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Teoría Presión-Flujo

Teoría Presión-Flujo

Workshop
The Pressure Flow Theory module introduces you to the underlying concepts
necessary for developing your own dynamic simulations with Aspen HYSYS
Dynamics™. Some of the things you will learn from this module are:

 The underlying assumptions of dynamic simulation with Aspen HYSYS ®


 How to analyze your Flowsheet to make appropriate pressure flow
specifications
 Which pressure-flow specifications make sense
 How to troubleshoot the process Flowsheet for inconsistent pressure-flow
specifications

Learning Objectives
Once you have completed this section, you will understand:

 The basic concepts of dynamic simulation in Aspen HYSYS ®


 Dynamic pressure flow specifications
 Process Flowsheets

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Theoretical Foundations
The Pressure-Flow Solver: A Boundary Value Problem
In terms of pressures and flows, perhaps the simplest way to view the pressure flow
solver in Aspen HYSYS Dynamics™ is to consider the Flowsheet as a Boundary
Value Problem.

If you were to make pressure or flow specifications on all the boundary streams
(feeds/product streams in a Flowsheet), then all the internal pressures and flows
would be solved simultaneously at each integration step by the pressure-flow solver.
The internal stream pressures and flow rates are calculated from the pressure
gradients in the Flowsheet. Flow rates are determined from:

Since pressure gradients 1. Changes in vapour pressure nodes (vessels with hold-ups) within the Flowsheet
are the driving force for system.
flow in Aspen HYSYS®,
care should be taken to
ensure that the pressure 2. Resistance across valves
profile of the flowsheet has
been properly specified.
3. Conductance through equipment (coolers, heaters, heat exchangers)

Pressure Nodes
All unit operations (with hold-up) represent pressure nodes. Some unit operations
may contribute to one or more nodes. For example:

 Heaters/Coolers with multiple zones


 Heat Exchanger – shell side/tube side
 Columns with multiple stages (trays)

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Fundamental Principle
Vessel equipment has a fixed geometry and thus a fixed volume. Mathematically,
this means that:

This concept is dV
fundamental to performing ------- = 0 (1)
dynamic simulation dt
analyses with Aspen
HYSYS®. Therefore, for a fixed volume, a pressure node (vessel pressure) is calculated as a
function of the vessel temperature and the vessel hold up.

In dynamic mode, the rate of change in vessel pressure is related to the rate of
change of temperature (enthalpy) and the rate of change of material hold-up (level):

dP
------- = fn  V F T  (2)
dt
where: V = Fixed volume
F = Change in flow (hold-up)
T = Temperature (change in enthalpy)

A volumetric flow balance around the vessel can be expressed as follows:

V P +  V F +  V T = 0 (3)

where: Vp = Volume change due to pressure change


VF = Volume change due to flow changes
VT = Volume change due to temperature change
The total volume change must always be zero.

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Example
Consider the operation of a separator in dynamic mode that is initially at steady state
with a level of 60%:
Figure 1

Assume fixed flow

Flow in
Fixed geometry
60%

Assume fixed flow

Remember: In Steady State,

Flow into separator = Flow out of separator,

no accumulation.

But in Dynamics, if the separator feed flow increases with the


product flow rates (vapour and liquid) remaining unchanged, the
level (hold up), temperature (enthalpy) and pressure of the vessel
must all change from the steady state condition.

Liquid Level Increases


Since

Liquid Flow In – Liquid Flow Out = Accumulation (hold-up),

an increase in the feed liquid Flowrate with a constant liquid product Flowrate results
in the liquid level (hold-up) increasing.

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Vessel Pressure Increases


The vessel pressure would increase for two reasons.

1. Vapour Flow In – Vapour Flow Out = Accumulation.

An increase in the feed vapour Flowrate with a constant vapour product Flowrate
results in the vapour (hold up) increasing. Because vapour is a compressible fluid,
the accumulation of vapour, occupying a smaller volume, will cause the vessel
pressure to rise.

2. The increase in liquid level also causes the vapour hold-up to occupy a smaller
volume within the vessel, causing the vessel pressure to rise.

Distributed and Lumped Models


Most chemical engineering systems have thermal and component gradients in three
dimensions (x, y, z) as well as in time. This is known as a distributed system. Thus,
in the formulation of chemical engineering problem equations, we obtain a set of
partial differential equations in the x, y, z and t domains.

If the x, y, and z gradients are ignored, the system is lumped and all the physical
properties are considered to be equal in space. In such, an analysis in which only the
time gradients are considered, the chemical engineering system equations are
represented by a set of ordinary differential equations (ODE’s). This method saves
calculation time and provides a solution that is reasonably close to the distributed
model solution.

Aspen HYSYS® uses lumped models for all unit operations. For instance, in the
development of the equations describing the separator, it is assumed that there are no
thermal, pressure or concentration gradients present. In other words, the temperature,
pressure, and component gradients are the same throughout the entire separator.

Aspen HYSYS® does take into account the static pressures in the fluid and vapour
phases. This can result in a dP/dz effect in a vessel. However, Aspen HYSYS ® does
not solve any partial differential equations.

