Implementation of ASPEN electrolyte routines and aqueous and solid component user databases for application to MHD seed regeneration

One of the major aspects of the coal-fired magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) system development effort is to define economical means to regenerate potassium carbonate "seed" from the MHD potassium sulfate effluent. At The University of Tennessee Space Institute potential regeneration schemes are being evaluated using the Advanced System for Process Engineering (ASPEN) chemical process simulator. To adapt this computer code to the process of MHD seed regeneration, a procedure was defined for accessing the ASPEN electrolyte calculation routines. Also, databases needed by the code for the electrolyte calculations were added. Documentation of this method to access the electrolyte calculation routines is provided. Furthermore, an aqueous component user database and solid component user database have been implemented into the ASPEN system used by the Energy Conversion Research and Development Programs (ECP). In addition, by accessing the unary parameters in the aqueous database, the ASPEN Data Regression System was used to regress both vapor pressure depression and activity coefficient data to obtain Gibbs method electrolytic local composition constant (GMELCC) binary Interaction parameters.