Case study

Multicomponent distillation:
A step by step illustration of the empirical method

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 1

 mol/hr xi
iC4 (12) 0.026
nC4 442 (LK) 0.946
mol/hr zi iC5 13 (LK) 0.028
iC4 12 0.014 D
nC4 448 (LK) 0.511
iC5 36 (HK) 0.041 F
nC5 15 0.017 mol/hr xi
C6 23 0.026 iC4 (0) 0
C7 39.1 0.045 nC4 6 (LK) 0.015
C8 272.2 0.311 iC5 23 (HK) 0.056
C9 31 0.035 B nC5 (15) 0.036
C6 (23) 0.056
C7 (39.1) 0.096
C8 (272.2) 0.667
Debutanizer C9 (31) 0.075
98.7 % recovery of the LK
63.9% recovery of the HK

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 2

Condenser type

Check pressure for total condensation using water cooling (i.e., 120 oF)
3 3

o
Distillate bubble point at 120 F: yi K i xi 1 (1)
i1 i1
K i f P,T ; T = 120 F (580 R). Find P that satisfies Eq (1)
o

P = 72.8 psia

Total condenser

Column pressure

Condenser pressure = 72.8 psia

Pressure at the bottom = condenser pressure + drop in condenser (5 psi) + drop in trays (5 psi
when number of trays is not known) = 82.8 psia

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 3

Reboiler temperature

7 7
Bubble point of the bottom product at 82.8 psia: yi K ixi 1 (2)
i1 i1
K i f P, T ; P= 82.8 psia. Find T that satisfies Eq (2)

Reboiler temperature: 334.3 oF.

This temperature is sufficiently low no chance of decomposition.

If the temperature was high for decomposition, how could it be lowered?

Lower reboiler pressure

means lowering condenser pressure Condenser
Pressure drop=Pcon
Reflux drum
Pressure=P atm
condenser type will change

Reduce P if reboiler T is
high to damage bottom
Column
Pressure drop= Pcol

Feed stage pressure

=PF

product
=P+ Pcon+ Pcol

Calculate
Reboiler bubble point
Pressure=PB
=P+ Pcon+ Pcol
temperature
at PB

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 4

Quality of feed

P = 72.8 + drop in condenser (5 psia) + half of drop in trays (2.5 psia) = 80.3 psia
Feed will attain the column pressure adiabatically.
FhF = F(1-f)hL + F(f)Hv
(3) n
or, hF = (1-f)hL + (f)Hv hL xiCLi (TFP Tref )
i 1
n
Ki PFP, TFP 1 zi 0 n
hF ziCLi (TF Tref )
1 K P , T 1 f (4) i 1
i 1 i FP FP n

zi Hv yi i Cvi TFP Tref

xi (5) i 1
1 K i PFP ,TFP 1 f
yi K i PFP , TFP xi (6)

PFP 80.3 psi (in the present problem)

Simultaneously solve the above 4 equations to obtain the 4 unknowns

Feed to the debutanizer is presumably bottoms from a deisobutanizer operating at a pressure of
perhaps 100 psia or more.
Literature suggests f = 0.13 (approximately) for adiabatic flash of this feed to 80 psia.
q=1- 0.13 = 0.87

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 5

Minimum number of stages from Fenske Equation

x xA FR A dist FRB bot

ln A ln
xB dist xB R 1 FR A dist 1 FRB bot
Nmin
ln AB ln AB

AB m 2 AB TOP AB BOTTOM
Comp Feed Top: T= 120 oF; Bottom: T=334.3 oF;
P=72.8 psia P=82.8 psia

mol/hr
zi
mol/hr
xi dist Ki mol/hr
xi R
Ki
iC4 12 0.014 12 0.026 1.3555 6.0781
nC4 448 0.511 442 0.946 1.0065 6 0.015 5.2556
iC5 36 0.041 13 0.028 0.4413 23 0.056 3.0590
nC5 15 0.017 0.3591 15 0.036 2.6575
C6 23 0.026 0.1424 23 0.056 1.5075
C7 39.1 0.045 0.0643 39.1 0.096 0.9493
C8 272.2 0.311 0.0215 272.2 0.667 0.6884
C9 31 0.035 0.0082 31 0.076 0.2604

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 6

For calculation of Nmin, choose A=light key and B=heavy key, since their recoveries are specified.

