Atmospheric Crude Column 1

Atmospheric Crude Column

© 2007 AspenTech – All rights reserved.

EA1034.06.06
06_AtmosphericCrudeColumn.doc
2 Atmospheric Crude Column

Workshop
Atmospheric Crude Columns are one of the most important pieces of equipment in
the petroleum refining industry. Typically located after the Desalter and the Crude
Furnace, the Atmospheric Tower serves to distil the crude oil into several different
cuts. These include naphtha, kerosene, light diesel, heavy diesel, and AGO.

In this module, you will construct, run, analyse, and manipulate an Atmospheric
Crude Column simulation. You will begin by building a simple column and continue
by adding side operations to the column.

Learning Objectives
After completing this module, you will be able to:

 Build and converge an Atmospheric Crude Column.

 Use Aspen HYSYS to analyse and predict the behaviour of a simulated
column.
 Add side operations to a column to improve operation and efficiency.
 Add cut point specifications to increase side product quality and quantity.

Prerequisites
Before beginning this module you will need to know how to:

 Add streams and unit operations.

 Characterize and install a crude oil.

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 Atmospheric Crude Column 3

Process Overview

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4 Atmospheric Crude Column

Column Overview

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 Atmospheric Crude Column 5

Expanding the Flowsheet

Load your Pre-Heat Train case from the Pre-Heat Train module.

Column Product Specs

Before beginning the construction of a crude column it is useful to know the quantity
of products that you can expect to get out of the column. Aspen HYSYS can present
this information in a graphical format.

1. Return to the Basis Environment, enter the Oil Manager then enter Oil
Environment view.

2. Under the Cut/Blend tab, select the default crude blend and click the View
button.
The Distribution Plots tab
displays a bar chart
depicting how an assay 3. Go to the Tables tab. This is where the information is displayed.
would be roughly
distributed in a fractionation 4. Using the Oil Distributions Table Type and the Straight Run cut option,
column.
complete the following table:
Component Volume % Volume in bbl.
Lt St Run
Naphtha
Kerosene
Diesel (Light & Heavy)
AGO
Residue
TOTAL 100% 100,000 bbl

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6 Atmospheric Crude Column

Adding the Column Steam Feed

1. Add a material stream named Btm Steam. Add the following temperature,
pressure, and flow rate to the steam stream:
In this cell... Enter...
Name Bttm Steam
The composition of H2O for
all steam streams is 1.0 Vapour Fraction 1
Mass Fraction.
Pressure 1380 kPa (200 psia)
Mass Flow 3400 kg/h (7500 lb/hr)

Add the Atmospheric Crude Column

The Atmospheric Column will be simulated as a Refluxed Absorber.

1. Select the Refluxed Absorber icon from object palette

2. The Input Expert is now displayed. Input the data as shown

Refluxed Absorber icon
In this cell... Enter...
Column Name Atmos Tower
# Stages 29
Inlet Stream ATM Feed
Inlet Stage 28_Main TS
Bottom Stage Inlet Btm Steam
Stage Numbering Top Down
Condenser Energy Stream Cond Duty
Condenser Partial
Ovhd Outlets Off Gas
Naphtha
Condenser Partial
Bottoms Liquid Outlet Atm Residue

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 Atmospheric Crude Column 7

3. Check the Water Draw checkbox and name the stream Waste Water.
Figure 1

The Water Draw checkbox

must be checked to
prevent two liquid phases
being formed in the
column.
Crude Columns always
require a water stream off
the condenser.

4. Move to the next page of the Input Expert. Enter the following data:
In this cell... Enter...
Condenser Pressure 140.0 kPa (20.31 psia)
Condenser Pressure Drop 60.00 kPa (8.7 psi)
Bottom Stage Pressure 230.0 kPa (33.36 psia)

Figure 2

Always provide a pressure

for the stage 1 in a crude
column. The column may
not converge without it.

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8 Atmospheric Crude Column

5. Move to the next page of the Input Expert. Enter the following data:
Figure 3

Active specifications are

those values that are fixed.
Inactive specifications (or
Estimates) are those
values that the program
can adjust in order to
converge the column.

6. Move to the next screen of the Input Expert. Enter 0 kgmole/h in the Vapour
Rate field as shown.
Figure 4

7. After clicking Done, you are placed in the Column Property View. Move to
the Design tab and open the Monitor page.

What is the current Degrees of Freedom? _________________________________

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 Atmospheric Crude Column 9

8. Specify a Distillate Rate of 150 m3/h (22,500 bbl/day). In order to set a

volumetric flowrate for this specification, you must open its property view and
change the flowrate type. Double-click the specification’s name and change the
flow basis to Std Ideal Vol.

