Faculty of Engineering – Chemical Engineering Department

Diploma Course
Petroleum Refinery Engineering

Report title
Distillation Column

Prepared by
Akam Saman
Table of content:

1-Introduction
2-The main composition of distillation column
3-Internal components
4-Design of distillation column
5-Types distillation column
6-Materials used in distillation column
7-Plates or trays
8-Tray parameters
9-Column sizing
10-Basic operations and terminology
11-References
Introduction

Distillation column
A distillation column is an essential item used in the distillation of liquid mixtures
to separate the mixture into its component parts, or fractions, based on the
differences in volatilities.
In a fractionating column, the liquid mixture is introduced at the bottom of the
column, and as it rises through the column, it is heated. The heat causes the liquid to
vaporize, and the vapor rises up the column. As the vapor rises, it cools and
condenses on the plates or packing material. The condensed liquid then flows back
down the column, and as it does so, it is re-vaporized by the rising hot vapors. This
process is repeated several times, with the more volatile components of the mixture
vaporizing and condensing at higher levels in the column, while the less volatile
components condense at lower levels.

The main components of a distillation column are:

Column:
This is the main component of the distillation column, which incorporates the
enriching and stripping sections where the liquid/gas phase separation takes place.

Column Shell:
The cylindrical body of the distillation column provides structural support and
houses the trays or packing materials. It is designed to withstand the internal pressure
and temperature conditions.

Reboiler:
This component is used to generate vapor by supplying heat to the column. Heat is
supplied to the reboiler to generate vapor, and the source of heat input can be any
suitable fluid, although in most chemical plants, this is normally steam.
Condenser:
This component is used to cool the vapor that exits the top of the column. The
condensed liquid is stored in a holding vessel known as the reflux drum

Reflux drum:
This is a holding vessel where the condensed liquid is stored. Some of this liquid is
recycled back to the top of the column, and this is called the reflux. This reflux helps
maintain proper temperature and vapor-liquid equilibrium, improving separation
efficiency.

In addition to these main components, distillation columns also have several internal
components that are used to enhance material transfer and improve the efficiency of
the distillation process.

These internal components include:

Trays or plates: These are stacked inside the column and provide surfaces on which
condensations and vaporizations can occur before the gas enters the condenser. They
are used to improve the liquid/vapor contact surface area and therefore the feed
liquid evaporation process efficiency.
Packing: These are used to intensify process objectives when a high level of
separation efficiency is needed. They can be structured or random and are used to
enhance component separation

Mist eliminators: These are located at the head of the column and are used to
prevent entrainment at the vapor outlet. They can consist of packing or inert fabric

Liquid distributors: These components evenly dispense the incoming fluid over
the column cross-section. The type used (channel, tube, nozzle, etc.) will depend on
the different characteristics of the liquid.

Steam intake: This component is used to uniformly distribute steam, which uses the
packing efficiently, reducing the overall height of the column.

Design of distillation column

The design of a distillation tower depends on the specific requirements of the
process, and the design process involves several major considerations, (diameter and
height, number of trays/plates, packers, etc.) and the operating parameters
(temperature, pressure, feed liquid input stage, etc.) are optimized by the designers
to achieve an overall internal vapor-liquid equilibrium (balance), based on the
volatility (boiling points) of the feed liquid components.

Types of Distillation Columns

Distillation columns come in various types, each designed to address specific
separation challenges and optimize efficiency based on the characteristics of the
mixture being processed.
Here are some common types of distillation columns:
Batch Distillation Column: In batch distillation, a fixed amount of mixture is
loaded into the column, processed, and then the products are collected. It’s suitable
for small-scale operations, research, and when dealing with mixtures that are
difficult to separate. Batch distillation is commonly used in the production of high-
quality spirits and certain pharmaceuticals.
Continuous Distillation Column: Continuous distillation columns manage an
uninterrupted flow of feed. Only in the event of an issue with the column or adjacent
process equipment do interruptions occur. These columns excel at accommodating
substantial throughput and represent the more prevalent than batch distillation
columns. Continuous Distillation columns can be further divided into the following:
Fractionating Column: This is the most common type of distillation column and is
widely used in various industries. It includes trays or packing materials to create
multiple vapor-liquid equilibrium stages, enabling the separation of a wide range of
components based on their boiling points. Fractionating columns are extensively
used in petroleum refining, chemical manufacturing, and beverage production.

Which material is used in distillation column?

