CC-STEADY STATE Tutorial: CHEMCAD Tutorials
CC-STEADY STATE Tutorial: CHEMCAD Tutorials
CC-STEADY STATE Tutorial: CHEMCAD Tutorials
Your job is to determine new operating conditions for this existing plant, along
with any necessary modifications. The design requirements are as follows:
The cricondentherm dewpoint of the product gas must be 20° F or less. A
cricondentherm dewpoint is the highest temperature for two‐phase
coexistence of a mixture. As long as the stream temperature stays above the
cricondentherm dewpoint, the stream contents will not condense.
The stabilized condensate must have maximum propane content of 1%.
Overview
Running a flowsheet simulation in CHEMCAD is essentially a nine‐step procedure:
1. Start a new simulation.
2. Select engineering units.
3. Create a flowsheet.
4. Select components.
5. Select thermodynamics options.
6. Define the feed streams.
7. Enter UnitOp parameters.
Note: Instead of saving all changes instantly, CHEMCAD now saves your simulation
only when you use the Save command. This provides you with greater flexibility
and gives you more control over your simulations, but it also means that you should
save your work frequently. This is a sound practice for working in any software
application, as it can help you avoid losing work in the event of a power problem or
computer glitch.
Placing UnitOps
1. Start your flowsheet by adding an icon to represent the initial feed stream. In
the All UnitOps palette, find the Feed icon, which is an arrow pointing to the
right. Click the Feed icon, then click in the workspace where you want to
place the feed stream. When the feed stream arrow appears, go ahead and
turn off the Feed drawing tool by right‐clicking any blank area of the
workspace.
Note: At any time after drawing a feed stream or any UnitOp icon, you can click the
icon to display the black sizing handles at each corner. With the icon selected this
way, you can click the icon and drag it to a new location, or click any sizing handle
and drag it outward or inward to resize the icon.
2. Now place the two heat exchangers on the flowsheet. On the All UnitOps
palette, point to the Heat Exchanger icon until its pop‐up label appears (see
Figure 11‐02).
Figure 11-02: The pop-up label that identifies the UnitOp icon
3. Click the lower right corner of the Heat Exchanger icon, on the black triangle,
to open the sub‐palette. Select the two‐sided heat exchanger icon as shown in
Figure 11‐03. The icon that you clicked in the sub‐palette now appears on the
main All UnitOps palette to represent the Heat Exchanger UnitOp.
4. Point the mouse cursor about an inch to the right of the feed icon and click. A
two‐sided heat exchanger icon appears on the flowsheet where you clicked.
Note: The UnitOp ID label of 1 should appear in a circle next to the heat exchanger
icon. For each subsequent UnitOp that you draw, CHEMCAD will assign an ordinal
number in this way, to uniquely identify each piece of equipment on the flowsheet.
5. Return to the All UnitOps palette, and again click the Heat Exchanger icon’s
black triangle. To switch from the two‐sided model to a single‐sided model,
you’ll need to select the appropriate icon (see Figure 11‐04) from the Heat
Exchanger sub‐palette.
6. Again move the cursor to the workspace, this time about an inch to the right
of the first heat exchanger, and click the mouse. A single‐sided heat
exchanger icon appears on the flowsheet where you clicked. Your flowsheet
so far should look something like Figure 11‐05.
7. Add the Flash and Valve UnitOp icons to your flowsheet, using the standard
icons.
8. For the condensate stabilizer, use a distillation column. Multiple distillation
UnitOps are available, but for now, assume that the module you want to use
is the rigorous distillation model called Tower. You’ll need a Tower icon with
trays and a reboiler but no condenser; this is different from the default Tower
UnitOp icon. Click the lower right corner of the Tower icon’s box to view the
sub‐palette, then select the icon shown in Figure 11‐06.
9. Now that you have selected the appropriate Tower icon, add this UnitOp to
the flowsheet.
10. Place three Product icons on the flowsheet, one for each product stream. You
can quickly place three identical icons, simply by clicking repeatedly in a
slightly different location. When you’ve clicked to create the third Product
icon, right‐click to turn off the Product drawing tool.
Drawing Streams
Now that all of the UnitOps are in place, select the Stream tool and connect the
various UnitOps as appropriate. Remember that each stream must start at a red
outlet point on the upstream UnitOp, and end at a blue inlet point on the
downstream UnitOp.
