Distillation
Sindhu S
Different Parts of Distillation
Condenser
Overhead
Vapor
Overhead
Reflux Product
Rectifying
Section
Stripping Reboiler
Section
Bottoms
Product
Types of Distillation Columns
• Packed Bed Columns
Used more often for absorption and
distillation of vapor-liquid mixtures.
The liquid flows downward through the packing and
the vapor flows upward through the column.
• Advantages
Cost efficient
Lower pressure drop
Good for thermally sensitive liquids
• Disadvantages
Packing can break during installation
Types of Distillation Columns
• Tray Column
The number of trays or stages is dependent
• Advantages
Cost efficient
Can handle high liquid flow rates
• Disadvantages
Higher pressure drops than packed columns
Foaming can occur due to agitation
McCabe-Thiele Graphical Method
Minimum Reflux Ratio
Optimal Feed Stage
Distillation- design steps
• The design of a distillation column can be divided into the following
steps:
1. Specify the degree of separation required: set product
specifications.
2. Select the operating conditions: batch or continuous; operating
pressure.
3. Select the type of contacting device: plates or packing.
4. Determine the stage and reflux requirements: the number of
equilibrium stages.
5. Size the column: diameter, number of real stages.
6. Design the column internals: plates, distributors, packing supports.
7. Mechanical design: vessel and internal fittings.
Step 4
• Number of stage
• Slope of the bottom operating line
• Slope of the top operating line
• Top and bottom compositions
• Reflux ratio
• Flow rate calculation
Size the column
• Number of real stages or actual no. of plates = N-1/η
Assume the column efficiency between 60-65%
• Fix the plate spacing and pressure drop/plate
Plate spacing Column diameter
0.15 to 0.3 m < 1m
0.4 to 0.6 m > 1m
• Assume 100 to 120 mm H2O as pressure drop/plate as initial estimates.
• Column pressure drop = density * 9.81 * pressure drop/plate *actual number
of plates.
• Top pressure of the column should be commonly atmospheric pressure.
• Bottom pressure of the column = top pressure + Column pressure drop
Column Height
• H = [(N-1)/η ]P + 2P
Where H – Column height
N – actual number of plates
P – Plate spacing
From the T-x-y data or from the boiling point of the top
and bottom component or with the help of the
pressure of the column, density of liquid and vapour
at the top and bottom can be easily calculated
Column diameter calculation
• Liquid-vapour flow factor at top FLV (top)=
slope of the top operating line * sqrt(ρv/ ρl)
• FLV (bottom)= slope of the bottom operating
line * sqrt(ρv/ ρl)
• Flooding velocity
Vf= Cf(σ/0.02)0.2 sqrt(ρl -ρv/ ρl) (top)
Vf= Cf(σ/0.02)0.2 sqrt(ρl -ρv/ ρl) (bottom)
Distillation
• Design velocity is only 70-90% of the flooding
velocity.
• Volumetric flow rate
• Volumetric flow rate at the top = mass flow
rate of vapour at top/density of vapour at top
• Volumetric flow rate at the bottom = mass
flow rate of vapour at bottom/density of
vapour at bottom
Distillation
• Net area required at top = Volumetric flow
rate at the top/design velocity at top
• Net area required at bottom = Volumetric
flow rate at the bottom/design velocity at
bottom
• Take the downcomer area as 12% of the total
column area at top
Column cross-sectional area
• Top column cross-sectional area = net area
required at top/(1-0.12)
• Bottom column cross-sectional area = net area
required at bottom/(1-0.12)
• Diameter = sqrt[(A*4)/π]
Total Pressure Drop in Sieve Tray Tower
• Total Pressure Drop = Pressure drop in inlet
nozzle + Pressure drop /tray * No. of trays+
Pressure drop in outlet nozzle
• Major pressure drop in vapour is provided by
trays.