9. For this column to solve we need to activate the Vap Prod Rate specification
In order to specify a
volume flow rate with a flow rate of 0. This means that the condenser will operate as a total
specification, you will have condenser.
to change the flow rate
basis of this specification.
10. For the column to converge, the Degrees of Freedom must be 0. Deactivating
the default spec of Reflux Ratio can do this.

11. Click the Run button to converge the column

What is the flow rate of:

Naptha? ___________________________ Residue? ________________________________

Wastewater?________________________ Off-Gas?_________________________________

Adding the Side Strippers and the Pump Arounds

We now need to add the side product draws for the other product draws from the
column, Kerosene, Diesel and AGO. Each of these products is removed through Side
Strippers which help control the quality of the product. There are two types of side
strippers available in Aspen HYSYS: Reboiled and Steam Stripped. We will install
one reboiled side stripper and two with steam stripping.

Pump Arounds improve the column’s efficiency. They operate by drawing a liquid
stream from one stage cooling it, and pumping it into a higher stage. In effect, this
process removes heat from the column that would otherwise have to be removed in
the overhead condenser. By removing the heat along the column at a higher
temperature they enable greater heat recovery. They also have the secondary
function of controlling the liquid flow (reflux) in different sections of the column.

The first side operation of each type will be added using the Side Ops Input Expert.
This tool is design to simplify the process for adding side operations to columns.

1. On the Side Ops tab, click the Side Ops Input Expert button.

2. The Side Ops Input Expert is really five experts in one interface. The first page
of the input expert is for adding reboiled side strippers, and the other pages are
for different side operations.
When entering the stream
names, do not enter the
“@COL1” this term is 3. In this part of the module, a steam stripped side stripper is the operation that we
added automatically by want to install. Click the Next button once to move to the appropriate input
Aspen HYSYS. expert for this type of operation.

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10 Atmospheric Crude Column

4. Click the Add Side Stripper button, and complete the view with the following
connections:
In this cell... Enter...
Name AGO SS
Return Stage 21_Main TS
Draw Stage 22_Main TS
Steam Feed AGO Steam
Draw Product AGO Prod

Note: The above information should enter under Steam Stripped Side Stripper
Figure 5

5. Click the Install button. Aspen HYSYS will now add the side stripper and
associated streams to the simulation.

6. The next side operation that we will add is the pump around for the AGO
section of the column. Again, this operation will be added by using the input
expert for pump around operations.

7. Click the Next button twice to get to the appropriate input expert.

8. Click the Add Pump Around button to add the operation. Define it with the
information shown below.
In this cell... Enter...
Name AGO PA
Return Stage 21_Main TS
Draw Stage 22_Main TS

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 Atmospheric Crude Column 11

Figure 6

9. Click the Install button to add this operation to the simulation.

10. Close the Side Ops Input Expert view, and return to the Monitor page of the
Design tab. Here, the specifications that will govern the operation of the two
side operations that were added in the previous steps will be added. In total, the
side operations contribute three degrees of freedom to the column; therefore,
three active specifications will be required before the column will be able to
solve.

11. The three specifications that we need to add are:

 AGO SS Product Flow

 AGO PA Rate
 AGO PA Duty

12. Aspen HYSYS automatically creates four specifications when the side
operations are added via the input expert. We only have to set the specified
value for the specifications and select which ones we need as active. Set the
following values for the various specifications.

 AGO SS Prod Flow = 30 m3/h (4500 bbl/day) - Note: check the flow basis
is Std Ideal Volume before setting the value.
 AGO PA Rate = 200 m3/h (30 000 bbl/day)
 AGO PA Duty = - 3.7E7 kJ/h (-3.5E7 Btu/hr)

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12 Atmospheric Crude Column

13. On the Work Sheet tab, enter the following information for the AGO Steam
stream:
In this cell... Enter...
Temperature 150°C (300°F)
Pressure 350 kPa (50 psia)
Mass Flow 1150 kg/h (2500 lb/hr)

Remember that the Mole Fraction H20 1.0

composition of steam
streams is always 100% 14. Return to the Design tab and Monitor page. Ensure that the Degrees of Freedom
water. is 0.
After making substantial
changes to a column’s 15. Click the Run button to converge the column.
design, it may be
necessary to reset the
specified values before the
column will converge.
Simply click the Reset
Save your case!
icon.

Adding the Diesel Side-Ops

The remaining side operations (two side strippers and two pump arounds) will be
added without using the input expert.

