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CHEN64372: Distillation System Design – HYSYS Getting Started Guide

Start HYSYS by doing one of the following:

1. From the Start > All Programs menu, select AspenTech > Process Modeling V7.3 > Aspen HYSYS >

Aspen HYSYS command.

2. Follow the path: C:\Program Files (x86)\AspenTech\Aspen Hysys V7.3\hysys.exe.

Work through the Getting Started material to start getting familiar with the concept of [steady state]

process simulation.

Your aim is to:

• familiarise yourself with HYSYS interfaces

• successfully open and save (in your own directory!) a HYSYS file

• learn how to interrogate a pre-prepared simulation case

• learn how to make changes to a pre-prepared simulation case

• start to become familiar with the Workbook feature of HYSYS

Note that AspenTech packages can only be run from University PCs (for licensing reasons). AspenTech

Process Modeling is available in B12, C32 and the Barnes Wallis Cluster.

GETTING STARTED WITH HYSYS

The Getting Started help contains instructions for a quick introduction to HYSYS by recalling a saved case

and illustrating how to navigate through HYSYS.

The main steps in this Getting Started example are:

1. Starting HYSYS.

2. View and modify a Steady State simulation case.

Note: This document is a partial transcript of the Aspen Hysys Getting Started guide for Aspen Hysys

2006.5 (file: Aspenhysysgettingstarted.chm). Images, file names and instructions have been

adapted to be compatible with Aspen Hysys v.7.3.

STARTING HYSYS

To start HYSYS:

1. Click on the Start menu in Windows.

2. From the All Programs menu, select AspenTech | Process Modeling V7.3 | Aspen HYSYS | Aspen

HYSYS command.

The HYSYS Desktop is the first thing you will see.

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Note: The above view has been resized; your Desktop view should appear larger than this when initially

opened. To re-size the view, click and drag the outside border. To make the view full size, click the

Maximize icon in the upper right corner.

Now you are ready to begin working with HYSYS. The next step is to set the simulation units.

SETTING SIMULATION UNITS

Before opening the pre-built Getting Started case, you should choose the HYSYS unit set used for displaying

information. You can check your current unit set by accessing the Session Preferences from the menu bar:

1. From the Tools menu, select Preferences. The Session Preferences view then appears.

2. Click on the Variables tab. The Units page should be open by default.

The Current Unit Set is shown highlighted in the list of Available Unit Sets. The HYSYS default is SI; however

the Getting Started example has been developed in Field units.

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3. In the Available Unit Sets group, click on Field to make it the current unit set.

4. Click the Close icon to close the Session Preferences view.

Now you are ready to recall a HYSYS case from disk.

RECALLING THE SIMULATION CASE FROM MEMORY

Included with your HYSYS package are a number of pre-built simulation cases located in the Samples

subdirectory of the HYSYS root directory. One of these cases is named Propylene Glycol Production-2.hsc

and is the example used here. To load the case:

1. Do one of the following:

– Click the Open Case icon on the toolbar.

– From the File menu, select Open then Case.

– Press CTRL O.

The Open Simulation Case view appears.

2. Use the navigator to find the Samples subdirectory.

C:\Program Files(x86)\AspenTech\Aspen HYSYS V7.3\Samples

3. Locate the Propylene Glycol Production-2.hsc file within the Samples folder.

4. Click on Propylene Glycol Production-2.hsc file, and then click the Open button. HYSYS starts loading

the pre-built case.

5. Click the Yes button on the message window about setting all the streams with the standard HYSYS

properties.

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6. The pre-built simulation case appears on your Desktop.

Before working with this case, you should save it using a new name to ensure that the original file remains

intact.

SAVING THE CASE UNDER A NEW NAME

To save a case under a new name:

1. Do one of the following:

– From the File menu, select Save As.

– Press CTRL SHIFT S.

2. The Save Simulation Case As view appears.

3. Type a new name, for example MYCASE, in the File name field.

Note: You do not have to enter the *.HSC extension; HYSYS will add it automatically.

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4. Click the Save button, and HYSYS saves your case with the new name.

Now you are ready to view and manipulate the case.

DESCRIPTION OF THE STEADY STATE CASE

The Propylene Glycol Production-2.hsc file contains a HYSYS example case of a steady state simulation.

This steady state simulation models the production of propylene glycol.

Using a continuously-stirred-tank reactor (CSTR), propylene oxide and water are reacted at atmospheric

pressure. The reaction is exothermic, so a coolant is circulated to the reactor to maintain its temperature.

The reactor effluent, consisting of propylene glycol and unreacted feed, is fed to a distillation column. In

the column, 99.5 mol% glycol is produced from the bottoms, while unreacted propylene oxide and water

are recovered overhead.

Next we take a detail look at windows available in this Steady State case.

