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Conceptual design of distillation columns sequence for separation of pentane

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DOI: 10.1080/15567036.2019.1587073

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Conceptual design of distillation columns

sequence for separation of pentane and hexane
+
from C5 stream of LPG unit

Mahmoud Reza Hojjati & Habibollah Namdari Ghareghani

To cite this article: Mahmoud Reza Hojjati & Habibollah Namdari Ghareghani (2019): Conceptual
+
design of distillation columns sequence for separation of pentane and hexane from C5 stream
of LPG unit, Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, DOI:
10.1080/15567036.2019.1587073

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ENERGY SOURCES, PART A: RECOVERY, UTILIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2019.1587073

Conceptual design of distillation columns sequence for separation

of pentane and hexane from C5+ stream of LPG unit
Mahmoud Reza Hojjati and Habibollah Namdari Ghareghani
Department of Chemical Engineering, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

The principal role of an LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) unit is the separation Received 19 August 2018
of propane and butane from other products in a gas refinery. One of the Revised 17 December 2018
other main products of the LPG unit is C5+ which is sold at the same price of Accepted 5 January 2019
crude oil after it is added into gas condensate. In this research, sixth refinery KEYWORDS
(Phases 15 and 16) of South Pars gas filed was selected as a case study Distillation columns
example to find an efficient design for enriching the C5+ stream. Analysis of sequence; LPG; optimization;
the C5+ stream exited from the LPG unit demonstrates that it contains more product quality
than 70 wt. % of valuable solvents such as pentane and hexane which are enhancement; gas
more expensive than crude oil. Therefore, the main goal of this research is condensate
to do calculations related to the separation of these solvents from the C5+
stream using the direct and indirect sequence of distillation columns. For
this purpose, an optimum algorithm is recommended based on Fenske-
Underwood-Gilliland (FUG) method in which design parameters (column
pressure and reflux ratio) are optimized so that the objective function that
represents the total annual cost (TAC) is minimized. Programming with
MATLAB shows that the theory of the direct sequence of distillation col-
umns is more economical than the indirect sequence (an annual income of
40,309,012$ is estimated with a fixed cost of 1,047,555 $). Economic calcu-
lations also revealed that the rate of return (ROR) and annual profit would
be 38.48% and 650,000,000 $.year−1, respectively, if the optimal direct
sequences of distillation columns are performed in all the gas refineries of
South Pars.

Introduction
Separation processes particularly distillation are the most widely used operations in chemical industries
(Engelien and Skogestad 2005). Finding the optimal sequence of distillation columns becomes very
important when a multicomponent feed should be separated using multiple distillation columns. If all
probable sequences are generated by a synthesis algorithm, the optimal sequence can be achieved. The
optimal configuration should be so that the total annual cost (TAC) is minimized. For separating a feed
of n components, n-1 simple distillation columns with each column of only a condenser and a reboiler
are required. The number of possible sequences of distillation columns can be calculated using the
Thompson-King equation (Thompson and King 1972). Multicomponent distillation sequences are
divided into groups: (a) conventional distillation sequence in which there is one multicomponent feed
stream to be divided into its pure components (b) general distillation sequence which involves several
multicomponent feed streams to be separated into multiple specified multicomponent products (Floudas
and Anastasiadis 1988).There are several approaches to recognize the optimal conventional sequence
among many alternative sequences. These approaches can be distinguished as (a) heuristic

CONTACT Mahmoud Reza Hojjati hojati_m@iaushiraz.ac.ir Department of Chemical Engineering, Shiraz Branch, Islamic
Azad University, Shiraz, Iran
Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/ueso.
© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
2 M. R. HOJJATI AND H. NAMDARI GHAREGHANI