1. In the Column Environment, on the Side-Ops tab, select Side Stripper and
click the Add button. Enter the following information:
In this cell... Enter...
Name Diesel SS
Return Stage 16
Draw Stage 17
Configuration Steam Stripped
Flow Basis Std Ideal Vol (select radio button)
Product Stream Diesel Prod
Draw Spec 130 m3/h (19,250 bbl/d)
Steam Feed Diesel Steam

2. Click the Install button when you are finished and close the view.

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 Atmospheric Crude Column 13

3. On the Side Ops tab, select Pump Arounds and click the Add button. Enter the
following information:
In this cell... Enter...
Name Diesel PA
Return Stage 16
Draw Stage 17

4. Click the Install button, and you will be moved to the second part of the
installation process. Under the first active and second active specs, add the
following information to complete the specifications for this pump around.
In this cell... Enter...
Diesel PA_Rate (PA), Flow Rate 200 m3/h (30,000 bbl/d) Note: the
flow basis must be set to Std Ideal
Vol by double clicking the name.
The specification type for Diesel PA_Duty (PA), Duty - 3.7e7 kJ/h (- 3.5e7 Btu/hr) Note:
the second active spec the specification type must be
must be changed to Duty changed to Duty instead of the
instead of the default dT. default dT.
The active spec can be
changed by double-clicking 5. On the Work Sheet tab, enter the following information for the Diesel Steam
the name of the spec.
stream:
In this cell... Enter...
Temperature 150°C (300°F)
Pressure 350 kPa (50 psia)
Mass Flow 1350 kg/h (3000 lb/hr)
Mole Fraction H2O 1.0

6. Return to the Design tab and Monitor page. Ensure that the Degrees of Freedom
is 0.

7. Click the Run button to converge the column.

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14 Atmospheric Crude Column

Adding the Kerosene Side-Ops

Again the Side-Ops installation procedure can be repeated to install the Side-Ops for
the Kerosene product.

1. Add another Side Stripper with the following information:

In this cell... Enter...
Name Kerosene SS
Draw Stage 9
Return Stage 8
Configuration Reboiled
Prod Stream Kerosene Prod
Prod Rate 62 m3/h (9300 bbl/d)
The boilup ratio is the ratio
of the vapour to the liquid Boil Up Ratio 0.75
leaving the reboiler.
2. Add a third Pump Around with the following information:
In this cell... Enter...
Name Kerosene PA
Draw Stage 9
Return Stage 8
Flow Rate 330 m3/h (50,000 bbl/d)
Duty - 4.5e7 kJ/h (- 4.2e7 Btu/hr)

3. Return to the Design tab and Monitor page. Ensure the Degrees of Freedom is
0.

4. Click the Run button to converge the column

What is the flow rate of Naphtha?___________________ Residue?____________________

Save your case!

.

Adding an Energy Stream to the Column

In modelling this column, a refluxed absorber was chosen, which does not have a
reboiler at its base. However, a side exchanger can be simulated on Stage 28 by
attaching an energy stream to the bottom of the column and specifying a duty or
another parameter.

Energy Stream icon (Red)

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 Atmospheric Crude Column 15

1. On the PFD in the parent environment, create a new Energy stream with the
name Trim Duty. Do not specify a duty for this stream.

2. Double-click the Column and click the Connections page on the Design tab. In
the Inlet Streams group, add the Trim Duty stream in a new External Stream
cell, and specify stage 28 as its feed stage.

Adding an Energy stream that is not fully defined creates one degree of freedom for
the column. Therefore, we need to add another specification to the column in order
for it to solve.

3. Go to the Monitor page and click the Add Spec button in the Specification
group.

4. Choose Column Liquid Flow from the list that appears. Click the Add Spec
button.

5. Enter the data as shown (if using Field units, the flow value will be 3500 bbl/d)
and make the specification Active.
Figure 7

The Net Liquid Flow spec

is used to represent the
overflash. A typical rate of
the overflash specification
is 3.5 LV% of the crude
rate:
(660 m3/hr* 3.5% = 23
m3/hr).

6. Change the Kerosene SS BoilUp Ratio specification to an Estimate only. This

specification could conflict with the one that was just created. However, we still
need a way to define the Kerosene SS Reboiler. A duty specification will be
used for this purpose.

