DISTILLATION COLUMN DESIGN

Stripping Column
CALCULATING NUMBER OF STAGES.
The Underwoods and Gililands method is adopted in order to calculate the number of stages.
Mr Ethanol = 46.069 g/mol
Mr Water = 18.015 g/mol

Mole fraction of ethanol in feed =

(1046.069)
= 0.04164
[(1046.069 ) + (9018.015 )]

Mole fraction of ethanol in distillate =

Mole fraction of ethanol in residue =

(5546.069)
= 0.32338
[(5546.069 ) + (4518.015 )]

(0.0246.069)
[(0.0246.069 ) + (99.9818.015 )]

= 7.82183 10
Mr Feed = (0.04164 46.069) + [(1 0.04164) 18.015] = 19.183 g/mol
Mr Distillate = (0.32338 46.069) + [(1 0.32338) 18.015] = 27.087 g/mol
Mr Residue = (7.82183 10

46.069) + [(1 7.82183 10 ) 18.015]

= 18.0172 g/mol

Temperature of feed = 92.60 C (VLE data for ethanol-water mixture).

Light Key - LK - Ethanol (More Volatile Component)
Heavy Key - HK - Water (Less Volatile Component)

FEED
Mole fraction of ethanol in liquid,
Mole fraction of water in liquid,

= 0.067885
= (1 - 0.067885) = 0.93212

Mole fraction of ethanol in vapor phase,

= 0.267580

Mole fraction of water in vapor,

=
=

= (1 - 0.267580) = 0.732420

0.2675800.067885
0.7324200.93212

= 5.0164

DISTILLATE (55 wt. % ethanol)

By interpolation,
Mole fraction of ethanol in distillate,
Mole fraction of water in distillate,

= 0.32338
= (1 - 0.32338) = 0.67661

BOTTOMS (0.02 wt. % ethanol)

By Interpolation,
Mole fraction of ethanol in bottoms,
Mole fraction of water in bottoms,

= 0.00008085
= (1 - 0.00008085) = 0.99992

The minimum stages, Nmin requires at total reflux is estimated using the Fenske equation;
{(

) (

) }

Similarly,
=
=

{(

) (

) }

{(0.323380.67661) (0.999920.00008085) }
(5.0164)

= 5.358 5

Minimum reflux at infinite, Rmin stages;

= 0.067885
ETHANOL

= 0.32338
= 0.00008085

(1 )

(1 )

1
( 1)

1
0.32338
5.0164(1 0.32338)


(5.0164 1) 0.067885
(1 0.067885)

= 0.2794
Reflux ratio is 1.2 to 1.5 times the minimum reflux ratio from reference.
Taking average = 1.35
=
1.35
= 0.2794 1.35
= 0.3772

Using Gillilands empirical relation between reflux ratio and number of stages (Table 11.42,
Coulson and Richardson);

+1
0.3772 0.2794
=
0.3772 + 1
=

= 0.07

At 0.07,
( + 1) (
+ 1)
= 0.55
( + 2)
Replacing

= 5,

= 13.555 14

Number of plates in stripping column = 14

Overall Column Efficiency,

Number of theoretical stages

Number of actual stages

= 0.65 from Table 11.1 (SINNOT, 2005)

Taking reboiler to be equivalent to one stage,

The number of real stages =

14 1
=
0.65

FEED POINT LOCATION

The empirical equation given by Kirkbride (1944) in Chemical Engineering Design by Coulson
and Richardson (Vol. 6) is used to find the feed point location.
= 0.206

Where, Nr = Number of plates above feed

Ns = Number of plates below feed
From material balance,
Mass flow rate of distillate = 2.894 kg/s
Mass flow rate of bottom product = 13.050 kg/s
2.894
= 0.1068
27.087
13.050
=
= 0.7243
18.0172
=

Therefore,
0.7243
0.1068

= 0.206

0.93212
0.067885

0.00008085
0.6766163

= 0.061598
+

= 14 1 (excluding the reboiler)

0.061598

= 13

= 12.245 13
Taking overall column efficiency to be 65%, Ns = 20
This means that the feed enters the column at the top and there are no stages above the feed.

APPROXIMATE COLUMN SIZING

Height of column
Safety factor above and below the column: 0.4 m
Plate spacing: 0.5 m

= (20 0.5) + (0.4 2) = 10.8

Diameter of column
According to SINNOT (2005), the maximum allowable superficial vapor velocity can be
estimated using Souders and Brown equation.
= (0.171

= 789

= 1.5
(

+ 0.27 0.047)

0.5

= 1.0368

Where

(4 3.9860)
= 1.85
( 1.5 1.0368

= 3.9860