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Distillation - Session 8

The document discusses multistage continuous distillation and the McCabe-Thiele method. It describes how continuous distillation uses multiple equilibrium stages in series to separate liquid mixtures into products with different compositions. The McCabe-Thiele method is a graphical technique that uses vapor-liquid equilibrium data and operating parameters to determine the minimum number of theoretical stages required for a given separation in a distillation column. The document outlines the key assumptions and steps involved in applying the McCabe-Thiele method, including determining the rectifying section operating line, feed condition, feed section operating line, and stripping section operating line.

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24 views24 pages

Distillation - Session 8

The document discusses multistage continuous distillation and the McCabe-Thiele method. It describes how continuous distillation uses multiple equilibrium stages in series to separate liquid mixtures into products with different compositions. The McCabe-Thiele method is a graphical technique that uses vapor-liquid equilibrium data and operating parameters to determine the minimum number of theoretical stages required for a given separation in a distillation column. The document outlines the key assumptions and steps involved in applying the McCabe-Thiele method, including determining the rectifying section operating line, feed condition, feed section operating line, and stripping section operating line.

Uploaded by

atif irshad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Mass Transfer Operation-1

Distillation- Session 7 &8


Multistage continuous distillation
McCabe-Thiele method
Amit K. Thakur
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun
Phone/ WhatsApp:+918979778821

4/9/2020 1
Continuous distillation
Fractional distillation or fractionation is normally
used to separate liquid mixture into two or more
vapor or liquid products with different compositions

it is an equilibrium stage of operation and in each


stage a vapor phase is contacted with a liquid phase

The less volatile that is called the heavy


components or the high boiling components they
concentrate in the liquid phase

The more volatile component which is called light


component they concentrate on the vapor phase.

4/9/2020
Continuous distillation
By using multiple stages in series with recycle and
separation can be achieved

The feed to the to a distillation column may be liquid,


vapor or a liquid vapor mixture

Feed may enter at any point in the column although the


optimal feed tray location should be determined and
used

More than one stream may be fed to the system and


more than one product may be drawn

Trays maybe numbered from top down or bottom up


4/9/2020
Continuous distillation
By using multiple stages in series with recycle and
separation can be achieved

The feed to the to a distillation column may be


liquid, vapor or a liquid vapor mixture

Feed may enter at any point in the column although


the optimal feed tray location should be
determined and used

More than one stream may be fed to the system


and more than one product may be drawn

Trays maybe numbered from top down or bottom


up
4/9/2020
Continuous distillation
When analyzing a stage, flows and
compositions take the number of the trays
they leave

The top tray of column, Tray 1 and numbers


downwards 2, 3,4 ---- this is the general
convention

The liquid streams flows down the column


from one tray to the next tray

The vapor flows up bubbling through the


liquid on the trays
4/9/2020
Continuous distillation
When analyzing a stage, flows and
compositions take the number of the trays
they leave

The top tray of column Tray 1 and numbers


downwards ---- this is the general convention

The liquid streams flows down the column


from one tray to the next tray

The vapor flows up bubbling through the


liquid on the trays
4/9/2020
Continuous distillation
The vapor from top tray is condensed and the
condensate is collected in a reflux drum

A part of this liquid is drawn as the top product.


and the other part is fed back to the top tray
(Reflux) that is top tray is marked as number 1

 The top products contains the more volatile


component A and a little of the less volatile B

The liquid from the bottom tray goes to a


reboiler where it is partially vaporized

4/9/2020
Continuous distillation

Partially vaporized the vapor is fed back to the


tower the liquid part is continuously withdrawn
as the bottom of the product

The bottom product over here is taken as


bottoms and the vapor which is returned back
to the column is known as the Boil-up

The bottom product is rich in the less volatile


component B and has only a small amount of A
in4/9/2020
it.
Continuous distillation

 The component A is the more volatile


component; obviously, it will go with the
distillate

Transport of more volatile component, A occurs


from the liquid to the vapor phase while
transport of the less volatile, B occurs from the
vapor to the liquid phase

Thus a distillation column involves


counter diffusion of the components not
necessarily equimolar
4/9/2020
Continuous distillation
 As the vapor flows up it becomes
progressively richer in A similarly
the liquid becomes richer in less
volatile B as it flows down the
column

The product leaving the top of the


column is called the overhead
product/ top product /distillate
product

Distillate product maybe liquid or vapor or occasionally both depending on the type of
condenser
4/9/2020
Continuous distillation
 The portion of the column above
the feed tray is called the
rectification section and in this
section the vapor is enriched by
contact with the reflux

The portion of the column


which is below the feed tray is
called the stripping section, the
liquid portions of the feed
serves as the reflux of this
section
4/9/2020
Continuous distillation
 A normal column has a temperature
gradient and a pressure gradient
from bottom to top

 Inside the tower the liquid and


vapors are always at their bubble
points and dew points

 The highest temperature is at the


bottom and the lowest temperature
is at the top

So, the entire device including both the sections that is you know rectifying section and
the stripping section is called the fractionators
4/9/2020
Multistage continuous distillation

4/9/2020
Multistage continuous distillation

4/9/2020
Multistage continuous distillation

4/9/2020
4/9/2020 16
Crude oil distillation in
Refinery

4/9/2020
McCabe- Thiele Method
McCabe and Thiele (1925) developed a graphical method to determine the
theoretical number of stages required to effect the separation of a binary mixture

This method uses the equilibrium curve diagram to determine the number of
theoretical stages (trays) required to achieve a desired degree of separation

Major Assumptions
(1)Constant molal flow in the column

(2) Molal heats of vaporization of the components are roughly the same

(3) Heat effects are negligible

4/9/2020
McCabe- Thiele Method
The information required for the
systematic calculation using this method
are

(1)VLE data

(2) Feed condition (temperature,


composition)

(3)Distillate and bottom compositions

(4) The reflux ratio, R, which is defined as


the ratio of reflux liquid over the distillate
product
4/9/2020
(L/D)
McCabe- Thiele Method
The steps to be followed to determine the
number of theoretical stages by McCabe-
Thiele Method

(1) Determination of the Rectifying section


operating line (ROL)

(2) Determination the feed condition (q)

(3) Determination of the feed section


operating line (q-line)

4/9/2020
McCabe- Thiele Method
Steps continue..

(4) Determination of the stripping section


operating line (SOL)

(5) Determination of number of theoretical


stages

4/9/2020
McCabe- Thiele Method
STEP 1 : Determination of the Rectifying section operating line (ROL)

Consider the rectifying section

4/9/2020
McCabe- Thiele Method
STEP 1 : Determination of the Rectifying section operating line (ROL)
Consider the constant molal flow in the
column, and then one can write:

The previous equation becomes

4/9/2020
McCabe- Thiele Method
STEP 1 : Determination of the Rectifying section operating line (ROL)

Slope
4/9/2020
Intercept

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