To avoid having to re‐select the Stream tool each time, make sure that as soon as
you click to complete one stream, you move the cursor to the next location and click
to start the next stream.
Draw streams to connect the following:
Feed stream to first heat exchanger’s left‐side inlet
First heat exchanger’s right‐side outlet to second heat exchanger’s left‐side
inlet
Second heat exchanger’s right‐side outlet to flash inlet of your choice
Flash top outlet to first heat exchanger’s top inlet
First heat exchanger’s bottom outlet to nearest product icon
Flash bottom outlet to valve inlet
Valve outlet to tower inlet of your choice
Tower top outlet to nearest product icon
Tower bottom reboiler outlet to nearest product icon
As you draw streams, CHEMCAD assigns stream IDs, just as it assigned UnitOp
IDs when you created those items. The labels for stream IDs are displayed in
squares, to distinguish them from the UnitOp IDs displayed in circles.
Selecting Components
Now you need to identify the components to be used in this simulation. Start by
selecting Thermophysical > Select Components. This brings up the Select
Components dialog box, shown in Figure 11‐07.
For this example, you’ll choose components from the standard CHEMCAD
database. In the Select Components dialog box, find and add each needed
component, beginning with nitrogen:
1. In the Search box, start typing the word nitrogen.
2. As soon as you’ve typed ni, you should see 46 – Nitrogen – N2 highlighted in
the Available Components area. Click the right arrow button to add nitrogen to
your simulation.
3. Use the scroll bar in the Available Components area to return to the top of the
component list.
4. Hold down the [CTRL] key on your keyboard as you click each of the
following components in turn:
2 Methane
3 Ethane
4 Propane
5 I‐Butane
6 N‐Butane
5. Click the right arrow button, located to the right of the Available Components
area, to add all of the selected components to your simulation.
6. Now add the following components by double‐clicking each one in turn:
7 I‐Pentane
8 N‐Pentane
10 N‐Hexane
the Peng‐Robinson method for both the K‐value and enthalpy calculations. Follow
these steps to select your thermophysical options:
1. Accept the default temperature and pressure ranges in the Thermodynamics
Wizard and click OK.
2. Click OK again to accept the wizard’s suggested method of SRK.
3. When the Thermodynamic Settings dialog box opens, find the Global K‐
Value Option selection, in the upper left corner of the K‐Value Models tab.
The current setting is SRK, but for the purposes of the tutorial, you’ll need to
select the Peng‐Robinson model. Click the down arrow at the right end of the
selection box to view a long list of K‐value choices, then click Peng‐
Robinson.
Figure 11-09: The new K-value selection in the Thermodynamic Settings dialog box
4. Now click the Enthalpy Models tab. The Peng‐Robinson method has already
been entered as the Global Enthalpy Options selection; this was done
automatically because you chose Peng‐Robinson as your K‐value method.
While you do have the option to override this choice, in this case you’ll need
to keep the Peng‐Robinson model; leave all settings as they are and click OK
to return to the main CHEMCAD workspace.
For the purpose of this tutorial, the thermodynamic selections are now complete.
Note: While you are not required to use the Thermodynamics Wizard, you should
know how to use it, if only as a starting point for your simulations. You can revisit
the wizard at any time by selecting Thermophysical > Thermodynamics Wizard.
Note: Before you proceed, verify that your engineering units are set to English in the
Engineering Unit Selection dialog box, as described earlier in this tutorial.
Double‐click the line for stream 1, your feed stream, to bring up the Edit Streams
dialog box.
You will specify the feed stream according to the following rules:
The Stream Name field can display a stream label of up to 16 alphanumeric
characters. This field is optional, and you can use any label you like.
The next four fields—Temp F, Pres psia, Vapor Fraction, and Enthalpy
MMBtu/h—are the thermodynamic properties of the stream. According to the
Gibbs Phase Rule, once a mixture’s composition is given, specifying any two
of these four thermodynamic properties will define the other two. As such,
defining the composition, temperature, and pressure for a mixture uniquely
defines its vapor fraction and enthalpy. Alternatively, defining the
composition, pressure, and enthalpy will uniquely define the mixture’s
temperature and vapor fraction.
