Assignment#2 Separation processes

Question#1:
A 100 kmol mixture of benzene and toluene containing 40 mole per cent benzene is to be
separated to give a product containing 90 mole per cent benzene at the top, and a bottom
product containing not more than 10 mole per cent benzene. The feed enters the column at its
boiling point, and the vapors leaving the column which is condensed but not cooled, provides
reflux and product. It is proposed to operate the unit with a reflux ratio of 3 kmol/kmol product.
It is required to find the number of theoretical plates needed using McCabe-Thiele Method and
the position of entry for the feed.

Solution:
Given Data:
F=100 kmol
Feed Compositions:
Benzene 40%
Toulene 60%
Reflux ratio= 3
To Find:
No. of theoretical plates=?
Feed position=?

Calculation:
Molecular Weight of Benzene = 78
Molecular weight of Toulene = 92
40
Xf  78
 0.440
40 60

78 92
90
Xd  78  0.91390
90 10

78 92
10
Xw  78  0.11586
10 90

78 92
F  D W
100  D  W
Overall material balance
100  D  W ...........(1)

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Assignment#2 Separation processes

Component material balance

F * Xf  D * Xd  W * Xw
100*0.440  D *0.91390  W *0.11586
Putting value of W from equation (1) into above equation
44  0.91390* D  (100  D) *(0.11586)
32.414  0.79804* D
D  40.617 kmol
And From Eq-1
W  100  D
W  100  40.617  59.382 kmol
Next we will determine the number of ideal trays and feed plate.
 The first step is to plot the equilibrium diagram and on it erect verticals at XD, XF and
XB. Now draw 45o line on the graph.
 The second step is to draw the q-line. Here q=1, because feed is at its boiling point.
 The third step is to plot the operating lines.
 The rectifying line will start from the XD and ends at the intercept. Intercept of the
rectifying line is
XD 0.91390
  0.22848
R 1 3 1
This point is connected with the XD on the yx reference line.
 From the intersection of rectifying operating line and the feed line, the stripping line is
drawn.
 The fourth step is to draw the rectangular steps between the two operating lines and the
equilibrium curve.
Procedure to draw rectangular curve:
 To find the X and Y co-ordinates by using operating line and equilibrium equation.
 I have done this on excel and the table is as fallow.

Top Section
Stage 1-a Stage 1-b
x y x y
0.9174 0.9174 0.81988 0.9174
0.81988 0.9174 0.81988 0.84426

Stage 2-a Stage 2-b

x y x y
0.81988 0.84426 0.689605 0.84426
0.689605 0.84426 0.689605 0.746554

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Assignment#2 Separation processes

Stage 3-a Stage 3-b

x y x y
0.689605 0.746554 0.546941 0.746554
0.546941 0.746554 0.546941 0.639556

Stage 4-a Stage 4-b

x y x y
0.546941 0.639556 0.421027 0.639556
0.421027 0.639556 0.421027 0.54512

Bottom Section
Stage 1-a Stage 1-b
x y x y
0.1158 0.1158 0.1158 0.24217
0.1158 0.24217 0.208166 0.24217

Stage 2-a Stage 2-b

x y x y
0.208166 0.24217 0.208166 0.390784
0.208166 0.390784 0.316792 0.390784

Stage 3-a Stage 3-b

x y x y
0.316792 0.390784 0.316792 0.530822
0.316792 0.530822 0.419148 0.530822

Stage 4-a Stage 4-b

x y x y
0.419148 0.530822 0.419148 0.637777
0.419148 0.637777 0.497324 0.637777

And graph is as fallow.

Department of Chemical Engineering

Wah Engineering College.
Assignment#2 Separation processes

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Number of theoretical plates = 7

Feed plate = 4

Question#2:
A distillation column receives a feed that is 40 mole % n-pentane and 60 mole % n-hexane.
Feed is saturated liquid with a flow rate of 2,500 lbmol/hr. The column is at 1 atm. A
distillate of 90 mole % n-pentane is desired. A total condenser is used. Reflux is a saturated
liquid. A bottom from the reboiler is 98 mole % n-hexane. Determine the minimum number of
equilibrium trays and the minimum reflux ratio.
Data: Vapor pressure, Psat, data: ln Psat = A - B/ (T + C), where Psat is in kPa and T is in K.
Compound A B C
n-pentane (1) 13.9778 2554.6 - 36.2529
n-hexane (2) 14.0568 2825.42 - 42.7089
Heat of evaporation for n-pentane, = 11,369 Btu/lbmol, CpL,C5 = 39.7 Btu/lbmol×oF
Heat of evaporation for n-hexane, = 13,572 Btu/lbmol, CpL,C6 = 51.7 Btu/lbmol×oF

𝛼𝐷 = 3.1102
𝛼𝐵 = 2.7955

Solution:
As total condenser is used so minimum number of trays can be find by Fenske equation
X D 1 X B
log[ * ]
1 X D XB
Nm 
log(aave )