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Pressure-Flow Relationship for Valves


In any Flowsheet, the valve unit operation describes the resistance to flow between
two material streams by the Turbulent Flow equation:

F Valve = fn  C v P 1 P 2  (4)

where: P1 = upstream pressure (pressure of stream 1)


P2 = downstream pressure (pressure of stream 2)
Cv = the valve coefficient, Aspen HYSYS® will calculate this value on
request

Pressure-Flow Relationship for Other Operations


More generally, flow rates in Aspen HYSYS Dynamics™ are related to delta P. All
process equipment relates the flow between its feed and product streams with flow
equations that are similar to the turbulent flow equation. The form of these equations
is:

F = k  P (5)

where: k = Conductance, which is a constant representing the reciprocal of


resistance to flow

 = Stream bulk density


P = Pressure gradient across the operation
Specifying Cv or k values, rather than a fixed delta P, across valves and process
equipment provides for a more realistic simulation. By specifying these variables, the
pressure drop through valves and process equipment can change with changes in
flow, as would happen in an actual plant. This allows the Dynamic simulator to more
accurately model the actual operating conditions of the plant.

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Pressure/Flow Networks
In Aspen HYSYS Dynamics™ the pressure/flow network is described in terms of
nodes, resistance and conductance. Flow takes place in streams from one node to
another. Thus there are two basic sets of equations that define the pressure/flow
network:
The resistance to flow
1. Equations that define the material balance at the nodes
through valves and the
conductance through
process equipment 2. Equations that define the flow – conductance and resistance to flow
determines stream flow
rates between nodes.
The simplest case is that of incompressible flow with no accumulation at the nodes.
In this situation, the flow equations are a function of the pressure gradient and
equipment parameters such as the pipe diameter and roughness. The material balance
at the nodes is simply that the accumulation is zero.

In a more comprehensive dynamic simulation the pressure flow equations are more
complex. They account for:

 Multi-phase flow with the potential for slippage between phases


 The rate of change of pressure at the nodes as a function of the equipment
geometry, hold-up and enthalpy of the phases
 Flow rates that are determined not only by pressure gradient but also by
weir heights (columns) and density differences

Simultaneous Solution Approach to Pressure Flow Balances


Since pressures at nodes are a function of the flow rates into and out of the nodes and
the flow rates through equipment are functions of the upstream and downstream
pressures, the relationships between pressure and Flowrate equations in Aspen
HYSYS Dynamics™ are significantly coupled. To find a solution to the pressure-
flow relationships in Aspen HYSYS Dynamics™, a simultaneous solution of the
Flowsheet is performed. Solving for the flows and pressures requires the
simultaneous solution of a set of linear and non-linear equations.

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Figure 2

P3
F2 F3

P1 F1 F4 F5
P2 P4 P5

 P1, P2, P3 etc. represent Pressure Nodes (Vessels with hold up)
 F1, F2, F3 etc. represent streams with flow rates

Moreover, in order to epitomize computational effort, Aspen HYSYS Dynamics™


partitions the equations describing any unit operation into three classes:

 Pressure/flow relationships
 Energy relationships
 Compositional relationships

These groups of equations can then be integrated/solved with different frequencies.


Typically, the pressure flow relationships will have the smallest step size and the
composition relationships the largest.

The grouping of the equations also permits a different solution strategy to be applied
to each group. In particular, it is possible to solve the pressure/flow relationships
simultaneously across the entire Flowsheet while the other equations (composition,
enthalpy) are solved on a module-by-module basis.

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If you suspect that the P/F solver is failing because of the interaction with the VLE
correlation, then you can do one of the following:

 Reduce the integration step size – this can be accessed from the menu bar:
Simulation – Integrator – General.
 Change the frequency of integration steps per step size (composition and
enthalpy). This can be accessed from the menu bar: Simulation –
Integrator – Execution.
Figure 3

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Degrees of Freedom Analysis


In Module 2 we introduced the concept of dynamic specifications. The simultaneous
solution of the pressure-flow relationships within the Flowsheet requires the user to
make a number of dynamic operating specifications.

 P = Pressure
 F = Flow

In this Flowsheet, there are 7 variables in total that will define the system. These are:
Figure 4

1. Feed1 (pressure, flowrate - 2 variables)

2. Product1 (pressure, flowrate - 2 variables)

3. Product2 (pressure, flowrate - 2 variables) and

4. V-100 (Pressure - 1 variable)

In addition, there are 4 equations that define the pressure-flow relationships in the
Flowsheet. These are:

1. VLV-100: Resistance to Flow equation FVLV-100 = fn(CV, P1, P2)

2. VLV-101: Resistance to Flow equation FVLV-101 = fn(CV,P1, P2)

3. VLV-102: Resistance to Flow equation FVLV-102 = fn(CV, P1, P2)

4. V-100: Pressure Node Relationship dP/dt = fn(V,F,T)

With 7 variables and 4 equations, the DOF = 7-4 = 3. Therefore, 3 P/F specifications
need to be made to define this system.

