CME 365, Spring 2020 Set #5

Limiting Conditions, Complex Columns, Treating the Four Assumptions

(Source: Wankat 1st – 4th Editions, McCabe and Smith, original and modified)

4D6. 2 Feed Column

4D8. Nmin, RRmin, Murphree Efficiency
4D9. Nmin, RRmin
4D17. Complex Column: Enriching Column
4D18. Complex Column: Stripping Column with Two Feeds and (V/B)min
4D27. Complex Column: Feed and Steam Feed (6D19)
4D30. Complex Column? Intermediate Reboiler and Feed Mix, (6D20)
4D33. Limiting Conditions and Murphree Efficiency

4E3*. McCabe-Thiele Side Stream (6D21)

A distillation column with a total condenser and a total reboiler is separating ethanol from water. Reflux
is returned as a saturated liquid, and boilup is returned as a saturated vapor. Constant molal overflow can
be assumed. Assume that the stages are equilibrium stages. Column pressure is 1 atm. A saturated liquid
feed that is 32 mole % ethanol is fed to the column at 1000 kg moles/hr. The feed is to be input on the
optimum feed stage. We desire a distillate composition of 80 mole % ethanol and a bottoms composition
that is 2 mole % ethanol. A liquid side stream is removed on the eighth stage from the top of the column
at a flow rate of S=457.3 kg moles/hr. This liquid is sent to an intermediate reboiler and vaporized to a
saturated vapor, which is returned to the column at its optimum feed location. The external reflux ratio is
L0/D=1.86. Find the optimum feed locations of the feed and of the vapor from the intermediate reboiler.
Find the total number of equilibrium stages required. Be very neat!

xEtOH xw yEtOH yw T, Celsius

0 1.0 0 1.0 100
0.019 0.981 0.170 0.830 95.5
0.0721 0.9279 0.3891 0.6109 89.0
0.0966 0.9034 0.4375 0.5625 86.7
0.1238 0.8762 0.4704 0.5296 85.3
0.1661 0.8339 0.5089 0.4911 84.1
0.2377 0.7663 0.5445 0.4555 82.7
0.2608 0.7392 0.5580 0.4420 82.3
0.3273 0.6727 0.5826 0.4174 81.5
0.3965 0.6035 0.6122 0.3878 80.7
0.5079 0.4921 0.6564 0.3436 79.8
0.5198 0.4802 0.6599 0.3401 79.7
0.5732 0.4268 0.6841 0.3159 79.3
0.6763 0.3237 0.7385 0.2615 78.74
0.7472 0.2528 0.7815 0.2185 78.41
0.8943 0.1057 0.8943 0.1057 78.15
1.00 0 1.00 0 78.30
4Y1. McCabe Thiele Efficiency (Wankat 1E, 6D7)
We are separating methanol and water in a distillation column with a total condenser and a partial
reboiler. Reflux is a saturated liquid, and constant molal overflow can be assumed. Feed is a saturated
liquid of composition 0.6 and flow rate of 500 moles/hr. Distillate composition is xD=0.92, and bottoms
composition is xB=0.04. The external reflux ratio L/D=1.0. The partial reboiler acts as an equilibrium
contact. The stages in the column have Murphree vapor efficiencies of 0.75. Find the number of real
stages needed and the optimum feed plate location in real stages.
Mole % Methanol Temperature,
Liquid Vapor Celsius
0 0 100
2.0 13.4 96.4
4.0 23.0 93.5
6.0 30.4 91.2
8.0 36.5 89.3
10.0 41.8 87.7
15.0 51.7 84.4
20.0 57.9 81.7
30.0 66.5 78.0
40.0 72.9 75.3
50.0 77.9 73.1
60.0 82.5 71.2
70.0 87.0 69.3
80.0 91.5 67.6
90.0 95.8 66.0
95.0 97.9 65.0
100.0 100.0 64.5

4Y2. McCabe Thiele Limiting Conditions and Efficiency (Wankat 1E, 6D9)
A distillation column with a total condenser and a partial reboiler is separating acetone and ethanol. The
feed is 70 mole % acetone, flows at 1000 moles/hr, and is a superheated vapor for which 1 mole of
liquid must vaporize on the feed plate to cool 4 moles of feed. We desire a bottoms composition of 5
mole % acetone and a distillate composition of 90 mole % acetone. Reflux is a saturated liquid. Pressure
is 1 atm. (Data listed below from 4D7)

xA .10 .15 .20 .25 .30 .35 .40 .50 .60 .70 .80 .90
yA .262 .348 .417 .478 .524 .566 .605 .674 .739 .802 .865 .929

a) What is the minimum number of equilibrium stages required for this separation (i.e., total reflux)?
b) What is the minimum external reflux ratio?
c) If the actual L/D=2(L/D)min, find the optimum plate location and the number of stages required for
separation using a Murphree vapor efficiency of 75%.

