DISTILLATION COLUMN DESIGN

Molecular weight of AcOH =60

Molecular weight of Me
2
CO =58
Mol fractions acetone feed, (x
F
) = (60/58)/ (60/58+40/60)
=1.034/1.704 =0.61
Mol fraction of acetone at the top product (x
D
) = (99/58)/ (99/58+1/60)
=1.707/1.724 =0.99
Mol fraction of acetone at the bottom product (x
B
) = (2/58)/ (2/58+98/60)
=0.034/1.667 =0.02
Now, molecular weight of feed (M
F
) = {0.61*58 + (1-0.61)*60} = 58.78
Feed (F) = (9000 kg/hr)/58.78kg =153.11kmol/hr.
Top product, D =? Bottom product, B =?
Doing mass balances, we get-
F=D+B or 153.11=D+B - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (1)
& Fx
F
=Dx
D
+Bx
B

Or, 153.11*0.61=0.99*D+0.02*B
Or, 93.397=0.99*D+0.02B - - - - - - - - - - - - - (2)
From (1), we get ---
B =153.11 D
Putting this in (1), we get
93.397 =0.99D +0.02(153.11 D) Or, 93.397 =0.99D -0.02D +3.0622
Or, D =90.335/0.97 =93.13 kmol/hr & B = (153.11-93.13) =59.98 kmol/hr.
Feed Condition (q line):
Bubble point of feed, T
b
= 67
o
C; Feed temperature, T
F
= 25
o
C
[6]
Heat capacity of feed = (0.61*0.52*58) + (0.39*0.56*60) = 31.501 cal/mol
o
C
Latent heat of feed = (0.61*126*58) + (0.39*96.75*60) = 6721.83 cal/mol
o
C.
As the feed is cold
Q = 1+ [C
PL
(T
b
-T
F
)] / =1+31.501(67-25)/ 6721.83 = 1+ 0.196 =1.196
Slope of q-line =q/ (q-1) =1.196/ (1.196 -1) =6.10
Min reflux ratio = R
Dm.
from graph of x
e
vs y
e
, we get
X
D
/ (R
Dm
+1) =0.92 or R
Dm
= (0.99/0.92)-1 =1.08-1 =0.08.
Actual reflux ratio,R
D
=n*R
Dm
=2*0.08 =0.16.
Intercept of actual rectifying line on y axis =x
D
/ (R
D
+1) =0.99/ (0.16+1) =0.85.
No of ideal trays obtained from graph =8
Actual no of stages = 8/0.7 [as efficiency = 70%]
=11
Vapour flow rate at the top,V =D(1+R
D
) =93.13(1+0.16) =108.03 kmol/hr.
Liquid flow rate at the top = V-D (108.03-93.13) =14.9 kmol/hr.
Now, slope of bottom operating line = (0.94-0.2) / (0.68-0.2) =1.54.
L
1
/V
1
=1.54 & V
1
=L
1
-B
Or, V
1
=1.54V
1
-B
Or, 0.54V
1
=B
V
1
=59.98/0.54 =111.07 kmol/hr =vap. Flow below feed.
L
1
=liq. Flow below feed =1.54*111.07 =171.05 kmol/hr
Assuming per plate =100 mm of water.
Column pressure drop =100*10
-3
m*10
3
kg/m
3
*9.81ms
-2
*10 = 9810 pa.
Top pressure =1 atm =101.4*10
3
pa.
Bottom pressure = (101.4*10
3
+9810) pa =111210 pa = 1.11 bar
[7]
Top:
Density of liquid at top of distillation column
Density of more volatile component,
l
= 790 kg/m
3

Density of vapour at the top =
v

Vapour flow rate at the top =108.03 kmol/hr
Avg. mol. Weight of the top product, M
1
= {0.99*58+0.1*60} gm/mole = 63.42 gm/mole .
Top pressure P
1
=1 atm, R
1
=0.082 lit-atm/mole
o
k, T
1
=56.2
o
C i.e mean 329.2
o
C

u
= (P
1
M
1
)/ (R
1
T
1
)

= (1*63.42 atm gm/mole)/(0.082*329.2
o
k lit atm/mole
o
k
=2.35 gm/lit = 2.35kg/m
3

BOTTOM:
Density of liquid at bottom,
l
=1049kg/m
3

Density of vap at bottom,
v
=P
2
M
2
/RT
2
= (1.097*59.96)/(0.082*390.9)
=2.05 gm/lit =2.05 kg/m
3

