DISTILLATION 2b

FACTORS AFFECTING DISTILLATION
COLUMN OPERATION
Adverse vapour flow conditions can cause:
— Blowing
— Coning
— Dumping
— Raining
— Weeping
— Flooding
26
DESIGNING STEPS OF
DISTILLATION COLUMN
— Calculation of Minimum number of stages.Nmin

— Calculation of Minimum Reflux Ratio Rm.
— Calculation of Actual Reflux Ratio.
— Calculation of theoretical number of stages.
— Calculation of actual number of stages.
— Calculation of diameter of the column.
— Calculation of weeping point, entrainment.
— Calculation of pressure drop.
— Calculation of the height of the column.
27
Liquid flow arrangement:
In order to find liquid flow arrangement first find
maximum liquid volumetric flow rate
So liquid flow rate =
(Liquid mass rate)/ (3600) (Liquid density)
Max Liquid Rate Is At the bottom of column so
using "Lm" values
So Maximum liquid flow rate = 0.005 m3/sec
So from fig11.28 Coulson & Richardson 6th
volume 3rd edition cross flow single pass plate is
selected
28
Provisional Plate Design:
Column Diameter Dc= 1.4513 m
Column Cross-sectional Area(Ac)= 1.65 m2
Down comer area Ad = 0.15Ac = 0.25 m2
Net Area (An) = Ac - Ad =1.41 m2
Active area Aa=Ac-2Ad = 1.16 m2
Hole area Ah take 10% Aa = 0.1 × 1.16
=0.0462 m2
Weir length
Ad / Ac = 0.248 / 1.654 = 0.15
29
From figure 11.31 Coulson & Richardson
6th volume 3rd edition
Lw / dc = 0.80
Lw = 1.452*0.80
= 0.733 m
Weir length should be 60 to 85% of column
diameter which is satisfactory
Take weir height, hw= 50 mm
Hole diameter, dh = 5 mm
Plate thickness = 5 mm
30
Check Weeping:
( K 2 − 0.9(25.4 − d h )
U (min ) =
(ρv)1 / 2
where Umin is the minimum design vapor

velocity.
The vapor velocity at weeping point is the
minimum velocity for the stable operation.
In order to have K2 value from fig11.30
Coulson & Richardson 6th volume 3rd edition we
have to 1st find how(depth of the crest of
liquid over the weir)
where how is calculated by following
formula:
31
how=750[(Lm/lw*ρ)2/3]
Maximum liquid rate “Lm”= 4.7 kg/sec
Minimum Liquid Rate At 70% turn down ratio
= 3.3Kg/sec
At Maximum rate ( how)= 20 mm Liquid

At Minimum rate (how) = 16 mm Liquid
hw + how = 50 + 16 = 66 mm Liquid
from fig 11.30, Coulson and Richardson Vol.6

K2 = 30.50
So,
U (min) = 9 m/sec
32
Now maximum volumetric flow rate
(vapors)
Base = 2.12 m3/sec
Top = 1.14 m3/sec
At 70% turn down ratio
Actual minimum vapor velocity

=minimum vapor rate / Ah
= 12.81 m/sec
So minimum vapor rate will be well above
the weep point.
33
Plate Pressure Drop (P.D):
Consist of dry plate P.D (orifice loss), P.D due
to static head of liquid and residual P.D
(bubbles formation result in energy loss)
Dry Plate Drop:

Max. Vapor velocity through holes (Uh) =
Maximum Volumetric Flow Rate / Hole Area
= 18.30 m/sec
Perforated area Ap (active area) =1.16 m2
Ah/Ap = 0.100
34
From fig. 11.34 (Coulson & Richardson
6th volume 3rd edition) for
plate thickness/hole diameter = 1.00
We get, Co = 0.84
2
 Uˆ h  ρ V
h d = 51  
 C o  ρ L
This equation is derived for orifice
meter pressure drop.
hd= 48 mm Liquid
Residual Head (hr):

hr = (12.5*103 / ρL)
= 13.3 mm Liquid
35
So,
h t = h d + ( h w + h ow ) + h r
Total pressure drop

