Basic Data
Task Checklist
X Introduction
Z Sources
D ExxonMobil Data Library - EDL
Z Special Systems
Z Distillation Data
Z Pseudocomponents
2 Introduction
Did you know?
• Accurate physical property data is essential in all phases of design
• The most important use of basic data is in developing a Heat and Material
Balance
• An enormous amount of data is available, but you have to know where to
find it.
3 Introduction
Objective Questions
• Why is accurate physical property data important in design?
• What type of distillation data is required for planning and designing
equipment?
• What is the difference between the various distillation test methods?
4 Introduction
Designer’s Role
• Choose best thermodynamic data package for given system
• Ensure components used in simulation accurately predicts actual stream
properties and qualities measured in the lab
• Gather and analyze plant data
• Identify stream conditions for Heat and Material Balance development
5 Introduction
Engineer’s Toolbox
• Quest/Distex
• Plant Data
• Simulations
• Thermodynamic Specialists
6 Introduction
Task Checklist
X Introduction
X Sources
ExxonMobil Data Library - EDL
Z Special Systems
Z Distillation Data
Z Pseudocomponents
7 Sources
Basic Data Sources
• EDL -- ExxonMobil Data Library
• Accessed by Quest/Distex
• Many others:
• Perry’s Chemical Engineering Handbook
• API Technical Data Book
• Gas Processors of America Handbook - GPSA
• Process Simulators (i.e. ProII, HYSIS, etc.)
8 Sources
EDL III
• Single source of reliable and consistent properties used for engineering
calculations
• Many thermodynamic packages available
• Incorporates many years of operating experience
• Company perceives competitive advantage associated with EDL
9 Sources
Thermodynamic Packages
Thermodynamic
Application / Use Limitations
Package
EDL
DECUBEOS + Default; most widely used - Polar Mixtures
+ Accurate over wide range of Temp. and Press. - LLE
- High MW components (i.e. don't use for crude distillation)
FUGLIC + Mixtures of same molecular type - High pressure
+ Accurate for low to moderate Pressures - Non-ideal liquid mixtures
+ Good for primary fractionators, atm. / vac. crude - Light gases
distillation
NRTL + VLE / LLE for non-ideal systems (i.e. HC/alcohol or - Same as FUGLIC
alcohol/water) - Must input activity coefficients
- VERY highly non-ideal LLE systems
SIMSCI - Special
GLYCOL + Phase equilibria for glycol dehydration ------
SOUR + Sour water systems ------
AMINE + H2S and CO2 removal by aqueous amines ------
Other Add-ons + Electrolytes ------
+ Polymers
10 Sources
Practice – Thermodynamic Packages
• What package do I use for:
– Vacuum crude tower
– Light ends distillation
– Strange specialty chemicals
– DEA treater
– Sour Water Stripper
11
EDL in Action
EXAMPLE: Use Quest/Distex to find the dew point temp. at 132 psia for mixture
of iC4, nC4, and iC5 that has vapor mole fractions 0.459, 0.5393 and 0.0017,
respectively.
12 Sources
EDL in Action (Cont.)
13 Sources
Task Checklist
X Introduction
X Sources
ExxonMobil Data Library - EDL
X Special Systems
Z Distillation Data
Z Pseudocomponents
14 Special Systems
Critical Point
• What’s the critical point?
– Temp. and press. where density and
composition of liquid and vapor
phases are identical.
• Why is it important?
– Fractionation becomes impossible
– Latent heat of vaporization is zero
• Can result in very high vapor rates for
some safety valves = high investment
– Critical properties can be used to
calculate vapor compressibility
15 Special Systems
Task Checklist
X Introduction
X Sources
ExxonMobil Data Library - EDL
X Special Systems
X Distillation Data
Z Pseudocomponents
16 Distillation Data
Distillation Data Basics
• Widely used by plants to monitor product quality
• Also important in project planning, design and process evaluations
• Used to predict:
– Stream properties when actual component breakdown is not available
– Product yields
– Operating conditions
• Data presented as Distillation Curve
– Plot of Volume or Weight Percent Distilled vs. Temperature
– Generated by lab tests
– Lab analytical technique and conversion of measured data is critical (i.e. small errors in
lab measurement can result in large variation in TBP curve)
17 Distillation Data
Distillation Curve Example
Distillation Curves for Exxsol D130 Feed
800
700
Temperature (°F)
600
500
400
300
200 1998 Data
100 2000 Data
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Liquid Volume % Off
18 Distillation Data
Lab Test Methods
Single Stage Types (i.e. ASTM D86 and D1160)
– Simple and inexpensive
– Must be “stem corrected” for thermometric error
– Often used for routine product testing and refinery operation control
– For design, results have to be converted!!
TBP - True Boiling Point - 15/5 (i.e. ASTM D2892)
– 15 trays, 5:1 reflux ratio
– Used for planning and design purposes, etc.
– Results used to generate psuedocomponent properties
GCD (i.e. ASTM D2887)
– Simulated by gas chromatography
– 15/5 and GCD results are essentially same for narrow cuts
– Results represent Weight % distilled
– Has largely replaced TBP-15/5
19 Distillation Data
Distillation Conversion
• Convert single stage D86 data to TBP data for design purposes
• This is very simple -- Use Quest/Distex
20 Distillation Data
Task Checklist
X Introduction
X Sources
ExxonMobil Data Library - EDL
X Special Systems
X Distillation Data
X Pseudocomponents
21 Pseudocomponents
What is a Pseudocomponent?
• Group containing numerous petroleum molecules that have similar boiling points but whose
composition is not easily known
• Analogous to other real components having unique properties, pseudocomponents are
given average properties
• Used to reduce the total number of unique real components when modeling actual
petroleum streams while maintaining accurate simulation results
Pseudocomponents
Real Component
22 Pseudocomponents
Defining Pseudocomponents with Quest/Distex
• Step 1: Enter the Distillation Data, Lab Test Method, etc.
23 Pseudocomponents
Defining Pseudocomponents with Quest/Distex (Cont.)
• Step 2: Specify number of pseudo’s to adequately represent each boiling
point range. Use more pseudo’s for heavy and light ends since the
boiling point changes a lot.
24 Pseudocomponents
Defining Pseudocomponents with Quest/Distex (Cont.)
• Step 3: Look at the results.
25 Pseudocomponents
Pseudocomponent Nomenclature
• Several methods:
Average Boiling Point
Average Density
• API Method 177 A 45.0
• Specific Gravity Method 177 S 0.8
• Watson K Method 177 W 10.8
26 Pseudocomponents
Watson ‘K’ Characterization Factor
• Many pseudocomponent properties are correlated based on the Watson ‘K’ characterization
factor (i.e. many EDL correlations use it as the correlating parameter)
1.8TB
3
K=
S .G.
Where: K = Characterization Factor
TNBP = Normal Boiling Point in °R
S.G. = Specific Gravity at 60°F (15.6°C)
• Typical Values of ‘K’ are: 10 < K < 14
• Low values of ‘K’ indicate highly aromatic mixtures
• High values of ‘K’ indicate paraffinic mixtures
27 Pseudocomponents