• ΔPT=N*ΔPt
Where N – Total number of sieve trays of tower
ΔPt- Tray pressure drop, Pa
Tray pressure drop in Sieve tray
• ΔPt = 9.81*10-3 ht ρl
• ht = Tray pressure drop, mm of liquid column
• ρl - Density of liquid, kg/m3
ht= hd+ hw + how + hr
hd -pressure drop which occurs as vapor rises through the perforations
of dry plate(refer Perry book 8th edition Page no:14-42).
hw + how - Pressure drop which occurs as vapour rises through the pool
of clear liquid (refer Perry book Page no:14-44).
hr - Pressure drop which occurs in vapour liquid disengagement space
= (12.5*103/ ρl)
- residual pressure drop
Downcomer pressure drop
• hda= 165.2(Q/Ada)2 – from perry book page no:14-44
hda- downcomer pressure drop, mm of liquid column
Ada= Ad or Aap whichever is smaller
Aap- clearance area under downcomer apron
Aap=hap * lw
hap -Height of the bottom edge of apron above the plate,
mm
lw -Length of weir, mm
hap = hw- (5 to 10 mm)
• F =15000 kg/hr
F = D+W
Mavfeed= 24.3
F = 617.28 kmol/hr
D = 275.09 kmol/hr
W = 342.19 kmol/hr
Top section:
L = RD = 412.635 kmol/hr
V = (R+1) D = 687.725 kmol/hr
Temperature = 65.9oC
Mav top= 31.44
• ρv = 1*31.44/(65.9+273)*0.082 = 1.131 kg/m3
• ρL = 1/(0.97/747.50)+(0.02/983.61)
= 758.73 kg/m3
Liquid-vapour flow factor at top FLV (top)= slope of the
top operating line * sqrt(ρv/ ρl)
= (L/V) sqrt(ρv/ ρl)
= (412.635/687.72)*0.038
= 0.022
Vf= Cf(σ/0.02)0.2 sqrt(ρl -ρv/ ρv) = 2.07 m/sec
σ = (0.96*18*10-3)+(0.04*64*10-3) – 19 * 10-3 N/m
Surface tension of water at 65.9oC = 64 * 10-3 N/m
Surface tension of methanol at 65.9oC = 18 * 10-3 N/m
• Design velocity is only 70-90% of the flooding velocity.
• Vact = 0.85*2.07 = 1.75 m/s
• Net area required = volumetric flow rate of vapour at
top/actual velocity =3.03 m2
• volumetric flow rate of vapour at top = VMav/ ρv =
(687.725*31.44)/1.131 = 5.31 m3/sec
• Take the downcomer area as 12% of the total column area at
top
Let downcomer area
Ad= 0.12 Ac
Ac- inside C.S.A of tower
Net area required at top = Ac-Ad
= 0.88 Ac
Ac= An/0.88 = 3.44 m2
D = 2.09 m
• Diameter at the bottom section:
• ΔPT=N*ΔPt
Where N – Total number of sieve trays of tower
ΔPt- Tray pressure drop, Pa
Assume ht between 100 to 120 mm of water
Actual no of trays = 6.8/0.6 = 11.33
ΔPT = 9.81* 1000* 120*10-3 *11.33
= 13 kPa
Bottom pressure = 101.325 + 13 = 114.325 kPa
= 1.128 atm
The feed is at its bubble point q=1,
Lbottom = L + Fq = 412.635+ 617.28 = 1029.92 kmol/hr
V = F(q-1)+V = 687.725 kmol/hr
Assume only water in the bottom section, T =
103.38oC using Antoine equation,
A = 8.07131
B= 1730.630
C = 233.426 (Refer page no: 13-14)
• ρv = 1.128*18/(103.38+273)*0.082 = 0.657 kg/m3
• ρL =965.53 kg/m3
Liquid-vapour flow factor at top FLV (top)= slope of the top
operating line * sqrt(ρv/ ρl)
= (1029.92/687.725) sqrt(ρv/ ρl)
= 0.039
Vf= Cf(σ/0.02)0.2 sqrt(ρl -ρv/ ρv) = 3.85 m/sec
Surface tension of water at 103.38oC = 56 * 10-3 N/m
• Design velocity is only 70-90% of the flooding velocity.
• Vact = 0.85*3.85 = 3.27 m/s
• Net area required = volumetric flow rate of vapour at
top/actual velocity =1.6 m2
• volumetric flow rate of vapour at top = VM/ ρv =
(687.725*18)/0.657 = 5.23 m3/sec
• Take the downcomer area as 12% of the total column area at
top
• Ac= An/0.88 = 1.6/0.88 = 1.81m2
• Hole area = active area * 0.1
Compare the diameter of the top and the
bottom section and use the higher value of the
tower diameter for the uniformity b/w
sections,if the difference isn’t greater than 20%
Thank you