OVERVIEW OF

COLUMN SIZING
IN
INDUSTRY

Guest Lecture in UI, 30 Sept 2014

Introduction
FUNCTION OF PROCESS COLUMNS:
Bring Liquid
CONTACT

and

Vapor Streams into Intimate

WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE ? :

DISTILLATION:
Separate two mixed liquids into Products,
Impurities
FRACTIONATION:
Separation of a mixture into its component parts
ABSORPTION:
Take an impurity out of a gas stream
STRIPPING:
Take an impurity out of a liquid stream

DISTILLATION: BASIC PRINCIPLE

OBJECTIVE : Separate mixed components into purer
products
Example :

Methanol and Water

LIQUID

More-Volatile: Vaporizes more

easily.
For example,
boils at] lower
More-volatile
compound [ Methanol
temperature

Less-volatile compound [ Water ]

VAPOUR

Liq. Surface

Liquid loses more-volatile

compound
Vapor gains more-volatile
compound

Sizing Work Procedure

1. Finalise feed rate / feed composition and product
specs
2. Use short-cut and then rigorous simulation
modules to optimise operating pressure, column
traffic [reflux ratio], number of stages, feed
location.
3. Prepare hydraulic design of the column
. Decide packing or trays
. Packing type, packing size, bed height, diameter
. Tray type, tray spacing, diameter.
4. Design the details

Example- Distillation Column Sizing

Taken from GPSA section 19 - ex 19.2

SETTING COLUMN PRESSURE

Primary considerations for set
operating pressure is:
- the cooling medium available for the
reflux condenser.
- Typically used are air, water, and
refrigerant
Air cooling : least expensive
Practical design limits the process
to a 10-15 C approach to the
ambient temp
Applicable to a process
temperature of 46 to 53C in most
locations
Cooling water, process temperatures of 35 to 41C are possible.
<35C, mechanical refrigeration must be used
Key is find the cost effective solution

Shortcut Distillation Column Sizing

Optimum Reflux Ratio & No of Stages

- Select 3-5 point of ratio of actual to min. reflux

- For each, calculate number of stages and size the column also auxiliaries
- Determine which is most economical

Rigorous simulation
Note that short-cuts purpose is to give initial guess for rigorous module. not
recommended for equipment sizing
Rigorous simulation : Tray by tray composition and enthalpy calcs, to satisfy
predicted VLE behaviour and mass/heat balances.

Column Internal - Tray

Sieve Tray

Bubble Cap Tray

Column Internal - Packing

RANDOM

Traditional type.

STRUCTURED More recent. More

expensive, smaller column
diameter.
GRID Application effective for
Cooling tower

Grid Packing

Random Packing

Structured Packing

Column Internal Selection & Sizing

- Capacity
of type
determine by :
- Selection
Mass-transfer
efficiency
- Pressure drop
- Stable operating range
- Cost (total tower cost and operation cost)
- Corrosion and/or fouling resistance
Note : Designing Tray/Packing shall
- Applicability for foaming services
consult with vendor
- Maintainability

Design guidance is available for tray

hydraulic design in each company

 SOME FACTORS IN SELECTION OF INTERNALS TYPE

TRAYS
High liquid loads OK
High pressures OK
Can cope with limited amounts of solids / fouling
Valve trays probably better turndown than packings.
Easy to have intermediate feeds and product take-offs
Can debottleneck with high-capacity trays or structured
packing.

 SOME FACTORS IN SELECTION OF INTERNALS TYPE

STRUCTURED PACKING
Often minimises diameter and height [ Column shell cost
vs. packing]
Lowest pressure drop:
Suspect at high pressures [ >15-20 bar ], not so good for
high liquid flowrates.
Expensive per unit volume.
RANDOM PACKING
Cheaper per unit volume than structured packing
Pressure drop still very low compared to trays
Higher pressures than structured packing, higher liquid
flowrates.

Process Datasheet

Skeleton

Done. Any Question??