REFINERY AND PETROCHEMICAL

EQUIPMENT
(CPE 671)

DISTILLATION COLUMN
Outline

 Overview of distillation concept,

 Distillations basics, phase equilibria,

 Multi-component mixture,

 Column internals
Introduction

 Covers the basic elements in designing a

typical DC, column internal & sizing
 The thermodynamics of V-L must be well
understood  determine min # of stages
 Selection of column internals is critical

 Tray – high P

 Packing – low P
Learning Objectives 1: Binary component

Basic introduction to:

• Types of columns
• Simple distillation methods (Flash, batch
and Steam distillation)
• Basic distillation equipment and
operation
• Distillation column design
• Types of column internal
• Introduction to multi-component
distillation
Learning Objectives 2: Multi-component

(1) Multi-component flash distillation calculation

(2) Multi-component column distillation
Fenske Equation
Underwood Equation
Gilliland Correlation
(3) Column sizing
Column diameter
Column height
Distillation process

 Process in which a liquid or vapor

mixture of two or more substances is
separated into its component fractions of
desired purity, by the application and
removal of heat”
 Typical design of DC
Distillation column is used to separate components according to
their boiling point temperature.
QC Total Condenser
 Above the feed, the concentration
D, xDi
of the more volatile components is
R
increased and this is called the
enrichment, or more commonly,
Q=0 the rectifying section.
F, hf
zi

(n)

Partial  In the section below the feed, the

Reboiler
more volatile components are
QR B, xBi
stripped from the liquid and this is
known as the stripping section.
 Classification of DC
 There are many types of distillation columns, each
designed to perform specific types of separations, and
each design differs in terms of complexity.

Batch and Continuous Columns

 One way of classifying distillation column type is
to look at how they are operated. Thus we have:
1. batch and
2. continuous columns.
 Types of continuous column
 Continuous columns can be further classified according to:
The nature of the feed
 Binary column -feed contains only two components
 multi-component column -feed contains more than two
components

The number of product streams

 multi-product column -column has more than two product
streams
 Extractive distillation -where the extra feed appears in the
bottom product stream
Types of DC

Recap on Distillation Design

Binary mixture
Multicomponent
(2-component mixture
mixture)

Mc Cabe Thiele Fenske- Underwood

Method Method
 Types of DC
 Flash distillation – it involves the production of a vapor
by boiling the liquid mixture to be separated in a single
stage and recovering and condensing the vapor.

 Extractive distillation – external solvent is added, changes

the relative volatility by extracting process.

 Reactive distillation – have catalyst bed, the targeted

component reacts when contact with catalyst.

 Steam distillation – to separate a high boiling component

from small amounts amount of nonvolatile impurities.
 Basic distillation equipment
and operation
 Vertical shell  where the separation of liquid components
is carried out
 Column internals  used to enhance component
separations
 Reboiler  to provide the necessary vaporization for the
distillation process
 Condenser  to cool and condense the vapor leaving the
top of the column
 Reflux drum  to hold the condensed vapor from the top
of the column so that liquid (reflux) can be recycled back to
the column
 Steps of overall design
The design of a distillation column can be divided into the following
steps:

 Specify the degree of separation required: set product

specifications.
 Select the operating conditions: batch or continuous; operating
pressure.
 Select the type of contacting device: plates or packing.
 Determine the stage and reflux requirements: the number of
equilibrium stages.
 Size the column: diameter, number of real stages.
 Design the column internals: plates, distributors, packing
supports.
 Mechanical design: vessel and internal fittings.
Designing steps of DC sizing

 Calculation of Minimum number of stages, Nmin

 Calculation of Minimum Reflux Ratio Rm.
 Calculation of Actual Reflux Ratio.
 Calculation of theoretical number of stages.
 Calculation of actual number of stages.
 Calculation of diameter of the column.
 Calculation of weeping point, entrainment.
 Calculation of pressure drop.
 Calculation of the height of the column.
 Binary component DC design-
McCabe Thiele

 The McCabe-Thiele – graphical method

 Uses the VLE plot to determine the

theoretical number of stages for the
separation of a binary mixture.
 DC design by McCabe Thiele:
Step 1- determine process
operation variable
Assumptions:
 Feed rate, composition, purity of distillate and bottoms, and
the quality of the feed are known.
 Perform overall material and component balances to
determine the composition of distillate and bottoms.
 DC design by McCabe Thiele:
Step 2- determine the min reflux
ratio
 The ratio of reflux flow to distillate flow

 If an equilibrium curve is not given, draw a y-x diagram

 The equilibrium curve can be obtained by relating the

relative volatility to the composition of the liquid.
Equilibrium & operating line

• The McCabe-Thiele
method assumes that
the liquid on a tray
and the vapor above
it are in equilibrium.
 Draw the operating line for
stripping section

• Ls is the liquid rate down the stripping section while Vs is the

vapor rate up the stripping section
• Thus the slope of the operating line for the stripping section is a
ratio between the liquid and vapor flows in part of the column.
Feed line (q-line)
• Depending on the state of
the feed, the feed lines will
have different slopes. For
example:
q= 0 (saturated vapor)
q= 1 (saturated liquid)
0 < q < 1 (mix of liquid and
vapor)
q> 1 (subcooled liquid)
q< 0 (superheated vapor)
• The q-lines for the various
feed conditions are shown in
the diagram on the left.
Draw the operating line for
rectification section
• R is the ratio of reflux
flow (L) to distillate flow
(D) and is called the
reflux ratio

• is a measure of how
much of the material
going up the top of the
column is returned back to
the column as reflux.
 Step 3: Choose actual reflux
ratio
• Reflux ratio increases, # of tray decrease, capital cost
decrease

• But, increases the vapor rate within tower  increases

expenses such as condensers and reboilers

• Most of columns designed to operate between 1.2 and

1.5 times the min reflux ratio
Step 4: Theoretical number of
stages
• Doing the graphical
construction repeatedly 
give rise to a number of
'corner' sections, and each
section will be equivalent to a
stage of the distillation.

