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Lab 1 Introduction

The document discusses distillation, which is a process that separates liquid mixtures by boiling and condensing components with different boiling points. It can be used to increase the concentration of a component or obtain pure components. The document also discusses using simulation software like Aspen Plus to model distillation columns and other chemical processes to optimize performance and costs.

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Maame Durowaa
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
18 views

Lab 1 Introduction

The document discusses distillation, which is a process that separates liquid mixtures by boiling and condensing components with different boiling points. It can be used to increase the concentration of a component or obtain pure components. The document also discusses using simulation software like Aspen Plus to model distillation columns and other chemical processes to optimize performance and costs.

Uploaded by

Maame Durowaa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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OVERVIEW

In a liquid mixture, distillation is the process of one


component being specifically boiled and then condensed. It
is a separation technique that can be used to either increase
the concentration of a particular component in the mixture or
to obtain (almost) pure components from the mixture. By
driving one of the components in the liquid mixture into a
gaseous state, the distillation process takes advantage of the
differences in the boiling points of the elements. It is
noteworthy that distillation can be regarded as a physical
separation process rather than a chemical reaction.
Laboratory-scale distillation frequently involves using
batches of the liquid mixture, but industrial distillation
processes are typically continuous and need that the
mixture's composition be maintained.
When the feed composition varies frequently, batch
distillation is the best option. Continuous distillation is more
commonly used for fractional distillation of petroleum, bulk
petrochemicals, and chemicals where the composition to the
column does not change dramatically from day to day.
Continuous distillation is an ongoing separation process in
which a liquid mixture of two or more miscible components is
continuously fed into the process and physically separated
into two or more products by preferentially boiling the more
volatile (i.e., lower boiling point) components out of the
mixture.
In order to meet their business goals, process companies are
using simulation studies to design facilities for optimal
performance and reduced risk of rework in light of the ever-
changing dynamics of the market and stringent
environmental regulations [1].
Batch and continuous chemical process operations have
made extensive use of simulation and control studies over
the past 20 years [2, 3]. Throughout the past 20 years, there
has been a notable increase in the use of computational tools
that engineers can readily access [4]. Engineers can apply
more sophisticated analysis and synthesis techniques more
easily thanks to these advantages. Most systems' dynamics
can still be sufficiently characterized for engineering
purposes, even though mathematical modeling can still be
improved [5]. Distillation columns have been
sectors of petroleum and chemicals. The chemical and
petroleum industries largely control the world economy.
Distilleries can be more expensive to operate and maintain
overall than many other types of operations. Because of this,
operating a distillation column safely and effectively
necessitates the use of an effective control system. There
are several challenging control problems it presents.
Distillation columns exhibit highly variable and non-linear
behavior. It is therefore challenging to keep them under
control [13].
In order to minimise the overall investment and operating
costs, the number of trays, feed location, and operating
parameters of a distillation column must be chosen carefully.
Discrete decisions pertain to the total number of trays and
the tray placements of each feed and product stream,
whereas continuous decisions are related to the operating
parameters and energy involved in the separation.
Consideration should also be given to the order in which the
separation is carried out. A good sequence and a bad one
may differ significantly in terms of overall cost and energy
usage [6]. Choosing the right order becomes a challenge as
the number of components rises because there are a
plethora of options.
1]. The literature contains a variety of topics of research on
the distillation process [2]. Physical uncertainty and cost-
effectiveness may arise during the practical examination of
chemical components that undergo the distillation process. It
is crucial to do the chemical analysis in a simulation
environment as a result. The US Department of Energy and
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) collaborated to
create the Advanced System for Process Engineering
(ASPEN), a virtual simulation programme that is used to
model chemical processes. ASPEN was established in 1981.
Aspen Plus is primarily used for highly accurate process
simulation and optimisation. It is made up of a model library
with virtual components representing various chemical
processes. Various models, including distillation columns,
reactors, manipulators, phase separators, splitters, pressure
shifters, mixers, and heatdistillation columns, reactors,
manipulators, heat exchanger, etc. Process flow diagram can
be developed by using different existing units from the library
based on the user requirement and it is also possible to
develop user defined model
A vast number of databanks in the Aspen simulation
programme are available to solve thermodynamic problems
that arise in real-time industrial application. Chang et al.'s
study [3] examined the desalination processes of air gap
membrane distillation (AGMD) and direct contact membrane
distillation (DCMD) utilising Aspen Plus. Through Aspen
dynamics, More et al. [4] have predicted the impact of binary
feed selection on grass-root design. A small number of
research using Aspen in steady state and dynamic
applications have also been conducted [5,6,7,8]. ApsenTech
offers various packages that may be used to simulate various
processes, including pharma, polymerization, refinery, and
petrochemical [9]. Aspen Plus, Aspen Dynamics, Aspen
Chromatography, Aspen Batch Modeller, Aspen Absorption,
and Aspen Custom Modeller are among the packages'
contents.
Refinery reactor based on Aspen Plus; Aspen energy
analyzer; Aspen HYSYS; Aspen utilities planner. Before
tackling any real-time issue in Aspen, the user needs to be
sufficiently knowledgeable about the procedure [10].

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