Lecture 4: Flash Distillation

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lecture, you should be able to:
Describe the flash distillation
Understand q-line and other factors for the
relation to product purity.
Perform flash calculations.

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Flash distillation design

A single-stage continuous operation where a liquid mixture is
partially vaporized: the vapor produced and the residual liquid
are in equilibrium, which are then separated and removed.
The designer has 6 degrees of freedom
to work for binary separation. Usually
feed is specified (4): F, z, T1
and P1.
2 remaining to be
specified
Usually specify Pdrum

Remaining 1: a number of other

variables can be selected
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Flash Distillation: Design Method

Two design methods: sequential or simultaneous solution
methods.
Sequential procedure: first solve the mass balances &

equilibrium relationships and then solve the energy

balances and enthalpy equations.
Simultaneous procedure: all equations must be solved at
the same time.
Both methods: solve for flow rates, compositions, and

temperature before sizing the flash drum!

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Sequential Solution Procedure

Once the feed and the drum pressure (Pdrum) are specified, then
the last degree of freedom is used to specified a variable related to
the conditions in the flash drum. Possible choices are:
Vapor mole fraction, y
Liquid mole fraction, x
Fraction feed vaporized, f = V/F
Fraction feed remaining liquid, q = L/F
Temperature of flash drum, Tdrum
If either y or x, or Tdrum is specified, then the other two can be
from the relationships: y = yv(x, Pdrum) and Tdrum = T(x, Pdrum)
or graphical representation of equilibrium relationship.

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Binary Flash Distillation

Total mass balance:
=+
A material balance for component i:
= +
The energy balance:
+ = +

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Binary Flash Distillation

= +

= +

Rearranging this equation:

Define =

1 1
=
=
=

Substituting into the equation, we got

1

=
+

We got

1
=
+ [
]
1
1
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Flash distillation
If either f or q is specified. Equations (1) & (2) can be combined
and rearrange become the following operating equation:

1
=
+ [
]
1
1
Where, = /

This operating line on a graph of y vs. x is a straight line with

and

= =
=

1
1
= 0 = = =

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Flash distillation (Using y-x diagram)

Equilibrium curve
Intercept

B
q-line, slope=
A

y=x

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Flash distillation (Using y-x diagram)

0<f<1, V/L
mixture

f=0, no
vaporization

f=1, complete
vaporization

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Flash distillation (Using y-x diagram)

f=1

0<f<1, separation range

f=0, no vaporization

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Graphic mass balance

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Two phase mixture at

point A is allowed to
separate into liquid at
point B and vapor at
point C.
Because the mixture
is inequilibrium,
points A, B, and C,
are all on the same
isotherm.

Graphic mass balance

If we let F be the moles of feed of composition zA, the mass
balances before and after the mixture separates are
= +
=+
Substitute F from the 2nd eq. of the above to equation into the 1st one,
+ = +
Rearranging this, we have,
= ( )

From the previous figure, we see that (yC zA) is equal to the
distance from point A to C, and also (zA xB) is equal to the
distance from point B to A. Thus,

=

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Graphic mass balance

The above equation can be used to find L/V from distances on the previous figure. This
value of L/V and the total material balance can be used to determine the amounts of liquid
and vapor.
The above equation is called the lever-arm rule because the same result is obtained
when a moment-arm balance is done on a seesaw. Thus if we set moment arms of the
seesaw in the figure below equal, we obtain

= ( )(

=

which gives the same result as the previous equation. The seesaw is convenient way to
remember the form of the lever-arm rule.

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Example 1: Flash separator for ethanol and water

A flash distillation chamber operating at 101.3 kPa is separating
an ethanol-water mixture. The feed mixture is 40 mole %
ethanol and F = 100 kmole/hr.
(a) What is the maximum vapor
composition and
(b) what is the minimum liquid
composition that can be
obtained if V/F is allowed to
vary?
(c) If V/F = 2/3, what are the
liquid and vapor
compositions?
(d) (d) Repeat step c, given that F
is specified as 1000 kmole/hr.
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Example 2: Flash separator for Benzene and Toluene

Example 4: A mixture of 50 mole percent benzene and 50 mole
percent toluene is subject to flash distillation at a separator
pressure of 1 atm. The vapor-liquid equilibrium curve and
boiling-point diagram are given below.
Plot the following quantities, all as
functions of f, the fractional
vaporization:
(a) the temperature in the separator
(b) the composition of the liquid
leaving the separator
(c) the composition of the vapor
leaving the separator
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Multi-component Vapour Liquid Equilibrium

In a system with one mole chemical species with an

overall composition by set of mole fraction, zi.
Li would be the moles of liquid with mol fraction xi
and V be the moles of vapor with the mol fraction
of yi:
z

L V 1
zi xi L yiV
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i 1,2,.....N

Flash distillation

zi xi L yiV

From

Eliminate for L gives:

zi xi 1 V yiV
yi
From K-value K i
xi

i 1,2,.....N
yi
xi
Ki

Hence solving for yi,

zi K i
yi
1 V K i 1
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i 1,2,.....N

Flash distillation

Because
Hence,

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y
i

zi K i
yi 1 V K 1 1
i

Flash distillation
1. Using K-values
Suppose we wish to calculate the boiling point of a liquid
mixture at a pressure of P.
Procedure is:

