Column Operations 1

Column Operations

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Chem 5_4.pdf 1
2 Column Operations

Workshop
In this module, you will simulate an Ethanol Plant. You will get more
practice with the Column unit operation of HYSYS by:

• modeling columns with side draws

• adding a column with real trays.

Typically an ethanol fermentation process produces mainly ethanol

plus several by-products in small quantities: methanol, 1-propanol, 2-
propanol, 1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-pentanol, acetic acid, and
CO2.

The CO2 produced in the fermentation vessel carries some ethanol.

This CO2 stream is washed with water in a vessel (CO2 Wash) to recover
the ethanol, which is recycled to the fermenter.

The ethanol rich product stream from the fermenter is sent to a

concentration (Conc) tower. An absorber with a side vapour draw can
be used to represent this tower. This vapour draw is taken from Stage 2
so as to have an azeotropic ethanol product with less methanol
contamination. The top vapour is fed to a light purification tower
(Lights) where most of the remaining CO2 and some methanol is
vented.

The feed to the Rectifier (Rect) is the bottoms product of the Lights
purification tower and the vapour draw from the concentration tower.
The Rectifier is operated as a conventional distillation tower.

Methanol concentrates towards the top stages, so a small distillate

draw is provided at the condenser. Also, a small vent for CO2 is provided
at the condenser.

Another interesting point is the concentration of heavy alcohols in the

interior of the Rectifier. These alcohols are normally referred to as Fusel
oils. Fusel oils are a mixture of propanols, butanols and pentanols, with
a potential value superior to that of ethanol. Accumulation of fusel oils
in the Rectification Tower can cause the formation of a second liquid
phase and subsequent deterioration of performance for these trays, so
small side liquid draws of fusel oils are installed on the rectifier to avoid
this problem.

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 Column Operations 3

Learning Objectives
Once you have completed this section, you will be able to:

• Model a distillation column with side draws

• Add specifications to a column
• Add efficiencies to a column

Prerequisites
Before beginning this section, you need to be able to:

• Add streams, operations and columns.

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Process Overview
 Column Operations 5

Column Overviews
CO2 Wash

Concentrator

Lights

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6 Column Operations

Rectifier

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 Column Operations 7

Building the Simulation

Defining the Simulation Basis
Any activity model (except Wilson, which cannot predict two liquid
phases) can be used to solve this problem.

1. Start a new case and select NRTL as the Property Package.

2. Use the following components: Ethanol, H2O, CO2, Methanol,
Acetic Acid, 1-Propanol, 2-Propanol, 1-Butanol, 3-M-1-C4ol, 2-
Pentanol and Glycerol.
3. On the Binary Coeffs tab of the Fluid Package use UNIFAC VLE
and press the Unknowns Only button to estimate the missing
interaction parameters.

Adding Streams and Unit Operations

Input the material streams required for the flowsheet:

In This Cell... Enter...

Conditions

Stream Name Wash H2O

Temperature 25°C (77°F)

Pressure 102 kPa (15 psia)

Mass Flow 2340 kg/h (5165 lb/hr)

Composition - Mass Fraction

H2O 100%

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8 Column Operations

Conditions

Stream Name FromFerm

Temperature 30°C (86°F)

Pressure 102 kPa (15 psia)

Mass Flow 46 720 kg/h (1.03e+05 lb/hr)

Composition - Mass Fraction

Ethanol 0.0637

H2O 0.8759

CO2 0.0601

Methanol 4.433e-5

Acetic Acid 1.026e-5

1-Propanol 2.802e-5

2-Propanol 2.808e-5

1-Butanol 2.505e-5

3-M-1-C4ol 9.727e-5

2-Pentanol 2.457e-5

Glycerol 3.141e-5

Conditions

Stream Name Steam A

Temperature 140°C (284°F)

Pressure 102 kPa (15 psia)

Mass Flow 11 000 kg/h (24,250 lb/hr)

Composition - Mass Fraction

H2O 100%

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 Column Operations 9

CO2 Vent Separator

The CO2 Vent Separator separates products from the Fermentor. The
liquid bottoms of the separator are sent to the distillation section of the
plant (Concentrator Tower), while the overhead vapour goes to the
CO2Wash Tower.

