Process-Simulation-using-DWSIM/C2/Flash-Separator/English

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Title: Flash Separator

Author: Priyam Nayak

Keywords: DWSIM, Material stream, simulation, compounds, thermodynamic package, unit systems, flash separator, gas-liquid separator, operating conditions, separation pressure, video tutorial.


Visual Cue Narration
Slide Number 1


Title Slide


Welcome to this spoken tutorial on simulating a Flash Separator in DWSIM.
Slide Number 2


Learning Objectives

In this tutorial, we will learn to:
  • Simulate a Flash Separator
  • Define Operating Conditions for a Flash Separator


Slide Number 3

System Requirements

This tutorial is recorded using
  • DWSIM version 9.0.2
  • Windows 11 OS


But, this process is identical in Linux, Mac OS X, or FOSSEE OS on ARM.

Slide Number 4

Pre-requisites

To practice this tutorial, you should know to
  • Add components to a flowsheet.
  • Select thermodynamic packages
  • Specify the properties of a material stream


Slide Number 5


Problem Statement

We will simulate a flash separator, as shown in the figure.


This is to determine the exit composition of vapor and liquid streams.


All the necessary feed streams and operating conditions are mentioned.


Use the Peng-Robinson property package.

Switch to DWSIM. I have opened the DWSIM interface.
File >> New Chemical Process Model Click on File on the menu bar.

Select New Chemical Process Model.

Point to Simulation Configuration Wizard window

Click the Next button.

A Simulation Configuration Wizard window appears.


Click the Next button on the lower right corner of the window.

Point to Compounds tab


Type Hydrogen in the search bar


Check the check box under the Added column.


Point to Added Compounds

We are now in the Compounds tab.


We will add the compounds present in the flowsheet.


Type Hydrogen in the search bar located at the bottom of the Compounds tab.


Under Added column, check the checkbox for Hydrogen.


Hydrogen is added to the simulation as displayed against the Added Compounds.

Type Methane in the search tab Next, we will add Methane.
Type Benzene in the search tab Similarly, add Benzene.
Type Toluene in the search bar. Then add Toluene.
Point to Added Compounds. All the compounds required in this simulation are added.

It can be seen in the Added Compounds.

Click on the Next button at the bottom. Click on the Next button at the bottom to continue.
Point to Property Packages

Property Packages >> Available Property Package >> Peng-Robinson (PR).

Click on Add.


Added Property Package >> Peng- Robinson (PR)

Now comes Property Packages.

From the Available Property Packages,

click on Peng-Robinson (PR).

Then click on Add.


Peng-Robinson (PR) has been added under Added Property Packages.

Click on the Next button at the bottom. Click on the Next button at the bottom to continue.
System of Units >> C5 The next option is the System of Units.

We will select C5.

This has the desired system of units according to our problem statement.

Click on the Next button at the bottom. Click on the Next button at the bottom to continue.
Behavior >> Next We will not change anything here.

Click on the Next button at the bottom.

Undo/Redo Operation >> Finish We will not change anything here.

Click on the Finish button at the bottom.

This completes configuring the simulation.

Point to Object Palette


Click on Separators/Tanks section.

Click and drag Gas-Liquid Separator to the flowsheet

Now let us add a Flash Separator.

Go to the Separators/Tanks section in the Object Palette.

It is located at the right side of the flowsheet window.

Scroll down a little to see Gas-Liquid Separator.

Drag and drop Gas-Liquid Separator to the flowsheet.

The Gas-liquid Separator in DWSIM can be used as a flash separator and a decanter.

Point to Gas-Liquid Separator added to the flowsheet.

Point to material Stream 1.

Point to Material Stream 2.

Point to Material Stream 3.

This is the Gas-Liquid Separator.

It has 3 material streams auto-connected to its connection ports.

Material Stream named 1 enters the Gas-Liquid Separator as feed.

Material Stream named 2 leaves the Gas-Liquid Separator as a vapor product.

Material Streams named 3 leaves the Gas-Liquid Separator as a liquid product.

Click >> 1 >> 1 (Material Stream) Property Editor Window.

Information >> General Info >> Object >> Feed

Now click on the Material Stream named 1.

Rename 1 as Feed.

Now, we will specify the Feed stream properties.
Input Data>> Stream Condition >> Flash Spec>> Temperature and Pressure(TP) Under Input Data, in Stream Conditions section, select Flash Spec as Temperature and Pressure (TP).

By default, Temperature and Pressure are already selected as Flash Spec.

Input Data >> Stream Condition >> Temperature >> 20 C


Press Enter

Change Temperature to 20 degree C and press Enter.
Input Data >> Stream Condition >> Pressure >> 50 bar


Press Enter

Change Pressure to 50 bar and press Enter.
Point to Molar Flow Rate Instead of the Overall Flow Rate, we have the individual flow rate of components.


So we will not specify anything here.

Click >> Compound Amounts

Basis >> Mole Flows


Click Clear

To specify the individual flow rate of components, click on Compound Amounts.

Choose the Basis as Mole Flows.

Click on Clear to clear the default values.

Point to the Empty Table.



Hydrogen >> 400

Now, we will enter the Mole Flows for each compound.


Click on the first cell below Amount against Hydrogen and enter 400. Press Enter.