Guess T
Calculate Ki at T & P

Estimate

new T

Is

= 1?
=

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Dew point:
Is

y / = 1?

finished

Flash distillation
Rachford-Rice Procedure (Isothermal Flash)

=
1 + ( 1)

= =
1 + ( 1)
If we allow

( ) =
=1

=1

1
=0
1 + 1

This can be solved iteratively by guessing values of f between 0 and

1 until the function g(f) = 0
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Rachford-Rice Procedure (Isothermal Flash)

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Rachford-Rice Procedure (Isothermal Flash)

Summary of Rachford-Rice Procedure for Isothermal Flash
Calculations when K-values are independent of compositions.
Specified variables: F, zi, TF, PF, T, and P.
Steps: (1) Look up the K-values
(2) Solve:

=
=1

(3)
(4)
(5)

1
= 0 = /
1 + 1

V = f F and L = F V

=
=
=
1 + 1
1 + 1
= +

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Example 3: Isothermal flash calculation

Example 1: isothermal flash calculation

A stream of 100 mol/s containing a binary mixture of A (zA = 0.4)

and B is flashed isothermally at 350 K. The gas-liquid distribution
coefficients are KA = 2 and KB = 0.5. Calculate the percentage of
evaporate of the feed f) to achieve a vapor with composition
yA=2/3.

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Example 4: multi-component Bubble point calculations

What is the bubble-point temperature of a mixture that is 15 mole
% isopentante. 30 mole % n-pentante, and 55 mole% n-hexane?
Pressure is 1.0 atm.
Solution

We want T for which

= 1.0

However, there is no K value provided, so we have to use a

trial-and-error procedure.

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Flash distillation
1. Using K-values
Suppose we wish to calculate the boiling point of a liquid
mixture at a pressure of P.
Procedure is:

Guess T
Calculate Ki at T & P

Estimate

new T

Is

= 1?
=

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Dew point:
Is

y / = 1?

finished

Example 4
Step 1: For first T use a T for which Kic5>Knc5>1.0>Knc6 . (Use a
DePriester chart)
Then calculate Kref and from the DePriester chart find T.
First guess: using T =50 oC,
we can then get from the DePriester chart:
Kic5 =2.02, Knc5 =1.55, Knc6 = 0.56.

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Vessel sizing
Vertical Vessel
Horizontal Vessel

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Installed Units

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Flash drum design

Dimensions to decide
D
hV

hL
hf

D related to vapor velocity.

hV related to vapor velocity.
hL related to level control
hf related to flooding
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Calculations to make
= +
=+
+ = +

= 1
=1

= 1
=1

=
1 + ( 1)

= =

1 + ( 1)

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Ratchford Rice Equation

Calculations to make (optional)

=

= exp +
+ ( )2 +( )3 +( )4

=

Typical value for Kdrum : 0.1 to 0.35.

Vperm is

maximum permissible vapor velocity in feet per second at

maximum cross-sectional area. L and V are liquid and vapor
densities. Kdrum is an empirical constant.
WL and WV are liquid and vapor flow rates in weight units per hour.
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Calculations to make (optional)

4
=

+ +
=

should be between 3 and 5. If htotal/D < 3, a larger liquid surge

volume should be allowed. If htotal/D > 5, a horizontal flash drum
should be used.
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Batch Distillation (Differential Distillation)

Total condenser
Overhead vapor

Distillate V(t), y
QB

Liquid left in still L(t), x

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Batch Distillation (Differential Distillation)

In differential distillation a feed mixture (an initial charge) of a
given composition is placed in a single stage separator
(a still pot, retort or flask) and heated to boiling. The vapor is
collected and condensed to a distillate. The composition of
the remaining liquid and the distillate are functions of time.

There may be several reasons for running a batch process

such as this:
1) Small capacity doesnt warrant continuous operation
2) Separation is to be done only occasionally
3) Separation is preparative to produce a new product
4) Upstream operations are batchwise or feedstocks vary with time
or from batch to batch
5) Feed materials are not appropriate for a continuous flow system.
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Example 5: Rayleigh equation

Derive the Rayleigh Equation. The Rayleigh Equation is useful
in the analysis of simple distillation, as it shows how the
concentration and quantity are related.
1
2

1
= ln =

1
2

where L1 is the original moles charged, L2 the moles left in the

still, x1 the original composition, and x2 the final composition
of liquid.

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Example 6: Batch distillation

A mixture of 100 mol containing 50 mol % n-pentane and

50 mol % n-heptane is distilled under differential

conditions at 101.2 kPa until 40 mol is distilled. What is
the average composition of the total vapor distilled and the

composition of the liquid left? The equilibrium data are as

follows, where x and y are mole fractions of n-pentane:

0.867 0.594 0.398 0.254 0.145 0.059

0.984 0.925 0.836 0.701 0.521 0.271

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Take home message

Distillation is a unit operation of separation of
liquid mixtures into their several components by
partial vaporizing and partial condensing.
It is the most widely used method of achieving
this end and one of the major operations in
chemical and petroleum industries, and the key
operation of the oil refinery.
The unit operation makes use of difference in
volatility of individual components in a mixture.

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