Binary Distillation: SHR Chapter 7

SHR Chapter 7
Binary Distillation
BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014
SHR 7.1
Introduction
st
Dates back to 1 century AD

first used in a batch mode (distillate changes in time)

Goal: separate heavy key (less volatile) from
light key (more volatile) by exploiting 1.

for 1 or 1, this can be done very effectively
unless an azeotrope exists (where =1).

then we recover the azeotrope and the light or heavy key,
depending on which side the feed lies.

th
By 16 century, multiple stages were in use to

improve separation.

By 1976, distillation accounted for nearly 3% of

the US energy consumption!

mostly in petroleum refineries

Binary distillation is simplest & most wellunderstood.

we will limit our discussion to binary distillation

Third Law of Thermo - typically low
thermodynamic efficiency.
Design Considerations
Operating pressure - knob 1

below ambient pressure requires vacuum operation

many things may influence choice of operating pressure

Thermo: azeotrope formation, , etc.

Column operating temperature range (avoiding reactions,
corrosion, etc.)

most analyses do not account for pressure variation
V
L
through the column

Operating temperature - knob 2

Reboiler & Condenser:

Bottoms above ambient requires additional energy input to the

reboiler

Distillate below ambient requires energy removal from the
condenser.

Thermodynamics: critical points of fluids

3
Batch Distillation
Conceptually, follows
the T-x-y diagram.

More rigorous analysis
in SHR chapter 13
SHR 7.2
The McCabe-Thiele
Graphical Method
1925

Continuous (staged) distillation
Nomenclature
Results
Specifications
F
total (molar) feed rate
Distillate (molar) flow rate
LK mole fraction in feed
Bottoms (molar) flow rate
Column operating pressure
minimum number of stages
LK mole fraction in distillate
minimum reflux flow rate
LK mole fraction in bottoms
Boilup ratio
reflux ratio
Number of equilibrium stages
R/R
Feed phase condition
Feed stage location
VLE data (y/x plot)

Type of condenser (partial/total)
Stage compositions (
Type of reboiler (partial/total)
Light Key (LK) - more volatile component

Heavy Key (HK) - less volatile component
Preliminaries
Rectifying section - like an absorber

Feed & reboiler supply vapor

Condenser supplies liquid
Stripping section - like a stripper

Feed & condenser supply liquid

Reboiler supplies vapor
overall mole balance: F = D + B
light-key mole balance: F zF = xD D + xB B
combine to eliminate
D=F
B & solve for D:
zF
xD
xB
xB
SHR 7.2.1
Rectifying Section Operating Line

Overall mole balance: V = L + D
Light key mole balance: V yn+1 = Lxn + DxD
yn+1 =
L
D
xn + xD
V
V
relates light-key compositions in passing streams

(streams on a stage are assumed to be in equilibrium)
If L and V are constant, then this is a straight line.

The McCabe-Thiele Assumptions
Both components have equal and constant molar
enthalpies of vaporization (latent heats).

Sensible heat, CpT, is negligible compared to latent heat.

Column is insulated (no heat loss on each stage).

Column pressure is constant (thermodynamics can be
done at a single pressure).
Big assumptions, but allow for simple analysis, since

L and V are constant under these assumptions.
li
ing
ne
rat
e
op
L/D
L
L
R
L reflux
R
=
=L
=
D ratio
V
L+D
/D + D/D
R+1
D
1
=
1
R
V
R+1
x+
xD
y=
R+1
R+1
8
Range of Reflux Ratios

y=
L
D
x + xD
V
V
L
R
=
V
R+1
R=
L
D
1 because 0 R 1
What happens at R = 0?

What happens at R = ?
What is the minimum R that allows separation?

(We will answer this question shortly)
SHR 7.2.2
Stripping Section Operating Line

Overall mole balance: L = V + D
Light key mole balance: Lxm = V ym+1 + BxB
McCabe-Thiele assumptions
have been applied.
The feed stage material balance relates L and V to L and V
1
VB
xB
lin
V boilup
B ratio
ing
VB
relates light-key compositions in passing streams

(streams on a stage are assumed to be in equilibrium)
VB + 1
VB
B
xB
V
rat
y=
L
xm
V
op
e
ym+1 =
10
SHR 7.2.3
Feed Stage & the q-Line

rectifying
section
stripping
section
q=
q=
subcooled liquid
saturated liquid
q>1
q=1
L
F
vapor
hsat.
F
vapor
hsat.
F
saturated vapor
superheated vapor
q=0
q<0
V liquid flow increase across feed
=1+
partially vaporized
q = LF/F
rate normalized by feed rate.
hF
liquid
hsat.
F
Operating lines & qline must intersect at

a single point.

cannot specify q, VB
and R independently.
11
More on the q-line

rectifying section:
stripping section:
L
y= x
V
L
D
y = x + xD
V
V
B
xB
V
q=
L
F
=1+
V
F
subtract
y V
V =x L
L + DxD + BxB
|
{z
}
F zF
V
F
y (1
x + zF
F
q) =
qx + zF
q
zF
x
y =
q 1
q 1
Typically the feed condition is

known (specifying q).

