Distillation Column Design 2

(Material developed based on Product and Process design principles:Synthesis, analysis and evaluation, 3e by Seader and Widagdo)

Short cut distillation

Use the pressure estimated in splitter operation to get estimates on
1) Reflux Ratio, R 3) Number of theoretical stages, N 4) Feed tray location

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Basic steps
The top product must be in vapor form to avoid

condensing ethane

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Define key components

Light key in bottoms 9 0.0116 9 365 350 50 5 0.0221 5 30 191 Heavy key in distillate

Actual reflux ratio= 1.75 Rm

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Results of short cut distillation

Number of trays = 16 Feed entry tray: 8 or 9

Verify the distillate composition with the target specification
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Distillation column setup-1

Select full reflux

Feed entry

Number of trays
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Distillation column setup-2

Assume negligible pressure drop in condenser

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Distillation column setup-3

Estimates from short cut distillation

Providing these values will speed up the calculations

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Distillation column setup-4

From short cut distillation

Providing these values will speed up the calculations

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Monitor page
Move to Monitor page to solve the problem

Monitor

Helps to check the progress of simulation Specified parameters

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Column set up
Need to re-adjust the pressure

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Column set up
Make 8th tray as the feed entry tray

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Column set up

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Verification of results
Define two new component flows based on the

specifications of propane and butane in distillate and bottom

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Verification of results
Define propane from the distillate and butane from

bottom

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Verification of results
Define propane from the distillate and butane from

bottom

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Verification of results
Replace the default specifications of reflux ratio and

distillate flow rate with the new specifications and run the simulation

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Verification of results
Results are available on performance tab

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Verification of results
Results are available on performance tab

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Reactive distillation
Reaction parameters can be added to any

separation vessel including distillation column

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Extractive distillation
Separate Ethanol-Water azeotrope using ethyl

glycol with a column operating at atmospheric pressure with negligible pressure drop Feed of 100 kmol/hr is fed to the extractive column at the entrainer/feed ratio of 1 Entrainer is recovered in the entrainer recovery column The entrainer makeup flow M is small compared to the total flow and must be balanced with the entrainer losses in streams D1 and D2.

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Flow sheet of the process

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Process specifications
Extractive column Theoretical stages Condenser Upper Feed Lower Feed Reboiler Condenser Type Reflux ratio Distillate mole fractions Ethanol Water Ethylene Glycol Upper feed mole fractions Ethanol Water Ethylene Glycol Lower feed mole fractions Ethanol Water Ethylene Glycol Bottom mole fractions Ethanol Water Ethylene Glycol Temperatures Upper feed Lower feed Entrainer recovery column 1 1 9 12 20 total 1.0 0.9327 0.0673 0 0 0 1 0.8564 0.1436 0 0.0492 0.0752 0.8756 78.29oC 78.12oC 0 0 1

3 5 total 1.0
0.3563 0.5439 0.0997

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Property model selection

Here, the liquid phase is a non-ideal mixture. So,

activity models have to be selected Assume ideal gas model for vapor phase

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Final solution

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Time for exercise!

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