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1
,
2
= activity coefcients of
components 1 and 2
= interaction-energy parameter in
NRTL model (Eq. 10)
Subscripts
1, 2 = components 1 and 2
B = bottom
C = condenser
D = distillate
F = feed
j = stage number
R = reboiler
V
L
44 www.aiche.org/cep December 2009 CEP
Reactions and Separations
highlights the difculty of achieving higher product purity
in the vicinity of the azeotrope. The visual approach
clearly provides insight and understanding of the special
considerations required for the purication of a mixture
that forms an azeotrope.
Closing thoughts
The ability to easily vary input specications in the
Excel spreadsheet and to visualize the effects on column
performance has signicant value in teaching distilla-
tion fundamentals. Engineers are better able to grasp the
effects of various inputs, and they become better design
engineers and more competent, discriminating users of
commercial software. The understanding gained from
the spreadsheet is a valuable rst step in using a rigorous
simulation as a design and troubleshooting tool.
But how robust is the McCabe-Thiele approach, which
is the foundation of this Excel application? In particular,
can it give results that will confuse or even mislead? In the
authors experience, the McCabe-Thiele approach captures
trends well and thus is a valid and useful teaching tool.
So, should this tool be extended to improve accuracy
by eliminating the poor approximations and thus become
applicable to more realistic distillation situations (e.g., heat
effects, complex column congurations, multi-component
systems, mass transfer limitations, chemical reactions and
kinetics, etc.)? Extensions should be limited and should
be done with caution. Rigorous modeling methods are
very powerful for describing real distillation systems. The
computer code based on these methods supports exible
design requirements very well. Thus, the best use of the
spreadsheet method presented here is to produce engineers
who understand the fundamentals, have good engineering
judgment, and become discriminating users of sophisticated
detailed methodologies.
As Kister noted, the two can coexist (4). In fact,
it is good practice to benet from both the accuracy and
exibility of rigorous calculations and the insight and
understanding gained by visualization of the venerable
McCabe-Thiele diagram.
Literature Cited
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(1925).
2. Taylor, R., et al., Real-World Modeling of Distillation,
Chem. Eng. Progress, 99 (7), pp. 2839 (2003).
3. Wankat, P. C., Teaching Separations: Why, What and
When, Chem. Eng. Education, 35 (3), pp. 168171 (2001).
4. Kister, H. Z., Distillation Design, McGraw-Hill, New York,
NY (1992).
5. Burns, M. A., and J. C. Sung, Design of Separation Units
Using Spreadsheets," Chem. Eng. Education, 30, pp. 6269
(1996).
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ria for Mixtures of Ethanol, Acetone, and Diisopropyl Ether,
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for
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8. Kister, H. Z., Effects of Design on Tray Efciency in Com-
mercial Towers, Chem. Eng. Progress, 104 (6), pp. 3947
(2008).
9. Egloff, G., and C. D. Lowry, Jr., Distillation Methods,
Ancient and Modern, Ind. Eng. Chem., 21, pp. 920923
(1929).
10. Sorel, E., Sur la Recticaton de lalcool, Comptes Rendus,
58, p. 1128 (1889).
11. Seader, J. D., The B. C. (Before Computers) and A. D. of
Equilibrium-Stage Operations, Chem. Eng. Education,
19 (2), pp. 88103 (1985).
12. Kister, H. Z., What Caused Tower Malfunctions in the Last
50 Years?, Trans. IChemE., 81A, pp. 526 (2003).
13. Carlson, E. C., Dont Gamble With Physical Properties
for Simulations, Chem. Eng. Progress, 97 (10), pp. 4246
(1996).
14. Doherty, M. F., and M. F. Malone, Conceptual Design of
Distillation Systems, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY (2001).
15. Kister, H. Z., Can We Believe the Simulation Results?,
Chem. Eng. Progress, 103 (10), pp. 5258 (2002).
16. Ohe, S., Energy-Saving Distillation Through Internal Heat
Exchange (HiDiC), in Distillation 2007, Topical Confer-
ence Proceedings, AIChE Spring National Meeting, Houston,
TX, p. 13 (Apr. 2226, 2007).
17. Zygula, T. M., A Design Review of Steam Stripping Col-
umns for Wastewater Service, in Distillation 2007, Topical
Conference Proceedings, AIChE Spring National Meeting,
Houston, Texas, p. 609 (Apr. 2226, 2007).
18. Kister, H. Z, Distillation Troubleshooting, Wiley, Hoboken,
NJ (2006).
19. Love, D. L., et al., Rethink Column Internals for Improved
Product Separation, Hydrocarbon Processing, pp. 97105
(May 2007).
20. Bellner, S. P., et al., Hydraulic Analysis is Key to Effective,
Low-Cost Demethanizer Debottleneck, Oil & Gas Journal,
102 (44), pp. 5661, (2004).
21. Green, D. W., and R. H. Perry, Perrys Chemical Engineers
Handbook, 8th ed., p. 1317, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY
(2008).
PAUL M. MATHIAS is a technical director at Fluor Corp. (47 Discovery, Irvine,
CA 92618; Phone: (949) 349-3595; Fax: (949) 349-5058); E-mail: Paul.
Mathias@Fluor.com), and previously worked on the ASPEN Project
(MIT), at Air Products and Chemicals, and at Aspen Technology. He is
a chemical technologist with more than 30 years of broad experience,
specializing in properties and process modeling. He has 50 publica-
tions and 75 presentations at technical conferences, and has been a
member of the editorial advisory boards of two journals: Chemical &
Engineering Data and Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.
He occasionally teaches chemical engineering courses at the Univ. of
California, Irvine. He is a member of AIChE. He earned a BTech from
the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and a PhD from the Univ. of
Florida, both in chemical engineering.
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