Surface tension of top liquid (Me
2
co) =21.616*10
-3
N/m
Surface tension of bottom liquid (Ac0H) =27.6*10
-3
N/m
COLUMN DIAMETER:
Slope of the top operating line =0.16; Slope of the bottom operating line =1.54
F
LV
BOTTOM =1.54*{(2.05)
1/2
/ (1049)
1/2
} =0.068
F
LV
TOP =0.16*{(2.35)
1/2
/ (790)
1/2
=0.008
Taking plate spacing as 0.5 m
K
1
(bottom) =8.5*10
-2
; K
1
(top) =9.5 *10
-2
[from fig 11.27]
Correction for surface tension-
Bottom K
1
= (27.6/20)
0.2
*8.5*10
-2
=0.09
Top K
1
= (21.616/ 20)
0.2
*9.5*10
-2
= 0.096
[8]
Therefore bottom flooding velocity, u
f
=0.09*{(1049-2.05) / 2.05}
1/2
= 2.03 m/s
& top flooding velocity, u
/
f
=0.096*{(790-2.35) / 2.35} = 1.76 m/s.
Design for 85% flooding at maximum flow rate---
Bottom, u
v
= 2.03*0.85 = 1.73 m/s; Top, u
/
v
= 1.76*0.85 = 1.49 m/s
Maximum volumetric flow rate---
Bottom = (111.07*60) / (2.05*3600) m
3
/s = 0.90 m
3
/s
Top = (108.03*58) / (2.35*3600) m
3
/s = 0.74 m
3
/s
Therefore net area required-----
Bottom = 0.9 / 1.73 m
2
= 0.52 m
2
& Top = 0.74 / 1.49 m
2
= 0.5 m
2
.
As first trial, take down comer area as 12% of total column cross-sectional area.
Bottom = 0.52 / 0.88 m
2
= 0.59 m
2
& Top = 0.5 / 0.88 m
2
=0.57 m
2
.
Therefore column diameter ---
Bottom = {(0.59*4) / t}
1/2
m = 0.87 m & top = {(0.57*4) / t}
1/2
m = 0.85 m.
Therefore column diameter = 0.87 m (higher one).
Provisional Plate Design:
Column diameter, D
c
= 0.87 m
Distillation column cross-section, A
c
= 0.59 m
2
Down comer area, A
d
= (0.12*0.59) m
2
= 0.07 m
2
at 12%
Net area, A
n
= A
c
A
d
= 0.52 m
2
Active area, A
a
= A
c
2A
d
= (0.59- 2*0.07) m
2
= 0.45 m
2
.
Area of all perforations, A
h
= 10% as first trial = 0.045 m
2
.
Weir length, L
w
= (0.77*0.87) m = 0.67 m [from fig. 11.31]
Taking, Weir height = 50 mm; Hole diameter = 5 mm; Plate thickness = 5 mm.
Material of construction of plate = carbon steel.
[9]
Weeping Check:
Maximum liquid rate = {(171.05*60) / 3600} = 2.75 Kg/s.
Minimum liquid rate at 70% turn down = (0.7*2.75) Kg/s = 1.93 Kg/s.
Maximum h
ow
= 750 * {2.75 / (0.67*1049)}
2/3
= 0.0038m = 3.8 mm liquid.
Minimum h
ow
= 750 * {1.93 / (0.67*1049)}
2/3
= 0.00189m = 1.89 mm liquid.
At minimum rate, h
w
+ h
ow
= (50+1.89) mm = 51.89 mm.
Now from figure 11.30-- K
2
= 30.1
Minimum design vapour velocity, u
h
(min) = [{30.1-0.9 (25.4-5)} / 2.05
1/2
] m/s = 11.45m/s
Actual minimum vapour velocity = minimum vap rate/ A
h
= (0.7*0.9)/ 0.045 = 14 m/s.
So, minimum operating rate will be well above the weep point.
Plate Pressure Drop:
- Dry plate drop-
Minimum vap velocity through holes, u
h
= 0.9 / 0.045 m/s = 20 m/s
From figure 11.34, for plate thickness diameter = 1 & A
h
/ A
p
= A
h
/ A
a
= 0.1. So, c
o
= 0.84.
So, h
d
= 51*{u
h
/ c
o
}
2
*(
v
/
l
) = 51*{20 / 0.84}
2
* (2.05/1049) = 56.5 mm liquid
& Residual head, h
r
= (12.5*10
3
) /
l
= (12.5*10
3
) / 1049 = 11.92 mm liquid.
Total plate pressure drop, h
t
= h
d
+ h
w
+ h
ow
+ h
r
= 56.5+ 50+3.8+11.92 = 122.22 mm liq
Down comer Liquid Back-up:
- Down comer pressure loss-
Lets take h
ap
= h
w
10 = 40 mm.
Area under apron, A
ap
= (0.67*40*10
-3
) m
2
= 0.027 m
2
(its less than A
d
).
So, h
dc
= 166*[275 / (1049*0.027)]
2
= 1.56 mm = 2 mm (almost)
So, back up in down comer, h
bc
= 50+3.8+122.22+2 = 178.02 mm = 0.18 m
& 0.18m <1/2 (plate spacing + weir height)
Residence Time:
[10]
Residence time, t
r
= (h
bc
*

l
* A
d
) / L
wd
= (0.07*0.18*1049) / 2.75 = 4.81s
Therefore, 4.81 s > 3 s & Hence, satisfactory.
Entrainment Check:
U
v
= maximum volumetric flow rate / A
n
= 0.9 m
3
/s / 0.52 m
2
= 1.73 m/s
% flooding = 1.73 m/s / 2.03 m/s = 85%
F
LV
(bottom) = 0.068
From figure 11.29, we get = 0.01 which is well below the value 0.1.
Perforated Area:
From figure 11.32 we get, at l
w
/ D
c
= 0.67 / 0.87 = 0.77 & u
c
= 100
o
So, angle subtended by the edge of the plate = 180
0
100
0
= 80
0
.
Mean length of un-perforated edge strips = (0.87- 50*10
-3
) * t * 80 / 180 = 1.14 m
Area of un-perforated edge strips = 50 * 10
-3
* 1.14 = 0.057 m
2
.
Mean length of calming zone (approx) = weir length + width of un-perforated strip
= 0.67 + 50 * 10
-3
= 0.72 m.
Area of calming zone = 2 * (0.72 * 0.05) = 0.072 m
2
.
Total area of perforation, A
p
= A
a
0.0570.072 = (0.45 0.057 0.072) m
2
= 0.321 m
2
.
A
h
/ A
p
= 0.045 / 0.321 = 0.14.
Now, 0.9 * [d
n
/ L
p
]
2
= A
h
/ A
p
Or, d
n
/ L
p
= (0.14/0.9)
1/2
= 0.394. So, L
p
/ d
n
= 2.53
i.e. the width is in between the range 2.5 & 4.0.
Area of one hole = 1.964*10
-5
m
2
. So, no of holes = 0.045/ 1.964*10
-5
= 2291.




[11]