Blending / Mixing
1. Lesson Objectives
Learn how to specify a mixer
Learn how to use the spreadsheet in Aspen HYSYS to perform customized calculations
2. Prerequisites
Aspen HYSYS V8.0
3. Background
Ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) is an oxygenate that is added to gasoline to improve Research Octane Number
(RON) and to increase oxygen content. The goal is to have 2.7% oxygen by weight in the final product. The legal
limit is that ETBE cannot exceed more than 17% by volume. For simplicity, we use 2,2,4-trimethylpentane to
represent gasoline. Since ETBE's molecular weight is 102.18 g/mol, the ETBE in the product stream can be
calculated as following:
This yields 17.243% of ETBE by weight in the product stream. Given this, the spreadsheet tool can be utilized to
target the ETBE feed to achieve the desired oxygen content.
In this tutorial we will calculate:
For a certain flow rate of gasoline (e.g., 100 kg/hr), how much ETBE should be added to achieve the
oxygen content of 2.7% by weight in the blended gasoline.
Check whether or not the legal limit of ETBE content is satisfied.
A HYSYS spreadsheet is used to perform calculations on each criterion. Both targets should be met in the
simulation.
The examples presented are solely intended to illustrate specific concepts and principles. They may not
reflect an industrial application or real situation.
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4. Aspen HYSYS Solution
4.01. Start a new simulation in Aspen HYSYS V8.0.
4.02. Create a component list. In the Component Lists folder select Add. Add 2,2,4-trimethylpentane and
ETBE to the component list.
4.03. Define property package. In the Fluid Packages folder select Add. Select Peng-Robinson as the
property package.
4.04. Enter the simulation environment by clicking the Simulation button in the bottom left of the screen.
4.05. Add a Mixer to the flowsheet from the Model Palette.
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4.06. Double click on the mixer (MIX-100). Create two Inlets called ETBE and Gasoline. Create an Outlet
called Blend.
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4.07. Define feed streams. Go to the Worksheet tab. For stream ETBE enter a Temperature of 25°C and a
Pressure of 1 bar. Leave Mass Flow empty as we will solve for it later.
4.08. In the Composition form under the Worksheet tab, enter a Mole Fraction of 1 for ETBE in the ETBE feed
stream.
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4.09. Define gasoline feed stream. In the Conditions form in the Worksheet tab, enter a Temperature of
25°C, a Pressure of 1 bar, and a Mass Flow of 82.76 kg/h.
4.10. In the Composition form enter a Mole Fraction of 1 for 224-Mpentane in the Gasoline stream. The
gasoline stream should solve. However. the mixer will not solve because the flow rate of ETBE is still
unknown.
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4.11. We will now create a spreadsheet to calculate the target mass flowrate of stream ETBE. Add a
Spreadsheet to the flowsheet from the Model Palette.
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4.12. Double click on the spreadsheet (SPRDSHT-1). Go to the Spreadsheet tab and enter the following text in
cells A1 and A2.
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4.13. Right click on cell B1 and select Import Variable. Select the following to import the Mass Flow of stream
Gasoline to cell B1. Press OK when complete.
4.14. Click cell B2 and enter the following formula: = (B1*0.17243) / (1-0.17243). This will calculate the mass
flow rate for stream ETBE. From the background section, we know that in order to reach the oxygen
content goal of 2.7%, we will need the gasoline stream to contain 17.243% ETBE by weight.
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4.15. We now wish to export the calculated flow rate in cell B2 to stream ETBE. Right click cell B2 and select
Export Formula Result. Make the following selections and click OK when complete. The mixer should
now solve.
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4.16. We will now calculate the volume percent of ETBE in the blended stream to make sure that the ETBE
content is below the legal limit of 17 volume percent. This can easily be observed in the spreadsheet. In
the spreadsheet, enter the following text in cell A4.
4.17. Right click on cell B4 and select Import Variable. Make the following selections to import Master Comp
Volume Frac of ETBE in the blended stream. Click OK when complete.
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4.18. The volume fraction of ETBE in the blended stream is ?, which is below the legal limit of 0.17. It is
determined that the target flow rate of ETBE to be mixed with this gasoline stream is 17.24 kg/h.
5. Conclusions
For a specified gasoline mass flow rate of 82.76 kg/hr, 17.24 kg/hr of ETBE is needed to achieve 2.7% oxygen
content by weight in the final product. Furthermore, after blending, the product does not exceed the legal limit
for ETBE of 17% by volume. If gasoline contains a single component, manual calculation should be easy without
a simulator. However, real gasoline contains many unknown components and gasoline’s contents vary as
feedstock or plant operation conditions change. Therefore, manual calculation becomes very difficult and the
use of a simulator such as Aspen HYSYS can be helpful to carry out the calculation.
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