Methane >> 100 For Methane, type 100 and press Enter.
Benzene >> 90 For Benzene, type 90 and press Enter.
Toluene >> 10 For Toluene, type 10 and press Enter.
Click >> Accept changes On the right side, click on the Accept Changes button.
Click >> Stream Conditions

Point to Mass Flow

Go back to Stream Conditions.

Mass Flow and Molar Flow are automatically calculated as per the entered flow rate of compounds.

Point to 2 and 3. Now, we will rename our product streams.
Click >> 2 >> 2 (Material Stream) Property Editor Window.

Information >> General Info >> Object >> Vapor

Now click on the Material Stream named 2.

Rename 2 as Vapor.

Click >> 3 >> 3 (Material Stream) Property Editor Window.

Information >> General Info >> Object >> Liquid

Now click on the Material Stream named 3.

Rename 3 as Liquid.

All our streams have been defined.

Now we need to specify the parameters for the Gas-Liquid Separator.

Click >> V-1 >> V-1 (Gas-Liquid Separator) Property Editor Window


General >> Object >> Flash

Click on the Gas-Liquid Separator named V-1.

Rename V-1 as Flash.

Hover mouse at Calculation Parameters Go to the section Calculation Parameters.
Hover mouse at Calculation Mode

Calculation Mode >> Legacy

The first field is Calculation Mode.

Click on the drop-down against Calculation Mode and select Legacy.

Hover mouse at Outlet Pressure Calculation Next is Outlet Pressure Calculation.

This is similar to specifying pressure for a mixer.

Also, this is to be specified only when more than one feed stream enters the flash.

Since we have only one feed stream entering, we will not change anything here.

Point to Override Sep. Temperature

Select Override Sep. Temperature

Next is Override Separation Temperature.

This is to specify the operating temperature of the flash separator.

Since the operating temperature of the flash is not mentioned in the problem, we will not specify anything here.

Point to Override Sep. Temperature

Check the check box on the left of Override Sep. Pressure


Override Sep. Pressure >> 30 bar

The next field is Override Separation Pressure.

This is to specify the operating pressure of the flash separator.

Check the checkbox against Override Separation Pressure.


Click on the field against Override Separation Pressure and enter 30 bar.

Click Solve This completes the problem specification.


Click on the Solve button in the toolbar area.

Point to Messages at the bottom Once the calculations are complete, we can see an error message at the bottom.

It says, Error in ‘Flash’:

This means we must connect an energy stream to the Gas-Liquid Separator.

Flash (Gas-Liquid Separator) property editor window >> Point to Energy Stream

Click >> Create and Connect

This can be done in two ways.

We can drag an Energy Stream from the Stream section of the Object Palette and drop it near the Gas-Liquid Separator.


Alternatively, we can also click on the yellow icon next to the drop-down against Energy Stream.


It will automatically Create and Connect an Energy Stream to the Gas-Liquid Separator.


Let us do that.

Hover Mouse at E-1 An energy stream named E-1 is created and connected to the Gas-Liquid Separator.
Click Solve Now, once again, solve the flowsheet.


Click on the Solve button in the toolbar area.

Click on File and Click Save As Let us now save this file.


Click on the File and select Save As option.

Type flash-sim Select a desired location to save the file.

Enter the file name as flash-sim.

Insert >> Master Property Table Now, let us display the streamwise results.


Go to the Insert menu and select Master Property Table.

Double click on Master Property Table
Point to Configure Master Property Table
Double-click on the Master Property Table to edit it.

Configure Master Property Table window opens.

Type Steamwise Results – Flowsheet In the Name field, type Stream Wise Results hyphen Flash.
Object >> Feed, Vapor, Liquid Under Object, select Feed, Vapor, and Liquid.
Configure Master Property Table>> Property Under Property, scroll down to see all the parameters.
Now select the properties as:

Temperature

Pressure

Mass Flow

Molar Flow

Molar Flow (Vapor)

Molar Fraction (Mixture) / Hydrogen

Molar Flow (Mixture) / Hydrogen

Molar Fraction (Mixture) / Methane

Molar Flow (Mixture) / Methane

Molar Fraction (Mixture) / Benzene

Molar Flow (Mixture) / Benzene

Molar Fraction (Mixture) / Toluene

Molar Flow (Mixture) / Toluene

Close this window. Close this window.
Place the cursor on the Gas-Liquid Separator to see the table. Move the Master Property Table for better visibility.

Here, we can see the corresponding stream results for Flash Separator.

This brings us to the end of this tutorial.
Slide Number 6

Summary

In this tutorial, we have learnt to

  • Simulate a Flash Separator
  • Define Operating Conditions for a Flash Separator


Let's summarize.
Slide Number 7 Assignment


As an assignment,

Simulate the Flash Separator with different feed and operating conditions.

Slide Number 8


DWSIM Flowsheeting Project


The FOSSEE team coordinates the conversion of existing flowsheets into DWSIM.


We give honorarium and certificates for those who do this.


For more details, please visit this site.

We invite you to participate in DWSIM Flowsheeting Project.
Slide Number 9


Lab Migration Project


The FOSSEE team helps migrate commercial simulator labs to DWSIM.


We give honorarium and certificates for those who do this.


For more details, please visit this site.


We invite you to migrate commercial simulator labs to DWSIM.
Slide Number 10


Acknowledgements

The FOSSEE project is funded by NMEICT, Ministry of Education(MoE), Government of India.

Slide Number 11


Thank You

We thank the DWSIM team for making it as an open source software.

Thank you for joining.

Contributors and Content Editors

Madhurig