Flash distillation

1. Theoretical background

Flash distillation is a special operation within distillation, where a liquid mixture

is heated up and fed with constant flowrate into a distillation equipment. The
resulting vapor and liquid phases enter a phase separator an equilibrium
chamber and are drained separately. During the operation, the total pressure and
temperature of the system, as well as the compositions of the two phases in
equilibrium remain constant over time.
One implementation of this operation is shown in Figure 1.

P3 > P5

V; y

F
xF

L; x

Figure 1
Flash distillation

The mixture to be separated is fed from the feed tank (1) by a pump (2) through a
heat exchanger (3) at pressure P3. Here, it is heated above the boiling point it
would have at P5, the pressure inside the phase separator (5). The pressure of the
mixture is then decreased by flowing it through a valve (4), so that it partially
evaporates and yields a vapor and liquid phase with equilibrium compositions.
Based on Figure 1, the following balance equations can be obtained:
mass balance
F = L+V (Eq.1)
component balance:
Fx F = Lx + Vy (Eq.2)
All necessary calculation can be carried out by using balance equations (Eq.1) and
(Eq.2). The balance equations are valid whether using molar flows or mass flows.
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Another implementation of flash distillation is feeding a mixture of quantity F and
composition xF into a heated tank, yielding a liquid phase of quantity L and
composition x, and a vapor phase of quantity V and composition y (which is the
equilibrium composition for liquid phase composition x). (Eq.1) and (Eq.2) apply
in this case as well, thus all results are calculated with the same methods. This
second implementation requires a startup period, which will be explained in detail
later.

1.1. Calculation of flash distillation

The vapor phase composition y expressed from (Eq.1) and (Eq.2) yields the
following equation:
L F
y = x + x F (Eq.3)
V V
Figure 2 shows (Eq.3) and the equilibrium curve.

Figure 2
Equilibrium diagram for flash distillation

To calculate this operation, feed quantity and composition (F, xF) and either the
liquid and vapor quantities (L, V) or the liquid composition x (and potentially,
vapor composition y) is always given. Based on (Eq.3), the intersection point
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between the line starting from point x = xF with gradient L/V and the equilibrium
curve yields point P (x, y) which describes the vapor and liquid phase
compositions leaving the equilibrium chamber.
One extreme condition that can be derived from the Figure 2 is when the entire
feed is evaporated (L = 0; F = V; L/V = 0), in this case the vapor and feed
compositions are equal (y = xF). The other extreme case is when there is no vapor
phase (V = 0; F = L; L/V = ), in this case the liquid and feed compositions are
equal (x = xF). The ratio between the liquid and vapor phases obtained with flash
distillation can be changed via the degree of evaporation (heating).
Flash distillation is used in practice for components with large relative
volatility, or if the separation based on the vaporliquid equilibrium (distillation)
can be combined with a physical separation based on a liquidliquid equilibrium.

1.2. Flash distillation with startup period

The startup period of flash distillation can be implemented in two ways:

a.) The feed, with quantity L0 and composition x0 is fed into the distillation tank
and batch distilled until the desired residue composition xw is reached. The
feed input and residue draining is then started, and heating is controlled so that
the vapor and residue compositions are constant.
b.) Feed with quantity F and composition xF is fed into the distillation tank
without draining residue, with the distillate flowrate being equal to the feed
flowrate F = V. Since the concentration of the more volatile compound is
always greater in the distillate than in the tank, the concentration in the tank
decreases over time. When the concentration in the tank reaches the required
concentration x, the feed flowrate and heating is increased so that residue with
composition x and distillate with equilibrium composition y can be drained
from the tank.

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1.2.1. Calculating startup time

For case b), startup time is calculated with condition F = V. This can be easily
implemented by maintaining a constant fluid level in the tank using an overflow
drain. The entire operation can be thus considered a batch distillation with refill.
In the startup period, the component balance for the operation is:
dx
Fx F Vy( x ) = L0 (Eq.4)
dt
where F feed flowrate, kg/h
V distillate flowrate, kg/h
xF =x0 feed concentration, mass fraction
y(x) distillate concentration changing over time, mass fraction
Considering the startup period condition F = V rearranging and integrating the
differential equation (Eq.4) yields:
t x
L dx
0 dt = t = F0 x y( x ) x F (Eq.5)
F

1
(Eq.5) can be integrated graphically using a x diagram. (Eq.5) shows
y( x ) x F
that given a constant feed stream, startup time is shorter for smaller amounts of
initial mixture L0; and for a given amount of initial mixture L0, startup time can be
reduced by increasing the feed stream flowrate (F).