methodologies which are based on engineering experience may result inpossible solutions but not
certainly the optimum configuration. It is notable that some of the heuristic rules which have been
recommended for identifying the optimal columns sequence are in conflict (Cheng and Liu 1988; Liu
1998; Liu and Xu 1995; Malek and Glavič 1994; Malone et al. 1985; Nishida, Stephanopoulos, and
Westerberg 1981; Porter and Momoh 1991; Seader and Westerberg 1977). (b) Mathematical program-
ming approaches in which a distillation-based superstructure is firstly proposed. The superstructure
contains all possible sequences of distillation columns as well as the way of stream distribution (Agrawal
1996; Hu, Chen, and Rippin 1991; Sargent and Gaminibandara 1976). Finally, using mathematical
programming techniques such as agenetic algorithm or mixed-integer linear and nonlinear program-
ming for the recommended structure,the optimal sequence is achieved. Although the genetic algorithm is
used for finding the optimum variables in many optimization problems, owing to its stochastic nature,
the model solution is time-consuming and also the achievement of the global optimum solution is not
guaranteed (Boozarjomehry, Laleh, and Svrcek 2009, 2012; Fraga and Matias 1996; Ivakpour and Kasiri
2009; Wang et al. 1998; Zhang and Linninger 2006). However, mixed-integer nonlinear and linear
programming (Aggarwal and Floudas 1990; Farkas, Czuczai, and Lelkes 2008; Novak, Kravanja, and
Grossmann 1996; Paules and Floudas 1988; Pibouleau, Floquet, and Domenech 2000; Yeomans and
Grossmann 2000) can not only solve the model in less time but also the assurance of their solution
accuracy is more than the genetic algorithm. These techniques need differentiation based on complex
calculations to find the optimum values of the independent variables.The existence of a systematic
framework for finding the optimum sequence of distillation columns may justify their applications. One
of the other advantages of these mathematical methods is that they make it possible to apply different
strategies such as heat integration and controllability of the distillation columns in finding the optimal
sequence.The goal of all the optimization techniques is to achieve an optimum sequence of distillation
columns in which the TAC which involves the fixed capital and operating costs, is minimized. There are
several methods for reducing the operating cost and accordingly energy consumption such as Petlyuk
system (Petlyuk 1965) and energy-integrated distillation system (Andrecovich and Westerberg 1985;
Caballero and Grossmann 2014, 2001, 2004, 2006; Engelien and Skogestad 2004; Floudas and Paules IV
1988; Floudast 1992; Gu et al. 2018; Hernández et al. 2003; Jana 2010; Rév et al. 2001; Seihoub et al. 2017;
Sobočan and Glavič 2000; Yang et al. 2017, 2018; Yeomans and Grossmann 1999; You et al. 2017).In
other words, they can be energy-efficient designs of the sequenced distillation columns.
This research is aimed at enriching the C5+ stream as the product of an LPG unit of the sixth gas refinery
(phases 15 and 16) at South Pars. Currently, the C5+ stream contains important, worthy components such
as pentane and hexane, being sold at the same price of crude oil after it is added into the gas condensate
produced in the gas refinery. Therefore, providing a new process flow diagram for the LPG unit in a gas
refinery which is economically more beneficial than existing plants can be considered as the novelty of this
study. For this purpose, the C5+ stream of the LPG unit was upgraded using direct and indirect sequential
distillation columns. In other words, the conceptual design of two distillation columns sequence for
separating pentane and hexane from the C5+ stream was carried out. Hence, an algorithm was recom-
mended based on FUG method in which column pressure and reflux ratio were optimized so that the TAC
is minimized. Then, for both direct and indirect sequences of the distillation columns, the reflux ratio was
varied in a specified range at a fixed column pressure and TACs were computed in the interval. This work
was repeated for different pressures, and consequently, TACs of the direct and indirect sequences at various
pressures and reflux ratios were compared.

