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McCabe-Thiele
In this, the second part of their review, Konrad Miller and This shortcut method constructs
Katherine Shing demonstrate some shortcut distillation ‘operating lines’, an expression of the
material balance within the column,
design methods such as the McCabe Thiele method and the on an X-Y diagram. Figure 1 shows
Fenske Underwood Gilliland algorithm. Part 1 (February a ChemCAD generated X-Y diagram
of the Ethanol-Water system at 1
2016) offered a conceptual framework of distillation and in atmosphere (14.7 psia) using the Non-
the forthcoming final part three, Konrad Miller will apply Random Two Liquid (NRTL) model for
these principles to the production processes of a modern solutions.
In this diagram, the x-axis is
brandy distillery. the mole fraction of ethanol in the
liquid mixture, where 0≤χEtOH≤1. The
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Ethanol liquid mole fraction
Yn+1Vn+1 xnLn
Figure 1: Ethanol-Water X-Y diagram
ethanol than the liquid which makes Eqn 1a: Figure 2: Material balance around the top
purification via distillation possible; Vn+1 = Ln+D part of a column
and as the concentration of ethanol tion 2 can be extended throughout the
increases, the marginal increase Eqn 1b: top section of the column to produce
from liquid to vapour decreases until yn+1 Vn+1 = xn Ln + χDD Equation 3:
around 0.9 mole fraction ethanol,
where the liquid and vapour concen- We want to relate this mass balance Eqn 3:
trations converge. This is known as to a correlation between x and y and L D
an ‘azeotrope’- a point in a solution superimpose it on the X-Y diagram. y= x+ xD
where the liquid and vapour concen- Solving for Yn+1 yields Equation 2: V V
trations are identical. Equation 3 is known as the ‘Operat-
Highly non-ideal solutions, such Eqn 2: ing Line’ for the ‘rectifying’ section.
as ethanol-water, form azeotropes. Ln D The rectifying section of a distillation
This makes the production of 100% yn+1 = xn + xD column is generally above the feed and
Vn+1 Vn+1
(also known as absolute) ethanol serves to purify the LK component in
impossible by distillation at 1 at- This equation relates the composition the distillate. Note that L/V cannot be
mosphere. Note that while pressure between the liquid and vapour of each greater than 1 as this corresponds to
is fixed in the above diagram, tem- stage to the liquid, vapour, distillate ‘total reflux’, where all the condensed
perature is not. The liquid/vapour molar flow rates, and the composi- vapour is return back to the column
solutions will be at 100°C (the boiling tions of each. If certain assumptions rather than drawn away as distillate
point of water) at the limiting case are made, such as constant molar (recall reflux is liquid returned from
where the mole fraction ethanol is overflow throughout the column, the condenser to the column). We
0, and at 78.4°C (the boiling point of negligible enthalpic mixing effects, now see why increasing the amount of
ethanol) at the limiting case where well insulated column, then Equa- liquid refluxed increases the purity of
the mole fraction ethanol is 1.
We can now begin to construct the Ethanol/water at 14.70 psia by NRTL
McCabe-Thiele diagram on the above 1
X-Y plot. First, consider a mass bal- 0.9
ance between the top of the column, 0.8
Ethanol vapour mole fraction
Eqn 8:
Ethanol/water at 14.70 psia by NRTL χLK,D*χHK,B
1 log [ χ ]
LK,B*χHK,D
Nmin =
0.9 log (αLK,HK)
0.8 Next, the Underwood equation can
Ethanol vapour mole fraction
0.5
Robinson’s and Gilliland’s research in
0.4 correlating and to the actual number
of stages and Reflux Ratio. Gilliand’s
0.3 correlation is well described by Molo-
kanov’s expression (Equation 10):
0.2
Figure 9: Molokanovs’ fit to the Gilliland Correlation for reflux and stage count The resulting curve is shown in Figure 9:
With the actual number of stages three of this feature will build on this Acknowledgements
and actual reflux ratio determined, foundation to examine the operation Konrad Miller would like to thank An-
the last step is to determine the feed of a distillery employing continuous drew Curtis for his distillation training,
stage. While the Fenske Equation can distillation. David Warter for his comments, and
be turned ‘inside-out’ to calculate the Kim MacFarlane for help in editing.
feed stage, the result typically var- The authors:
ies greatly from reality. Kirkbridge Konrad Miller is a process engineer Sources
devloped the following relationship from the United States. A licensed • Blanch, Harvey W., and Douglas S. Clark.
(Equation 11) between the number of professional engineer, he gradu- Biochemical Engineering. New York: M. Dek-
rectifying stages, NR, the number of ated from the University of Califor- ker, 1996. Print.
stripping stages,NS, and the bottoms nia, Berkeley with a BS in chemical • Fogler, H. Scott. Elements of Chemical
Reaction Engineering. Upper Saddle River,
(B) and distillate (D) flow rates: engineering and from the University
NJ: Prentice Hall PTR, 1999. Print.
of Southern California with an MS • Kister, Henry Z. Distillation Design. New
Eqn 11: in chemical engineering. His work York: McGraw-Hill, 1992. Print.
NR ZHK,F ZHK,F
as a process engineer in the alco- • Kister, Henry Z. Distillation Troubleshoot-
B
= [( Z ) (Z )2 ] 0.206 holic beverage industry has included ing. Hoboken, NJ: AIChE, 2006. Print.
NS LK,F LK,F D
process design, plant simulation, • Peynaud, Emile. Knowing and Making
fermentation, and distillation. Wine. New York: J. Wiley, 1984. Print.
We now have the tools to rapidly esti- Katherine Shing is a Professor of • Prausnitz, John M., Rudiger N. Li-
mate the number of stages, the reflux Chemical Engineering at the Uni- chtenhaler, and Edmundo G. De Azevedo.
ratio, and the feed point for a mul- Molecular Thermodynamics of Fluid-phase
versity of Southern California. She
Equilibria. Vol. 3. Upper Saddle River, N.J:
ticomponent column. For either the earned her BS in Chemical Engi-
Prentice Hall PTR, 1999. Print.
McCabe-Thiele case or the FUG case, neering from Washington State • Seader, J. D., and Ernest J. Henley. Sepa-
reboiler and condenser duties can be University and her PhD in Chemical ration Process Principles. New York: Wiley,
estimated by determining the reflux Engineering from Cornell University. 2006. Print.
and boilup flows, finding the enthalpy Her research interests include clas- • Smith, J. M., Van Ness H. C., and Mi-
of vaporisation of the distillate and sical and statistical thermodynam- chael M. Abbott. Introduction to Chemical
bottoms, and performing an enthalpy ics, computer simulation, and fluid Engineering Thermodynamics. New York:
balance on the entire column. Part phase equilibria. McGraw-Hill, 1996. Print.
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