REFPROP for DWSIM Pro
for flash and
Property calculations

What is REFPROP?

REFPROP is an acronym for REFerence fluid PROPerties. Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the program calculates the thermodynamic and transport properties of industrially important fluids and their mixtures. 

REFPROPTM is based on the most accurate pure fluid and mixture models currently available. See the REFPROPTM website for a full features and a list of supported fluids, mixtures, and models used.

REFPROP Property package makes the REFPROPTM flash and property calculation routines accessible directly from within DWSIM Pro process simulator.

Why use PREFPROP?

It is recommended to use REFPROPTM and the High Precision Equations of State (HPEoS) when highly accurate property calculations for pure components are required.

Application:

Throttling processes, e.g., safety relief processes.

All kind of super-critical processes, e.g., carbon capture and storage (CCS) processes, especially for the compression part.

All kind of Rankine Cycles, Refrigeration Cycles, and Heat Pump Systems, etc. Furthermore, novel functional substances for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) applications commonly are available first in REFPROPTM.

DWSIM Pro simulation with REFPROP application

Example 1: Refrigeration Cycle

REFPROP 1 Screenshot

Access Refrigeration-cycle.dwxmz file in DWSIM Pro trial.

In this example, a novel coolant fluid R1234ze (Hydrofluoroolefin) is used in a refrigeration cycle for air conditioning purposes. The flowrate, the superheating of stream (4), efficiencies of the equipment, and operating conditions are kept fixed.

Compare these results with the results calculated with SRK or PR1978!

Example 2: Multi-Stage Hydrogen compression

REFPROP 3 Screenshot

Access the multi-stage H2 compression.dwxmz file in DWSIM Pro trial

For hydrogen, accurate thermodynamic data are crucial for modeling processes like liquefaction, gas separation, and fuel cell operation. REFPROPTM property package accounts for phase behavior, phase transition, and transport properties accurately.

In this example, simulation of a multi-stage hydrogen compression is carried out in two batteries of compressor/cooler to reach the desired density of hydrogen for transport reason.

Example 3: CO2 Pipeline

REFPROP 2 Screenshot

Access the CO2-Transport.dwxmz file in DWSIM Pro trial

Transport of light and pure fluids via pipeline requires an operation with high-pressure values to keep the fluid in the liquid phase and to overcome the pressure drop along the pipeline.

The application of high-pressure values may bring the fluid to the supercritical region where the calculation of thermo-physical properties becomes difficult and the use of commonly property methods for estimating viscosities and densities is not accurate.

Reliable results can be obtained for the calculation of the pressure drop in a CO2 pipeline operated in the supercritical region using the REFPROPTM property calculation.