Distillation columns can be made of various materials, including stainless steel, pure
copper, and carbon steel.
The choice of material depends on the specific requirements of the process, such as
the chemical properties of the feed liquid, the operating temperature and pressure,
and the desired product purity. Stainless steel is a common material used in many
distillation columns due to its corrosion resistance, durability, and ease of
maintenance.
Carbon steel is also used in some applications, but it is less resistant to corrosion
than stainless steel.
Pure copper is used in some specialized applications, such as in the production of
high-purity alcohol, due to its ability to remove impurities from the distillate.
Other special materials can also be used on request, depending on the specific needs
of the process.
PLATE or Trays
Distillation plates, also called trays, allow for an amount of liquid holdup. This is to
allow the vapor flow to encounter the liquid and allows for vapor-liquid mass
transfer which is necessary for separation to occur.
The most popular type of plate contactor in distillation (and absorption) columns are
cross-flow plates as depicted in the image below where the liquid flows in down
comers in the intervals between plates.

Other types of trays exist which do not have down comers and are termed non-
crossflow plates. Instead, the liquid flows through large holes in the plates, and these
types of plates are typically called shower plates. Furthermore, other kinds of non-
crossflow plates exist that are designed for special cases, for example, in instances
where a low-pressure drop is necessary.
There are three main types of cross-flow plates used in vapour-liquid mass transfer.
1. Sieve Plates
2. Bubble cap plates
3. Valve plates which have three different subcategories: moving valve plates,
fixed valve plates and enhanced fixed valve plates.
SIEVE PLATE (PERFORATED PLATE)
This is the most basic version of a cross-flow plate. The vapour flows through the
holes in the plate whilst the liquid is retained on the tray by the vapour flow.
However, there is no adhesive material in the holes to prevent liquid from trickling
out and therefore “weeping” can occur through the perforations. As a result, this can
decrease the plate efficiency. The hole size can vary, but bigger perforations are
more common. The advantages and disadvantages of sieve plates are listed below.

Advantages
 Low entrainment.
 Inexpensive and easy to install.
 Low running costs.
 Reduced fouling.

Disadvantages
 Not as adaptable to varying loads when compared to other types of tray
designs.
 Increased occurrences of weeping.

BUBBLE-CAP PLATES
Bubble cap plates are pictured below and are the most traditional type of cross-flow
tray type. Bubble-cap trays consist of a weir around each hole in the tray which is
covered with a cap that has holes or slots to allow vapor passage. Entrainment is
about three times larger than a sieve tray.
The most prominent feature of the bubble-cap plate are the risers which are small
pipes where the vapour flows through that are covered by a cap. This feature ensures
that a certain amount of liquid remains on the plate regardless of the vapour flow
rates this aids in reducing weeping.

Advantages
 Most flexible to loading and can accommodate both high and low liquid and
vapour flow rates.
 Can provide excellent turndown.
 Reduced weeping.

Disadvantages
 High entrainment.
 High fouling tendency.
 High-pressure drop.
 Expensive

VALVE PLATES
These have become the most popular tray choice in mass transfer applications in
the CPI Industries.
The valve tray consists of a sieve plate with large diameter perforations that are
covered by movable flaps which rise as the vapour flowrate increases. The valve
plate design has an improved efficiency when compared to sieve plates. This is
because the valves are closed at lower flow rates, and weeping is minimized.
Advantages
 Good contact between the liquid and vapour phases for enhanced mass
transfer.
 Higher capacity.
 More flexibility when compared to sieve trays.
 Can accommodate higher loadings.
 Lower pressure drop than bubble cap plates.

Two types of valve plates exist: Fixed valves and moving valves. Fixed valves
remain open whereas moving valves are opened when vapour flows through the
perforations and raises the valve cover.

PLATE SPACING
The height of the entire distillation column is dependent on the plate spacing. The
typical spacing of trays usually ranges from 0.15 m to 1 m. This value is contingent
on the operating conditions as well as the distillation column diameter.
The smaller the diameter, the closer the spacing. Closer spacing is also used when
the headroom of the distillation column needs to be compact. In distillation towers
with a diameter over 1 m, plate spacing between 0.3 to 0.6 m are used with a
spacing of 0.5 m used as an initial approximation in the design iteration process.
Larger spacing are necessary when feed and side streams are located between
plates.
PACKING
The main stipulations that need to be met for packing are that it should meet the
following conditions:
1. Allow for a large surface area for the interface between liquid and gas.
2. The packing should be configured in a way that allows the least resistance to
the gas flow, preferably by having an open arrangement.
3. It should enhance steady liquid flow on the exterior of the packing.
4. It should enhance a steady gas and vapour distribution across the cross-
section of the distillation column.
Tray Parameters

a) No. of passes (Np):

The numbers of flow paths of liquid on tray are 1, 2, 3 or 4 as per liquid capacity
requirement of column. From a capacity viewpoint, a liquid rate greater than 6 gpm
/ inch of weir (weir loading), is the rate at which a higher number of flow paths
should be considered. The maximum allowable weir loading is 13 gpm/in of weir
length. If the weir loading exceeds this the tray needs redesign with higher number
of passes.

b) Tray Spacing (S):

