Debutaniser Overhead Condenser 1

Debutaniser Overhead
Condenser

© 1998 AEA Technology plc - All Rights Reserved

TASC 4_1.pdf 1
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Workshop
In this workshop, you will design a condenser using the normal data
input forms.

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

• Enter two-phase conditions for stream data

• Build up a mixture from the component data

Process Overview
Details of the process data as well as the geometry are given in the table
on the following page:

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Cold Side Hot Side

Cooling
Fluid Overheads
Water

Total Flowrate 378500 45027 kg/h

Liquid (In /Out) 0 / 45027 kg/h

Water (In /Out) 378500 / kg/h

378500

Temperature (In/Out) 20 / 30 46 / 42 °C

Density (Vap / Liq) 10.6 / 564 kg/m³

Specific Heat (Vap / Liq) 1.76 / 2.47 kJ/kg K

Viscosity (Vap / Liq) 0.0085 / cP

0.125

Themal Conductivity 0.0174 / W/m K

(Vap / Liq) 0.102

Inlet Pressure 5.0 4.9 bar (abs)

Allowable Pressure Drop 0.7 0.2 bar

Fouling Resistance (min) 0.000176 0.000088 m² K/W

Notes:

• Heat Exchanged: 4400 kW

• Exchanger: Horizontal
• Type: BEM Class R
• Shell and tube materials: Carbon steel
• Tube outside diameter: 19.05 mm
• Tube wall thickness: 2.1 mm
• Tube pitch: 23.11 mm
• Tube layout: 30°
• Tubes in window, single segmental baffle
• Baffle cut: Side/side or parallel
• Max tube length: 6069 mm
• Side for hot stream: Shell-side

A temperature / heat load / quality curve is supplied on the following

page:

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Debutanizer Overhead Condenser (Condensation Curve)

46

45.5

Temperature (C)

45

44.5

44

43.5
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500

Heat Load (kW)

Debutanizer Overhead Condenser (Condensation Curve)

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6
Quality

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500

Heat Load (kW)

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Building the Simulation

The New option will clear any existing data and begin the start up
screen.

1. Set the calculation mode to Design. As we will be using the

NEL40 databank for a single component and entering data in the
property table, set the number of components at 0.
2. Click OK and the exchanger geometry will appear, where you
can set the units as appropriate.
3. From the menu, click on Input and select Physical Property
Data.
4. For the Hot Side tab, set the phase for the fluid stream to two-
phase liquid, and as the physical property data is supplied, leave
the Data Source as Input Directly.
5. On the right hand side, the Property Table button is active, so
click it to permit the two-phase physical property data to be
entered.

Data must be entered from the

left hand columns, but it does
not matter if the temperatures
increase or decrease.

Enter the density, specific heat capacity, viscosity and the thermal
conductivity for the liquid and vapour phases at the given temperature.
As heat load is supplied, ensure that the heat load radio button is active
in the Input of Enthalpy box and enter the corresponding flow rate.
From the curves supplied, the temperatures for the enthalpies, heat

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load and quality can be entered. As we are fully condensing, it is

important that the bubble (quality=0) and dew point (quality=1) are
entered. Click OK.

6. Switch to the Cold Stream tab, set to Single Phase Liquid and add
water as a single component from the NEL40 databank. Click
OK.

Enter the appropriate geometry and process information as given in

the table, then save the dataset and run.

Save your case!

Results
Record your results in the table below:

Parameter Value Units

Shell diameter

Tube length

Tube count

Number of baffles

Baffle cut

Baffle pitch

Continuation Exercise
Using the same geometry as before, we will now change the hot-side
physical properties from stream data to that calculated by creating a

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mixture from the component data. Use the following information:

Overhead Vapour Composition (% by weight)

Butane 60.76

Buta-1,3-diene 36.61

Propylene 2.09

Propane 0.54

1. Go to the Physical Properties Hot Stream tab and change the

Data Source from Input Directly to Components. The buttons
on the right hand side will change.
2. Click the Define Components tab. As there are four components
in the mixture, you may click the Add Component button three
times to give a total of four components.

For each tab, select the appropriate fluid from the NEL40 databank. To
set the compositions for the mixture click the Composition button.

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3. Select mass fraction as the type of composition and enter the

corresponding weight fractions.

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4. Click OK until you return to the Physical Properties input screen.

Click the Advanced button.

The method for evaluating the VLE for the mixture properties are set at
Ideal, but if required it may be changed to SRK. If you then examine the
startup input item, you will notice that the number of components has
been set to four. Save the dataset and run, then enter the appropriate
information in the table:

Save your case!

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Results
Record your results in the table below:

Parameter Value Units

Shell diameter

Tube length

Tube count

Number of baffles

Baffle cut

Baffle pitch

Additional Exercise

How would you add a non-condensable such as air to the

hot stream?__________

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