132
10.3 The RYield Block / 133
10.4 The REquil Block / 135
10.5 The RGibbs Block / 136
10.6 Reactions for the Rigorous Models / 138
10.7 The RCSTR Block / 143
10.8 The RPlug Block / 143
10.9 The RBatch Block / 145
10.10 Workshops / 148
10.11 Workshop Notes / 150
References / 151
11 MULTISTAGE EQUILIBRIUM SEPARATORS 153
11.1 Introduction / 153
11.2 The Basic Equations / 153
11.3 The Design Problem / 156
11.4 A Three-Product Distillation Example / 160
11.5 Preliminary Design and Rating Models / 162
11.6 Rigorous Models / 165
11.7 BatchSep / 174
11.8 Workshops / 178
11.9 Workshop Notes / 179
References / 181
12 PROCESS FLOWSHEET DEVELOPMENT 183
12.1 Introduction / 183
12.2 Heuristics / 184
12.3 An Example –The Production of Styrene / 184
12.4 A Model with Basic Blocks / 185
12.5 Properties / 185
12.6 Rigorous Flash and Decanter / 187
12.7 Analyzing the Rigorous Distillation / 188
12.8 Integrating the Rigorous Distillation into the Flowsheet / 189
12.9 The Reactor Feed / 192
12.10 Miscellaneous Considerations / 192
12.11 Workshops / 192
12.12 Workshop Notes / 195
Reference / 196
13 OPTIMIZATION 197
13.1 Introduction / 197
13.2 An Optimization Example / 198
13.3 Workshops / 202
13.4 Workshop Notes / 203
References / 205
14 COMPLEX EQUILIBRIUM STAGE SEPARATIONS 207
14.1 Introduction / 207
14.2 Energy Integration Applications / 208
14.3 Homogeneous Azeotropic Distillation / 210
14.4 Extractive Distillation / 211
14.5 Heterogeneous Operations / 214
14.6 Workshops / 215
14.7 Workshop Notes / 217
References / 219
15 EQUATION-ORIENTED SIMULATION 221
15.1 Introduction / 221
15.2 Identification of Variables / 222
15.3 Equations for EO Simulation / 223
15.4 Solving the EO Equations / 225
15.5 Comparing Calculated Variables in SM and EO Simulation / 227
15.6 Synchronization of the Equations / 228
15.7 The Equation Oriented Menu / 229
15.8 Solution of an EO Problem / 230
15.9 Reinitialization / 232
15.10 A Design Specification / 233
15.11 An SM Problem That is Difficult to Converge / 234
15.12 Sensitivity Analysis / 235
15.13 Equation-Oriented Optimization / 235
15.14 Workshops / 238
15.15 Workshop Notes / 241
References / 241
16 ELECTROLYTES 243
16.1 Introduction / 243
16.2 Electrolyte Solution Equilibria / 243
16.3 Electrolyte Solution Equilibria and the Electrolyte Wizard / 244
16.4 Electrolyte Equilibrium/Phase Equilibrium Examples / 248
References / 250
17 BEYOND THE BASICS OF ASPEN PLUS 251
INDEX 253
About the Author :
Ralph Schefflan has been an adjunct professor at Stevens Institute of Technology for the past thirty-five years. He has taught four graduate courses, thermodynamics, process simulation, numerical methods, and equilibrium stage operations during his time there as well as being SIT's representative to Aspen Technology. Dr. Schefflan introduced process simulation at SIT evolving from Flowtran to Aspen Plus and taught it for thirty years.
