Separation Processes Tutorial 3

Dr Colin Hare
Chemical Engineering School of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering University of Leeds

Tel. 32407 E-Mail c.l.hare@leeds.ac.uk

Example 1: Raoults Law, Flash and Batch Distillation

A binary mixture has the equilibrium vapour pressure data shown in the table, measured at a total pressure of 101 kPa. (a) Use Raoults law to calculate the vapour and liquid compositions in equilibrium (in mole fractions, y and x) for this system. (b) A mixture of 35 mole% A and 65 mole% B is subjected to flash distillation at a feed rate of 750 kmol/hr. Determine the fraction of A in the distillate and bottom product for the following fractions of feed vapourised: (i) 0% (ii) 25% (iii) 50% (iv) 75% (v) 100%. (c) If 100 kmol of a binary mixture of 60 mole% A is distilled in a batch operation until the still only contains 20 mole% A, calculate the total distillate collected and the average composition of the distillate.

T (oC) 125 118 110 103 98 92 87 84

P0A (kPa) 0 273 227 192 169 152 138 126

P0B (kPa) 101 82 69 62 56 51 45 44

82
81 80

116
108 101

40
40 0

Example 2: McCabe-Thiele Method

A distillation column operating at 1 atm is to be designed for separating a mixture of compounds A and B. The feed is 35 mole% A and the feed flow rate is 750 kmole/hr with q = 0.5. A distillate composition of 95 mole% A and a bottoms composition of not more than 5 mole% A are desired. The reflux ratio is 2. Determine: (a) total number of equilibrium stages (b) optimum feed plate location (c) distillate and bottoms flow rates (Equilibrium data for the binary system at 1 atm pressure are given in the table).

T (oC) 100 95 91 87 83 79 76 74

xA 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

yA 0.0 0.4 0.55 0.63 0.7 0.76 0.82 0.88

72
70 69

0.8
0.9 1.0

0.92
0.96 1.0

Example 3: Ponchon-Savarit Method

A distillation column operating at 1 atm is to be designed for separating a binary mixture of A and B. The feed is 40 mass% A and the feed flow rate is 250 kg/hr of saturated liquid. A distillate composition of 98 mass% A and a bottoms composition of not more than 10 mass% A are desired. The heat duty of the condenser is 280 MJ/hr and the value of HB is -1050 kJ/kg. Using the Ponchon Savarit method, determine the number of ideal stages required to carry out the separation under these conditions. (Equilibrium and enthalpy data for the mixture at 1 atm pressure are given in the table). Note, HL refers to the enthalpy of the mixture at boiling point, HV refers to the enthalpy of the mixture at dew point.

T (oC) 110 105 101 98 95 92 88 84 82 81

xA 0

yA 0

HL (kJ/kg) 1500 1100 850 700 600 500 400 350 300 250

HV (kJ/kg) 3000 2800 2600 2510 2475 2400 2300 2200 2100 1950

0.09 0.26 0.18 0.55 0.26 0.73 0.3 0.4 0.67 0.78 0.82 0.9

0.53 0.86 0.78 0.94 0.89 0.98

80.5 80

0.98 0.99 1 1

210 200

1800 1500

Example 4: Lewis-Matheson Method

A distillation column operating at 1 atm is to be designed for separating a mixture of component A, B and C. The feed has mole fractions of 0.5, 0.4 and 0.1 of A, B and C, respectively. The feed flow rate is 500 kmole/hr. A distillate composition of 92 mole% A and 7 mole% B and a bottom product with not more than 12 mole% A are desired. Assuming a reflux ratio of 2, determine: The top and bottom product flow rates and compositions. The number of ideal stages required to carry out the separation, using the Lewis-Matheson method. Where AC, BC and CC are 2.6, 1.2 and 1, respectively. q=1

Example 5: Underwood & Fenske equations

A distillation column operating at 1 atm is to be designed for separating a mixture of components A, B, C and D. Feed and distillation fractions are given in the table below, determine: The top and bottom product flow rates and bottom product composition. The light and heavy key components. The minimum reflux ratio for the separation to be achieved when (i) q = 0, (ii) q = 0.25, (iii) q = 0.5, (iv) q = 0.75 and (v) q = 1. The minimum number of plates required at total reflux by using the Fenske equation. (Note AB refers to the relative volatility of the light key with respect to the heavy key). Component xF xD xB 125 118 2.3 1.5 0.50 0.25 0.80 0.15 0 ?

110
103

1.2
1

0.20
0.05

0.05
0

?
?

Example 5 (continued): Gillilands empirical relationship

Using the values of Nm and Rm determined previously when q = 1, determine the number of stages required for reflux ratios of 1.5, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 20.