Simulation of Nitrogen Liquefication Cycles

Abstract

System simulation is the calculation of operating variables such as pressure, temperature and flow rates of energy and fluids in a thermal system operating in a steady state. The equations for performance characteristics of the components and thermodynamic properties along with energy and mass balance form a set of simultaneous equations relating the operating variables. The mathematical description of system simulation is that of solving these set of simultaneous equations which may be non-linear in nature. Simulation is not needed in design conditions because in the design process the Engineer probably chooses reasonable values of the operating variables and selects the components that correspond to operating variables.
Cryogenics is the branch of engineering that is applied to very low temperature refrigeration applications such as in liquefaction of gases and in the study of physical phenomenon at temperature of absolute zero. The various cryogenic cycles as Linde cycle, Claude’s cycle , Stirling cycle etc govern the liquefaction of various industrial gases as Nitrogen, Helium etc. We have the operating conditions and operating variables which can be solved numerically which is tedious. The following work aims to simulate the nitrogen liquefication cycles with the help of the simulation tool ASPEN HYSYS where all calculations are done at steady state and the results hence obtained.