Scribd
Upload
3 views

EPD_Second lecture

The document discusses the design and function of distillation columns, including the role of fluid packages like GCEOS and Antoine in Aspen Plus for thermodynamic calculations. It outlines the operation of distillation columns and condensers, emphasizing the importance of reflux ratios in separation efficiency. Additionally, it presents exercises for calculating the number of stages required for separating mixtures such as benzene-toluene and ethanol-water, as well as a reaction process for producing ethyl chloride.

Uploaded by

Tiee Tiee
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
3 views

EPD_Second lecture

The document discusses the design and function of distillation columns, including the role of fluid packages like GCEOS and Antoine in Aspen Plus for thermodynamic calculations. It outlines the operation of distillation columns and condensers, emphasizing the importance of reflux ratios in separation efficiency. Additionally, it presents exercises for calculating the number of stages required for separating mixtures such as benzene-toluene and ethanol-water, as well as a reaction process for producing ethyl chloride.

Uploaded by

Tiee Tiee
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
You are on page 1/ 17

Distillation column

Equipment and Plant design


2nd Lecture

Matin Abdullah
Type of Fluid Packages
• In Aspen Plus, the term "GCEOS" typically refers to the Generalized
Cubic Equation of State. This equation of state is a model used to
describe the behavior of pure components and mixtures in
thermodynamic calculations.

• In Aspen Plus, the Antoine fluid package is used to model the vapor-
liquid equilibrium (VLE) behavior of mixtures based on the Antoine
equation. The Antoine equation is an empirical correlation that
relates vapor pressure to temperature for pure components.
Function of Distillation column
• The distillation column is a fundamental piece of equipment used in
the chemical process industry for separating liquid mixtures into their
individual components based on their boiling points.

• Its primary function is to facilitate the separation of components by


exploiting the differences in their volatility, or boiling points, through
the process of distillation.
Function of the condenser
• The primary function of the condenser is to cool down the vaporized
components exiting the top of the distillation tower and condense them
back into a liquid phase.

• As the vaporized components condense, they separate into liquid fractions


based on their different boiling points.

• The condenser also helps regulate the temperature within the distillation
tower.

• The condensed liquid collected at the bottom of the condenser typically


contains the higher boiling point components, which are the desired
product of the distillation process.
Short cut distillation column
• The shortcut column performs Fenskie-Understood short cut
calculations for simple refluxed towers.

• The Frenskie minimum number of trays and minimum reflux are


calculated.

• For more realistic results the rigorous column operation is used. This
operation can provide initial estimated for most simple columns.
Short cut distillation column
Short cut distillation column
Exercise 1
A mixture of benzene and toluene is to be separated using a distillation column.
The feed mixture consist of 40% benzene and is 50% flashed. The top product
consisting of 2% toluene is desired, determine the equilibrium number of
stages that would be required for this process if a reflux ratio of 3 is used:

Conditions:

Flow mas: 100 kgmol/hr


Pressure: 760 mmHg
Fluid package: Antoine
Condensor: 0.2 atm
Reboiler pressure: 2 atm
Distillation column
• Reflux ratio greatly influences separation efficiency and product
purity. Higher reflux ratios typically result in better separation but
may require increased energy input for reboiling the reflux.

• Converging Distillation column


1. The feed stream need to be defined
2. The bottom pressure must be higher or equal to the top pressure
Distillation column

Figure 1
Distillation column
1. Double-click on the tower that was just placed in the simulation
area.
This will open the Column Input window which consists of five pages.
These five steps will vary greatly from process to process (i.e. different
projects will call for different tower specs). However certain aspects are
relevant to all projects.
2. If desired, change the Column Name by clicking and typing a new
name.
3. Select the appropriate condenser type (total, partial, or full reflux)
as stated by your tower design.
Distillation column

4. Click each input and output stream and type a distinct name for
each (all required streams that need names are highlighted in yellow
above).

5. For the inlet stream, select the stage or tray where it will enter by
clicking the "Inlet Stage" drop-down menu

6. If the number of tower stages is known, type in the "# stages" box.

7. Click "Next" once all streams are named.


Distillation column
8. Select the type of reboiler to be used (Figure 2), and click "Next.“

Figure 2
Distillation column
9. Input the specified condenser, reboiler, and pressure drop
(Figure 3) and click "Next.“

Figure 3
Distillation column
10. Inputting condenser, reboiler, and top stream temperature is
optional, if you chose, input these (Figure 4) and click "Next."

Figure 4
Distillation column
11 . On the final Column Input page, enter the desired top stream
flow rate and condenser reflux ratio (Figure 5), click "Done."

Figure 5
Distillation
Exercise 2
There is a mixture of ethanol and water we want to separate them and find the optimum
number of stages and inlet stream for this process.
Components Composition
Ethanol 0.55
Water 0.45

• Feed pressure 1 atm


• Feed flowrate 1000 kgmole/hr
• Feed temperature 20 Celcius
• Reflux ratio 2
• Condensor and reboiler pressure 1 atm
Exercise 3

• Ethyl chloride will be produced by the gas-phase reaction of HCI with ethylene
over a copper chloride catalyst supported on silica as:
C2H4 + HCI → C2H5CI

• The feed streams is composed: 50% mol HCL, 48% mol C2H4 and
2% mol of Nitrogen at 100 kmol/hr at 25 celcius at 1 atm.

• Since the reaction achieves only 90% conversion, the ethyl chloride product is
separated from the unreacted reagents and is recycled.

• The process is operated at atmospheric pressure, to prevent accumulation of


inert gas in the system 10 kmol/hr is withdrawn in a purge stream (A).

• Show the effect of the flow rate of the purge stream (A) on the Recycle stream (B)
and the composition of the reactor feed.

You might also like