Samantha Teague

CHE 117
Homework #6
11/21/14

Exercise
Case 1
a.) Minimum theoretical stages = 9 (taken at total reflux condition).
b.) Minimum reflux ratio = 1.3
c.) Theoretical stages at 1.2(Rmin) = . Feed at stage = 5.

Case 2
d.) Theoretical stages at 1.2(Rmin) = 11. Feed at stages = 5 and 6.

Essay

Distillation is one of the most energy intensive processes in use in separations

methods. However, the distillation remains one of the most efficient processes,
allowing for high yield of pure product with low investment required to design and
maintain equipment. Energy utilized by these distillation processes account for
roughly 5 percent of the total energy consumed annually in the US, and it makes the
initial low cost of these units grow exponentially. Thus, it is integral to identify any
source of energy savings and design systems that contain these energy saving
methods.

Self-heat recuperation technology (SHRT) was developed in order to recover

the high heat losses incurred when the heat provided by the pre-heater at the feed
stream and the reboiler at the bottom of distillation columns is lost. Some early
energy saving designs incorporated the compression of the vapor coming out of the
top of the column. This compressed fluid then was routed into the reboiler, where it
condensed, and released energy in the form of latent heat. This energy provided by
the condensation process reduced some of the energy output required of the
reboiler. These early methods, vapor recompression distillation columns (VRC) and
heat integrated distillation columns (HIDiC) did address the high load requirements
of the reboiler unit, however, they did not address the energy output required of the
feed preheater.
Self-heat recuperation technology was introduced in order to address this
second, previously unconsidered, major energy demand. SHRT keeps the latent
heat utilization methods utilized by the VRC and HIDiC methods by keeping the
compressor located in the reflux line back to the column, but introduces a second
compressor in the overhead product stream out of the column. This second
compressor provides both latent and sensible heats to the feed pre-heater after
adiabatic compression and heat exchange to the cold stream. This eliminates the
necessity of additional heat load required of the distillation process, resulting in the
potential of major fiscal savings in operating costs.
In the study of SHRT, the conventional process methodology, consisting of no
energy recuperation technology (including no VRC or HIDiC designs), was used as a
baseline for comparison against the SHRT method. The distillation process was
segregated into an inner and outer envelope, and energy and mass balances were
calculated upon each of these segments in order to mathematically model energy
demand. A benzene/toluene distillation process was used to calculate the
estimated savings of using the SHRT method as opposed to the conventional
method. The VRC and HIDiC methods were also considered within this paper as
another case, improving upon the conventional process. During the analysis,
equipment cost was also considered, and thus a fourth case was considered. The
fourth case was presented as the economical case, which involved the installation
of only one compressor, treating both the overhead stream and routing the latent
heat energy recovered to both the feed heater and the reboiler. The significant cost
of compressor installation was the reason behind the analysis of this last case, and
it attempted to rectify both sources of energy demand with one compressor in only
the overhead stream.
After the component balances on all four cases were considered, the SHRT
method proved to require only 21 % of the exergy required of the conventional,
unmodified process. In order to mitigate high capital costs incurred by the
installation of two compressors within the line, the one compressor economical case
was estimated to reduce exergy input demand to 24% of the conventional process.
The study presents promising results of the incorporation of energy
recuperation design to reduce load demands of both the feed heater and the
reboiler. In addition, the study was able to address high capital cost demands with

the one compressor economical case. Of course, in order to fully determine

feasibility of the presented solutions, a long-term, large scale industrial
implementation would be required. However, initial mathematical models prove
promising, and the rising cost of energy will likely drive SHRT or the combined
economical model into future distillation column designs.