Install a Separator and make the connections shown here:

In This Cell... Enter...

Conditions

Name CO2 Vent

Inlets FromFerm

Vapour Outlet To CO2 Wash

Liquid Outlet Beer

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10 Column Operations

The Column Operation

Column SubFlowsheet
A SubFlowsheet contains equipment and streams and exchanges
information with the Parent Flowsheet through the connected streams.
From the Main Environment, the Column appears as a single, multi-
feed multi-product operation. In many cases, you can treat the column
in exactly that manner.

You can enter the Column SubFlowsheet by pressing the Column

Environment button on the Column Property View. Once inside the
Column Environment you can return to the Parent Environment by
pressing either the Parent Environment button on the Column Runner
view or the Parent Simulation Environment button in the Button Bar.
Parent Simulation
Environment button
The Column SubFlowsheet provides a number of advantages:

Independent Fluid Package

HYSYS allows you to specify a unique Fluid Package for the Column
SubFlowsheet, as the Fluid Package in the Main Flowsheet may not
necessarily be the best one in which to run the Column. That is the case
if a Column does not use all the components of the Main Flowsheet, or
if different Interaction Parameters are best suited to the Column
conditions.

Isolation of Column Solver

When you are in the Column runner, the main simulation can be
“checked” by unchecking the Update Outlets box. All aspects of the
Main Environment downstream of the Column will be paused until you
are satisfied with the behaviour of the Column. To update the rest of the
Flowsheet, check the box again. This allows you to make changes and
focus on the Column without re-calculating the entire Flowsheet. Once
you have made the necessary changes, simply run the Column again to
produce a new converged solution. In the Column runner, you are free
to view profiles, stage summaries, and other data, as well as make
changes to Column Specifications, parameters, equipment,
efficiencies, reactions, and so on.

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Use of Simultaneous Solution Algorithm

The Column SubFlowsheet does not use the standard non-sequential
solver, but a simultaneous one whereby all operations within the
SubFlowsheet are solved simultaneously. The simultaneous solver
permits in particular the user to install multiple unit operations within
the SubFlowsheet without the need for Recycle blocks.

Once a Column is converged, if changes are made to the parent

Flowsheet, the Column will automatically be up-dated and re-run.

Column Types
HYSYS has several basic Column Templates (pre-constructed column
configurations) which may be used for installing a new Column,
allowing HYSYS to model several different separation processes.

This module will introduce the Absorber. Subsequent modules will

present different columns so that, by the end of this course, most types
of columns will have been used.

Initial Estimates
In order to calculate, the Column solver in HYSYS requires user-
supplied estimates ranging from condition parameters to feed and
draw locations. These data can be supplied in several ways. The first
interface when you select a Column requires values for the Number of
Trays, Reflux, Pressure, and so on. In the Column Solver, on the Work
Sheet tab, Conditions page, data can also be supplied. On the Design
tab, Specs page, HYSYS allows you to choose from a library of
specifications gathered in the Column Specification Types window,
activated when you press the Add button. Specification Types can be
supplied as Estimates or as Active specifications. Only Active
specifications fill the Degree of Freedom of the Column which must be
zero for the solver to calculate. Inactive specifications (Estimates) are
used only as initial estimates for the convergence algorithm and never
use a degree of freedom. Alternatively, Estimates can be supplied on the
Estimates page under the Parameters tab. However, they will not
appear on the Monitor, and hence cannot be set as Active
specifications.

If the user does not have initial estimates HYSYS generates them.
However for chemical systems, it is recommended to use the HYSYS
Estimate Generator tool. In the Column Environment, on the
Parameters tab, Solver page, there is the Initial Estimate Generator

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Parameters box. By checking the box, the IEG will perform iterative
flash calculations to provide the initial estimates for the temperature
and composition profiles. No user estimates are required when the
Iterative IEG check box is activated.

