GRAPHICAL MULTISTAGE CALCULATIONS BY THE PONCON-SAVARIT METHOD Brief overview of the Method The McCabe-Thiele method assumes that

molar liquid and vapour flows are constant in each section of the column. This assumption eliminates the need to make an energy balance for each stage. A graphical method that includes energy balances as well as material balances is the Ponchon-Savarit method. The Ponchon-Savarit method uses Enthalpyconcentration diagrams such as the one shown below. This diagram includes curves for the enthalpies of saturated liquid and vapour mixtures. Terminal points of tie lines connecting these two curves represent the equilibrium vapour and liquid compositions. For the purpose of this section we are always going to assume that Murphrees plate efficiency is 100% which implies that liquid and vapour streams leaving each plate are in perfect equilibrium with each other in terms of their compositions.

Consider a single stage, n-1, where vapour from stage n-2 below is mixed adiabatically with liquid from stage n above to give an overall mixture, denoted by the mole fraction z, and then brought to equilibrium.

The energy balance for stage n-1 are Mixing: Vn2 H n2 Ln hn Vn2 Ln hz Equilibration: Eqn. 1
Eqn 2

n2

Ln hz V n1 H n1 Ln1 hn1

The governing material balance for the light component are Mixing: yn2V n2 xn Ln z V n2 Ln Eqn 3 Equilibrium: z V n2 Ln

y V
n1

n1

xn1 Ln1 Eqn 4

Simultaneous solution of Eqn 1 and Eqn 3 by solving for L/V in both equations yields

H y

n2 n2

hz z

h h zx
z

Eqn 5

Equation 5 is a three-point form of a straight line on the Enthalpy-concentration diagram. Simultaneous solution of Eqn 2 and Eqn 4 gives
hz z h h zx
z

H y

n 1 n 1

n 1

n 1

Eqn 6

Equation 6 is also a three-point form of a straight line on the Enthalpy-concentration diagram where xn-1 and yn-1 equilibrium concentrations of the streams leaving the column, therefore points the points (Hn-1, yn-1) and (hn-1, xn-1) must lie on the opposite ends of the tie line that passes through the mixing point (hz, z) Development of operating equations for the enriching section Consider the distillation column shown below

The design equations are developed by making material and enthalpy balances around the portion of the enriching section enclosed with the dotted line.
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The material balance for the volatile component is

y V
n2

n 2

xn1 Ln1 D xD

Eqn. 7

The total balance is V n2 Ln1 D Eqn. 8 and the enthalpy balance is Eqn. 9 Solving Eqn 7 and 8 simultaneously for Ln-1 / D,
D

D H n2V n2 hn1 Ln1 hD D

L
L

n1

x y

n 2

y x

n2 n1

Eqn. 10

and simultaneous solution of Eqn. 8 and Eqn. 9

n 1

q H n2
D n2

hn1

Eqn. 11

Combining Eqn 10 and Eqn 11 and rearranging, we obtain

q H n 2
D

n2

H y

n 2

n2

xn1

hn1

Eqn. 12

Eqn. 12 is a three point form of straight line on the enthalpy concentration diagram. It represents the operating line for the section of the column between stage n-1 and n-2 The point whose coordinate are (hD qD, xD ), is called the difference or net flow point, because it represents the net enthalpy of passing streams
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q
D

n2

n2

hn1 Ln1 / D

Eqn 13

Calculating stages in the Enriching Section If the dotted line in the figure above had crossed between stage n and n-1, the resulting operating line for that section of the column would have been

q H n1
D

x y
D

n1

H y

n1

n1

xn

hn

Eqn 14

If the material balance loop encloses only the overhead condenser and reflux divider, the operating line is

q Hn
D

x y
D

H h y x
n n

Eqn 15

but with a total condenser yn = xD, therefore Eqn 15 is a vertical line x = xD.