• The required number of

trays (as opposed to stages) is
one less than the number of
stages (includes the
contribution of the reboiler in
carrying out the separation)
 Step 5: Actual number of trays
• The actual number of trays required is given by the
formula: (number of theoretical trays)/(tray
efficiency)

• Typical values for tray efficiency ranges from 0.5 to 0.7

and depends on a number of factors, such as the type of
trays being used, and internal liquid and vapor flow
conditions.

• Sometimes, additional trays are added (up to 10%) to

accommodate the possibility that the column may be
under-designed.
 Step 6: Principal dimensions of
the column

• The tower height can be related to the number of

trays in the column

• Assumptions: spacing between trays (2 ft) including

additional 5 – 10 ft at both ends of the tower
(including 15% excess allowance of space)
 Determine the vapor velocity

• Can be derived from the flooding velocity

• Choose a velocity 50-80% of flooding velocity

 Determine the diameter of the
tower
• The diameter is relatively insensitive to changes in
operating T and P
 Analytically determining the
specifications for a DC:
Step 1- determine process
operation variable

Assumptions:
 Feed rate, composition, purity of distillate and
bottoms, and the quality of the feed are known.

 Perform overall material and component balances to

determine the composition of distillate and bottoms.
 DC design analytically:
Step 2- determine the min reflux
ratio
Underwood equation can approximates the min reflux ratio
for multi-component system with constant relative volatility
 To obtain the min amount of vapor:

From a mass balance and the definition of reflux:

 Step 3: Choose theoretical
reflux ratio
• Reflux ratio increases, # of tray decrease, capital cost decrease

• But, increases the vapor rate within tower  increases

expenses such as condensers and reboilers

• Most of columns designed to operate between 1.2 and 1.5 times

the min reflux ratio
 Step 4: Theoretical number of
trays
•A simplified approximate equation can be used to
determine the numbers of trays
 Step 5: Actual number of trays

• Typical values for tray efficiency range from 0.5 to

0.7

• These values depend on the type of trays being used,

the internal liquid and vapor flow rates.
 Step 6: Principal dimensions of
the column

• The tower height can be related to the number of

trays in the column

• Assumptions: spacing between trays (2 ft) including

additional 5 – 10 ft at both ends of the tower
(including 15% excess allowance of space)
 Determine the vapor velocity

• Can be derived from the flooding velocity

• Choose a velocity 50-80% of flooding velocity

 Determine the diameter of the
tower
• The diameter is relatively insensitive to changes in
operating T and P
 Next step of designing???

• Determining the # of stages required for  desired

degree of separation and location of the feed tray
• Other things to be considered???

Tray spacing
Column diameter
Internal configurations
Heating and cooling duties
 Selection of column internal

• To provide better mass and heat transfer, promote

intimate contact between L-V phases
 Tray  Packing
- The compounds - Compounds are T
contain solids or sensitive
foulants - Pressure drop is
- Liquid loads are high important (vacuum
- Vessel wall needs service)
periodic inspection - Liquid loads are low
- Multiple liquid - Highly corrosive
phases service (use plastic or
carbon)
Tray types
Operational limits for trays
Packing types
Multi-component distillation
column
 INTRODUCTION TO
MULTICOMPONENT DISTILLATION

QC Total Condenser • Industrially distillation is carried

D, xDi out with more than two
R components.

• Design of multi-component
Q=0
F, hf system is basically same as binary:
zi -1 balance equation for each
component + heat balance
(n)
-Equilibrium equations are
Partial needed for Bubble-P and Dew-P.
Reboiler
-Minimum reflux and total reflux
QR B, xBi are needed as limiting case
 Reflux considerations

 The reflux ratio, R, is normally defined as:

 R = (flow returned as reflux)/(flow of top product taken off)

 The number of stages required for a given separation will

be dependent on the reflux ratio used.
 Fenske Equation
Fenske Equation (Total Reflux)

Calculates for Nmin

Nmin = Ln [(xA/xB)d/(xA/xB)b]
Ln aAB

where xA is concentration of key component A (usually LKC)

xB is concentration of key component B (usually HKC
For binary components

Nmin = Ln [(xA/1-xA)d/(xA/1-xA)b]
Ln aAB
 Sizing of Distillation Column
Vapor product
V, yi, Hv

TF, PF, hF

Ta ~ Tb < Tc  Td
Feed
F, zi, heater Tdrum
T1, P1 Pa > Pb > Pc >> Pd Pdrum Number of separation trays
pump throttle (N)
Q valve Height of column (hC =
N*tray spacing)
Column diameter (dc)
Liquid product
L, xi, hL
 Sizing of Distillation Column Diameter
(1) decide on the tray spacing (4) actual operation velocity is usually
values using increases by lower than flooding velocity where
increment of 6 inches from 6”-36” 0.65 < (fraction) < 0.9

uop = (fraction) uflood ft/s

(2) use the graphical correlation that
relates the constant Csb for
different tray spacing to Flv (5) finally, uop is related to the column
Flv = WL/Wv [rL/rV]0.5 diameter by:
note: W is mass flow rates uop = V(MWav)/3600rVAnet ft/s

(3) calculate the flooding velocity. This

is the maximum flowrates allowable
that will prevent excessive
entrainment of liquid.

uflood = K [(rL - rV)/rV]0.5 ft/s