Chemical Engineering Practice School (ChEPS)

CHE656: Computer Applications for

Chemical Engineering Practice

Process Simulation with ASPEN PLUS

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			We love process simulation and ASPEN PLUS.....(Class-7)
			Listening to Aj. Ming's A+ lecture and working hard in the ChE Computer Lab....(Class-7).

Click the manila folder to see your homework points, exam scores, and final grades:

Lecture Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 1:30 - 4:30 pm.

Note: First class starts on Wednesday April 21 in ChEPS Students Office of CB-5.

The following files are available for download (all in pdf format):

Year 2010 (Class-14)	Special Instructions
Course Syllabus	Homework: Exercise Problems by Dr. Hong-ming Ku. Note you must download an answer sheet for each homework set, write your answers to each question on the sheet, and submit it along with your work.
Homework Set 1 Solution (100 points)	Exercise Problems: #1 (20 pts), #4 (20 pts), #7 (20 pts), #8 (20 pts), #9 (20 pts) Download the answer sheet here. Due Monday May 3.
Homework Set 2 Solution (100 points)	Exercise Problems: #16 (40 pts), #18 (30 pts), #19 (30 pts) Download the answer sheet here. Due Friday May 14.
Homework Set 3 Solution (100 points)	Exercise Problems: #20 (25 pts), #21 (25 pts), #22 (25 pts), #25 (25 pts) Download the answer sheet here. Due Monday May 31.
Homework Set 4 Solution (100 points)	Exercise Problems: #28(20 pts), #29 (21 pts), #31 (24 pts), #33 (15 pts), #40 (20 pts) Download the answer sheet here. Due Wednesday June 9.
Homework Set 5 Solution (100 points)	Exercise Problems: #34 (25 pts), #35 (25 pts), #39 (25 pts), #42 (25 pts) Download the answer sheet here. Due Wednesday June 16.
Homework Set 6 Solution (100 points)	Exercise Problems: #45 (25 pts), #48 (25 pts), #49 (25 pts), #50(25 pts) Download the answer sheet here. Due Friday June 25.
Midterm Exam Solution	Makes up 40% of the grade and will cover materials up to Calculator Block. Exam date is Tuesday June 1, 2010, 1:30 - 5 pm (3.5 hours) See below for a tip on B & M algorithm. See comments below for exam format.
Final Exam Tips and Sample Questions Solutions to Tips In-Class A+ Exercises	Makes up 40% of the grade. The exam date is Tuesday June 29, 2010, 1:30 - 5 pm. Consists of 2 Parts: 90 multiple-choice questions (90 points) and 3 computer problems using A+ (110 points) for a total of 200 points. Be sure to read all the reference papers, especially the ones on physical properties and recycle convergence.

Supplementary lecture notes, references, and papers:

A Short Primer for ASPEN PLUS	A tutorial on how to get started using ASPEN PLUS.
A Primer for ASPEN PLUS Design-Spec	A tutorial on how to use design-spec inside ASPEN PLUS..
Uncovering the Realities of Simulation Part I	Part I of a 2-part series paper from CEP on the fundamentals of process simulation.
Uncovering the Realities of Simulation Part II	Part II of a 2-part series paper from CEP on the fundamentals of process simulation.
Don't Gamble with Your Physical Properties	A high-tech CEP article on selection methods for physical properties and its importance in process simulation by Eric C. Carlson.
Don't Let Recycle Stream Stymie Your Simulations	A nice paper on dealing with recycles and convergence in process simulation by Ryan C. Schad - also from CEP.
Is Process Simulation Used Effectively in ChE Courses	A paper on process simulation in classrooms.
Flowsheet Convergence - Tear Streams	A summary in PowerPoint slides of my lecture on dealing with tear streams in flowsheet convergence, including algorithms such as those of Sargent and Westerberg, Barkley and Motard, and Forder-Hutchison Loop Finder.
Troubleshooting Convergence Problems	Special PowerPoint slides on troubleshooting convergence problems in flowsheeting such as tear stream convergence and design-spec convergence.

Midterm Format:

This exam will consist of 2 parts - 2 written problems (90 points) and 2 computer-based problem (110 points), and is 3.5 hours long. The exam will start at 1:30 pm promptly and we will congregate in your ChEPS office on the 6th floor of CB5. You will take the exam in your office using your own laptops and running A+.

The hallmark of my exams is their length. To do well in these exams, you will need to think and work fast while minimizing your mistakes. So it's imperative that you be able to navigate expertly in ASPEN PLUS. The Midterm will cover up to Calculator blocks. Also, for this Midterm, the flowsheet is fairly complicated with many tear streams. So make sure you are very familiar with the working of B & M algorithm. You should know the algorithm by heart and be able to apply it quickly without having to look at your notes. Please read my final words on this algorithm in the section below.

Finally, be sure to bring a handy-drive to the exam so you can save your computer problem on it. You only need to save your A+ runs under the .bkp format. Work using the hard disk first, and then at the end of the exam copy your work into the handy-drive. Note that you are responsible for saving your work. So be sure to save often. You may get zero mark if I can't open your files or if your A+ runs crash and you have nothing to submit. Good luck to everybody!

Final Words on B & M Algorithm:

Although the precursor table is a very convenient means of showing the signal flow graph, sometimes it is necessary to draw a diagram. This is particularly true if you run into two-way edge pairs, which you cannot easily telll from looking at the precursor table. So don't be lazy about drawing the diagram. A hint that drawing is needed is when you run into a situation in which you can no longer do any more graph reductions and you don't see any self-loops. Chances are that there are two-way edge pairs. And if there aren't any (i.e. no self-loops and two-way edge pairs), you will need to pick a node with the most number of arcs leaving it and eliminate that node.