Then we can choose VB or R.
Note: specifying R implies VB.
12
SHR 7.2.4
Feed Stage & Number of Stages

too low
just right
too high
Locate feed stage nearest to the intersection of

the operating lines & q-line as possible (just after
the horizontal line on the staircase passes P
13
Partial Reboilers & Condensers

Total Reboiler:

all liquid is turned back to vapor

Partial reboiler:

bottoms product is liquid, boilup is vapor

This is another equilibrium stage!
very common...

Total condenser:

all vapor is condensed back to liquid

Partial condenser:

distillate is vapor, reflux is liquid

This is another equilibrium stage!
14
V
L
F
V
SHR 7.2.4
Limiting Cases: Rmin, Nmin.

D
Total reflux

Minimum reflux

N = .
R = , VB = .

L = V, D = B = F = 0.

F = 0, N = Nmin.

y = x is operating line.

No product...
Rmin
Rmin + 1
(L/V )min
Rmin =
1 (L/V )min
L
(VB )min =
/V max 1
(L/V )min =
F
V
L
1.0
1.0
1.0
1
pinch
point
ve
cur
y
3
x=
x=
x = zF
x = xD
x = xB
x = xB
1.0
ilibr
ium
x=
equ
equ
ilibr
ium
cur
ve
higher operating costs
x = zF
x = xD
x = xD
x = xB
1.0
1.0
higher capital costs

15
SHR 7.2.4
Perfect Separation - Another Limiting Case
operating line = Rmin/(Rmin+1).
1.0
Perfect separation: xB = 0, xD = 1.

Pinch points form in each section
of the column.

Theoretical value for minimum
reflux ratio and boilup to achieve
perfect separation.

To find this:

Obtain x-y data from thermo.

Determine q-line

Determine slope of rectifying
x=
x = zF
0
For saturated liquid feed, Rmin =

16
1.0
1
zF ( 1)
Example
We want to separate a mixture of n-heptane and n-octane using distillation at
atmospheric pressure.

If the feed is 40 mole% n-heptane as a saturated vapor, determine the
minimum reflux ratio and minimum number of stages required to obtain
product streams with 95% and 5% n-heptane.
D
Known:

Needed:

xD = 0.95

K-values (equilibrium curve)

xB = 0.05

q-line

zF = 0.4, saturated vapor
operating lines
L
F
V
17

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SHR Chapter 7

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

Dates back to 1 century AD

By 16 century, multiple stages were in use to

By 1976, distillation accounted for nearly 3% of

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

most analyses do not account for pressure variation

through the column

Operating temperature - knob 2

Bottoms above ambient requires additional energy input to the

Thermodynamics: critical points of fluids

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

total (molar) feed rate

Distillate (molar) flow rate

LK mole fraction in feed

Bottoms (molar) flow rate

Column operating pressure

minimum number of stages

LK mole fraction in distillate

minimum reflux flow rate

LK mole fraction in bottoms

Number of equilibrium stages

Feed phase condition

Feed stage location

VLE data (y/x plot)

Type of reboiler (partial/total)

Light Key (LK) - more volatile component

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

Rectifying Section Operating Line

relates light-key compositions in passing streams

If L and V are constant, then this is a straight line.

enthalpies of vaporization (latent heats).

Big assumptions, but allow for simple analysis, since

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

Range of Reflux Ratios

What is the minimum R that allows separation?

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

Stripping Section Operating Line

The feed stage material balance relates L and V to L and V

relates light-key compositions in passing streams

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

Feed Stage & the q-Line

V liquid flow increase across feed

rate normalized by feed rate.

Operating lines & qline must intersect at

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

More on the q-line

Typically the feed condition is

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

Feed Stage & Number of Stages

Locate feed stage nearest to the intersection of

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

Partial Reboilers & Condensers

BinaryDistillation.key - March 28, 2014

Limiting Cases: Rmin, Nmin.