Since enthalpies are calculated relative to a datum, the calculation of any
given stream enthalpy is an involved process which is prone to errors. For
this reason, CHEMCAD does not permit you to enter stream enthalpy as a
constraint.
Note: Before you continue, verify that the Comp unit field is set to lbmol/h.
3. Type 100.19 in the Nitrogen field, and then in similar fashion, type the
following numbers in the corresponding fields:
Methane: 4505.48
Ethane: 514
Propane: 214
I‐Butane: 19.2
N‐Butane: 18.18
I‐Pentane: 26.4
N‐Pentane: 14
N‐Hexane: 14
4. Click OK to save this stream information and return to the main CHEMCAD
workspace.
Note: As with streams, you can enter UnitOp parameters in various ways, but for the
purposes of this tutorial, we’ll use the quickest and simplest method, double‐clicking
each UnitOp to access its specification dialog box.
2. As with many types of UnitOps, the dialog box for specifying a heat
exchanger consists of multiple tabbed pages. You can browse through the
Specifications, Misc. Settings, and Cost Estimations tabs by clicking each
tab in turn.
3. The pressure drop on both sides of this exchanger is 5 psi. On the
Specifications tab, find the Pressure Drops area, and enter 5 in both the Stream
1 and Stream 4 fields.
4. The first stream outlet must be at its dewpoint, so you’ll need to specify an
outlet vapor pressure of 1. In the field next to Vapor fraction stream 2, enter 1.
5. Click OK to save the specifications for this UnitOp and close the dialog box.
3. Click OK to save the specifications for this UnitOp and close the dialog box.
Flash Drum
In this simulation, the flash drum is a vapor‐liquid separator and requires no
specification.
Valve
1. Double‐click the valve flowsheet icon to bring up the Valve dialog box.
2. The outlet pressure for this unit is 125 psia, so enter 125 in the Outlet pressure
field.
3. Click OK to save the specifications for this UnitOp and close the dialog box.
Stabilizer Tower
1. Double‐click the tower icon to open the TOWR Distillation Column dialog
box. Note that the settings for this UnitOp are divided into five tabs.
2. On the General tab, enter the following:
Colm press drop: 5
No. of stages: 12
Feed tray for stream: 1
3. Click the Specifications tab to make specifications for the column. This
column has no condenser or side streams, so you will only be making
specifications for the reboiler. Drop down the list of options for Select reboiler
mode, and select the mode called 4 Bottom mole flowrate.
4. Now you need to specify the numeric value of the reboiler flow rate. In the
Specification field immediately to the right of your reboiler mode selection,
enter a value of 30.
5. Click OK to save the specifications for this UnitOp and return to the main
CHEMCAD workspace.
All of the data entry for the flowsheet is now complete. Before you continue, you
should save your simulation. As noted earlier, it’s a good idea to do this periodically
as you build the simulation, but completion of your UnitOp specifications is a
particularly good time to stop and save.
dewpoint temperature of the product gas is to plot all of the dewpoint temperatures
of the product gas, i.e., to plot a phase envelope.
1. Start with the Plot menu, which provides access to all types of graphical
reports. Select Plot > Phase Envelopes. In the Select Streams dialog box,
specify stream 5, then click OK to bring up the Phase Envelope dialog box.
2. No entries are required on this screen since you only need to look at the
dewpoint line, but to make the plot more interesting, display the 0.25 and the
0.5 vapor fraction lines in addition to the normal phase envelope boundaries.
Complete the dialog box as shown in Figure 11‐13.
Figure 11-13: Plotting vapor fraction lines along with the cricondentherm dewpoint
5. As this view shows, the highest dewpoint of this mixture is a little less than
20° F, so the cricondentherm dewpoint is indeed within the target product
gas specification. Right‐click the mouse anywhere in the plot window to
return to the full plot view.
6. To print the phase envelope plot, click the Print button and then follow any
prompts from your printer.
7. You can also try the following to practice working with plots in CHEMCAD:
Edit the text of the plot title (in this case, Phase Envelope for Stream 5) or the
graph axis labels by selecting Graph > Edit Titles. In the Chart Titles
dialog box, make any desired changes and then click OK to view the
updated chart.
Select Graph > Edit to open the Chart Explorer, which provides access to
settings for color, size, layout, and various other aspects of the plot
presentation.