The net flow point P may be located if the reflux ratio at the top of the column and the composition and the thermal conditions of the product are known. Development of operating equations for the stripping section Applying the same reasoning and methodology as we did in the enriching section, we can show that the operating equation for section enclosed by the dotted line in the figure above is

h q H
B B

x y
B

H h y x
m m

m1

m1

Eqn 16

qB is the heat added to the reboiler per unit mass (or mole) Development of operating equations for the overall column Considering the entire column in the figure above, a total overall material balance is F D B Eqn 17 a component balance is zF F xD D xB B Eqn 18 and an enthalpy balance is
F hF q B q D hD D hB B Eqn 19 B D

If you solve simultaneously Eqn. 17 and 18 and then Eqn. 18 and 19 for D/B you will end up with
D B

z x x z
F D

h q h h q h
F B B D D F

Eqn. 20

and rearranging, we obtain

D B

q hF
D D F

x z

h
F

q
B

Eqn. 21

z x

Eqn. 21 is a three-point form of a straight line which can be represented on the H-y, h-x diagram. Thus putting everything together we can explain the following about information on the H-y, h-x diagram

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Section of the Column Enriching Enriching Enriching Enriching Stripping Stripping Stripping Overall Overall

Line Segment PB CP/EP AP/BP AP/AB PG MP/KP MP/MK PP/FP FP/FP

Significance Heat removed in condenser per kg of distillate (qD) L/V general L/V on top plate (internal reflux ration L/D on top plate (external reflux ratio Heat added in reboiler per kg of bottoms (qB) L/V general L/B general F/D D/B

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Feed Stage Location In the diagram above, P is the difference point for stages above the feed stage and P for stages below the feed stage, it follows that the transition from one difference point to the other occurs at the feed stage. Therefore the tie line that crosses the line PP will be ideal feed stage.
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In the diagram above we also identify pinch points, these are tie lines that coincide with operating lines. Using the difference point P, it is impossible to move beyond the tie line K. In order to move farther down the column, we must shift from the enriching section to the stripping section operating line. The same argument will apply for tie line R which becomes the limiting point for the stripping section of the column. Therefore for this situation, you feed stage can be any where between Stage 4 and Stage 7 Limiting Reflux Ratios Total Reflux At total reflux, the minimum number of stages is required and F=0, B = 0, D = 0, therefore the points (hD qD, xD) and (hB qB, xB) lie at infinity. The operating lines for each section of the column thus become straight vertical lines and the minimum number of stages in calculated as shown in the diagram below.

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Minimum Reflux Ratio The first step in determining the minimum reflux ratio is to use the feed condition. In the diagram below the difference point P and P are located by extending the equilibrium tie line through zF to its intersections with the two difference point.

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However in the Figure below, the extension of the feed point tie line places the difference points at P1 and P1. The pinch point however manifests itself at tie line T. This suggests that the minimum reflux ratio in the enriching section is set by the highest intersection
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made by the steepest tie line in the section with the line x = xD. Use of difference point P in stepping off stages gives an infinite number of stages with the pinch point occurring at xT

Point P is found by the intersection of line PzF with

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x = xB. If there is a tie line in the stripping section that gives a lower P, this must be used; otherwise, a pinch region will develop in the stripping section. The Partial Condenser The Figure below shows the construction of operating line corresponding to an enriching section with a partial condenser. Here Vn and LR are on the same operating line, and LR is in equilibrium with D.

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Class Discussion Exercises 1. One hundred kilogram-moles per hour of saturated n-hexane-n-octane vapour containing 69 mole % hexane is separated by distillation at atmospheric pressure into a product containing 90 mole % hexane and bottoms containing 5 mole % hexane. The total condenser returns 42.5 mole % of the condensate to the column as saturated liquid. Using the graphical Ponchon-Savarit method and the enthalpyconcentration data provided below, calculate a. The rate of production of bottoms and overhead b. The kilocalories per hour supplied to the boiler and those removed at the condenser c. The number of stages required.
x y hL x103 HV x103 0 0 9 17.05 0.025 0.19 8.7 16.7 0.05 0.23 8.4 16.5 0.1 0.4 8.1 16 0.14 0.52 7.8 15.5 0.22 0.61 7.2 15.1 0.28 0.69 6.7 14.7 0.42 0.83 6.05 13.5 0.55 0.9 5.5 13 0.69 0.96 5.05 12.2 1 1 4.3 11.8

2.

A 59 mole % saturated vapour feed stream containing a 50 mole % mixture of nhexane-n-octane is to be separated into a distillate containing 95 mole % hexane and a bottoms containing 5 mole % hexane. The operation is to be carried out in a column with a reboiler and partial condenser. Reflux is saturated liquid, and feed enters at the optimum stage. a. What is the minimum of stages the column must have to carry out the separation? b. At an LR/D of 1.5 (L/D)min for the top stage, how many stages are required?

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