APPENDIX

1 1
Three-Phase Flash Calculation for
Hydrocarbon Systems Containing
Water
One of the most important engineering problems encountered in modeling
chemical and petroleum processes is the multiphase flash problem. The
present flash algorithmcan be used to calculate phase-equilibria for multicom-
ponent systems with three coexisting phases (water, oil, and gas) at equilibrium
with both simplicity and accuracy (Mokhatab, 2003).
This three-phase flash algorithmis based on the thermodynamic condition
of equal fugacities for each component in each phase. The resulting phase
compositions then provide better values for updating the distribution coeffi-
cients, using an equation of state (EOS).
A generalized model of a three-phase equilibrium system is shown in
Figure A1-1. The phases are assumed to be in thermodynamic equilibrium
with each other, and any component can appear in all three phases.
The overall and component material balance around the flash tank gives
F L
A
L
B
V (A1-1)
FZ
i
L
A
X
Ai
L
B
X
Bi
V
yi
(A1-2)
where F is the total moles of feed, lbmole; L
A
is the total moles of
hydrocarbon-rich liquid, lbmole; L
B
is the total moles of water-rich liquid,
lbmole; Vis the total moles of vapor, lbmole; Z
i
is the mole fraction of compo-
nent i in the feed; X
Ai
is the mole fraction of component i in the hydrocarbon-
richliquidphase; X
Bi
is the mole fractionof component i inthe water-richliquid
phase; and y
i
is the mole fraction of component i in the vapor phase.
The relations describing compositions in each phase that must be satis-
fied are
X
n
i1
X
Ai

X
n
i1
X
Bi

X
n
i1
y
i
1 (A1-3)
where i indicates each component; and n is number of components.
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