Tray spacing is the distance between two trays. Generally tray spacing ranges from
8 to 36 inches (200 mm to 900 mm). Prime factor in setting tray spacing is the
economic trade-off between column height and column diameter. Most columns
have 600 mm tray spacing. Cryogenic columns have tray spacing of 200-300 mm.

c) Outlet Weirs (hw):

An outlet weir maintains a desired liquid level on the tray. As the liquid leaves the
contacting area of the tray, it flows over the tray weir to enter into the downcomer.

d) Downcomer Clearance (hcl):

This is the vertical distance between the tray floor and the bottom edge of the
downcomer apron. The Normal practice is to use a downcomer clearance of 1/2
inch less than the overflow weir height to provide a static liquid seal.

e) Inlet Weirs & Recessed Seal Pans:

Inlet weirs and recessed seal pans are primarily used for achieving a downcomer
seal in cases where a potential positive sealing problem exists and clearance under
downcomer is limited.

f) Downcomers:
Passage of liquid from the top tray to the bottom of tray occurs via downcomers.
Downcomers are conduits having circular, segmental, or rectangular cross sections
that convey liquid from upper tray to a lower tray in a distillation column.

g) Downcomer width (Chord height, WDC):

It is maximum horizontal distance between tower wall and weir.
h) Flow path length (FPL):
Flow path length is the distance between the inlet downcomer & outlet
downcomer. The minimum limit for flow path length is 400 mm in order to
provide good contacting between vapour and liquid. This is also necessary for the
mechanical reason of providing tray manway.

i) Tray deck thickness (t):

Trays normally used in commercial service need a minimum material thickness to
provide structural strength (personnel walk on them during installation) and
corrosion allowance. A thickness of 10 to 12 gauge (2.5 to 3.5 mm) is customary
for carbon steel, while 12 to 14 gauge (1.9 to 2.5 mm) is used for stainless steel
trays (in general no C.A. for SS)

j) Hole pitch (P):

Centre to centre distance between holes is called pitch. Normal practice is to use a
hole pitch to hole diameter ratio between 2.2 to 3.8.

k) System (Derating) factors:

Derating factors are often closely related to the foaming tendency of the system.
Higher the foaming tendency, the lower is the Derating factor. System factors are
used in three of the rating correlations (jet flood, down comer backup flood, down
comer choke) to account for system effects on hydraulic capacity limits. It includes
both foaming effects and high vapour density.

l) Bubbling (Active) Area (AB):

Bubbling area is the column area, which is actually available for vapour bubbling
through liquid. It can be defined as column area minus downcomer areas,
downcomer seal & large calming zones.

m) Hole Area:
This is the ratio of hole area to bubbling area. The default practice is to target a hole
area of 8 to 10 % of bubbling area for pressure services. The acceptable range for
percentage hole area is 5 % to 15 %. However for some critical services, we can go
% hole area up to 17-17.5% provided that weeping is under control. Hole areas
below 5 % are not used.
Column Sizing
Column height will be dependent on the amount of trays required and the spacing
between the trays. Normally, tray spacing of 0.15 m to 1 m is used. For columns,
above 1 meter in diameter, 0.5 m can be used as an initial estimate.
Column diameter is influenced by the vapor flow rate in the column. The trays
cannot have excess liquid entrainment or high pressure drops; therefore, vapor
velocity in the column must be maintained at a reasonable level.

Basic Operation and Terminology

The liquid mixture that is to be processed is known as the feed and this is introduced
usually somewhere near the middle of the column to a tray known as the feed tray.
The feed tray divides the column into a top (enriching or rectification) section and a
bottom (stripping) section. The feed flows down the column where it is collected at
the bottom in the reboiler.

Heat is supplied to the reboiler to generate vapour. The source of heat input can be
any suitable fluid, although in most chemical plants this is normally steam. In
refineries, the heating source may be the output streams of other columns. The
vapour raised in the reboiler is re-introduced into the unit at the bottom of the
column. The liquid removed from the reboiler is known as the bottoms product or
simply, bottoms.
The vapour moves up the column, and as it exits the top of the unit, it is cooled by
a condenser. The condensed liquid is stored in a holding vessel known as the reflux
drum. Some of this liquid is recycled back to the top of the column and this is
called the reflux. The condensed liquid that is removed from the system is known
as the distillate or top product.

Thus, there are internal flows of vapour and liquid within the column as well as
external flows of feeds and product streams, into and out of the column.
References
-The Refinery of the Future, Second Edition,2020, author James G.speight
-Distillation Design , Henry Z. Kister.
- Distillation process of Crude oil, Abdullah Al Ashraf; Qatar Universit.
- FUNDAMENTALS OF PETROLEUM REFINING, MOHAMED A. FAH IM,
TAHER A. ALSAHHAF, AND AMAL ELKILANI Dep