NUMBER OF EQUILIBRIUM STAGES

IN BINARY DISTILLATION
ANALYTICAL METHOD
LEWIS-SOREL METHOD

V1

F
xF
hF

qD
L0
x0
h0

Over-all material balance:

D, xD, hD

F=D+B

(1)

Component material balance

qB

F xF = D xD + B xB

F xF = D xD + (F D) xB

B, xB, hB

F xF xB
D
xD xB

(4)

ASSUMPTIONS:

Equimolal overflow
V1 V2 Vn and

VF1 VF 2 ... Vm (5)

L0 L1 ... Ln

LF LF1 ... Lm

and

(6)

The two components have equal and

constant Hvap.
The sensible enthalpy changes of the
vapor and liquid are negligible
compared to the latent heats.
The binary mixture behaves as an
ideal solution.
The stages are adiabatic except at

ENRICHING SECTION
D is calculated using eq. (4)

V1

V1
V2
V3
V4
V5

L0
L1
L2
L3
L4
L5

Providing that R is
D fixed, L0 is calculated
using the equation
L0 reflux ratio:
defining
R
(5)
D
Material balance around condens
V1 = L0 + D
(6)
Since V1 is in equilibrium
with L1, the composition
(x1) of L1 is obtained from

Material balance around envelope A:

A
V1
V2
V3
V4
V5

V2 = L1 + D
L0
L1
L2
L3
L4
L5

(7)

Component balance:
V2 y2 = L1 x1 + D xD

(8)

L1
D
y2 x1 xD
V2
V2

(9)

The composition of
V2, V3,. .., Vn is
calculated by
D
x
performing material
balance in envelope
A: yn+1 = Ln xn + D xD(10)
Vn+1
D

Vn+1

F
xF

vF

n
Ln

n+1

LF-1

L'F

Ln
D
yn1
xn
xD
Vn1
Vn1

(11)

Since the molar liquid overflow is

constant, Ln = L and Vn+1 = V:
L
D
yn1 xn xD
V
V

(12)

Eq. (12) relates the composition of

the vapor rising to a plate to the
composition of the liquid on the
plate.

Equilibrium equation:
Vn, yn
Stage n
Ln, xn

y1,n
K1
x1,n

y2,n 1 y1,n
K2

x2,n 1 x1,n
K2 1 x1,n 1 y1,n
K2 1 x1,n 1 K1 x1,n
x1,n K1 K2 1 K2
1 K2
x1,n
K1 K2

FEED PLATE

Material balance around feed plat

F VF1 LF1 VF LF
vF
F
xF

VF1

(13)

LF-1

Component balance around feed p

LF
FxF VF1yF1 LF1xF1 VFYF LFxF
(14)

VF+1 and LF are calculated using eqs.

(13) along with the information about
thermal condition of the feed.
yF+1 is calculated using eq. (14)

STRIPPING SECTION
F
xF

Vm1

Lm

The composition of Vm is
calculated by performing
material balance in
envelope A:
Vm1 Lm B
(15)

m+1

Vm1 ym1 Lmxm BxB

B
xB

(16)

Lm
B
ym1
xm
xB (17)
Vm1
Vm1
Lm
B
ym1 xm xB
Vm
Vm

(18)

EXAMPLE 1
Pertinent data on the binary system heptaneethyl benzene at 760 mm Hg are as follows.
t, C

EB

136.2 0.000 0.000

129.5 0.080 0.233

-1.23

1.00
1.00

122.9 0.185 0.428

119.7 0.251 0.514
116.0 0.335 0.608

1.19
1.14
1.12

1.02
1.03
1.05

110.8
106.2
103.0
100.2

0.729
0.834
0.904
0.963

1.06
1.03
1.00
1.00

1.09
1.15
1.22
1.27

1.000 1.000

1.00

--

98.5

xH

0.487
0.651
0.788
0.914

yH

A feed mixture composed of 42 mole %

heptane, 58 mole % ethyl benzene is to
be fractionated at 760 mm Hg to produce
distillate containing 97 mole % heptane
and a residue containing 99 mole % ethyl
benzene. Using (L/D) = 2.5, determine
the number of equilibrium stages needed
for a saturated liquid feed and bubblepoint reflux.

SOLUTION
Since xn is calculated using equilibrium
relationship, it is necessary to develop an
equation correlating xn and yn.
Based on the
available
data, an equation
3
2
x 0.771y 0.104
y 0.334
y
is established:

sume 100 mole of feed is introduced:

F xF xB 100 0.42 0.01
D

42.71
xD xB
0.97 0.01

B = F D = 100 42.71 = 57.29

L0 = R D = (2.5) (42.71) = 106.77

L1 = L2 = . . . . = L0 = 106.77
= L0 + D = 106.77 + 42.71 = 149.48
V1 = V2 = . . . . = 149.48

ENRICHING SECTION
Ln
D
106
.77
42.71

yn1 xn xD
xn1
0.97
Vn
Vn
149
.48
.48
149
yn1 0.7143
xn 0.277
xn

3
2
0.771yn 0.104
yn 0.334
yn

yn

xn

0.970

0.930

0.941

0.865

0.895

0.769

0.826

0.640

0.734

0.494

0.630

0.362

FEED PLATE

eed is a saturated liquid:

FL = F
F
FV = 0
LF L5 FL 106
.77 100 206
.77
L6 L7 206
.77

V6
L5
V7'
A

L'6

erial balance around feed plate (envelope A):

F VF1 LF1 VF LF
F V7 L5 V6 L6
100 V7 106
.77 149
.48 206
.77
V7 149
.48

omponent balance around feed plate:

FxF VF1 yF1 LF1 xF1 VF yF LF xF
FxF V7 y7 L5 x5 V6 y6 L6 x6
V6 y6 L6 x6 FxF L5 x5
y7
V7
y7

149

.48 0.63 206

.77 0.362
149
.48

100 0.42 106

.77 0.494

y7 = 0.497

149
.48

STRIPPING SECTION
Lm
B
206
.77
57.29

ym1 xm xB
xm
0.01
Vm
Vm
149
.48
.48
149
ym1 1.3833
xm 0.0038

1.383261975 0.5729

xm

3
2
0.771ym 0.104
ym 0.334
ym

m
7
8
9
10
11

ym
0.497
0.321
0.165
0.073
0.030

xm
0.235
0.122
0.056
0.024
0.010

Number of equilibrium stages = 11