CO2 Wash Tower

The CO2 Rejection Tower is a simple Absorber. Water is used to strip
any ethanol entrained in the off gas mixture, this produces an overhead
of virtually pure CO2. The bottoms product from the tower is recycled
to the Fermentor (however the recycle is not a concern in this example).

The Input Expert will guide you through the installation of the column.

1. Add an Absorber with the information shown here on the first

Absorber button Connections page.

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 Column Operations 13

2. On the Pressure Profile page, enter the following values. If using

field units, the values for the Top and Bottom stage pressures will
be 14 and 15 psia, respectively.

3. Press the Done button to complete the column installation.

4. Press the Run button on the column property view to converge
the column.

Save your case!

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14 Column Operations

Concentrator
This tower removes most of the Methanol from the Fermentor
products.

The Concentrator is an Absorber with a side vapour draw.

In This Cell... Enter...

Connections

Column Name Conc

No. of Stages 17

Feed Beer (Top Stage)

Steam A (Bottom Stage)

Ovhd Vapour To Light

Bottoms Liquid Stillage A

Vapour Side Draw Rect Feed, Stage 6

Pressure

Top Stage Pressure 100 kPa (14.5 psia)

Bottom Stage Pressure 102 kPa (15 psia)

Temperatures

Stage 1 Temp Estimate 90°C (195°F)

Stage 17 Temp Estimate 110°C (230°F)

By default, whenever a side draw stream is added to a column, HYSYS

automatically creates a Draw Rate specification for that stream. This
eliminates the additional DOF that adding the side draw stream would
normally produce.

However, in this case, we do not need a Draw Rate specification for this
stream; therefore, we need to replace the Draw Rate specification that
HYSYS added automatically with one that we will define to meet our
simulation needs.

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 Column Operations 15

1. Go to the Specs page on the Design tab of the column property

view.

2. Press the Add button in the Column Specifications group to

create a new specification.
3. Select the specification you want from the list that appears.In this
case, we want to add a Column Component Recovery
specification.

4. Press the Add Spec(s) button.

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5. Complete the specification’s property view as shown below.

This specification will set the ratio of ethanol recovered in the specified
stream compared to the amount of ethanol fed to the column. Here, we
have set this ratio at 0.95, meaning that 95% of the ethanol supplied to
the column is recovered in the Rect Feed stream.

We are not concerned about where the other 5% goes, although it must
exit the column in one of the other product streams.

6. With the column’s DOF (degrees of freedom) at 0, and we need to

set which specifications should be active and which HYSYS can
use as estimates only. On the Monitor page of the Design tab,
ensure that the Ethanol Recovery specification is active and that
all others are inactive.
7. We can now start the column runner and allow HYSYS to find a
solution for this column. Press the Run button now to begin the
column solver.
8. Save your case.

Save your case!

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 Column Operations 17

Lights
The Lights Tower is a purification tower.

Add the Refluxed Absorber column and enter the following data.

Refluxed Absorber button

In this cell... Enter...

Connections (Input Expert Page 1)

Column Name Lights

No. of Stages 5

Bottom Stage Inlet To Light

Condenser Type Partial

Bottoms Liquid To Rect

Condenser Energy CondDuty

Overhead Outlets Light Vent, 2nd EtOH

Pressure (Input Expert Page 2)

Delta P 0 kPa (0 psi)

Condenser Pressure 97 kPa (14 psia)

Bottom Stage Pressure 100 kPa (14.5 psia)

Temperatures (Input Expert Page 3)

Not Required

Specifications (Input Expert Page 4)

Vapour Flow 1.6 kgmole/h (3.5 lbmole/hr)

Reflux Ratio 5

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The Lights column requires 1 more specification; currently the DOF = 0,

but we do not want to use these specifications to converge the column.
The Reflux Ratio of 5 is only an estimate, and we will need to add
another specifications that HYSYS will use to solve the column.

Add a Column Component Fraction specification with the following

information:

In this Cell... Enter...