8. Return to the main CHEMCAD window by selecting File > Close.
4. Select File > Exit in the tabular data window to return to the main
CHEMCAD window.
With Flowsheet Quickview turned on, point your mouse cursor at stream 9 on
the flowsheet. After a moment, a pop‐up information window appears, listing
stream properties including composition. The value for propane should be 1 or very
close to 1, as shown in Figure 11‐18.
Now that you have achieved the results that you set out to produce, save the
simulation, using either File > Save or the Save button on the toolbar.
items will be included by default; to toggle any item on or off, simply click
the corresponding box.
For the purpose of this tutorial, use the default settings in this dialog box.
Click Cancel to close the dialog box and return to the Consolidated Report
menu.
7. Click Stream Flowrate/Compositions to open the Flow/Composition Options
dialog box. Click the checked box next to Mole flow rate to turn off this
default option. Then, click the Mass flow rate and Mole fractions boxes to
turn both of those options on. Click OK to save your settings and return to
the Consolidated Report menu.
8. Finally, specify which information to print for the condensate stabilizer
distillation column by clicking Distillation Summaries. In the Distillation
Options dialog box, the information you’re looking to print—Tray profile—is
already selected. Click OK to return for the last time to the Consolidated
Report menu.
9. To generate the report, click Calculate and Give Results. The report displays
in a separate window, with a format suitable for printing. You can edit, save,
and print the report as needed.
10. When you finish reviewing and working with the report, close the report
window to return to the main CHEMCAD workspace.
dialog box. Because you want to include all streams, leave the settings the
way they are and click OK to continue.
3. In the Databox Property Options dialog box, review the default selections,
indicated by checked boxes. For the purposes of this tutorial, leave the
selections as they are and click OK to continue.
4. In the Databox Settings dialog box, you can control the font style and size of
the databox text, as well as the use of dividing lines within the box. Accept
the default settings here and click OK.
5. The stream databox appears in the upper left corner of the CHEMCAD
workspace, but you want to place it below the flowsheet. The databox is
already selected, so point your mouse cursor anywhere inside the box and
then click and drag to reposition it. Move the databox until it is centered
below the flowsheet diagram.
Note: You can also resize a databox by selecting the box and then clicking and
dragging any of the sizing handles at the corners. Drag in to make the databox
smaller, or out to make it larger; notice that the text adjusts in size to fit the box.
6. Now place a title on the PFD to describe the process. In the All UnitOps or
Drawing Symbols palette, find and select the Text tool.
7. Move the cursor to a point somewhere above the flowsheet and click the
primary mouse button. A vertical insertion point line begins to blink where
you have clicked. Type the words Condensate Stabilizer PFD and then click
any blank spot on the CHEMCAD workspace.
8. To make this text larger, select Format > Font. In the Font dialog box, change
the Size setting to 18 and then click OK.
9. Click and drag the new heading to center it above the flowsheet diagram.
10. Finally, set up a layer for your stream databox and title so that you can
display or hide these items as a single unit. At the bottom of the CHEMCAD
Explorer pane, click the Simulation tab, then right‐click the Layers item and
select New.
11. In the New Layer dialog box, type a name for the new layer. For this
example, name the layer PFD Elements, then click OK to create the layer.
12. Now add the two PFD elements to the layer. Click the title that you placed
above the flowsheet, then hold down the [SHIFT] key and click inside the
stream databox that you placed below the flowsheet. Both items should now
be selected, with small black boxes visible in each corner.
13. In the CHEMCAD Explorer pane, double‐click the Layers item to expand it,
then right‐click on your newly created PFD Elements layer and click Add
Selected.
14. The title and stream databox are now part of the PFD Elements layer. This
layer is visible, as indicated by the green check mark on its icon. Click this
icon or the name PFD Elements to toggle the layer off, causing the title and
stream databox to disappear; then click again to make them visible.
15. With the PFD elements visible, select View > Zoom Options > Zoom to Fit.
This custom‐fits the entire PFD to the available workspace for optimal
printing. To print, you can either select File > Print or click the Print button
on the main CHEMCAD toolbar. Follow the prompts for your printer to
complete the printing process.
16. To close CHEMCAD, select File > Close, or click the Close button in the
upper right corner of the CHEMCAD window. Click Yes at the message
asking whether you want to exit CHEMCAD, then click Yes again to save
changes to the simulation.