VaporLiquidEquilibriumCalculationsUsingKValues

ThevaporliquidequilibriumconstantordistributioncoefficientforcomponentA
isdefinedas
y
KA=xA
A
(31)
where yA=molefractionofAinthevaporphaseandx A=molefractionofAin
theliquidphase
For light hydrocarbon systems (methane to decane), the K values have been
determinedsemiempericallyandcanbeevaluatedfromtheequationsgiveninTable
3.13.Ingeneral,Kisafunctionoftemperature,pressure,andcomposition.
Table3.1.EquilibriumKvaluesforlighthydrocarbonsystems
=============================================================
(1)lnK=A/T2+BCln(P)+D/P2
(2)lnK=A/T2+BCln(P)+D/P
(3)lnK=A/T+BCln(P),wherePisinpsia,TisinoR
compound
A
B
C
D
Form
=============================================================
Methane
292860
8.2445
.8951
59.8465
(1)
Ethylene
600076.9
7.90595
.84677
42.94594
(1)
Ethane
687248.2
7.90694
.866
49.02654
(1)
Propylene
923484.7
7.71725
.87871
47.67624
(1)
Propane
970688.6
7.15059
.76984
6.90224
(2)
iButane
1166846
7.72668
.92213
0
(1)
nButane
1280557
7.94986
.96455
0
(1)
iPentane
1481583
7.58071
.93159
0
(1)
nPentane
1524891
7.33129
.89143
0
(1)
nHexane
1778901
6.96783
.84634
0
(1)
nHeptane
2013803
6.52914
.79543
0
(1)
nOctane
7646.816
12.48457
.73152
(3)
nNonane
2551040
5.69313
.67818
0
(1)
nDecane
9760.457
13.80354
.7147
(3)
=============================================================
The relative volatility for each individual component in a multicomponent
mixtureisdefinedwithrespecttoareferencecomponentC.
y /x
i = i i = Ki
yC/xC KC
(32)
Thevaluesof i willbelessdependentontemperaturethanthevaluesofK i
sincetheKiallincreasewithtemperatureinasimilarmanner.
Boiling(Bubble)pointcalculationusingKvalues
Theliquidcompositionxi ofamixtureisgivenataspecifiedpressureP,the
temperatureTandcompositionyi ofthevaporinequilibriumwiththeliquidcanbe
calculatedwiththefollowingprocedure:

ChooseacomponentCtobethereference(base)component.
AssumeatemperatureT(T=xi Tbi )

Tbi=BoilingpointofpurecomponentiatpressureP.IfanequationforK
isgivenasfunctionoftemperatureandpressure,thistemperaturecanbeobtainedby
settingK=1.
Iterationsteps:
1.LetTsave=T.DetermineKi(Fromtable7.1).yi=Kixi

2.

Evaluate

Sumy

3.LetKC=KC/Sumy
4.DetermineTfromKCandP
5.Ifabs(TTsave)>1oRgotostep1elseyi=yi/Sumy
DewpointcalculationusingKvalues
Thevaporcompositionyi ofamixture isgivenataspecifiedpressureP,the
temperatureTandcompositionxi oftheliquidinequilibriumwiththevaporcanbe
calculatedwiththefollowingprocedure:
ChooseacomponentCtobethereference(base)component.

Assume

temperature

Tbi=BoilingpointofpurecomponentiatpressureP.IfanequationforK
isgivenasfunctionoftemperatureandpressure,thistemperaturecanbeobtainedby
settingK=1.
Iterationsteps:
1.LetTsave=T.DetermineKi(Fromtable7.1).xi=yi/Ki
2.EvaluateSumx=
3.LetKC=KCSumx
4.DetermineTfromKCandP
5.Ifabs(TTsave)>1oRgotostep1elsexi=xi/Sumy
Example 3.1
A mixture contains 35 mole % isobutane, 35 mole % isopentane, and 30 mole
% n-hexane is at 30 psia. The K values for these co mpoundcanbeobtainedfrom
ln K = A/T2 + B + C ln P where T is in oR and P is in psia
Compound
Isobutane
Isopentane
n-hexane

A
-1,166,846
-1,481,583
-1,778,901

B
7.72668
7.58071
6.96783

C
-.92213
-.93159
-.84634

The boiling point of (pure) n-hexane at 30 psia is 659.6 oR

This mixture is flashed at 582.74 oR where 60 % of the feed is evaporated and at this
conditions KiC4 = 3.1718, KiC5 = 1.051, KnC6 = 0.3169
Let isopentane be the reference compound and T = 582.74 oR be a guessed
value for the bubble point calculation (for the above mixture), the next calculated
temperature Tcal can be determined from

KiC5

(at

Tcal)

KiC5

(at

582.74 oR)

= 0.66814
Let isopentane be the reference compound and T = 582.74 oR be a guessed
value for the dew point calculation (for the above mixture), the next calculated
temperature Tcal can be determined from
KiC5 (at Tcal) = KiC5 (at 582.74oR) * = 1.4609

FlashdistillationofmulticomponentmixtureusingKvalues
A liquid mixture is partially vaporized and the vapor is allowed to come to
equilibriumwiththeliquid.TheprocessflowdiagramisshowninFig.3.1.Thevapor
andliquidphasesarethenseparated.

Fig. 3.1 Flash distillation.

Makingacomponentibalance,
FxiF=Vyi+Lxi=Vyi+(FV)xi
Definingf=V/F,eq.(7.3)becomes
xiF=fyi+(1f)xi
Theaboveequationcanbesolvedforyi,

(33)
(34)

(35)
orforxi,

(36)
ThefeedcompositionxiF andthefractionfofthefeedvaporizedaregivenata
specified separator pressure P, the temperature T and compositions x i and yi can be
calculatedwiththefollowingprocedure:
AssumeatemperatureT=fTd+(1f)Tb
Tb,Td=BubblepointanddewpointofmixtureatpressureP.

Let

T1

and

Sumx1

Let

T2

T1

Sumx1

and

Sumx2

Iterationsteps:
1.T=(T1T2T1Sumx2+T2Sumx1)/(Sumx1Sumx2)
2.EvaluateSumx=atT,P
3.LetT1=T2,T2=T,Sumx1=Sumx2,andSumx2=Sumx
4.Ifabs(Sumx1)>.001

thengotostep1

elseT=(T1T2T1Sumx2+T2Sumx1)/(Sumx1Sumx2)

EndIf

and

IfthefeedcompositionxiF,temperatureTandpressurePofseparatoraregiven,
thenthefractionofthefeedvaporizedV/Fandcompositionsx iandyicanbecalculated.
Eqs.(35)and(36)canbearrangedsothatf=V/Fistheonlyunknown.

(37)

(39)
Equation(39),whichisknownastheRachfordRiceequation,hasexcellentconvergent
propertiesandcanbesolvedbyNewtonsmethod.TakethederivativeofthefunctionF
withrespecttoV/F(orf),

(310)
ThefollowingprocedurecanbeusedtosolveforV/F:
ChecktoseeifTisbetweenTbandTd.
f=(TTb)/(TdTb)
Iterationsteps:

1.

Evaluate

2.

Evaluate

3.LetER=F/.f=fER
4.Ifabs(ER)>.001gotostep1

and