DESIGN OF DISTILLATION

COLUMN
By

AMMAD ULHAQ
2003-CHEM-814

PROJECT ADVISOR
PROF. DR. MUHAMMAD MAHMOOD AHMED
Significance in Overall Process

 To make our process Attractive, it is

necessary to obtain the Products of such
High Purity to fulfill the Commercial
Demand.
Equipment Selection
 All the separation equipments except
Distillation Column, requires an Additional
Regeneration Equipment for binary
mixtures, which makes DC economical on
overall basis.
 Separation of the mixture of Isomers with
very Similar Properties is usually be
achieved in an equipment called
Distillation Column.
 Distilla

Feed P-1

Bottom
Distillation column
Distillation

Distillation
Distillation is an most
is the equilibrium
widely stage
used
operation.
separationIn each stage,ina vapor
process the phase is
chemical
contacted
industry. with
It isa also
liquidknown
phase and mass is
as fractional
from vapor or
distillation to fractionation.
liquid and from It isliquid to
normally
vapor.
used to separate liquid mixtures into two
or more vapor or liquid products with
different compositions.
Condensers
Reboilers

Most reboilers
In a total are partial
condenser, all
Types
of the of
reboilers, Reboilers
that is
vapor they only
leaving the
vaporize
top of part
the ofcolumn
the liquid
is
in Thermosiphon
the column base. Partial
condensed.
reboilers also provide an
Consequently, the
ideal separation stage.
Forced Circulation
composition of the vapor
leaving the top tray y1 is
the
Stab-in
same as that of the
liquid distillate product
and reflux, xD.
 Reboilers
Kettle type Reboiler
 Thermosyphon Reboiler

Other Reboilers
FACTORS AFFECTING DISTILLATION
COLUMN OPERATION
 Feed Conditions 
 Reflux Ratio
 Vapor Flow Conditions
 Column Diameter
 Tray Efficiency
 Weather Conditions
 Selection of Plate Column

 Our system is non foaming and non

corrosive.
 Plate columns can be designed with
more assured rating.
 Plates are mostly used for large
diameter more than 0.6m as ours .
 Easy to maintain than that of packed
column.
So we Choose Sieve Trays
 Total condenser
Vn

D=11.12 Kmol / Hr
L
Ln xD = 0.90
V
R = (Ln / D)

Rectifying
F = 168.5 Kmol / Hr section
xF = 0.07 Feed plate

V
L Stripping
section
Vm

Lm B=157.38 Kmol / Hr
xB = 0.05

Partial Reboiler
 PROCESS CONDITIONS
Column Operating Pressure = 152 Kpa
Temperature K Quantity
Kg/Hr
Feed 358 12132
Top product 351 800
Bottom Product 362 11332
Top (mole Bottom (mole
Feed (mole
fraction) fraction)
Components fraction)

XF XD XB

Isobutyraldehyde 0.07 0.99 0.005

N-Butyraldehyde 0.93 0.01 0.995

 Pressure And Relative
Volatilities Of Components
At Top,
PIso=1140 mm Hg So from Antoine Equation, T= 351K

Therefore PN-butyr = 837.15 mm Hg

So K1 = KIso = 1140/1140 =1 and K2 = KN-butyr = 837.15 / 1140 = 0.734

Therefore Top= K1/K2=1.362

At Bottom,
PN-butyr=1140 mm Hg So from Antoine Equation, T= 362K

Therefore PIso = 1598.78 mm Hg

So K1 = KIso = 1598.78/1140 =1.402 and K2 = KN-butyr = 1140 / 1140 = 1

Therefore Bottom= K1/K2=1.402

So LK/HK = 1.382
Process Design
 Nature of feed
Temperature = 358 K 
It is Bottom Product of Stripper

xF P Ki Ki xF
Components
Isobutyraldehyde 0.007 152 0.9903 0.0853
N-Butyraldehyde 0.93 152 1.233 0.9137
Total 1.000