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16 Atmospheric Crude Column

7. Add a Column Duty specification with the information as shown (7.5e6

Btu/hr), and make the specification Active.
Figure 8

8. Return to the Monitor page and ensure that the Degrees of Freedom = 0. Click
Run to converge the column.

Remember that in module 4, when we characterized the oil, we included the sulphur
curve. To see how much sulphur contains any stream there is a utility called User
Any User Property can be
Property.
used as a Column
specification.
Attach it to Diesel Prod stream.
Figure 9

What is the Sulfur content of diesel product?---------------------------------------------

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 Atmospheric Crude Column 17

Maximizing the Naphtha Product

The column is now solved using product flow rate specifications. These flow rate
values were obtained from the Distribution Plot in the Oil Manager (remember the
exercise on page 5 of this module). Flow rate specifications are probably the easiest
to understand conceptually; however, they are also the most inflexible way of
defining the column.
A good clue that the material
and/or heat balance is failing
is when the equilibrium error If the crude flow rate were to change substantially, for example, the column may fail
goes to zero while the to converge because the material balance would not compute.
heat/specification error fails to
converge.
As another example, it is desired to maximize the production of a particular cut, such
as Kerosene. One could simply increase the Kerosene flow rate spec but this may
produce a negative consequence as the quality of the product may be reduced.

Therefore, another method of defining the streams may be better in these cases. One
of the most common ways of doing this is to use Cut Point specifications to define
the product streams.

The Distribution Plot page in the Oil Manager (under the Blend view) shows the cut
points that were used to generate that plot. In order to maximize the proportion of
Kerosene the Cut Point range is widened slightly.

For example, it is desired to maximize the production of Naphtha. Since the flow rate
of Naphtha is related to the flow rate of Kerosene, both of these streams will be
defined in terms of cut point values.

Before we maximize the production of the various products, the base case needs to
be defined. Use the BP Curves utility to complete the following table:
Flow D86 CutPoint Temperatures, °C
m3/h (bbl/d) 5% 95%
Naphtha 150 (22, 500)
Kerosene 62 (9, 300)
Diesel 130 (19, 250)
AGO 30 (4, 500)

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18 Atmospheric Crude Column

To maximize the products, you will need to add Cut Point specifications to replace
the product flow specifications.

Save your case!

Exercise 1
Maximize the Production of Full Range Naphtha
To maximize the production of Naphtha, it is necessary to increase its 95 vol%
cutpoint temperature. At the same time, the Kerosene’s 5 vol% cutpoint temperature
will show a corresponding increase as the lighter Kerosene components are
transferred into the Naphtha product (becoming the heavier Naphtha components).
By changing the flow rate specifications for both the Naphtha and Kerosene products
to ASTM D86 95% vol% cutpoints, we can maximize the production of a full range
Naphtha from the column.
Product Specifications Flow, m3/h (bbl/d)
Naphtha 95% D86 Naphtha
190°C (375°F)
You will need to make the
Naphtha and Kerosene Kerosene 95% D86 Kerosene
flow specifications Inactive 245°C (470°F)
and the Cut Point
specification Active. Diesel Flow 130 m3/h (19500 bbl/d)
AGO Flow 30 m3/h (5000 bbl/d)

Exercise 2
Maximize the Production of a Full Range Kerosene
To maximize the production of Kerosene, its boiling point range has to be expanded.
The ASTM D86 95 vol% cutpoint for Naphtha should be lowered to 162°C (325°F),
the base case value, and the 95 vol% of Kerosene raised to 275°C (525°F). Change
the Diesel product flowrate specification to an ASTM D86 95 vol% cutpoint
specification of 330°C (625°F).
Product Specifications Flow, m3/h (bbl/d)

Naphtha 95% D86 Naphtha

162°C (325°F)
Kerosene 95% D86 Kerosene
275°C (525°F)
Diesel 95% D86 Diesel
330°C (625°F)
AGO Flow 30 m3/h (5000 bbl/d)

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 Atmospheric Crude Column 19

Exercise 3
Maximize the Production of a Full Range Diesel
The production of Diesel can be maximized in a similar manner to maximizing
Kerosene. The ASTM D86 95 vol% for Naphtha is 162°C (325°F). The Kerosene
ASTM D86 95 vol% is lowered to 220°C (430°F). The ASTM 95 vol% Diesel
specification should be increased to 360°C (675°F). Since the AGO flowrate will
have to change, its flowrate specification should be changed to an ASTM D86 95
vol% cutpoint specification of 415°C (780°F).
Product Specifications Flow, m3/h (bbl/d)

Naphtha 95% D86 Naphtha

162°C (325°F)
Kerosene 95% D86 Kerosene
220°C (430°F)
Diesel 95% D86 Diesel
360°C (675°F)
AGO 95% D86 AGO
415°C (780°F)

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Knowledge Base (KB) Solutions from AspenTech Support Website

[Link]

Problem: Are there any tips and tricks for converging refinery crude columns?

Solution Id: 114173

Problem: My column is converged, but my product streams are light blue /

unsolved. What should I check?

Solution Id: 109246

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