OVERVIEW ON SIMULATION CASE

When you first open the Propylene Glycol Production-2.hsc example case, three windows appear on the

HYSYS Desktop. Each window is identified by its title located at the top left of the window.

• PFD

• Workbook

• Case Studies

Note: The Steady State - Dynamic toggle on the HYSYS toolbar indicates that you are currently in

Steady State mode.

MODIFYING VALUES FROM PFD

PFD WINDOW

The PFD window is a graphical representation of the process flowsheet.

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The PFD shows:

• The streams and unit operations, represented by symbols (called icons), in the flowsheet.

• The connectivity amongst the streams and unit operations.

• A property table for the Reactor Prods stream.

To re-size the PFD:

1. Open the PFD window by clicking the PFD icon in the toolbar.

2. Do one of the following:

– Click and drag the outside border to the new size.

– Click the Maximize icon in the upper right corner of the view.

3. Click the Zoom All icon to zoom-in on all items in the PFD, filling the resized PFD.

Tip: You can display summary information for a particular object (stream or operation) simply by placing

the cursor over the object’s icon. For example, position the cursor over the icon for stream Prop Oxide. A

fly-by window appears at the cursor tip, showing the stream temperature, pressure and molar flow.

Next step is to access and modify the information of a stream from the PFD window.

ACCESSING STREAM INFORMATION FROM THE PFD

Every stream and operation (object) contained in a HYSYS simulation has its own property view. Each

property view contains information about the object, and the information are grouped into tabs and pages

for convenient usability.

To access the property view of a stream from the PFD:

1. On the PFD window, right-click on the Prop Oxide icon.

2. Select View Properties command from the object inspect menu.

The Prop Oxide property view appears.

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Notes:

When an object’s property view is initially opened, it displays the first page on the first tab of the view. For

the Prop Oxide stream property view, the first tab is the Worksheet tab; its first page is the Conditions

page.

The tabs are listed along the bottom of the property view. Each tab has associated pages that are listed in

the column on the left side of the view.

You can change the page or tab by clicking on the page or tab.

Next step, we will change the liquid flow rate of the Prop Oxide stream.

Tip: You can also double-click on the object icon to access the property view.

MANIPULATING STREAM CONDITIONS

To change the liquid flow rate of the Prop Oxide stream to 6m3/hr:

1. In the Prop Oxide property view, click the Worksheet tab and select the Conditions page.

The Conditions page gives the basic conditions of the stream: the vapour fraction, temperature, pressure,

material flows and heat flow (enthalpy).

2. In the table, click on the value cell beside the Std Ideal Liq Vol Flow cell.

3. Type in 6, and press the SPACE BAR.

4. In the drop-down list that appears beside the value cell, scroll and select m3/h.

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HYSYS calculates the stream condition with the new flow rate and displays the new liquid flow rate in Field

units (barrel/days).

Next step, we will view the rest of the stream properties in the Properties page.

Notes:

You can only modify the values that are in blue or red colour text.

The black colour text indicates the value was calculated by HYSYS and cannot be modified.

VIEWING STREAM PROPERTIES

To view the Prop Oxide stream properties:

In the Prop Oxide property view, click the Worksheet tab and select the Properties page.

The Properties page displays all the Transport Properties for each stream phase. You can manipulate the

properties displayed on this page for an individual stream. The properties from the Conditions page are not

available for this page.

Tip: You can manipulate the type and number of properties appearing on the Property page, by using the

Correlation Manager.

Next step, we will change the composition of the Prop Oxide stream.

MODIFYING STREAM COMPOSITION

To modify the Prop Oxide stream composition:

1. In the Prop Oxide property view, click the Worksheet tab and select the Composition page.

The Composition page displays the material composition of the stream.

Tip: You can display the composition on another basis, such as mass or molar fraction, by clicking the Basis

button and selecting a different basis in the Composition:Basis group.

2. Click the Edit button. The Input Composition for Stream window appears.

3. Type in 35 barrel/day for the Methanol flow rate and 875.201 barrel/day for 12C3Oxide.

4. Click the OK button.

The Input Composition for Stream window automatically closes and HYSYS recalculates the simulation for

the new Methanol composition flow rate.

5. You can click on the Properties page to see how the composition changes affect the Prop Oxide stream

property.

6. Once you have finished examining the stream properties, close the property view by clicking the Close

icon . The Close icon is located in the upper right corner of the stream property view.

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Note: The next time you open the Prop Oxide property view, the window will open to the last page that you

accessed before closing the view.

Next step, we will manipulate a stream using the Workbook window.

MODIFYING VALUES FROM WORKBOOK

WORKBOOK WINDOW

The Workbook view displays tabular information pertaining to the streams and unit operations in the

simulation.

