UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN KIMIA

PROCESS SIMULATION LABORATORY
(CPE613)
STUDENT NAME / ID : MOHAMAD KHAIRUL AZWANIZAM B
BAHARUDDIN
STUDENT ID
: 2013416656
GROUP
: EH2215C
EXPERIMENT
: LAB 2(SPLIT RATIO AND DISTILLATION COLUMN)
DATE PERFORMMED :
SEMESTER
:5
PROGRAMME
: CHEMICAL AND PROCESS ENGINEERING / EH221
SUBMIT TO
: PN.SITI SHAWALLIAH IDRIS
No.
1
2
3
4

Title
Procedure
Process Flow Diagram (PFD)
Workbook/Stream Summary
Question & Discussion
TOTAL MARKS

Allocated Marks (%)

10
20
30
40
100

Marks

Remarks:

Checked by:

Rechecked by:

---------------------------------------------------------(PN SHAWALLIAH IDRIS)

(
)
Date:

Date:

INTRODUCTION

Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha, methyl hydrate or
wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH. Methanol is the simplest alcohol, and is a
light, colourless, volatile, flammable liquid with distinctive odour. There are many ways to
produce methanol, one of them is by hydrogenation of carbon dioxide.

Figure 1: Methanol chemical structure

Figure 2: Production of methanol by hydrogenation process

In this case, production of methanol is carried out in a moderate pressure synthesis loop
by direct hydrogenation of carbon dioxide, which generates a liquid product that contains a
binary mixture of methanol that is nearly free of water; dehydration is achieved commonly by
distillation, a process in which energy is invested in return for separation. To reduce the sizable
energy cost, heat integrated configuration are considered commonly as alternatives to a single
distillation column with total condenser. The simulation considered an equimolar mixture at 2700
kmol/h at 255C and 5.2 bar. It is then split and fed to two distillation columns, one at reduced
pressure, with the design specifications shown in the following table.

Pressure (bar)
No of trays
Feed trays
Estimated reflux ratio
XD (mole fraction) of methanol
XB (mole fraction) of methanol

DC1
5.2
16
12
1.26
0.96
0.04

DC2
1.01
13
9
0.834
0.96
0.04

PROCEDURE

1. To undergo an initial setup, click on the Start Menu, then select programs Aspen
HYSYS 7.3
2. The Simulation Basis Manager was appeared after clicking File and New-Case
were selected.
3. The view button was clicked to view Component Lists in Master Component List. The
list of all the components available in HYSYS Component Library
4. The desired component for simulation were selected by typing the name of the
component, then pressed enter. Then, the tab was closed. Makes sure methanol and
water were listed in Master Component list.
5. At Simulation Basis Manager, the Fluid Packages been selected then the add button
been click at the Current Fluid Packages.
6. The Fluid Package: Basis 1 tab was appeared then the Advance Peng-Robinson
were selected at the Property Package Selection and click All Types. Again in the
Simulation Basis Manager, the button enter simulation environment were clicked.
7. From the at Case (Main) tab, the material stream was selected by clicking to the
symbol as the feed stream (1). Then, the condition of the stream was set by inserting the
data according to the parameter in the worksheet. The flow rate is 2700kgmol/hr,
pressure 5.2 bar and the temperature is 25 0C.The composition of the mole fraction of
methanol stream was set by inserting 0.5 and 0.5 for water composition respectively

8. Still in simulation environment, the splitter were selected and set according to the
connection and parameter in the worksheet. On the connection page the following
setting were applied; inlet: feed 1 (stream 1), outlet: 2 (stream 2):.Then, the
parameter page was switched
9. Then the valve was added from object palette the connection was set. At the
connection page, the settings were; inlet: 3 (stream 3) and outlet:4 (stream 4). The
pressure drop was set as 1.01 bar at the parameter page on the design worksheet.
10. Then, two distillation column were added in stream 2 and stream 4 by clicked on the
distillation column image on the main case. The overhead product in the top is
distillate and the liquid is in the
11. The project was saved and right-clicked at Environment: Case (main) which in steady
mode,
12. Finally, right clicked and clicked on add workbook table as have the energy stream,
composition and material stream. The workbook also can be printed by clicked to the
tools, then choose workbook and clicked on the view button. On the WorkbookCase (main), right-clicked and Print Datasheet was selected.

OBJECTIVES

Objective of this lab simulation is to understand the usage of valve and distillation
specification.

PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM (PFD).

Figure 3: Process Flow Diagram

WORKBOOK/STREAM SUMMARY

DISCUSSION
The objective of this lab simulation is to understand the usage of valve and distillation
specification. From the problem given, the process that involved is the production of methanol
by direct hydrogenation of carbon dioxide. In order to produce methanol, there are a few unit
operations/equipment involves in this reaction which is splitter, valve and distillation column.
The distillation column is used for dehydration to provide commercial methanol that is nearly
free of water.
In this process, the feed of the methanol and water are considered as an equimolar
mixture at 2700 kgmol/hr at 25C and 5.2 bar. The mole fractions of the feed mixture are 0.5 of
methanol and 0.5 of water. Then, the mixtures are split and fed into two distillation column, one
at reduce pressure(1.01 bar) and another one at maintain pressure(5.2 bar). From the PFD at
Figure 3, outlet stream 2 from splitter is fed into the first distillation column(DC1) which is the
pressure outlet stream 5 and stream 6 are maintain as 5.2bar. However, outlet stream 3 from
splitter is passing through the valve first in order to reduce the pressure before feed into second
distillation column (DC2). This is done to distillate even more effective for the DC2.
The temperature of the overhead outlet at DC1 is 66.780C while the bottom is 81.940C.
The temperatures of these two streams are different due to the concept of separation in which the
separation of a mixture depends upon its relative volatility or boiling point. In this case, the
methanol has lower boiling point, thus it will vaporized first at the overhead of the DC1.For the
stream S4, the feed entering the DC2 also in liquid phase but the pressure is decrease to 1.01bar.
The decreasing of the pressure does not affect the composition but only affect the temperature.
The overhead temperature for DC2 is 66.790C and at the bottom is 81.940C.
The process achieve methanol that free from water. This can be proved by looking at the
composition of both of the product (water & methanol). At vapor phase overhead outlet at DC1,
the composition of methanol is 1.000 and composition of water is 0.000. At vapour phase
overhead outlet at DC2, the composition of methanol is 0.9994 and composition of water is
0.0006.

QUESTION AND ANSWER

1. What is the molar flow before entering DC1 and DC2?
- 1350 kgmole/hr
2. How to reduce pressure in DC2?
- In order to reduce pressure in DC2, a valve is used because the function of the valve is to
reduce the pressure from 5.2 bar to 1.01 bar.
3. What is the temperature at the bottom of DC1 and DC2?
- Temperature at bottom DC1= 81.940C
- Temperature at bottom DC2= 81.940C
4. Did the process achieve a methanol that free from water? What is the purity of the
-

methanol? How to increase the purity?

The process achieve the purity of the methanol from water since the composition of
methanol at overhead of DC1 is 1.000 and water is 0.000 while composition of methanol
at overhead of DC2 is 0.9994 and water is 0.0006. To increase the purity of methanol, the
further distillation can be done by adding more distillation column. The other method is
by removing the impurities with the chemical method which is formation of resin.