4Y3. McCabe Thiele Multiple Feeds (Wankat 1E, 6D15)

A distillation column with a total reboiler and a partial condenser is separating two mixtures of acetone
and ethanol. The first mixture flows at 1000 moles/hr and is a saturated liquid; the second flows at 500
moles/hr and is a saturated vapor. Both feeds are 45 mole % acetone. We desire a distillate composition
of yD=0.85 and a bottoms composition of xB = 0.02. Boilup is returned to the column as a saturated vapor
and CMO is valid. An external reflux ratio of L0/D=2 is used. Find the optimum feed location for each
feed and the total number of stages required. Data are in problem 4Y2.
4Y4. McCabe Thiele Side Streams (Wankat 1E, 6D22)
We are using a distillation column with a partial rebolier and direct water cooling to separate water from
compound A. The feed is saturated liquid that is 80 mole % water, and the feed rate is 150 lb moles/hr.
The bottoms has a concentration of xB=0.3, and the distillate yD=0.98 (both mole fractions water). In the
top of the column, L/V=0.762. A saturated liquid side stream is drawn off on the third stage from the top
of the column. The side-stream rate is adjusted so that L’/V’=0.564. The direct cooling water is a
saturated liquid. Constant molal overflow can be assumed. Find the optimum feed location, the total
number of stages, and the side-stream concentration. Equilibrium data are in the table. Operating
pressure is 101.3 kPa. In a column with direct cooling no condenser is used and the product is taken off
as a vapor. In the solution of this problem include the derivation and equations for the operating lines.
Do the derivations; don’t assume you know what the operating lines look like.

Water – Compound A Equilibrium Data

xw 7.0 13.6 20.5 28.4 37.4 47.4 57.5 69.8 83.3 90.8
yw 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 95.0

Numbers are mole %. Note: Systems such as ethylene glycol water and acetic acid-water have water as
the more volatile component.

4Y5. McCabe Thiele: Partial Condenser/Total Reboiler (Prob 4S2 Modified) (Wankat 1E, 5D13)
Find the number of stages and the best feed location for a column separating ethanol and propanol,
α =2.1. Feed composition = 0.48, xD = 0.96, xB = 0.04. Constant molal overflow and equilibrium stages
can be assumed, and reflux is a saturated liquid. Pressure is 101.3 kPa. RR = 3, q = 0.4.
a) Column has a total condenser and a partial reboiler.
b) Repeat problem with total condenser and total reboiler.
c) Repeat problem with partial condenser and partial reboiler.

4Y6. Ponchon-Savarit (Prob. 19-7 in McCabe and Smith. Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering. 3rd Ed.)
A tower containing six ideal plates, a reboiler, and a total condenser is used to separate, partially,
oxygen from air at 65 lbf/in2 gauge. It is desired to operate at a reflux ratio (reflux to product) of 2.5 and
to produce a bottom product containing 45 weight percent oxygen. The air is fed to the column at 65
lbf/in2 gauge and 25 percent vapor by mass. The enthalpy of oxygen- nitrogen mixtures at this pressure is
given in Table 19-11. Compute the composition of the overhead if the vapors are just condensed but not
cooled.
4Y7. Ponchon-Savarit (Prob. 19-10 in McCabe and Smith. Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering. 3rd Ed.)
A saturated liquid feed containing 40 mole percent n-hexane and 60 mole percent n- octane is fed to a
small distillation column at a rate of 100 gmol/h. A reflux ratio, La/D = 1.2, is maintained. The overhead
product is 95 mole percent hexane, and the bottom product is 10 mole percent hexane. If each theoretical
plate loses 80,000 cal/h, step off the plates on a Ponchon diagram, taking into account the column heat
loss. Physicochemical data are given in Tables 19- 12 and 19-13. (a) Determine the heat added to the
reboiler in calories per hour, (b) Find the number of theoretical plates excluding the reboiler. Assume
that a total condenser is used. DO This PROBLEM 1) WITHOUT HEAT LOSSES 2) WITH HEAT
LOSSES
4Y8. Ponchon-Savarit (Prob. 13-2 in Luyben, Chemical Process Analysis)
Using the enthalpy-composition diagram given in the diagram provided below for the methanol-water
system, calculate the number of stages required and the feed plate location to produce 98 weight percent
methanol liquid product and 5 percent methanol bottoms product from a feed of 45 weight percent
methanol entering the column at 50°C. The column has a total condenser and a partial reboiler, and
operates at 1.5 times minimum reflux. What is the reboiler heat duty in Btu/hr if the feed rate is 5,000
lbm/hr? What is the condenser duty?
4Y9. Ponchon-Savarit (Prob. 13-3 in Luyben, Chemical Process Analysis)
The column of the preceding problem was designed 20 years ago and has been operating ever since.
Energy costs have risen, and it is now desired to reduce operating costs. One suggestion is to heat the
feed to 200°F using waste heat, thus, perhaps, operating at a lower reflux ratio and reducing the reboiler
duty. Can this be done? Will we have to change the column feed point? What will be the new reboiler
heat duty?
4Y10. A mixture of 50 wt% ethanol and 50 wt% water which is saturated liquid at the boiling point is to be
distilled at 1 kg/cm2 pressure to give a distillate containing 85% by weight ethanol and a bottoms
containing 3 wt% ethanol. The feed rate is 453.6 kg/h and a reflux ratio of 1.5 is to be used.
CMO is not valid.
a) Calculate B and D
b) Find # of theoretical trays required
c) Calculate the condenser and reboiler heat loads