So, Feed is Saturated Liquid and Hence q = 1

Calculation of Minimum Reflux Ratio Rm

Iso xF, Iso + N-ButyrxF,N-Butyr

Iso-  N-Butyr-  = 1- q

 = 1.345 (satisfactory)

Iso xD, Iso + N-ButyrxD,N-Butyr

= Rmin+1
Iso-  N-Butyr- 

Rmin= 37.04
 Take R = 1.2 Rmin
So Reflux Ratio = R = 1.2 * 37.04
R = 45
As Ln = R * D
Ln = 500.4 Kmol / Hr
 And Vn = L n + D
Vn = 511.52 Kmol / Hr
Also Lm= Ln + qF
Lm= 668.9 Kmol / Hr
And V m= V n
V = 511.52 Kmol / Hr
Calculation of Minimum Number of Stages
By using Fenske’s Equation

 X LK   X HK  
ln 
 X 
   X 
 

So N
HK
= d 
30 LK b 

Nm  min
ln  LK

Number of Ideal Stages

Using Erbar - Maddox graph (fig 11.11 C&R Vol. 6)

Nmin /Nideal= 0.98

So NIdeal= 31(Including Reboiler)
Actual Number of Stages and Feed Location

Plate Efficiency
Using O’Connell Relation (Coulson Vol.6)
E  51  32.5 log( a a )
Where;
μa = average
Soviscosity
Eo= 63.9of%liquid, mNs / m2
a = Relative volatility of light key = 1.382
μa = 0.2901 mNs/ m2
Actual number of stages (N actual)
N actual = N ideal / Eo
N actual = 47 Plates
Feed location
By, using Kirk bride Equation;

 ND   B  x fHK  xbLK 
2

log   0.206 log     
x  x
 NB  
 D  fLK  dHK  

So ND= 32
And NB=15
Therefore Feed Plate is 15th from Bottom
MECHANICAL DESIGN OF
SIEVE TRAYS
 Top Conditions Bottom Conditions
Ln = 500.4 Kmol/hr Lm = 668.9 Kmol/hr
Vn = 511.52Kmol/hr Vm = 511.52 Kmol/hr
Avg. mol. wt. = 72.1 Kg/Kmol Avg. mol. wt. =72.1.1Kg/Kmol
Temperature=T = 351 K Temperature=T = 362 K
Vapor Density=ρV =4.52 Kg/m3 Vapor Density=ρV =2.5 Kg/m3
Liquid Density=ρL=787.9 Kg/m3 Liquid Density=ρL=824.8Kg/m3
Surface Tension==25.04 Surface Tension==29.76
Dynes/cm Dynes/cm
 Flow Parameter
At Top

FLV = 0.0714
FLV = Liquid Vapor Factor At Top
At Bottom
0.5
 L m  ρ v 
FLV   
FV= 0.0721
 ρ 

 LV m  L 
FLV = Liquid Vapor Factor At Bottom
 At 20 in. or 0. 5m plate spacing
From Fig 11.27 Coulsan Vol. 6
CBS= 0.079 m/s
0.5
 ρ 
SoUnf,Top= ( / 20)0.2 Cbs  v

 ρ ρ 
 L v Top

Unf,Top = Vapor velocity at top =1.09 m/Sec

0.5
Unf,Bot= (/20)0.2  ρv 
And Cbs  
 ρ L  ρ v Bot
Unf,Bot = Vapor velocity at Bottom=1.548 m/Sec
Let ,Flooding = 80%

Un,top=0.8*1.09

=0.87 m/Sec
And Un,bottom=0.8*1.548

=1.239 m/Sec
Maximum Volumetric Flow rate of vapors

Vapor flow rate At Top =

= 2.27m3/s
Vapor flow rate At Bottom = Vm  avg Molwt
 V  3600
= 4.08 m3/s
Column Net Area Required
At Top
AN,Top= Max. Vap. Flowrate
Un,Top
= 2.61 m2
At Bottom
AN,Bot= Max. Vap. Flowrate
Un.Bot

= 3.3 m2
Column Cross-Sectional Area
Taking Down comer area as 15% of Total Area
At Top At Bottom
Ac,Top=AN/0.85 Ac,Bot=AN/0.85

