Scribd
Upload
12 views30 pages

Lec4 Sep

Uploaded by

engineerala2022
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
12 views30 pages

Lec4 Sep

Uploaded by

engineerala2022
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 30

Advanced

separation process
Lec4

Instructor:

Eng: Abdullah Ali Alsharafi

Email :[email protected]
multicomponent Distillation

In a multicomponent column there are more than two


components and only two component purity or recovery
specifications, two of the components from the mixture must be
selected; these are known as the key components and are the
components on which the specifications are based.
The lighter of the two components is called the light key (LK)
and the heavier is the heavy key (HK).
The selection of these two components defines the way the
feed mixture is cut; that is, the way the mixture is separated into
the two product streams.
Obviously, most of the light key will go to the distillate and most
of the heavy key will go to the bottoms.
What happens to the other components? Common assumptions
in solving the mass balances on the column
multicomponent Distillation

Material balance on the column are:


All of the components that are lighter than the light key
(LLK) go to the distillate.
All of the components heavier than the heavy key (HHK)
go to the bottoms.

For example, suppose that we have five components A, B,


C, D and E, listed in order of increasing normal boiling
points.
As in the figure below, how the components separate if C is
selected as the light key and D is the heavy key.
Figure 1 shows that components A, B and C go to the
distillate and components D and E go to the bottom.
multicomponent Distillation

Fig. 1: Two ways to sequence distillation columns to completely separate


five components, there are 12 other ways.
multicomponent Distillation

In the example of the Figure 1, components A and B are


lighter than the light key (LLK) and component E is heavier
than the heavy key (HHK).
Now a small amount of the heavy key D must go to the
distillate and a small amount of the light key C must go to
the bottoms.
How much are the small amounts depends on the product
specifications, which are based on the keys, C and D.
Following the same example, how many distillation columns
are needed to separate the five components into five
streams each containing one of the components?
multicomponent Distillation

distillation columns are needed to separate the five components


into five streams each containing one of the components?
multicomponent Distillation

Four is the correct answer, but how should they be sequenced?


In the Figure 2 there are possible ways to do the sequencing.
Note that the sequencing depends on the selection of the light
and heavy keys for each column
Short-Cut Distillation Design Method
The short-cut distillation design method is carried out in three steps:
 Determine the minimum number of equilibrium stages at
total reflux using the Fenske’s equation.

Determine the minimum reflux ratio using the Underwood


equation.

 Determine the number of equilibrium stages at a specified


reflux ratio, or the reflux ratio at a specified number of
equilibrium stages using the Gilliland correlation.
multicomponent Distillation
multicomponent Distillation
multicomponent Distillation
multicomponent Distillation
multicomponent Distillation

When the relative volatility is only approximately constant


the average of the values at the top and bottom of the
column can be used:

(2)

Note that the relative volatilities at the top and bottom are
for the same pair of components, not for a different pair.
multicomponent Distillation

Minimum Reflux Ratio —The Underwood Equation

 The minimum reflux ratio, as with binary distillation columns,


depends on the enthalpy and composition of the feed, the relative
volatilities (equilibrium relations) and the distillate composition. The
Underwood equation provides a quick way to estimate the minimum
reflux ratio; it requires two steps

1. Determine the value of Ø that satisfies the relation:

2. Use the value of Ø to calculate the minimum reflux ratio:


multicomponent Distillation
multicomponent Distillation

 Equation (3) must be solved iteratively. The value of Ø can be


determined with an appropriate calculator, a workbook or a program
such as MathCad or MATLAB.

When these are not available the Secant method can be used.
However, in this case the iterative solution presents a particular
problem, regardless of the solution method used. For a system with C
components Eq. (3) is a polynomial of degree C with C different roots,
but only one of those roots is valid for use in Eq. (4). How to ensure to
obtain the correct value of Ø? By starting the iteration with a value of Ø
which is between the relative volatilities of the two key components.

When this is done the resulting value will be between the two relative
volatilities and this is the valid root to use in Eq. (4).
multicomponent Distillation

Number of Equilibrium Stages—Gilliland Correlation

 With the minimum number of stages at total reflux and the minimum
reflux ratio, the Gilliland correlation allows the calculation of the required
number of equilibrium stages at a specified reflux ratio, or the reflux ratio
required for a specified number of equilibrium stages. The original
correlation was graphical as shown in Figure 3.

The correlation has been converted to the following formula for easy of
programming:

 1 54.4 X  x 1
N  N min  *
 1 e  11117.2 X  x
N 1
multicomponent Distillation

RD  RDM
Where X 
RD  1
N = number of equilibrium stages
Nmin = minimum number of stages at total reflux
RD = reflux ratio
RDm = minimum reflux ratio
multicomponent Distillation
multicomponent Distillation

2
multicomponent Distillation

Equation 6 does not provide good estimates of the optimum feed tray
location when the relative volatility of the key components differs
significantly from the top to the bottom of the column or when they form
an a zeotrope.

Example 1. Over-all Balances on the Distillation of a Mixture of


Hydrocarbons

A mixture at the rate of 200 kmole/hr is to be separated by distillation. The


feed contains 10 mole% propane, 45 mole% n-butane, 40 mole% n-pentane
and the balance n-hexane. It is desired to obtain a distillate stream
containing no more than 4 mole% n-pentane and a bottoms stream
containing no more than 2 mole% n-butane. Determine the flows and
compositions of the distillate and bottoms product and the recoveries of the
key components.
Example 1
Solution Example 1
Solution Example 1
Solution Example 1

The value for bottom and distillate on the following table

Compositions: Distillate Bottom

Propane 0.177 0

n-butane 0.783 0.020

n-pentane 0.040 0.865

n-hexane 0 0.115

Recoveries:
n-butane in distillate: 0.783(112.8)/90 = 0.98

n-pentane in bottoms: 0.865(87.2)/80 = 0.94


Example 2
Solution Example 2

Solution: Compute the average relative volatilities:


Solution Example 2

Solution: Compute the average relative volatilities:


Solution Example 2

Both of these mole fractions were assumed to be zero in the mass


balances of Example 1.
They are small enough so that the mass balance results are not
affected.

You might also like