Introduction to Aspen Plus

Design Specifications

Design Specifications
Introduction to Aspen Plus

2003 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

Lesson Objectives
Introduce the use of design specifications to meet
process design requirements

Aspen Plus References

User Guide, Chapter 21, Design Specifications
Related Topics
User Guide, Chapter 18, Accessing Flowsheet Variables
User Guide, Chapter 19, Calculator Blocks and In-Line Fortran
User Guide, Chapter 17, Convergence
2003 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

2003 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

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Introduction to Aspen Plus

Design Specifications

Design Specifications
Similar to a feedback controller
Allows user to set the value of a calculated flowsheet
quantity to a particular value
Objective is achieved by manipulating a specified input
variable
Located under /Data/Flowsheeting Options/Design
Specs
Design specifications change the base case, and so
results are shown in the core simulation results

2003 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

Design Specification Example

RECYCLE
REACTOR
COOL

FEED
REAC-OUT

COOL-OUT

SEP

Filename: CUMENE-D.BKP
PRODUCT

Determine what the cooler outlet temperature should be to

achieve a cumene product purity of 98 mole percent:
What is the manipulated (varied) variable?
Cooler outlet temperature

What is the measured (sampled) variable?

Mole fraction of cumene in stream PRODUCT

What is the specification (target) to be achieved?

Mole fraction of cumene in stream PRODUCT = 0.98

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Introduction to Aspen Plus

Design Specifications

Steps for Using Design Specifications (1)

1. Identify measured (sampled) variables
These are flowsheet quantities, usually calculated, to be included

in the objective function (Define sheet).

2. Specify objective function (Spec) and goal (Target)

This is the equation that the specification attempts to satisfy (Spec

sheet).

3. Set tolerance for objective function

The specification is converged when the objective function

equation is satisfied to within this tolerance (Spec sheet).

4. Specify manipulated (varied) variable

This is the variable whose value changes in order to satisfy the

objective function equation (Vary sheet).

2003 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

Steps for Using Design Specifications (2)

5. Specify range of manipulated (varied) variable
These are the lower and upper bounds of the interval within which

Aspen Plus will vary the manipulated variable (Vary sheet).

By default, the units of the variable used in the objective

function (step 2) and those for the manipulated variable (step
5) are the units for that type of variable as specified by the
Units Set declared for the design specification. You can change
the units using the Object level Units dropdown list in the data
browser toolbar. However, if you make this change, it changes
the units for all sheets in this form. For example, if you change
the units to MetCBar in the Specs sheet, the units in the Vary
form are also MetCBar.

2003 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

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Introduction to Aspen Plus

Design Specifications

Notes (1)
1. Only quantities that have been input to the flowsheet should be
manipulated.
2. The calculations performed by a design specification are
iterative. Providing a good estimate for the manipulated
variable will help the design specification converge in fewer
iterations. This is especially important for large flowsheets with
several interrelated design specifications.
3. The results of a design specification can be found under
Data/Convergence/Convergence or Results Summary/
Convergence, by opening the appropriate solver block, and
choosing the Results form. Alternatively, the final values of the
manipulated and/or sampled variables can be viewed directly on
the appropriate Stream/Block results forms.

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Notes (2)
4. If a design-spec does not converge:
a. Check to see that the manipulated variable is not at its lower or
upper bound.
b. Verify that a solution exists within the bounds specified for the
manipulated variable, perhaps by performing a sensitivity
analysis.
c. Check to ensure that the manipulated variable does indeed
affect the value of the sampled variables.
d. Try providing a better starting estimate for the value of the
manipulated variable.

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2003 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

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Introduction to Aspen Plus

Design Specifications

Notes (3)
e.

Try narrowing the bounds of the manipulated variable or

loosening the tolerance on the objective function to help
convergence.

f.

Make sure that the objective function does not have a flat region
within the range of the manipulated variable.

g.

Try changing the characteristics of the convergence block

associated with the design-spec (step size, number of iterations,
algorithm, etc.)

2003 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

Design Specification Workshop

Objective: Use a design specification in the cyclohexane
flowsheet to fix the heat load on the reactor by varying
the recycle flowrate.
The cyclohexane production flowsheet (CYCLOHEX.BKP) is a
model of an existing plant. The cooling system around the
reactor can handle a maximum operating load of 4.7 MMkcal/hr.
Determine the amount of cyclohexane recycle necessary to keep
the cooling load on the reactor to this amount.
Note: The heat convention used in Aspen Plus is that heat input
to a block is positive, and heat removed from a block is negative.

2003 AspenTech. All Rights Reserved.

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Introduction to Aspen Plus

Design Specifications

Cyclohexane Production Workshop

PURGE
Total flow = 330 kmol/hr

92% flow to stream H2RCY

T = 50C
P = 25 bar

H2RCY

VFLOW

Molefrac H2 = 0.975
N2 = 0.005
CH4 = 0.02

H2IN

VAP
FEED-MIX

REACT
HP-SEP

RXIN
BZIN

T = 150C
P = 23 bar

T = 40C
P = 1 bar
Benzene flow = 100 kmol/hr

T = 50C
Pdrop = 0.5 bar

RXOUT
T = 200C
Pdrop = 1 bar
Benzene conv = 0.998

LIQ

CHRCY

COLFD
LFLOW

LTENDS
Theoretical Stages = 12
Reflux ratio = 1.2
Bottoms rate = 99 kmol/hr
Partial Condenser with
vapor distillate only
Column Pressure = 15 bar
Feed stage = 8

30% flow to stream CHRCY

PRODUCT

Use the RK-SOAVE property method

COLUMN
Specifycyclohexane mole recovery in
PRODUCT stream equal to 0.9999 by
varying Bottoms rate from 97 to 101 kmol/hr

Filename: DES-SPEC.BKP

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