Methods
Problem statement
In this study, the sixth gas refinery of phases 15 and 16 with the production rate of 54,000,000 m3.day−1is
considered as the investigation example. The extracted gas is sent to the Persian Gulf shore via pipeline
and processed at the gas refinery located in Assaluyeh region. In the first step of the gas processing, three
 ENERGY SOURCES, PART A: RECOVERY, UTILIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 3

phases of the gas, the condensate and the solution of water and mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) are
separated from each other, and each stream is sent to its related unit. After the first step, the separated
gas stream is sent to the gas sweetening unit to remove the acid gases (CO2 and H2S) from its
composition. Then, the gas is sent to the dehydration unit and hydrocarbon separation columns,
respectively. The first step in the hydrocarbon separation unit is the separation of methane and ethane
from other hydrocarbons. The methane is injected to Iran Gas Trunk-line (IGAT), the ethane is utilized
as the feed of petrochemical complexes, and the stream of heavier components is sent to the LPG unit for
separating propane and butane. In this unit, propane and butane are separated in depropanizer and
debutanizer columns, respectively, and they will be accumulated in storage reservoirs after sweetening.
The bottom product of the debutanizer column that is called “C5+” which is sent to the gas condensate
storage tanks and then sold with the value of crude oil after it is mixed with the gas condensate. The
production rates of the gas condensate and the C5+ are 9,250 and 1,150 ton.day−1, respectively. The
composition of the C5+ stream is presented in Table 1.
Analysis of the C5+ stream composition demonstrates that it contains more than 70 wt. % of
valuable pentane and hexane components. Therefore, application of the optimum distillation
columns sequence results in the production of 537 tons of pentane and 322.8 tons of hexane per
day. In the conceptual design of the sequence of distillation towers presented, it is assumed that the
quality of the product streams produced of Pentane and Hexane are greater than 99 mol % and the
prices of these products are 620 and 700 US dollars per ton, respectively.

Conceptual design of distillation columns sequence

For the optimal design of distillation columns for separation of pentane and hexane from C5+
stream, the best sequence of the columns is necessary. The C5+ stream includes eight components
which are divided into pentane, hexane, and C7+ streams. For separating the three streams, two
columns which can be configured as the direct and indirect sequences are necessary. In the direct
sequence of the distillation columns (see Figure 1), pentane stream exits from the top of the first
column and hexane and C7+ streams leave the top and bottom of the second column, respectively.
The schematic view of the indirect sequence of distillation columns is displayed in Figure 2. As
seen in the figure, C7+ stream exits from the bottom of the first column and pentane and hexane are
separated as the distillate and bottom products of the second column.

Table 1. The composition of the C5+ stream exited from debutanizer column.

Critical Critical
Composition Composition Molecular weight (g/ pressure temperature Acentric
Component (mol %) (wt. %) gmol) (kPa) (K) factor
n-C4 0.01 0.01 58.123 547 425.12 0.197
i-C5 29.17 25.47 72.15 516.47 464.78 0.236
n-C5 24.32 21.23 72.15 487.46 469.7 0.251
n-C6 26.92 28.07 86.177 441.04 507.6 0.304
n-C7 12.48 15.13 100.203 394.6 540.2 0.346
n-C8 5.7 7.88 114.23 358.3 568.7 0.396
n-C9 1.14 1.77 128.257 335.13 594.6 0.446
n-C10 0.26 0.45 142.284 303.21 617.7 0.488
Molar flow rate kg.mol.h−1 579.8
Mass flow rate kg.h−1 47,920
Temperature °C 83
Absolute bar 2.8
pressure
4 M. R. HOJJATI AND H. NAMDARI GHAREGHANI

Figure 1. Direct sequence of distillation columns.

Figure 2. Indirect sequence of distillation columns.

