WORKSHOP_1

Workshop #1
Simulation of an Air Compressor

An isentropic compressor is used to compress 100 lbmole/hr of air (21% oxygen

and 79% nitrogen) at 60 °F and 14.7 psia to a pressure of 147 psia. Use Aspen Plus to

model this system. The flowsheet is shown below (Fig I.1)

Air
100 lbmole/hr
21% Oxygen
79% Nitrogen Horsepower?
14.7 psia
60 oF Isentropic
Compressor

147.0 psia
Temperature?

Figure I.1 Isentropic Compression Process

A memo with answers to the following three parts:

1) Part 1

a) How much power is needed to achieve the compression (in hp)?

b) What is the outlet air temperature in °F?

I.1
2) Part 2: If the horsepower of the compressor is changed to 200 hp, what is the

outlet air pressure (in psia)?

3) Part 3: If the materials of the construction of the compressor cannot withstand

a temperature higher than 640 oF, what is the maximum allowable pressure of

the air leaving the compressor? What is the horsepower in this case?

I.2
 C

Step By Step Instructions For Workshop #1:

Initiating the Aspen Plus User Interface on the PC:

• Open the Aspen Plus User Interface from the start bar

Alternatively, from the Windows Start menu, click on Programs then

I.3
C

Starting ASPEN Plus

• Select blank simulation and click on “OK”

Figure I.3 ASPEN Plus Startup

I.4
 C

The program will now connect to the server1, this will take a few seconds. You are now

ready to begin your simulation.

Creating a Simulation Flowsheet

The bottom of the Aspen Plus window contains several tabs, which can be seen in Figure

I.4. These tabs allow the user to select the type of equipment or stream to be placed in

their simulation flowsheet.

Figure I.4 Model Menu Tabs

• With the left mouse button click once on the pressure changers tab.

This brings up several choices of equipment.

• With the left mouse button click once on the “Compr” arrow.

This brings up four options for compressor icons. Figure I.5 below shows the selection of

the compressor tab and the proper compressor icon.

Figure I.5 Selecting an Icon for the Compressor

You are now ready to insert the compressor into the simulation flowsheet.

1
If the program asks you about connecting to engine, use the local PC as the default server.

I.5
 C

• Click (left) on the icon and drag2 it onto the Process Flowsheet Window and release
it (Fig. I.6).

Drag and drop (with left button)

Fig. I.6. Dragging the Icon to Draw the Block

Next, feed and product streams must be connected.

• On the bottom of the Aspen Plus window with the left mouse button click once

on the “STREAMS” arrow.

• With the left mouse button click once on the “Material” icon.

2
If instead of dragging the icon, you click on it you will see the + sign when you move to
the Process Flowsheet Window. This signals that you are in a multiple entry mode. In this
case each time you click (left), you will be repeatedly placing an additional compressor
block. To stop the repeated placing of blocks, click (right mouse button) anywhere in the

Process Flowsheet Window or click (left mouse button) on the Select Mode Button
to stop placing blocks.

I.6
C

Once selecting the material stream icon and moving the cursor to the flowsheet drawing

area, the compressor block in the simulation flowsheet will show three arrows, two red

and one blue. These arrows indicate inlet and outlet locations. The red arrows are feed

and product locations that require streams to be attached. The blue arrow is for collecting

any liquid that is formed during compression. This is an optional outlet that you don't

have to connect to an outlet stream.

• Move the pointer to the top red arrow until it is highlighted; then click on it with

the left mouse button once.

• Now move the pointer away from the compressor icon. This will increase the

length of the feed stream. Once at the desired length click the left mouse button

once.

The inlet feed stream to the compressor icon is now complete and labeled “1”

The same procedure can be used to insert the product stream.

• Move the mouse pointer over to the bottom red arrow until highlighted. With

the left mouse button click once.

Now, again move the pointer away from the compressor and click the left mouse
button once when the desired stream length is achieved. Click on right mouse button
anywhere in the Process Flowsheet Window or click (left mouse button) on the Select

Mode Button to stop placing streams.

I.7
C

The simulation flowsheet is now complete and should look like Fig. I.7.

Figure I.7. Process Flowsheet

• From the File pull down menu, select Save As. It is advisable that you save your

file as a .bkp file (Fig. I.8a).

Fig. I.8a. File Saving

I.8
C

You may get a warning message as shown in Fig. I.8b, click No indicating that you still

want to save it in the backup format.

Fig. I.8b. Warning Message

Entering Input Specifications

The run now contains all the information about the simulation flowsheet. Next, the data

required to complete the problem specification must be entered. These data include

components, properties, the feed streams, and block operating parameters. To input these

data there are three alternatives:

i. The setup button: which is located at the top of the screen and can be seen in Figure

I.9a.
Setup Button

Figure 1.9a The Setup Button

• Move the mouse pointer to the setup button and click once with the left mouse

button.

I.9
C

• ii. The Data menu: A second alternative is to go to the Data menu to the Setup option

as shown in Fig. I.9b.

Fig. I.9b Setup Option

iii. The Next button: The Next button (Fig. I.9c) is usually useful to guide you to what
The Next button:
you should do next Click here or here

Fig. I.9c. The Next Button

I.10
C

Upon using one of the above three alternatives, you will get a new window: “Setup

Specifications”, that can be seen in Figure I.10.

