Enthalpy-concentration Diagram

McCabe Thiele method assumes constant molar flow rate because it considers equal
latent heat of vaporization.

Here we consider varying molar flow rate by solving simultaneous material and energy
balances.

In this case, the operating lines for the enriching and stripping section will be determined
from simultaneous solution of mass and energy balance equations.

To facilitate the solution of the heat balance equation, an enthalpy diagram can be
constructed and used.

Enthalpy diagram

The liquid enthalpy

h = x A Cp A (T To ) + (1 x A )Cp B (T To ) + H sol 1

The vapor enthalpy

H = y A [ A + Cv A (T To )] + (1 y A )[B + CvB (T To )] 2

Correction for latent heat

A = Cp A (TbA To ) + bA Cv A (TbA To ) 3

B = Cp B (TbB To ) + bB Cv B (TbB To ) 4

Where
T is the boiling point for the mixture
TbA The boiling point of pure A
TbB The boiling point of pure B
To reference temperature
bA latent heat of pure A at TbA

Example:
Create the enthalpy diagram for Benzene-Toluene mixture

Tb, C Cp, kJ/Kgmole K Cv, kJ/kgmole K b

kJ/Kgmole
Benzene 80.1 138.2 96.3 30820
Toluene 110.6 167.5 138.2 33330

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Let the reference temperature be 80.1 oC, thus the latent heat of A (Benzene) does not need to
be corrected.

For component B:

B = 167.5(110.6 80.1) + 33330 138.2(110.6 80.1) = 34224 kJ/kgmole

Create the liquid enthalpy line:

xA = 0, T = 110.6

h = 0 + (1 0) (176.5)(110.6 80.1) = 5109 kJ/kg mole

xA = 0.3, equilibrium diagram T = 98 oC

h = 0.3(138.2)(98 80.1) + (1 0.3) (176.5)(98 80.1) = 2920 kJ/kg mole

xA = 0.5, equilibrium diagram T = 92 oC

h = 0.5(138.2)(92 80.1) + (1 0.5) (176.5)(92 80.1) = 1820 kJ/kg mole

xA = 0.8, equilibrium diagram T = 84 oC

h = 0.8(138.2)(84 80.1) + (1 0.8) (176.5)(84 80.1) = 562 kJ/kg mole

xA = 1.0, equilibrium diagram T = 80.1 oC

h = 1.0(138.2)(80.1 80.1) + 0 = 0 kJ/kg mole

Create the vapor enthalpy line

yA = 0, T = 110.6

H = 0 + (1 0) [33330 + 138.2(110.6 80.1)] = 38439 kJ/kg mole

yA = 0.3, T=

H = 0.3[30820 + 96.3( T 80.1)] + (1 0.3) [34224 + 138.2(T 80.1)] = 36268 kJ/kg mole

yA = 0.5, T = 98.8

H = 0.5[30820 + 96.3( 98.8 80.1)] + (1 0.5) [34224 + 138.2(98.8 80.1)] = 34716 kJ/kg
mole

yA = 0.8, T=

H = 0.8[30820 + 96.3( T 80.1)] + (1 0.8) [34224 + 138.2(T 80.1)] = 32380 kJ/kg mole

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yA = 1.0, T = 80.1

H = 1.0[30820 + 96.3( 80.1 80.1)] + 0 = 30820 kJ/kg mole

40,000

30,000
Enthapy

20,000

10,000

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
x
Column Design V1
H1
y1 Qc
Enriching Section
1 L D
The Mass balance: V2 L1 hD hD
xD
Vn +1 = Ln + D 5 y2 x1 xD
2
The component balance V3
y3
L2
x2

Ln Dx D 6 n

y n +1 = xn + Vn+1 Ln
Vn +1 Vn +1 Hn+1 hn
F yn+1 xn
zf
The enthalpy balance:

Vn +1 H n +1 = Ln hn + DhD + Qc 7

To eliminate the condenser duty is by heat balance around the condenser:

Qc = V1 H 1 ( L + D )hD 8

Substituting for Qc in equation 7 gives:

Vn +1 H n +1 = Ln hn + V1 H 1 LhD 9

Inserting the mass balance equation 5 into equation 9:

Vn +1 H n +1 = (Vn +1 D)hn + V1 H 1 LhD 10

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Stripping section
The Mass balance: F
zf
Lm = Vm +1 + B 11
Vm
ym
m Lm
The component balance hm Vm+1
ym Hm+1
Lm Bx 12 ym+1
y m +1 = xm B m+1
Vm +1 Vm +1 Lm+1
xm+1 VN
yN yN B
The enthalpy balance: N
LN HN hB
xN xB
Vm +1 H m +1 = Lm hm BhB + Qr 13 Qr
LN
xN
Substituting the mass balance equation 11 into equation 13:

Vm +1 H m +1 = (Vm +1 + B )hm BhB + Qr 14

Overall heat balance:

Qr = Dh D + BhB + Qc Fh f 15

Substituting for Qr into the heat balance equation 14:

Vm +1 H m +1 = (Vm +1 + B ) hm + DhD + Qc Fh f 16

The feed condition

The q line remain the same

Solution procedure
1. starting from xD draw the enriching operating line:
a. select a value for x between xD and xf
b. assume a constant molar flow rate; Ln= L, Vn+1 = V
c. solve the component balance equation for yn+1
d. solve the heat balance for Vn+1
e. solve the mass balance for Ln
f. resolve the component balance for yn+1
g. if new value of yn+1 equals the old value go step h else go back to step c
h. repeat steps a-g for another value for x.
2. do the same for the stripping section starting from xB

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Example:
Consider the separation of Benzene-Tolune mixture of example 11.4.1:

F = 100 kgmole/h xf = 0.45 xD = 0.95; xB = 0.1

R = 1.755; D = 41.2 kgmole/h; B = 58.8 kgmole/h

Tf = 54.5 oC q = 1.195

The stripping section:

L/D = 1.755 L = 1.755D = 72.3 kgmole/h

V1 = L + D = 72.3 + 41.2 = 113.5 kgmolr/h

Knowing xD and y1= xD using the boiling diagram gives T = 82.3 oC using the enthalpy
diagram gives:

H1 = 31206 kJ/kg mole

hD = 139 kJ/kg mole

Let x = 0.55

72.3 41.2
from component balance y n +1 = 0.55 + 0.95 = 0.695
113.5 113.5

using the enthalpy chart: at xn = 0.55 hn = 1590

at yn+1 = 0..695 Hn+1 = 33240

from the heat balance equation:

Vn +1 33240 = (Vn +1 41.2)1590 + 113.5(31206) 72.3(139)

Vn+1 = 109.5

From the mass balance equation: 109.5 = Ln + 41.2 Ln = 68.3

68.3 41.2
Resolving the component balance equation: y n +1 = 0.55 + 0.95 = 0.7
109.5 109.5

Since 0.7 is very close to 0.695 we stop the iteration and go for another value of x.

before proceeding to stripping section:

Qc = 113.5(31206) 113.5(139) = 3526kJ / h

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At the feed temperature and composition:

Either using the enthalpy chart for xf = 0.45 or enthalpy equation for xf = 0.45 & Tf = 54.4 oC
we get:

hf = -3929 kJ/kgmole

using the enthalpy chart for xB = 0.1 we get hB = 4350 kJ/kgmolr

using the heat balance around the re-boiler:

Qr = 41.2(139) + 58.8(4350) + 3526 + 3929 = 4,180,500 kJ/h

Knowing the feed condition we calculate the molar flow rates in the stripping section:

Lm = Ln + qF = 72.3 + 1.195(100) = 191.8 kgmole/h

Vm+1 = Vn+1 - (1q)F = 113.5 (1 1.195)(100) = 133.0 kgmle/h

Srtipping section:

Let ym+1 = 0.207

191.8 58.8
Using the component balance: 0.207 = xm + 0 .1 xm = 0.174
133 133

Using the enthalpy chart: at xm = 0.174 hm= 3800

at ym+1 = 0.207 Hm+1 = 37000

using the enthalpy balance equation:

Vm +1 37000 = (Vm +1 58.8)380 + 58.8(139) + 3526 100(3929)

Vm+1 = 125

Using the mass balance: Lm = Vm+1 + B Lm = 183.8

183.8 58.8
Using the component balance: 0.207 = xm + 0.1 xm = 0.173
125 125

Since the new value of x is close enough to old value

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Tray Efficiency

In McCabe Thiele method 1000% phase equiklibruum is assumed which is not totally
correct:

Overall efficiency

Theroectical (ideal) numer of stages

Eo =
actual number of stages

Murphee Efficiency

yn yn+1
EM =
yn* yn+1

Point Efficiency

yn ' yn+1 '

EMP =
yn* yn+1 '

Correlations for the overall Efficiency

Drickamar and Bradford correlation

E = 0.17 0.616 log( x fi Li / L )

xf feed composition
L viscosity at average tower temperature

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w viscosity of water at 293 K

CHU correlation

log E = 1.67 + 0.3 log(L.V ) 0.25 log( L ) + 0.3hL

L, V liquid and vapor molar flow rates

L viscosity of the liquid feed
relative volatility of the key component
hL effective submergence , the distance from the top of the slot to the weir lip plus half
the slot height.

Flooding velocity and Column Diameter

The maximum allowable vapor velocity in the column is:

0.2 L v
vmax = K v ( )
20 v

is the surface tension of the liquid

Kv is obtained from charts
L, v is the liquid and vapor densities

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Solution Procedure
compute liquid density from appendix
compute vapor density from ideal gas law:
RT
v =
MP
convert vapor molar rate to mass rate
compute liquid molar rate from overall molar balance
convert liquid molar rate into mass rate
use V, L, L, V to compute Kv
use =70 to compute vmax
compute column cross section area from V/vmax
compute diameter from cross section area

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