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Understanding the Placement of P/F Specifications


Why do some P/F specifications work while others don’t?

Aspen HYSYS Dynamics™ is equipped with a Dynamics Assistant that analyzes the
Flowsheet to identify problems. (We will discuss this simulation aid later in this
module). However, with a greater understanding of the role of the P/F solver and the
P/F calculations you will be better able to:

 Specify the process Flowsheet correctly


 Troubleshoot the process Flowsheet to identify P/F problems
 Use the power of Aspen HYSYS Dynamics™ to its full capabilities

Making Consistent Pressure or Flow Specifications


As mentioned earlier, Aspen HYSYS Dynamics™ users can select from a variety of
pressure-flow specification combinations to solve the process Flowsheet. These
include:

 Pressure specifications on material streams


 Flow specifications on material streams
 Fixed pressure drop specifications across equipment
 Pressure/Flow calculations for valves – resistance to flow (Cv)
 Conductance calculations (k) for process equipment

In the previous example, we had three Degrees of Freedom, requiring that three
specifications be made to define the system.

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One Possible Solution


Specify:
Figure 5

 Feed 1 Pressure
 Stream 1 Pressure
 VLV-100 Delta P

Although making these three specifications will satisfy the DOF analysis, the choice
of specifications would not make sense. P Feed1, P1 and PVLV-100 are all related by the
following equation:

P Feed1 – P 1 –  P VLV – 100 = 0 (6)

Specifying the Flowsheet in this manner would lead to an inconsistent solution. In


fact, the Flowsheet would be under-specified because one of the specifications is
redundant.

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Another Possible Solution


Specify:
Figure 6

 Feed1 Pressure
 Product1 Pressure
 Product2 Pressure

Consider the same Flowsheet with pressure specifications made on all the boundary
streams. This solution is consistent because the pressure in the vessel is calculated by
the hold-up equation. (The stream flow rates were calculated using the turbulent
equation or the resistance to flow equation).

Guidelines to Remember:

 One P/F specification should be made on each boundary stream


(feeds/products)

 Make pressure specifications on boundary streams attached to process


equipment that use resistance to flow/conductance relationships.

 Aspen HYSYS Dynamics™ will use the equipment conductance or Cv value


combined with the pressure of the inlet and outlet streams to determine a
Flowrate through the equipment.

 Internal flow rates will be calculated by pressure gradients (resistance to


flow/conductance equations) throughout the Flowsheet.

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Summary of P/F Theory and Specifications:


1. The flow through the plant, or operation, is driven by the pressure gradient.

2. P/F theory defines the relationship between flow and pressure.

3. The Aspen HYSYS® P/F solver solves a set of linear and non-linear equations
simultaneously to determine the P/F relationship.

4. In order for the P/F solver to solve the Flowsheet, there must be a pressure
gradient established over the entire Flowsheet.

5. The pressure gradient exists due to a specified pressure flow relationship (or a
specified pressure drop) over all operations in the Flowsheet.

6. The P/F solver works by finding P from F, according to the P/F theory, or by
solving the pressure node equation.

7. Following any flow path through the Flowsheet, the user should be able to see
the pressure gradient, or expect to see a pressure gradient established along the
path. If the pressure gradient cannot be seen, an additional pressure specification
may be needed.

8. If the user follows a flow path to the boundary of the Flowsheet, they should see
that at such a location, a pressure gradient does not exist, nor can it be
established. This means that a pressure (or flow) specification is always needed
on boundary streams.

Other Possible Solutions


If we modeled the same unit operation without using valves on all product streams,
then we could not make P specifications on all boundary streams. Remember the
lumped parameter model – the model assumes there are no pressure gradients inside
the unit operation. Thus, if a pressure specification is made on the vapour product
stream it is best not to make pressure specifications on the other unit operation
streams. This can lead to an inconsistent solution because once one stream pressure
is known they all become known, resulting in no pressure gradients in the unit
operation.

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Figure 7

It is possible to have flow specifications on all unit operation streams as long as the
vessel pressure is controlled.
Figure 8

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Exercise
Modifying the Flowsheet in dynamics

Load the saved case FHT_Dyn1.hsc.

Modify the Flowsheet such that there is a Cooler downstream of the Sep Vap 1
stream.

1. Add a Cooler and move the P/F specifications.

2. Set cooler duty to be 1e5kJ/h and volume to be 33 m3.

3. Set delta P=70kPa and calculate the resistance to flow constant (k) for the
Cooler. Like the valves, the flow through the Cooler is calculated as a function
of delta P by using the calculated overall k as specs.

Using the conductance equation provides a more realistic simulation. The pressure
drop across the Cooler can change with increases or decreases in flow. If the Cooler
pressure drop were fixed, then it would not vary. Because we specify the resistance
to flow as the dynamic specification, then we can make a pressure specification as
the boundary specification. The flow rates are calculated by the resistance equation.

Save your case as Exercise.hsc.

Save your case!

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