CHE425UNITOPERATIONSI

ComplexColumns
ThePonchonmethodcanalsobeusedtohandlemultiplefeeds,multipleproducts,
and multiple heat sources. The procedure is essentially the same that is every three
streamsthatobeytheconservationofmassandenergywillbeonthesamestraightline.
However the calculation is a little more complex since there will be more than two
sectionsortwooperatingpointsinacolumn.Massandenergybalancesandequilibrium
relationsaresolvedforeachsectionofthecolumnwhichhasadifferentoperatingpoint.
PartialCondenser
Foracolumnwithadistillateproductasasaturatedvaporfromtherefluxdrum,
theDpointontheHxydiagramislocatedonthesaturatedvaporline.Inthiscaseonly
partofthevaporentersthecondenserbecomesliquid,hencethenamepartialcondenser.
Theliquidintherefluxdrumistheninequilibriumwiththevaporproduct.Thisliquidhas
acompositionxowhichislocatedattheotherendofthetielinefromy D.Therefluxdrum
give an additional stage of separation because of the partial condenser. The upper
operating point D is now located at (yD, HD+QC/D). Fig 2.8. shows the stepping
procedureforacolumnwithapartialcondenser.Thereareeightequilibriumstages.The
refluxdrumandthepartialreboileractastwoequilibriumstagesandtherestaresix
equilibriumtraysinthecolumn.
Iftheproductisremovedasavapordirectlyfromtheoverheadvaporline,before
thecondenser, thecondenserisatotalcondenser sinceitcondenses all theentered
vapor.Theliquidrefluxnowhasthesamecompositionasthevaporproduct,x o=yD.The
refluxdrumdoesnotprovideanadditionalseparationstage.ThePonchondiagramlooks
almostthesameastheliquiddistillatecaseexceptforthelocationoftheoperatingpoint
D.QCissmallerbecausethedistillateproductisnotcondensed.

CHE425UNITOPERATIONSI

V1 ,H1

QC

D'
D,HD,yD

Lo ,ho ,xo
F,hF,xF

H
or
h

F
W
8 7 6 5

QR
W,hW,xW

D
2

W'

xW

xF

xo

yD

Fig. 2.8. Partial Condenser on Enthalpy-Concentration diagram

MultipleFeedandSidestreams

Figure2.9showsacolumnwithtwofeedF 1andfeedF2.Theconcentrationofthe
mostvolatilespeciesisgreaterinthefeedF2,xF2>xF1.
TheupperoperatingpointDislocatedasbefore,at(x D,hD+QC/D).Theeffect
ofaddingasecondfeedF2tothecolumnistoproduceaneffectivefeedF=F1+F2.
Once F1 and F2 have been located in the diagram, the position of F can also be
determined.TheloweroperatingpointWalsohasthesamelocationasbefore,at(x W,
hWQR/W).DistheoperatingpointofthesectionabovethetopfeedandWisthe
operatingpointofthesectionbelowthelowerfeed.Thethirdoperatingpointmustbe
determinedtohandlethemiddlesectionbetweenthefeedtrays.Thisoperatingpointisat
theintersectionofthetwolinesD' F2 andW' F1 .

CHE425UNITOPERATIONSI

V1 ,H1

QC

Lo D, hD, xD
H
or
h

F2 , hF2 , xF2
Ln Vn+1

W
F1 , hF1 , xF1

QR

F1

F2

D'

.
D

W'

W, hW, xW
xW

xF1

xF2

xD

Fig. 2.9 Hxy diagram for system with two feeds

Thenumberofstagesrequiredisdeterminedinthesamemannerasbefore,using
theupperoperatingpointDfortherectifyingsectionbetweenthetopandtheupperfeed,
theintermediateoperatingpointforthemiddlesectionbetweenthetwofeeds,andthe
loweroperatingpointWforthestrippingsectionbetweenthelowerfeedandthebottom.
Thelocationoftheintermediateoperatingpointcanalsobedeterminedfrom
themassandenergybalancesovertherectifyingsectionincludingtheupperfeedF2
F2+Vn+1=Ln+D
(216)
F2xF2+Vn+1yn+1=Lnxn+DxD
(217)
F2hF2+Vn+1Hn+1=Lnhn+DhD+QC
(218)
Theaboveequationscanberearrangedto
LnVn+1=DF2=
LnxnVn+1yn+1=DxDF2xF2=x
Vn+1Hn+1Lnhn=DhD+QCF2hF2=h
Thecoordinatesofthepointare
x = DxD - F2 xF2
D - F2
Dh + QC - F2 hF2
h = D
D - F2

(219)
(220)
(221)

(222)
(223)

Figure2.10showsacolumnwithonesidestreamSintherectifyingsectionabove
thefeedF.Theprocedureissimilartothecaseoftwofeeds.Thesidestreamcanbe
viewedasanegativefeedtothecolumn.

CHE425UNITOPERATIONSI
TheupperoperatingpointDislocatedasbefore,at(x D,hD+QC/D).Theeffect
ofaddingasidestreamtothecolumnistoproduceaneffectivefeedF=FS.OnceF
andShavebeenlocatedinthediagram,thepositionofFcanalsobedetermined.The
loweroperatingpointWalsohasthesamelocationasbefore,at(x W,hWQR/W).Dis
theoperatingpointofthesectionabovethesidestreamandWistheoperatingpointof
thesectionbelowthefeed.Thethirdoperatingpointmustbedeterminedtohandlethe
middlesectionbetweenthesidestreamandthefeedtray.Thisoperatingpointisatthe
intersectionofthetwolinesD'S and W'F .
V1 ,H1

QC

D'

Lo D, hD, xD
S, hS, xS

H
or
h

..

F'

Ln Vn+1
W

F1

F, hF, xF

QR

W'

W, hW, xW
xW

xF

xS

xD

Fig. 2.10 Hxy diagram for system with one sidestream

ThesystemshowninFig2.10hasatwophasesfeedandasidestreamassaturated
liquid.Thecoordinatesoftheintermediateoperatingpointare
x = DxD + SxS
D+S
(224)
h =

DhD + QC + ShS
D+S

(225)