Design algorithm for distillation columns

The algorithm involves solving several equations in which the degree of freedom is equal to 2. The
goal is to find the optimum values for the independent variables (operating pressure and the reflux
ratio of the columns) so as minimize the objective function (TAC). TAC includes fixed capital cost
and operating cost.
The algorithm is based on the modified Fenske-Underwood-Gilliland model (see Figure 3). According
to the algorithm, determining the optimum values for the operating pressure and reflux ratio, the operating
temperature value, the condenser type, the number of trays, the feed tray location, the duties of condensers
and reboilers, the diameters and heights of the columns as well as fixed capital, and operating costs are
specified. In this model, Peng–Robinson equation of state to calculate the fugacity of the vapor phase (φ)
and the NRTL model to calculate the activity coefficient of the liquid phase (γ) are used. For determining
column top temperature and pressure and the condenser type, the water of 40°C is assumed as the cooling
liquid. Accordingly, supposing the minimum temperature difference of 15°C between the cooling water
and the distillate product, the product exits with a temperature of 55°C from the top of the column. The
bubble-point pressure was calculated at 55°C for determining the optimum column top pressure consider-
ing the properties of the distillate product for the direct and indirect sequence of the columns (Smith, Van
Ness, and Abbott 2001). It is notable that if the computed pressure is lower than 30 psia, the column top
pressure will be assumed as 30 psia. In case the pressure is greater than 365 psia, a cryogenic cycle with a
suitable refrigerant is used in place of the condenser. If that is lower than 215 psia, a total condenser is
 ENERGY SOURCES, PART A: RECOVERY, UTILIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 5

Figure 3. Scheme of the proposed algorithm for the distillation columns design.

recommended, otherwise (the bubble-point pressure is between 215 and 365) the partial one is suggested.
Computing the column top pressure and considering the pressure drop of 5 psia for the condenser and the
column trays, the column bottom pressure is determined. The column bottom temperature will be
determined if the bubble-point temperature is computed for the bottom product composition.
The calculated temperature should be lower than the critical temperature of the bottoms
(Holland 1981). In this research based on heuristic rules, we assume that for all distillation
column, the inlet feed is in saturated liquid condition and its pressure is equal to the sum of the
6 M. R. HOJJATI AND H. NAMDARI GHAREGHANI

Figure 3. Continued.

column top pressure, the condenser drop pressure and the half of the column pressure drop, its
temperature can be computed. In this algorithm, the minimum number of trays was calculated
using the Fenske equation in which the light and heavy key components compositions of distillate
and bottom products are required.
Additionally, the Underwood and Gilliland equations were used to estimate the minimum
reflux ratio and the number of theoretical trays, respectively (Holland 1981). The optimum feed-
tray location was obtained using Kirkbride equation in which the ratio of the number of trays in
the rectifying section to striping section is calculated (Banka and Dutta 2016). The condensers and
reboilers duties were computed using mass and energy balances and accordingly their required
heat transfer areas were determined knowing the range of the overall heat transfer coefficient
(Douglas 1988). TAC of each distillation column contains fixed cost including the prices of the
column, the column trays,the condenser and the reboiler which were obtained from the cost
models (Appendix A) and operating cost including the cost of the cooling water consumed in the
condenser (0.08 $/1000 gal) and the steam consumed in the reboiler (3.4 $/1000 lb).
To validate the proposed algorithm and before the results of direct and indirect sequence of
distillation column are presented, a debutanizer column in the South Pars has been evaluated as a
case study example in Appendix B
 ENERGY SOURCES, PART A: RECOVERY, UTILIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 7

Results and discussion

By programming the proposed algorithm using MATLAB software, the characteristics of columns as
well as fixed and operating costs in each sequence are determined. In the first outline which is the
direct sequence of distillation columns (see Figure 1), pentane and hexane are separated as distillate
products of the first column and the second one, respectively. The effects of reflux ratio on TAC of
both columns at different pressures are shown in Figures 4 and 5. As displayed in Figure 4, TAC is
enhanced as the pressure increases from 2.25 to 3.75 bar. Moreover, with increasing reflux ratio from
2 to 12, TAC decreases firstly and then increases. As seen in Figure 4, the minimum value of TAC is
achieved at a pressure of 2.25 and a reflux ratio of 3.3 for the first column. The run time duration for
the direct sequence of the distillation column is 12.47 and 9.3 sec for the first and second distillation
column, respectively.

Figure 4. Total annual cost of the first column versus reflux ratio at different pressures for the direct sequence.

