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Distillation Set Up

The document provides a checklist of 10 important questions to consider when designing an industrial distillation column. The questions relate to selecting the appropriate distillation system and conditions, calculating volatility coefficients, choosing the right operating pressure, accounting for heat sensitivity, optimizing reflux ratios, selecting proper vapor velocities, correctly spacing trays, using appropriately sized packings, and ensuring proper column sizing. Answering these questions is critical for a successful distillation column design project.

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Trupti Patil
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62 views

Distillation Set Up

The document provides a checklist of 10 important questions to consider when designing an industrial distillation column. The questions relate to selecting the appropriate distillation system and conditions, calculating volatility coefficients, choosing the right operating pressure, accounting for heat sensitivity, optimizing reflux ratios, selecting proper vapor velocities, correctly spacing trays, using appropriately sized packings, and ensuring proper column sizing. Answering these questions is critical for a successful distillation column design project.

Uploaded by

Trupti Patil
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DISTILLATION COLUMN CHECKLIST

There are several important questions that must be answered before designing a distillation column. In “A Stepwise
Procedure for Continuous Distillation Column Design,” distillation expert Dr. Terry Tolliver summarized the five major
steps required in any industrial distillation column design.

Organizing Tolliver’s insights, we’ve created a checklist outlining the top ten questions to ask yourself when reviewing
your preliminary distillation column model design.

☐ Have you selected the correct Consider the number of chemicals you need to separate and how many stages
distillation system for your this will require. A fractionating column is appropriate for separating several
process? components in one column. A continuous distillation system maintains a steady
state and is usually used to separate one chemical of interest. Other types of
distillation include: steam distillation, vacuum, zone, reactive distillation,
catalytic, azeotropic distillation, pervaporation, flash, freeze and extraction
distillation.
☐ Did you use the correct activity Calculating your coefficients correctly is critical to the success of your project. If
coefficients when determining you’ve estimated this yourself, it’s a good idea to bring in an outside source to
volatility? double-check your work.
☐ Have you selected the correct It’s important to allow for an appropriate temperature difference between the
pressure or vacuum? distillation process and the utility process that occurs within the column.
Cooling water, steam supply and hot oil systems all have a bearing on your
column operations. Atmospheric or pressure operation of a column is usually
less expensive, but vacuum distillation can be more energy efficient.
☐ Is your process heat sensitive? If the answer is yes, go back and verify your pressure requirements. You may
have to operate at a lower pressure to avoid discoloration, fouling or
decomposition.
☐ Is your reflux ratio If yes, you’ve probably selected the optimal number of stages and the correct
approximately 1.2 times the feed location. If no, consider if the trade-off between utility usage and the
minimum reflux ratio? number of stages is optimal.

☐ Do you have an appropriate Superficial vapor velocity has a strong bearing on the distillation column design
superficial vapor velocity for diameter and width.
selected?
☐ Are your trays spaced Did you account for flooding, weeping, and poor distribution in your distillation
correctly? column design? Getting liquid to distribute correctly within the column can be
difficult and will affect the purity of your distillation.
☐ Did you select a packing size Smaller diameters can use smaller packing sizes. Packing has an impact on HETP
that is appropriate to the column and pressure drops.
diameter?
• ☐ Does your column height The last two items both affect distillation column size requirements and can
include a sump volume that contribute to less than optimal separation if performed improperly.
provides 2-3 minutes holdup at
50% level, based on internal
liquid flow from the bottom tray?
☐ Do you have vapor space of See above comment.
two column diameters, or two
feet (max), at each liquid/vapor
distribution point and above the
top tray?

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