Introduction
Most of us have been exposed to thermal design of heat exchangers using HTRI or other similar softwares. The
starting point in any of these softwares is mode selection – design, rating or simulation. About design & rating,
we all are aware – as summarized below.
After ‘HTRIed’ quiet a good no. of HEs in rating mode at Quanta (& very few in design mode…. because
gentlemen hate shortcuts!), I was totally stucked when a good friend of mine asked me the significance of
simulation mode in a thermo software. Fortunately, with the help of UPL/Aspen, I could get a chance to clear my
perception about the simulation mode & would like to share it with you.
Background
We perform simulation (calculation) of a stream or an equipment or a plant section using
PROII/ChemCAD/Aspen or similar simulation softwares. The plant section would be covering various equipment
like column(s), separator(s), vessel(s), pump(s), control valve(s) etc. Heat exchangers will also be a part of this
plant circuit, which we can design or rate independently using thermo softwares like HTRI or CCTherm
(ChemCAD) or Aspen TASC. Preliminary thermal design can also be performed in simulation softwares like
ChemCAD or PROII.
Thermo software designed HE is like an ideal entity or a well behaved child (?), where everything is well defined
& constant. But how this exchanger will behave at turnup/turndown conditions or changed
compositions/temperature levels etc? More importantly, how the entire plant circuit will react due to changed
behavior of the HE – This is where simulation mode comes into picture. (Don’t forget that plant circuit is made
up of many HEs & not only one….An individual’s rule breaking may be a crime, but a crowd’s shortcoming – a
revolution!)
The Methodology
Let’s understand the methodology of simulation mode. Assume that a HE is placed at some middle stage of a
plant circuit with upstream/downstream other equipment items. First, steady state simulation (Aspen PLUS) of
the plant section containing the HE is performed, which will give some specific heat duty. Next, the HE is rated
using a thermo software (Aspen TASC) for this specified duty. Then, the simulation software (Aspen PLUS) &
thermo software (Aspen TASC) are linked together. As soon as Aspen PLUS is run(ned!) at normal or changed
operating case, upstream operations give some input to downstream linked HE or Aspen TASC. The Aspen TASC
calculation mode automatically changes to Simulation mode & based on the HE geometry, output parameters &
heat duty are corrected in it. Now it’s HE’s (Aspen TASC’s) turn to give input to the plant simulation (Aspen
PLUS). Based on the HE output parameters & corrected heat duty, performance of the downstream operations
change. If a recycle loop is involved, the procedure keeps on iterating until ‘Ram & Shyam’ (PLUS & TASC!) come
to an agreed solution. Sometimes or many times, frequency of ‘Ram & Shyam’ don’t match & the simulation
don’t get converged, particularly in a complicated circuit.
Practical Applications
Suppose that we want to foresight a plant behavior during initial plant life at normal operating conditions – Put
fouling factors to zero in all HEs & run the simulation (link) mode. In a running plant, the simulation mode can
be even more useful. In due course of time, changes in the flowrates, compositions or temperature levels are
routine matters. Apart from this, what if some energy intensive equipment are added or removed, tubes in few
exchangers blocked or removed, insulation at few places damaged or discarded? Simulation (link) mode with
existing HE geometry can well take care of all these issues.
Just recently we have simulated one such system. In the mentioned multiple effect evaporation system, the
original design was having three effects (evaporators) with four process‐process plate heat exchangers (PHE) &
few other heat exchangers. Due to leakage & maintenance problems, three out of four PHEs were replaced with
shell & tube HEs (of insufficient HT areas). Process‐process load was transferred to live steam & the original
steam economy (kg steam/kg water evaporated) jumped to almost 35% (Rs. 1.3 crore/annum!). Only after
performing the system in simulation mode, the effect of individual existing S&T HE & combined effect of all HEs
as well as optimum proposed solution could be evaluated (Missed Kotharisir a lot…).
Salient Features of the Simulation Mode
o In rating mode of a HE (Properly designed!), dirty overall HT coefficient (U) is always kept 10‐20‐30% higher
than the service U. This is what we call as over design. The simulation mode is evaluation of actual behavior
of a HE geometry. Hence, the HE will perform at its maximum potential. Both the HTCs (U) will be same &
the HE will give higher service duty than anticipated (If working properly & not fouled at the time of
evaluation!).
o In simulation mode, hot/cold fluid physical properties for a sensible HE or heat release curve for a
condenser/reboiler are directly exported to thermo software, as it is linked with the simulation software.
Moreover, the physical properties are directly modified in each iteration. Though one can consider
simulation mode as nothing but a repetitive rating mode, direct export/modification of the physical
properties is the main attraction, in terms of time saving & chances of error.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, simulation mode of a thermo software is like sensitivity of plant performance with respect to HE(s)
behavior. For a consultancy, it may be a useful tool to evaluate plant performance with reference to designed
HEs at turnup/turn down conditions or at any other changed conditions. For an actual production plant, its
importance is obvious at any stage of the plant life cycle.
Being of same family, ChemCAD/CCTherm will be definitely having simulation (link) mode facility like Aspen
PLUS/TASC. I am not aware of PROII/HTRI or ChemCAD/HTRI simulation mode linking facility. Leaving it to you
(For let me know!)
Acknowledgement (Because every paper contains it!)
Destiny…..