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Assignment#2 Separation processes

𝛼𝐷 = 3.1102
𝛼𝐵 = 2.7955
1
aave  (aD * aB ) 2

1
aave  (3.1102* 2.7955) 2

aave  2.9486

X D 1 X B
log[ * ] log( 0.9 * 1  0.1)
1 X D XB 1  .9 0.1
Nm  
log(aave ) log(2.9486)
log(81)
Nm 
log(2.9486)
N m  4.1

Minimum reflux ratio

1 XD a *(1  X D )
Rm  [  ( ave )]
aave  1 X F (1  X F )
1 0.9 2.9486*(1  0.9)
Rm  [ ( )]
2.9486  1 0.4 (1  0.4)
Rm  0.9024

Question#3:
A sieve-plate column operating at atmospheric pressure is to produce nearly pure methanol
from an aqueous feed containing 40 mole percent methanol. The distillate product rate is 5800
kg/hr. (a) for a reflux ratio of 3.5 and a plate spacing of 18in, calculate the allowable vapor
1
velocity and column diameter. (b) calculate the pressure drop per plate if each sieve tray is
8
1 3
-in. thick with -in. holes on a -in. triangular spacing and a weir height of 2 in. (c) what is
4 4
the froth height in the downcomer ?

Solution:
Given data
D  5800kg / hr
R  3.5
40 mole % methanol.
Physical properties of Methanol:
M.w = 32, normal boiling point 650C

Density of liquid Methanol =ρL= 750 kg/m3 (650C), surface tension= 19 dyn/cm.

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Assignment#2 Separation processes

Calculations:
32*273
ρL=  1.15kg / m3
22.4*338
(a). vapor velocity calculation first we need to calculate Flv first.
1
l  ρ  2 3.5
Flv   v    3.4*102
v ρl  4.5
from fig.21.26 (unit operation mccabe)
for 18-in. spacing.
kv  0.29
As we know that
1
 ρ v   20 
0.2
2
k v  uc    
 ρ l ρ v    
so
1
 ρ ρ  2   
0.2

uc  0.29  l v   
 ρ v   20 
1
 750  1.15  2  19 
0.2

uc  0.29 *   * 
 1.15   20 
uc  7.32 ft/ s
As 1 ft/s = 0.3046 m / s
so
uc  2.23m / s
vapor flow rate:
V  D ( R  1)
As
5800
D  5800 kg/ hr   1.4009m3 / s
3600*1.15
so
V  D ( R  1)  1.4009*(3.5  1)  6.30m3 / s
As we know that
1
 4*column area  2
Column diameter =Dc =  
  
 bubbling area 
so column area =  
 0.7 

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Assignment#2 Separation processes

 vapor flow rate   6.30  2

And Bubbling area =  =  =2.83m
 Allowable Vapor velocity   2.23 
If the Bubbling Area is 0.7 of the total column area,
then
 bubbling area   2.83  2
column area =  =  =4.04m
 0.7   0.7 
1
 4* 4.04  2
column diameter = Dc =   =2.27m
  
(b). Pressure Drop Calculation.

3
The plate area of one unit of three holes on a triangular -in. pitch is
4
1 3 3 
* *  * 3 / 2   9 3 / 64in 2 .
2 4 4 
The hole area in this section (half a hole) is
1  1  2
2

* *   in
2 4  4  128
 64
Thus the hole area is *  0.1008
128 9 3
As
 Bubbling area   2.23 
Vapor velocity through holes =uo      22.1m / s
 hole area   0.1008 
pressure Drop through holes
 u2   ρ 
h d  51*  o2  *  v 
 Co   2 gρ l 
Co2  0.73 (from fig.21.25, unit operations mccabe)
 51* 22.12 *1.15 
so hd   2   71.7 mm of methanol
 0.73 *750 
head of liquid on plate
weir height: hw  2* 2.54  50.8mm

Height of the liquid above weir: Assume the downcomer area is 15% of the column area on
each side of the column.
Chord length for such a segmental doencomer is 1.62 times the radius of the column, so

D   2.27 
Lw  1.62*  c   1.62*    1.84m (from perry’s chemical engineering page 1-26)
 2   2 

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Assignment#2 Separation processes

Liquid flow rate:

D * R 5800*3.5
ql    0.45m3 / min
ρl 750*60
As
2 2
 q 3  0.45  3
h ow  43.4  l   43.4*    17 mm
 lw   1.84 
As
hl   (hw  how )
with   0.6
hl  0.6*(50.8  17.0)  40.7 mm
As total head of liquid
ht  hl  hd  40.7  71.7  1124.4mm

(c).froth height:
Estimate hf.l=10 mm methanol.
Z c   (hw  how )  hd  h f .l  2* 40.7  71.7  10  163.1mm
And
Z c 163.1
Z   326mm
0.5 0.5

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