=48+(50+20)+13.32
ht = 131.35 mm liquid
Total column pressure drop Pa, (N/m2)
= (9.81*10-3) htρLN
= 82771.6 Pa = 82 kPa
36
Down comer Liquid Backup:
Caused by Pressure Drop over the plate and resistance to
flow in the downcomer it self.
hb = (hw+ how) + ht + hdc
The main resistance to flow in downcomer will be caused by
constriction in the downcomer outlet, and head loss in the
down comer can be estimated using the equation given as,
2
 l wd 
h dc = 166  
 ρ L Aap 
where Lwd is the liquid flow rate in downcomer, kg/sec
and Aap is the clearance area under the downcomer, m2
Aap =hapLw
37
Where hap the height of bottom edge of
apron above the plate.
hap = hw – (5 to 10 mm)
hap = 40 mm
so,
Area under apron “Aap” = 0.05 m2
As this is less than area of downcomer Ad so

using Aap values in above formula.
So,
hdc = 1.95 mm
38
As a result,
hb = 203.24 mm
= 0.203 m
hb < ½ (Tray spacing + weir height)
0.20 < 0.25
So tray spacing is acceptable
39
Check Residence Time:
Sufficient residence time should be allowed in
the downcomer for the entrained vapors to
disengage from liquid stream to prevent aerated
liquid being carried under the downcomer.
tr =Ad hbc ρL/L(max)
tr = 10 sec
It should be > 3 sec. so, result is satisfactory
40
Check Entrainment:
(un) actual velocity = (maximum volumetric flow
rate at base Vm / net area An)
(un) actual velocity = 1.51 m/sec
Velocity at flooding condition Uf = 1.67 m/sec
So Percent flooding =un/ uf = 0.90 = 90%
41
Liquid flow factor FLV = 0.056
From fig. 11.29 Coulson & Richardson
6th volume 3rd edition
fractional entrainment ψ can be found out.
Fractional entrainment (ψ) = 0.0750
Well below the upper limit of (ψ) which is

0.1. Below this the effect of entrainment on
efficiency is small.
42
No of Holes:
Area of 1 Hole = (π/4) Dhole2
= 0.00002 m2
Area of N Holes = 0.1158 m2

So,
Number OF Holes = 5900
43
Height of Distillation Column
Height of column Hc= (Nact-1) Hs+ ∆H+ plates
thickness
No. of plates = 68
Tray spacing Hs = 0.50 m
∆H= 0.5 meter each for liquid hold up and
vapor disengagement
∆H=1 m
Total thickness of trays = 0.005*68 = 0.34 m
So,
Height of column = (68-1)*0.50+ 1+0.34
= 35 meters
44
how=Weir crust
Plate Specifications
1.45m height=35m
Hole
diameter=5mm
hap=40 mm
No. of
holes=5900
h W=50 mm
45
Specification Sheet Of Distillation Column:
Identification:
Item Distillation column
No. required 1
Tray type Sieve tray
Function: Separation of Acetic Acid from iodo methane
and Reaction by products.
Operation: Continuous
46
Material handled:
Feed Top Bottom
Amount 4755 Kg/hr 1968 Kg/hr 2786 Kg/hr
Composition
of 0.64 0.005 0.99
Acetic Acid
Temp. 119oC 71oC 118oC

47
Design data:
n No. of tray= 68 n Active holes = 5900

n Pressure = 101.325 Kpa n Weir height = 50 mm
n Height of column = 35 m n Weir length = 1 m
n Diameter of column=1.45m n Reflux ratio = 6.23
n Hole size = 5 mm n Tray spacing =0.5 m
n Pressure drop per n Active area = 1.16 m2
tray=1.2 Kpa n Percent Flooding =90%
n Tray thickness = 5 mm n Entrainment = 0.075
48
References
— Coulson & Richardson 6th volume 3rd
edition
— Plant
Design and Economics for
Chemical Engineering
— Coulson & Richardson 2th volume 5th
edition
— Perry’s Chemical engineer’s hand book
49

DISTILLATION 2b

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FACTORS AFFECTING DISTILLATION

— Calculation of Minimum number of stages.Nmin

where Umin is the minimum design vapor

At Maximum rate ( how)= 20 mm Liquid

from fig 11.30, Coulson and Richardson Vol.6

At 70% turn down ratio

Actual minimum vapor velocity

Dry Plate Drop:

Residual Head (hr):

Total pressure drop

Total column pressure drop Pa, (N/m2)

As this is less than area of downcomer Ad so

0.20 < 0.25

So tray spacing is acceptable

(un) actual velocity = 1.51 m/sec

Velocity at flooding condition Uf = 1.67 m/sec

So Percent flooding =un/ uf = 0.90 = 90%

Well below the upper limit of (ψ) which is

Area of N Holes = 0.1158 m2

Feed Top Bottom

Amount 4755 Kg/hr 1968 Kg/hr 2786 Kg/hr

Temp. 119oC 71oC 118oC

n No. of tray= 68 n Active holes = 5900

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