Aspen Plus Cogeneration Model

Contents

1 Introduction..............................................................................1

2 Components..............................................................................1

3 Process Description...................................................................1

4 Physical Properties....................................................................3

5 Chemical Reactions....................................................................3

6 Simulation Approaches...............................................................3

7 Simulation Results.....................................................................4

8 Conclusions...............................................................................7

References..................................................................................8

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1 Introduction
This model simulates an Integrated Cogeneration process. It includes the following features:

• A set of conventional chemical species for this process.

• Typical process areas including: burning, compression, heat exchange, power generation, and the
main streams connecting these units.

• Property methods and unit operation models used in this process.

2 Components

The table below lists the components modeled in the simulation.

Component
ID Type Component name Formula
H2O CONV WATER H2O
N2 CONV NITROGEN N2
O2 CONV OXYGEN O2
CO CONV CARBON-MONOXIDE CO
CO2 CONV CARBON-DIOXIDE CO2
ARGON CONV ARGON AR
METHANE CONV METHANE CH4
ETHANE CONV ETHANE C2H6
PROPANE CONV PROPANE C3H8

3 Process Description
An outline of the cogeneration process which includes the letdown, Gas Turbine and Steam Generation
sections is shown in Figure 1.

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 W
POWER MIX W
POWER 1 POWER OU T

POWER2 M IX ER

WATER 1

WATER 14
POWER 3X

STEAM-A

LETDOWN GASTURB STMGEN

N ATGAS N ATGAS2 H OTGAS1 STEAM-B
HIERA RCH Y H IERA RCHY HIERARCH Y
STEAM-C
RC

AIR H OTGAS9

WATER 24
RC

N OXSTEAM

Figure 1: Cogeneration Overall Process

The feedstock of this cogeneration process is natural gas, which contains Methane (83.62%wt), Ethane
(7.33%wt), Propane (7.25%wt) and Argon (1.8%wt).

Firstly, a turbine is used in the letdown area to utilize the internal energy of the natural gas to generate
electrical power. After expanding, the gas pressure drops from 19.5 bar to 8 bar while generating 0.60MW
of power.

Secondly, mixed with steam (8 bar) and compressed air (1324000kg/hr), the gas is burned completely in
the burner to produce hot gas at 979℃. The hot gas is passed through a gas turbine to produce 103.4 MW
of electrical power. As a result, its temperature drops to 551℃ and its pressure drops from 8 bar to 1.1 bar.

Thirdly, the hot gas is passed to the steam generation area to recover heat. The gas runs through 5 heat
exchangers and is cooled down by water or steam as follows:
• E100 - cooled from 551to 492 ℃
• E101 - cooled from 492 to 320 ℃
• E102 - cooled from 320 to 238 ℃
• E103 - cooled from 238 to 234 ℃
• E104 - cooled from 234 to 175 ℃
Then the outlet stream HOTGAS6 from E104 is split into HOTGAS7A and HOTGAS7B. HOTGAS7A is
cooled to 108 ℃ in E106 and HOTGAS7B is cooled to 131℃ in E105. Afterwards these two streams are
mixed again and are vented out of the process. The BFW (boiler feed water) used in this area includes two
pressure grades, one at 76.5 bar and the other at 6.9 bar. Heated by the hot gas, BFW turns to steam.
Then the steam is let down through a turbine to produce electrical power. Finally, three steam products,
each at different pressure grades, are obtained and 37.6MW of electrical power is generated.

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 Process summary

Area Purpose
Let Down Uses the internal energy of the natural gas to generate electrical power

Gas Turbine Burns the natural gas to generate electrical power using a gas turbine

Steam Generation Recovers the heat from the hot gas to generate steam and electrical power using
steam turbines

4 Physical Properties

The PR-BM property method (Peng-Robinson equation of state with Boston-Mathias modifications) is used
for the properties of the natural gas and combustion products. For the steam system in the steam
generation area the STEAMNBS property method is used.

5 Chemical Reactions

The only reactor unit in this process is the burner modeled with RGibbs which uses the Gibbs free energy
minimization method. This determines the equilibrium composition of the products resulting from the many
reactions that can occur.

6 Simulation Approaches

Unit Operations – The major unit operations are represented by Aspen Plus models as shown in the
following table:

Aspen Plus Unit Operation Models Used in the Model

Unit Operation Aspen Plus Model Comments / Specifications
Heat exchanger HeatX Simplified shortcut design calculations.
Flash Flash2 Rigorous simulation of gas-liquid equilibrium.
Compressor/Turbine Compr Calculates electric power required or produced.

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7 Simulation Results

The Aspen Plus simulation flowsheet is shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4.

