5/30/2017 BasicEquipmentandOperationofDistillationColumns

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anintroduction
Copyright19972016byM.T.Tham

Introduction BASICDISTILLATIONEQUIPMENTANDOPERATION
TypesofColumns
MainComponentsofDistillationColumns
BasicEquipment
andOperation Distillationcolumnsaremadeupofseveralcomponents,eachofwhichisusedeither
ColumnInternals totranferheatenergyorenhancematerailtransfer.Atypicaldistillationcontains
severalmajorcomponents:
Reboilers
averticalshellwheretheseparationofliquidcomponentsiscarriedout
Distillation
Principles columninternalssuchastrays/platesand/orpackingswhichareusedto
VapourLiquid enhancecomponentseparations
Equilibria
areboilertoprovidethenecessaryvaporisationforthedistillationprocess
Distillation
ColumnDesign acondensertocoolandcondensethevapourleavingthetopofthecolumn
Effectsofthe
NumberofTrays arefluxdrumtoholdthecondensedvapourfromthetopofthecolumnsothat
orStages liquid(reflux)canberecycledbacktothecolumn

FactorsAffecting Theverticalshellhousesthecolumninternalsandtogetherwiththecondenserand
Operation reboiler,constituteadistillationcolumn.Aschematicofatypicaldistillationunitwith
asinglefeedandtwoproductstreamsisshownbelow:
Crossword
OtherResources
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BasicOperationandTerminology
Theliquidmixturethatistobeprocessedisknownasthefeedandthisisintroduced
usuallysomewherenearthemiddleofthecolumntoatrayknownasthefeedtray.
Thefeedtraydividesthecolumnintoatop(enrichingorrectification)sectionanda
bottom(stripping)section.Thefeedflowsdownthecolumnwhereitiscollectedat
thebottominthereboiler.

Heatissuppliedtothereboilertogeneratevapour.Thesourceofheatinputcanbe
anysuitablefluid,althoughinmostchemicalplantsthisisnormallysteam.In
refineries,theheatingsourcemaybetheoutputstreamsofothercolumns.The
vapourraisedinthereboilerisreintroducedintotheunitatthebottomofthe
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5/30/2017 BasicEquipmentandOperationofDistillationColumns

column.Theliquidremovedfromthereboilerisknown
asthebottomsproductorsimply,bottoms.

Thevapour
movesup
the
column,
andasit
exitsthe
topoftheunit,itiscooledbya
condenser.Thecondensedliquidis
storedinaholdingvesselknownasthe
refluxdrum.Someofthisliquidisrecycledbacktothetopofthecolumnandthisis
calledthereflux.Thecondensedliquidthatisremovedfromthesystemisknownas
thedistillateortopproduct.

Thus,thereareinternalflowsofvapourandliquidwithinthecolumnaswellas
externalflowsoffeedsandproductstreams,intoandoutofthecolumn.

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