Figure I.10 Setup Specification

I.11
C

On this window, you can enter a title of your simulation (e.g., title of the workshop, your

name).

• Left click once in the “Title” box then enter Workshop #1: Compressor by

Ready T. Graduate.

On the Setup Specification window, you can also choose the units to display your

input and output data (e.g. molar, mass, SI, metric, Engineering, etc.) as shown in Fig.

I.11.

Fig. I.11 Entering Data on Setup Specification Window

The program will help guide you through the setup with the use of the Next button.

The Next button is a very useful advancement guide (an on-line artificial intelligence

guide).

• Left click once on the Next button.

You will get the Component Specifications Window Alternatively, you could have

clicked on the Component Folder as shown in Fig. I.12.

I.12
C

Fig. I.12. Using Folders and Forms to Access Component Specifications Window

In our simulation, we have two components, oxygen and nitrogen.

• Left click in the Component ID Field and type Oxygen. When you hit return, the

program will recognize that it is oxygen and will display its type, name, and chemical

formula (Fig. I.13). You can do the same for Nitrogen.

Fig. I.13 Component Specifications Window

• Left click on the Next button, you will get the Properties Specifications Window.

On this form, you need to specify the type of thermodynamic model that will be used to

estimate the physical properties of the components and streams. Click on the drop-down

I.13
 C

arrow of Property method to get a menu of choice. Select RK-Soave3 as your

thermodynamic model (see Fig. I.14).

Fig. I.14. Selection of a Thermodynamic Property Method

• Click on the Next button, you will get the Properties Parameters Binary

Interaction Window. This window is used when you have thermodynamic binary

parameters that you would like to use to override ASPEN's data. No need to do that

today (save your binary parameters for a rainy day)!. Next. You will get the window

shown in Fig. I.15 indicating that you are done with properties and ready to proceed

to the next required input step. Click on O.K.

3
Redlich-Kwong-Soave (RK-Soave) is a cubic equation of state. This property method is recommended for
air compression, gas-processing, refinery, and petrochemical applications. Example applications include
gas plants, crude towers, and ethylene plants.

I.14
C

Fig. I.15. Required Input for Properties is Complete

You are now on the Stream Input Window (Fig. I.16).

• Enter the values of temperature (60 oF), pressure (14.7 psi), and molar flowrate (100

lbmol/hr) for the entering air stream.

Fig. I.16. Entering Stream Data

If the units were not what we wanted, we could have used the drop-down menu to change

the units (Fig. I.17).

I.15
C

Fig. I.17 Changing Units

• In the composition field, use the drop-down arrow to display the menu for

compositions. Choose Mole-Fraction (Mole-Frac) option (Fig. I.18) and enter the

data for air (0.21 Oxygen and 0.79 Nitrogen as shown in Fig. I.19).

Fig. I.18 Selection of Mole Fraction

Fig. I.19 Entering Mole Fractions

• Click on Next, you will get the Block Setup window (Fig. I.20). From the pulldown

menu under Compressor Model Type select isentropic. We also need to enter the

I.16
C

data for the outlet of the compressor. Since the outlet pressure is 147 psia, you can

click on Discharge pressure and enter 147 psia (or click on pressure ratio and enter

10).

Fig. I.20 Block Setup Window

• Click on Next, you will get a window indicating that all required input has been

provided and are complete4. Do you want to run simulation? Click on O.K.

I.17
 C

Fig. I.21 Required Input Complete

• Once the simulation converges, click on the Display Results Button (Fig. I.22).

Alternatively, you could you click on the Next button. Also, you could have gone

to the Data menu then to the Results Option.

Display
Results
Button

Fig. I.22 Display Results Button

Use the browsing buttons (>> and <<) to browse through the results forward

and backward. You can also click on the Blocks folder then click on B1 form you

will get the results as shown in Fig. I.23. Record/print the required results, save your

file, and exit.

Your
numbers

Fig. I.23 Viewing Results

Congratulations! You have performed your first ASPEN simulation.

Next, let’s go to Parts 2 and 3.

4
Notice that the symbol now appears next to all input forms indicating that they are complete.

I.18
C

Part 2: If the horsepower of the compressor is changed to 200 hp, what is the outlet air

pressure (in psia)?

Instead of setting up a new simulation, let us edit the data for the previous file. Here is

how to do it:

The first step is to go to the input data form for the compressor block. There are a couple

of alternatives to do so:

i. From the Data pull down menu, click on Blocks (Fig. I.24a).

Fig. I.24a Reaching the Block Form from the Data Menu

ii. Click on the setup button (located at the top of the screen), then go to the left

hand side of the window and double click on Blocks, then, double click on B1 (the name

of your compressor block) as shown in Fig. I.24b.

I.19
C

Fig. I.24b. Reaching the Block form from the Setup menu

Either way, you will get the Object Manager window shown in Fig. I.25.

Fig. I.25. How to edit input data?

On the Object manager window, click on B1, you will get Fig. I.26. which now shows the

ability to Edit.

I.20
C

Fig. I.26: Generating the Edit option

Click on Edit,, you will get Fig. I.27.

Fig. I.27. Generating the Edit Window

I.21
C

Now, you can change the input data. Click on the circle to the left of the Brake

horsepower and enter 200 hp. Then run your simulation.

Part 3: You’re on your own!

Well, not completely … here is a hint: one way is to use trial and error for different input

data of the compressor.

I.22