AB TOP 1.0065 0.4413 2.28;

AB BOTTOM 5.2556 3.0590 1.72;
AB m 2.28 1.72 1.98

0.987 0.639
log
Nmin 0.013 0.361 7.17
log 1.98

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 7

 Distribution of non-key components

Calculate the distribution of the non-key components using Nmin

CB Nmin CB Nmin
FRC dist FR FRC bot 1 FR
B bot B bot
CB min CB min
N N
1 FRB bot 1 FRB bot

Flow rate = F * FRC

B = heavy key; C = non-key

Comp FC i TOP i BOTTOM i m Distillate Bottom
mol/hr mol/hr mol/hr
iC4 12 3.071309 1.986913 2.47030 11.96647 0.03353
nC4 448 2.280777 1.718252 1.97963 442.0 6.00
iC5 36 1 1 1 13 23
nC5 15 0.813754 0.868649 0.84075 2.114485 12.88552
C6 23 0.322563 0.492689 0.39865 0.018443 22.98156
C7 39.1 0.145652 0.310236 0.21257 0.000354 39.09965
C8 272.2 0.048855 0.22494 0.10483 1.6E-05 272.2
C9 31 0.018667 0.085073 0.03985 1.84E-09 31
876.3 469.0942 407.2058

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 8

 Recompute condenser pressure for new distillate composition

Components Mole fractions in distillate

Previous After recomputing
distribution of non-key
components
iC4 0.026 0.02551
nC4 0.946 0.942226
iC5 0.028 0.027713
nC5 0.004511
C6 3.94E-05
C7 7.58E-07
C8 3.42E-08
C9 3.94E-12

Condenser pressure = 72.56 psia

(previous value was 72.8 psia)

Pressure at the reboiler = 72.56 + 5 + 5 = 82.56 psia

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 9

 Recompute reboiler temperature for new bottom composition

Components Mole fractions in bottom product

Previous After recomputing
distribution of non-key
components
iC4 8.23242E-05
nC4 0.015 0.014758668
iC5 0.056 0.056482131
nC5 0.036 0.031639573
C6 0.056 0.056436755
C7 0.096 0.09601875
C8 0.667 0.668453707
C9 0.076 0.07612809

Reboiler temperature = 335 oF

(previous value was 334.3 oF)

What will change in the calculation of Nmin?

Will that be significant?

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 10

Minimum reflux ratio

C
i zi
1 q where is the only unknown
i1 i

2.47 * 0.014 1.98 * 0.511 1.0 * 0.041 0.84 * 0.017

1 0.87
2.47 1.98 1.0 0.84
0.4 * 0.026 0.21* 0.045 0.105 * 0.311 0.0398 * 0.035

0.4 .21 0.105 0.0398
=1.048

c iDxi,dist
Vmin
i1 i
2.47 * 11.97 1.98 * 442 1.0 * 13 0.84 * 2.11

2.47 1.048 1.98 1.048 1.0 1.048 0.84 1.048
0.4 * 0.018 0.21* .00035 0.105 * 1.6 1005 0.0398 * 1.84 1009 = 682.47

0.4 1.048 0.21 1.048 0.105 1.048 0.0398 1.048
Lmin Vmin D 682.47 469.09 213.38

RD min 0.455
L
D min

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 11

Number of ideal stages
(RD)min 0.455
RD = 1.3 (RD)min 0.5915
R D R D min
0.0858
RD 1
N Nmin
0.568
N1
N 17.8

Optimum Feed Loaction

Kirkbride Equation:

0.206
xLK,bot
2
NF 1 zHK B
D
N NF zLK xHK,dist

0.206
0.041 0.0147 2 407.2
0.0277 469.09
0.511
0.445
N 6.173

Farooq/CN3132/Multicomponent Distillation Case Study- 12