2. Description of the experimental apparatus

The schematic of the apparatus is shown in Figure 3.

The apparatus consists of a feed tank (1), a flow control tap (2), a capillary flow
meter (3), an internally heated flask (4), the residue cooler (5) and distillate cooler
(6).
The residue and distillate are collected in flasks. The distillate forms two
phases, these will be separated in a separation funnel.

3. Description of the measurement

The aim of this experiment is the recovery of ethyl acetate from an aqueous
solution saturated with ethyl acetate. The solubility and vaporliquid equilibrium
data for the ethyl acetatewater system are shown in Figure 4.
Ethyl acetate and water have limited miscibility, thus the condensed vapors
cooled to room temperature typically form two phases. The enrichment due to
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distillation is further amplified by the separation of the distillate. In this case, the
industrial approach is to drain the ethyl acetate phase as the final product. Since
the composition of the water phase composition usually equals the feed
composition, it is recycled into the distillation tank.
Due to the phase separation, (Eq.1) and (Eq.2) must be augmented with the
balance equations of the phase separator (Florence flask).
Mass balance of the phase separator:
V = L1 + L2 (Eq.6)
Component balance of the phase separator:
Vy = L1x1 + L2 x 2 (Eq.7)
In (Eq.6) and (Eq.7) L1 denotes the amount of the ethyl acetate phase, L2 denotes
the amount of the water phase (both in kg/h), x1 denotes the composition of the
etyl acetate phase, x2 denotes the composition of the water phase (both in mass
fraction). Typically, x2 = x0 = xF.

V; y

L; x

Figure 3
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 Laboratory flash distillation equipment
3.1. Measuring startup time

Flask 4 contains water saturated with ethyl acetate. First, turn on the cooling
water, then start the internal heating coils with a heating voltage of 150 V. When
boiling begins, adjust the heating voltage to between 100 and 120 V (the exact
value will be specified by the instructor), and measure the startup time with a
stopwatch starting when the first drop appears. Adjust the feed such that the level
inside the boiler does not change (F = V), typically around 510 ml/min. The
startup time ends when 90 C is reached.

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 Figure 4
Equilibrium diagram of the waterethyl acetate system

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3.2. Measurement in steady state

When the boiling point reaches 90 C, increase the feed by 810 times so that the
boiling point stabilizes between 87 and 93 C. A constant boiling temperature
indicates that steady state has been reached. At this point, take clean collector
flasks and measure in steady state for 20 minutes. Decrease the feed if the
temperature dereases, increase it if the temperature increases. After 20 minutes,
measure the mass of the residue and determine its concentration by refractometry.
Measure the mass of the two phases of the distillate at room temperature and
determine their concentration from the equilibrium diagram. The exact mass of the
feed is given by the sum of the residue and distillate masses. The capillary flow
meter is only used to maintain a constant feed rate.

Laboratory report:

a.) Startup period

initial mixture L0 = g
heating voltage U= V
feed temperature = C
(room temperature)
feed composition based on temperature xF = tmeg %
temperature at the end of startup = C
measured startup time t= min

b.) Steady state

measurement time t= min
heating voltage U= V
feed according to flow meter F= g/min
boiling point = C
distillate temperature = C
feed refractive index n D20 =
component balance

Distillate Residue
upper phase lower phase
L1 x1 L2 x2 L x
g mass% g mass% g mass%

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To be handed in:
1.) The measure startup time, compared with that calculated from (Eq.5).
2.) Error of the component balance according to the following equation:
Fx F (Vy + Lx )
%= 100 = (Eq.8)
Fx F
In (Eq.8) the average distillate composition y can be calculated from (Eq.6) and
(Eq.7).

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