Ac,Top=3.065 m2 Ac,Bot=3.88 m2

Column Diameter

D=(4*Ac/3.1416)0.5
DTop= 1.975m DBot=2.22m
So Diameter of the Column is taken as 2.22 m
Liquid Flow Pattern

Max. Volumetric Flow rate =

= 0.016 m3/Sec

Downcomer Area(Ad)

Ad=0.582 m2

Active area (Aa)

Aa=Ac-2Ad=2.716 m2
Total Hole Area (Ah)

Ah=0.1*Aa=0.272 m2
For Undergoing above Atmospheric P Weir
Height (Hw)= 50 mm
Weir Length (lw)
(Ad/Ac)*100=15%
So from fig 11.31 Coulsan Vol 6
lw=1.8 m
As no Fouling in Our System, so Hole Diameter
(dh) is taken as 12 mm.
Estimation Of Weep Point.
K2 - [ 0.90 - (25.4 - dh)
Uh(min) 
 ρV  0.5

Uh(min) = Min. Vapor Velocity trough holes

K2 = 30.7
Uh(min) = 7.85 m/sec
Actual Min. Vapor Velocity = (Min. Vapor Rate) / Ah

Actual Min. Vapor Velocity = 10.5 m/sec

Actual Min. Vapor Velocity is Greater than

the Uh (min) , So No Weeping occur.
Tray Pressure Drop
Ht =Hd + ( Hw + How ) + Hr
Hd = 51 (Uh/Co)2 (V /L)
Hd=49.5 mm liq.
HowU =H750= ( 32.637mm
L /
=owHole velocity
w L* l w = liq.
) 2/3
h
Qv/AhH = 15.16 mm liq
H = (12.5
r
r × 10e3)/  L
Hw = 50 mm liq.
Tray Pressure Drop

Ht = 147.2 mm liq

As ΔP=9.81*10-3*Ht*ρL

So ΔP=1.2 KPa
Head loss In Downcomer

Hdc = 0.166*[ Lwd / (L*Am)]2

Hdc = 0.129 mm
Backup In Down comer
Let Hap=Hw-10
=40 mm = 0.04m
Area under apron Aap = hap*lw
= 0.072m2
Hbc = Hw + How + Ht + Hdc
Hbc = 0.23m <0.5(Plate Spacing+Hw)

So Our Plate Spacing is Acceptable.

Residence Time

Tr = (Ad* Hbc * L) / Lwd

Tr = 8.24 sec
Flooding Check

F = (Un/Uf)100
Un= Vapor Velocity using Net Area
Uf = Vapor Velocity Calculated By eq. above.

F=79.8%
Entrainment Check
As F = 80%

And FLV = .0721

From Fig 11.29 Coulsan Vol. 6

 = 0.052 (Satisfactory)
No. OF Holes In Plates
No. of Holes = Ah / ah

No. of Holes = 13855

No. of Holes in a Single Plate = 295

Height of the Column
Total Column height = Dist. b/w plates + Top Spacing
+ Bottom Spacing + Tray Thickness

Column Height = 27.635m

Column Height = 91.2 ft
Cost of the Column
Total Cost = Column cost + Accessories cost
+ Installation Cost
Total Cost = $90,000 + $800 + $4500
Total Cost = $ 95,300
SPECIFICATION SHEET
Item Description C-101 BA Distillation Column
Column 1
Internal Diameter (m) 2.22
Shell Thickness (m) 0.0054
Height (m) 27.64
Reflux Ratio 45
Feed Tray # (from bottom) 15
Operating Pressure (KPa) 152
Design Pressure (KPa) (40% more than operating P) 212.8
Total Pressure Drop (KPa) 1.2
Tray Type Sieve
Number of Trays 47
Tray Spacing (m.) 0.5
Tray Thickness (m) 0.005
Weir Height (m) 0.05
Weir Length (m) 1.8
Flooding (%) 79.8
Material of Construction Carbon Steel