Name Ethanol Purity

Stage Condenser

Flow Basis Mass Fraction

Phase Liquid (default)

Spec Value 0.88

Component Ethanol

The Active specifications for this column should be changed to:

• Vap Prod Rate

• Ethanol Purity

So, deactivate the Reflux Ratio specification and activate the Ethanol
Purity specification.

Press the Run button to converge the column.

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 Column Operations 19

Rectifier
The primary product from a plant such as this would be the azeotropic
mixture of ethanol and water. The Rectifier serves to concentrate the
water/ethanol mixture to near azeotropic composition. The Rectifier is
operated as a conventional distillation tower. It contains a partial
condenser as well as a reboiler.

Add a Distillation Column and enter the data shown here.

Distillation column button

In This Cell... Enter...

Connections

Column Name Rect

No. of Stages 59

Inlet Streams ToRect, Stage 38

RectFeed, Stage 44

Condenser Type Partial

Overhead Vapour RectVap

Overhead Liquid RectDist

Bottoms Liquid Stillage B

Condenser Energy RectCond Q

Reboiler Energy Rect Reb Q

Optional Side Draws

Stream 1st Prod, Type L, Stage 2

Fusel, Type L, Stage 37

Pressures

Condenser 100 kPa (14.5 psia)

Reboiler 105 kPa (15 psia)

Specifications

Reflux Ratio 7100

Ovhd Vap Rate 4.3 kg/h (9.5 lb/hr)

Distillate Rate 2.0 kg/h (4.4 lb/hr)

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Adding Additional Specifications

This column will require 5 active specifications in order to solve. We
need to add at least two more; however, we will add three, with the third
one acting only as an estimate.

We will add two Column Draw Rate specifications and one Component
Fraction specification.

1. Remember that when we added the two side draw streams to the
column, HYSYS automatically created Draw Rate specifications
for those streams. On the Monitor page, enter the following
values for these two Draw Rate specifications.

Specification 1 Specification 2

Name 1st Prod Rate Fusel Rate

Spec Value 3000 kg/h 2 kg/h (5 lb/hr)

(6500 lb/hr)

2. Add one Column Component Fraction specification with the

following information:

In This Cell... Enter...

Name Product Purity

Target Type Stream (radio button)

Draw 1st Prod

Basis Mass Fraction

Spec Value 0.95

Component Ethanol

3. Make following specifications active and all others inactive:

• Reflux Ratio
• Ovhd Vap Rate
• Distillate Rate
• Fusel Rate
• Product Purity

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The stage efficiencies for all
feed and product stages must
remain at 1. The HYSYS
column solver is not able to
handle non-ideal feed and
draw stages at this time.
Due to the fact that HYSYS
calculation of non-ideal trays
does not take into account
side-streams, efficiencies on
stages with feeds, draws
(reboilers and condensers
included) and equipment
connected to columns, have to
be left at their default value of
1.0.
Column Operations 21
4. On the Efficiencies page of the Parameters tab, add Stage
Efficiencies of 0.55 for all the stages except feed and product
stages (2, 37, 38, 44, and 59), where it must remain at 1. You can
save time during this step by entering the value (0.55) in the Eff.
Multi. Spec cell, selecting a number of cells on the right, and
pressing the Specify button.
5. On the Solver page of the Parameters tab, set the Damping
Factor to Adaptive and ensure that the Azeotropic check box is
checked. Due to the azeotropic nature of ethanol and water, we
need to have this box checked so that HYSYS is able to handle this
situation. Setting the damping factor at adaptive allows HYSYS to
adjust this parameter to help ensure that the solver can reach a
solution.
6. Press the Run button to converge the column. If the column does
not converge quickly, stop the solver and increase the Fusel draw
rate spec value to 10 kg/h (20 lb/hr), and try again. Once the
column has converge, the Fusel draw rate can be returned to its
original level.
What is the mass fraction of Ethanol in the "1st Prod"
stream when the column is converged? ____________
Draw Stream Location
Theoretical trays assume that the liquid and vapour products are in
thermodynamic equilibrium. In reality, columns can never achieve this
perfect mixing and separation. There are two ways of accounting for
less than ideal stages in HYSYS. An overall efficiency can be applied
when setting up the column or efficiencies can be specified for specific
trays in the column.
Applying an overall efficiency is the most straightforward, and in most
situations, the recommended approach for modelling any tower.
Simply taking the actual number of trays and multiplying by the
efficiency less than 1.0 generates the theoretical stages. Feed, draws
and equipment must be located appropriately.
In HYSYS, efficiencies are defaulted to 1.0. They can be user-modified
in the appropriate tab of the Column Property view. Efficiencies are
applied to individual stages calculation using Murphree’s formula.1
The side liquid draw, Fusel, is added at stage 37 of Rect. To determine if
this is an appropriate stage to recover the heavy alcohols, you can view
1. Murphree, E.V., Ind. Eng. Chem., 17, 747, 1925.
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the stage by stage composition profile:

1. Move to the Performance tab in the Column Runner.

2. Go to the Profiles page. Highlight Composition in the Tray by
Tray Properties group
3. Press the View Graph button. In this view we can see the
compositions on each tray.

We wish to view the 1-Propanol composition on Tray 37. The initial

graph will not contain this component. To modify the components in
this view, you must press the Properties button. This will open the
Properties View:

1. Check the 1-Propanol box in the Components group.

2. Close this view to return to the graph.

Stage 37 has the highest concentration of 1-Propanol (which has the

greatest concentration among the heavy alcohols). Therefore, we have
selected the appropriate stage for the Fusel draw.

Save your case!

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 Column Operations 23

Optional Challenge
Replacing the Kettle Reboiler with a
Thermosyphon Reboiler
In this portion of the module, we will replace the default kettle type
reboiler on the Rectifier column with a "Thermosyphon" type reboiler.

Thermosyphon reboilers are commonly used in this type of

application, and it is often desired to use HYSYS to simulate the
operation of the column with this type of reboiler as it will provide a
more accurate simulation of the actual physical set-up of the
equipment.

In order to change the kettle reboiler to a thermosyphon, we will have

to add one additional stage to the column. This additional stage
functions as a liquid sump that allows liquid to be drawn from the
column and liquid to be fed to the column from the reboiler. With
thermosyphon reboilers, both liquid and vapour are returned to the
column rather than just the vapour that is returned to the column with
standard kettle reboilers.

Following the steps below will allow you to replace the standard kettle
reboiler with a thermosyphon type reboiler.

1. Change the number of stages in the column to 60. This value can
be accessed from the Connections page of the column’s property
viewer.
2. Enter the Column Environment by pressing the Column
Environment button on the property viewer.
3. Disconnect the "Stillage B" stream from the reboiler and reattach
it as a material withdraw stream from stage 60.
4. Disconnect the "Boilup" stream from stage 60 and reattach it to
stage 59. You will need to expand the trays shown by the column
icon in order to attach the stream to this tray. Right-click on the
tray section, and select Show Trays. Use the Radio button to
select Full Expansion, or scroll down and check to Show box for
stage 59.
5. Attach the reboiler’s liquid product outlet (formerly the location
of "Stillage B" stream) to the inlet point on stage 60.

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6. The reboiler should now be setup as follows:

7. Adding another Side Draw to the column (Stillage B) means that

HYSYS has created another Draw Rate specification and the DOF
remains at 0.
8. Add a Column Vapour Fraction specification to the column with
the following information:

In This Cell... Enter...

Name Reboiler V.F.

Stage Reboiler

Spec Value 0.9

9. Activate this new specification, and deactivate the Draw Rate

specification that HYSYS created. The column should resolve
automatically; if it does not, press the Run button to allow the
column to converge.

Save your case!

Note that adding the additional stage and modifying the reboiler has
not changed the operating behaviour of the column. The bottom stage
of the column (#60) does not function like a true equilibrium stage
(there is no contacting vapour from the bottom). The boil-up provided
by the thermosyphon reboiler will be the same as for the kettle reboiler.
This is independent of the reboiler type.

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