To access the Workbook window, click the Workbook icon on the HYSYS toolbar.

The first tab of the Workbook, Material Streams, displays for each stream the same information that is

available on the Conditions page of the stream property view.

Tips:

• You can view the streams that are not currently visible by re-sizing the window, or by clicking

repeatedly on the vertical scroll arrow.

• You can add, delete or modify streams and unit operations in the Workbook.

In this simulation case, we will be investigating the amount of cooling required to maintain the reactor at

certain temperatures set by the product stream temperature.

The remaining Workbook tabs include:

• Compositions. Displays the composition of each material stream.

• Energy Streams. Displays the name and heat flow of each energy stream.

• Unit Ops. Lists summary information for all unit operations.

USING THE WORKBOOK TO CHANGE A STREAM TEMPERATURE

The reactor for the Propylene Glycol production is operating at 135oF. The reactor temperature is set by the

reactor product stream temperature.

Tip: To view the reactor temperature, hold the mouse over the reactor icon and the fly-by window displays

the vessel temperature.

To manipulate the product stream temperature to 100°F:

1. Click the Energy Streams tab in the Workbook window to check the cooling requirement to achieve the

reactor vessel temperature.

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The cooling duty required to maintain the specified reactor temperature is 5.741×106 Btu/hr (5.741

MMBtu/hr). The value is displayed in the Heat Flow cell of the energy stream Coolant.

2. Return to the Material Streams tab in the Workbook by clicking on the tab.

Tip: Workbook values shown in blue are user-specified. Values in black are calculated by HYSYS.

3. Select the temperature cell for the Reactor Prods stream.

4. Type 100, the press ENTER.

HYSYS will automatically re-calculate the Flowsheet based on the new temperature.

5. Return to the Energy Streams tab to see the re-calculated cooling requirement.

The temperature change has decreased the required cooling duty to 5.086 MMBTU/hr.

Next step, we will examine the cooling duty of the reactor for multiple temperatures using the Case Study

feature.

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDIES WINDOW

The HYSYS Case Study feature can be set to automatically make multiple changes and tabulate the

calculated results for you. So instead of changing the reactor temperature again and again to find the

cooling duty of each new reactor temperature, you can set the Case Study option to generate different

reactor temperature and calculate the different cooling duty.

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In this simulation case, an example of a case study has been generated. To view the results of the case

study:

1. Select the Window menu and click the Case Studies – Main.

Tip: The three views that are currently open on the Desktop are listed at the bottom of the menu. A

checkmark indicates the view that currently has focus. In this case, it is the Workbook view.

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1. Select the Tools menu and click the Databook command.

2. In the Databook window, click the Case Studies tab.

3. In the Available Case Studies group, select Case Study 1 and click the View button.

4. In the Case Studies Setup window, click the Results button.

The Case Studies - Main window appears.

Next step, we will modify the Case Study.

Note:

In this simulation case, you might expect the cooling requirement to increase as the reactor temperature is

lowered. However, the reaction has two attributes that dominate the reactor’s heat balance:

• The reaction produces heat proportional to the amount of reaction occurring.

• Less reaction occurs at 100oF than at 135

oF.

So by lowering the reactor temperature, less reaction is taking place and less heat is produced by the

reaction. Therefore, less cooling is required.

MANIPULATING CASE STUDY

The Case Study 1 has been configured to calculate and plot values over an independent temperature range

of 75°F to 130°F with an increment of 10°F. In this step, we want to observe the results over a wider range.

To change the bounds of the independent variable for the case study:

1. Click the Setup button on the Case Studies – Main Window. The Case Studies Setup view appears.

2. Change the High Bound value to 215°F.

Leave the Low Bound at its value of 75°F, and the Step Size as 10°F.

3. Click the Start button.

4. Click the Results button.

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HYSYS begins calculations immediately, solving the Flowsheet at each temperature and plotting the results

on the Case Studies view. When the Flowsheet has been solved at the final temperature of 215°F,

calculations will stop automatically.

The final Case Studies view is shown in the following figure.

The Case Study shows that the cooling requirement increases to its maximum value at approximately 125°F

and then decreases, while the glycol production rate increases over the entire temperature range.

Next step, we will save the modified simulation case.

SAVE SIMULATION CASE

SAVING STEADY STATE CASE

You have now completed your first HYSYS steady state simulation! You can save your case by doing one of

the following:

• Click on the Save icon on the toolbar.

• From the File menu, select Save.

• Press CTRL S.

You are now free to explore this case on your own. If you want, you can:

• quit HYSYS.

EXITING HYSYS

To exit HYSYS do one of the following:

• From the File menu, select Exit.

• Click the Close icon in the right corner of the HYSYS desktop.

Tip: If you have made any changes to your case since the last time it was saved, HYSYS will prompt you to

save before exiting.