POWER1 POWER1(OUT)

NATGA S(IN) NATGA S

EXP1

NATGA S2 NATGA S2(OUT)

Figure 2: Flowsheet of Letdown area

BURN1
NATGA S2(IN) NATGA S2 MIX 1

HOTGA S
NOXSTEAM MIX GAS

EXP2

POWER2A
A IR1

A IR2

HOTGA S1
A IRCOMP

WORKMIX
HOTGA S1(OUT)

A CPOWER POWER2 POWER2(OUT)

Figure 3: Flowsheet of Gas Turbine area

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 WATER17

HOTGAS9

MIX1

HOTGAS8A HOTGAS8B

WATER1 WATER14
E106 E105
HOTGAS4

HOTGAS7B
Water & Steam
SPLIT1
WATER15
E104
HOTGAS6 V101
Hot Gas STM18

WATER2

Power Generated HOTGAS5

WATER16

E103 P103
STEAM-C(OUT)
STM19
SPL103
STM21 STEAM-B(OUT)
STM23
STM20
STM22 MIX103

V100
WATER3 E102
STM13 V102
STM12

HOTGAS3
WATER4
SPL102 STM11
WATER4A P101 STM10
K102
E101
STM5 WATER24
HOTGAS2
STM8 K101 POWER5
STM9

STM6 STM7

STEAM-A(OUT) POWER3X
E100 POWER4

HOTGAS1(IN) HOTGAS1 K100 POWER3X(OUT)

POWER3

POWMIX

Figure 4: Flowsheet of Steam Generation area

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No errors occur in the simulation. Key simulation results are shown in the following table:

Key Stream Simulation Results

Flowsheet Variable Value Unit
NATGAS total 25000 kg/hr
NATGAS-Methane 20905 kg/hr
NATGAS-Ethane 1832.5 kg/hr
NATGAS-Propane 1812.5 kg/hr
NATGAS-Ar 450 kg/hr
Steam for Burner 45000 kg/hr
Boiler feed water (High Pressure) 180800 kg/hr
Boiler feed water (Low Pressure) 42600 kg/hr
Feed Air for Burner 1324000 kg/hr
Steam 9 (24bar) 27120 kg/hr
Steam 21 (5bar) 6390 kg/hr
Steam 23 (1bar) 185659 kg/hr
Product Electrical Power 141689.7 kW
Water 5125 kg/hr
Waste Exhaust Hot Gas 1394000 kg/hr

Key Process Simulation Results

Key Process Variable Value Unit
Temperature of Burner 978 ℃
Pressure of Burner 8 bar
Discharge Pressure of the NATGAS Turbine 8 bar
Discharge Pressure of the HOTGAS Turbine 1.1 bar
Discharge Pressure of High Pressure Steam Turbine 24 bar
Discharge Pressure of Medium Pressure Steam Turbine 5 bar
Discharge Pressure of Low Pressure Steam Turbine 1 bar

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 Heat Balance in Steam Generation Area

Heat Balance of Steam Generation Process Value Unit

Inlet Enthalpy of Hotgas(hotgas1) -309485 kW
Outlet Enthalpy of Hotgas(hotgas9) -495631 kW
Heat Energy Supply of Hotgas 186146 kW
Enthalpy of Inlet Water 1 -786876 kW
Enthalpy of Inlet Water 14 -185583 kW
Enthalpy of Outlet Water 24 -18290 kW
Enthalpy of Outlet Steam 9 -96704 kW
Enthalpy of Outlet Steam21 -23231 kW
Enthalpy of Outlet Steam 23 -686151 kW
Heat Energy Absorption of Water in total 148083 kW
Electrical Power Generated in STMGEN Process 38067 kW

Steam and Power Generation per 1 kg of Natural Gas

Product Name Product Quantity

1.085 kg
Steam at 24bar pressure
Steam at 5 bar pressure 0.256 kg

Steam at 1 bar pressure 7.426 kg

Electrical Power 20404.8 kJ

8 Conclusions

The Cogeneration model provides a useful description of the process. The simulation takes advantage of
Aspen Plus’s capabilities for modeling. The model may be used as a guide for understanding the process
and the economics, and also as a starting point for more sophisticated models for plant design and process
equipment specification and purchase.

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 References
V. I. Dlugosel’skii, V. E. Belyaev, N. I. Mishustin and V. P. Rybakov,
"Gas-turbine units for cogeneration", Thermal Engineering, 54:1000-1003, 2007.
Ligang Zheng and Edward Furimsky, “ASPEN simulation of cogeneration plants”,
Energy Conversion and Management, 44: 1845-1851, 2003

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