Assorted Tips

     As I was learning Hysys myself, I made a number of notes along the way. As I incorporated what I learned into the web pages, I would remove that item from the list (unless it was something particularly usefull but short). Below are the remaining items that I didn't find a good home for in the pages I had time to write. Some of them mention things I wanted to explore and questions I had left that I did not get the time to deal with. Perhaps, if you find the answers, you can add to the web pages.

General Notes

1. Note that two different users CAN open the same file on two different computers at the same time. Only saved changes from the first opened appear in the second when it is opened and only the changes made to the last one saved remain (the other changes are lost). SOLUTION: Don't work on the same file at the same time!
2. When editing your workbook format, you cannot reorder the tabs in workbook, so better put them in the right order to start.
3. UNIT OPS on workbook cannot be deleted, changed, or duplicated.
4. Holding down the <Ctrl> button automatically places one temporarily in Attach Mode.
5. If you want to move just a label, click on the label then either press <L> or choose "move label" from the menu appearing with the right mouse button.
6. Can Duplicate Streams Within a flowsheet by going to the property view of the stream to which you want the properties copied. Go to the Utility tab and choose "Copy Stream Specs From …".
7. When setting compositions by flows instead of fractions, the normalize button simply sets empty cells to zero.
8. One way of creating images (perhaps there is a better way) is to print the screen to the clipboard (press <SHIFT+Print Screen>), then paste it in a blank slide in PowerPoint. Crop it down to the image you want then save it as a jpeg or GIF (change the file type it is to save to).
9. To move things on a 2D graph, must double click once to outline the entire graph then single click on the item to be moved and drag (a double click will call up the graph controls). If part of the text or numbers on the graph are cut off, this will also fix the problem.
10. To change fonts on the 3D graph must change fonts for all graphs in the preference file. Unfortunately cannot move text around on the display, though.
11. You may add a copy of your PFD to your workspace, giving you the chance to rearrange the view. Note, however, that removing an object from any PFD removes it globally, not just on that view.

Fluid Package Notes

1. You can choose thermo packages to be both an activity coefficient model for the liquid and EOS for the vapor. Must choose the activity model first, and then choose from the drop down menu the preferred "vapour model". Look in Chapter 8 and Appendix A of the Reference Volume 1 for more information on the choosing of the thermo package.
2. By exporting, then importing, you may transfer fluid packages between files. (Alternatively, if you used the Save As command to start the second file it will automatically have the same fluid packages of course). To have slightly different fluid packages within the same file (say you want the same compounds but a different thermo package) the Copy button may be employed to copy an existing package under a new name for editing. This is useful if you want to use, for example, an EOS model in the main flowsheet containing a reactor but an activity coefficient model in a column sub-flowsheet.
3. Seems as if the only way to get a totally ideal property package is to use either a vapour pressure model like Antoine or an activity model like Margules with the vapour model set to Ideal and all the binary coefficients deleted (make sure to get both Aij's and Bij's).
4. Binary Coefficients are library values unless instructed to calculate new ones by the user. The only way to get the original library values back is to change then re-select the property package.
5. In the tabular, Note that for all properties except K factors, the tabular must be used for all components in the case.

Oil Notes (for petrochemical work)

1. When experimenting with the Refining Tutorial components in the fluid package were changed without my knowledge or approval. Hypotheticals acted weird. The file gave even more different results from the tutorial than the file with the correct fluid package. Might have been the result of changing the property package and then changing it back since hypotheticals are tied into the property package.
2. If you want to use an oil in more than one file, etc. Save the assay, not the fluid package, otherwise you cannot introduce the oil as a stream.
3. See p.275 of Reference Volume 1 for a good explanation of assay %.
4. In refining example Standard Density NOT requested as API

Reaction Section Notes

1. Under "Reaction Heat" a positive # indicates an exothermic reaction (it is not the delta H of reaction). Find out if they are the same apart from the sign.
2. HYSYS requires for equilibrium reactions that you either provide info about the constant or provide a table of T vs. K values. What does Aspen do for equilibrium reactors?
3. Note that the Absorption Parameter in Seth's Example of Plug Flow seems to have the wrong units. Change in all pertinent locations (not just HYSYS).
4. Find out if Aspen "integrates" the same way and if so, how to affect the number of its divisions.

Databook Notes

Data Recorder does not allow some variable changes between recordings. Figure out which changes are acceptable.

Column Notes

1. On page 131 of tutorial, it talks about being unable to do a 3-phase condenser in the column while claiming total reflux. This is no longer the case, it can be done now.
2. When reporting the total number of theoretical stages one needs to include all the main column trays as well as all side stripper trays and all condensers and reboilers (i.e. those for side strippers too). Example: The refining example in the tutorial has 40 total stages in four total tray sections.
3. Be Careful when looking at graphs of results for columns (check out the table as well to make sure that the entries and order are what you think they are).
4. On column condensers and reboilers, can apparently only use energy streams for the heating or cooling, not material streams. So will have to include some sort of temperature cross check.

Unsorted Notes

1. HYSYS does not have the capability to do multistage compressors (i.e. no equivalent to Aspen's MCOMPR).
2. Interesting note about the use of PUMP vs. COMPRESSOR on p.424 of RV2. In general, Compressors are for gases and pumps are for liquids (the liquids are assumed incompressible). But, if you actually want realistic compression of liquids (say near their critical point), go ahead and use the compressor.
3. How does the sign work on energy streams? If you set up a cooler but make the temperature of the stream rise, what happens? Get negative energy streams (can also get negative material streams if work at it)