Figure 5. Total annual cost of the second column versus reflux ratio at different pressures for the direct sequence.
8 M. R. HOJJATI AND H. NAMDARI GHAREGHANI

Figure 5 exhibits that with enhancing the reflux ratio at each pressure, TAC of the second
column has descending and ascending trends, respectively. The programming results show that
the minimum operating pressure is 2.14 bar for the second column and its optimum TAC is
obtained at that pressure and reflux ratio of 2.85. For the direct arrangement of distillation
columns, the determined physical and operational characteristics of both columns at the opti-
mum conditions (operating pressure and reflux ratio) are presented in Tables 2 and 3. The
optimal values of temperature and pressure for the first column are 56°C and 2.25 bar,
respectively, while those values are 90°C and 2.14 bar for the second column.
In the second outline which is the indirect sequence of distillation columns (see Figure 2), pentane and
hexane mixture exit as distillate products in the first column, while in the second column, pentane and
hexane are separated as distillate and bottom products, respectively. The components which are weightier
than hexane exiting from the bottom of the first column are sold at the same price of crude oil after adding
into the gas condensate. The calculation results of the second outline (indirect sequence) including the

Table 2. The properties of products for the direct sequence of distillation columns.

Products of the first column Products of the second column

Component Distillate Bottoms Distillate Bottoms
n-C4 mol % 0.02 0 0.00 0
i-C5 mol % 54.62 0 0.00 0
n-C5 mol % 45.36 0.209 0.36 0
n-C6 mol % 0.00 57.77 99.64 0
n-C7 mol % 0.00 26.78 0.00 63.74
n-C8 mol % 0.00 12.23 0.00 29.11
n-C9 mol % 0.00 2.45 0.00 5.82
n-C10 mol % 0.00 0.561 0.00 1.33
Molar flow rate kg.mol.h−1 309.6 270.2 156.7 113.5
Mass flow rate kg.h−1 22340 25580 13490 12090
Temperature (BP) °C 55 116 92 142
Absolute pressure bar 2.25 2.85 2.14 2.75

Table 3. The results of the columns design for the direct sequence.

Parameter Unit First column Second column

Minimum reflux ratio (Rmin) 2.2 1.48
Optimum reflux ratio (Ropt) 3.3 2.22
Number of theoretical trays (Nm) 15.92 18.44
Number of actual trays (Nact) 41 49
Feed tray location (Nf) 17 20
Efficiency of trays (ƞ) 0.7 0.72
Column diameter (D) m 3.5 2.9
Column height (H) m 17.1 20.7
Condenser duty (Qc) kJ.h−1 18,050 9,376
Condenser heat transfer area (Ac) m2 157 95
Reboiler duty (QR) kJ.h−1 18,320 9,195
Reboiler heat transfer area (Ar) m2 164 146
Installed cost of condenser $ 23,370 15,270
Installed cost of reboiler $ 29,250 18,685
Operating cost $ 93,380 48,280
Total annual cost of the column $ 528,680 432,300
Total annual cost of the first outline $ 1189215
 ENERGY SOURCES, PART A: RECOVERY, UTILIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 9

Table 4. The properties of products for the indirect sequence of distillation columns.

Products of the first column Products of the second column

Component Distillate Bottoms Distillate Bottoms
n-C4 mol % 0.01 0 0.02 0.00
i-C5 mol % 36.83 0 54.79 0.00
n-C5 mol % 30.7 0 45.19 0.10
n-C6 mol % 32.46 5.85 0.00 99.90
n-C7 mol % 0 60 0.00 0.00
n-C8 mol % 0 27.42 0.00 0.00
n-C9 mol % 0 5.48 0.00 0.00
n-C10 mol % 0 1.25 0.00 0.00
Molar flow rate kg.mol.h−1 459.3 120.5 308.7 155.7
Mass flow rate kg.h−1 35,230 12,690 22,270 13,330
Temperature °C 65 141.5 54 103
Absolute pressure bar 2.31 2.9 2.23 3.1

Table 5. The results of the columns design for the indirect sequence.

Parameter Unit First column Second column

Minimum reflux ratio (Rmin) 1.12 1.6
Optimum reflux ratio (Ropt) 2 2.42
Number of theoretical trays (Nm) 15.1 17.58
Number of actual trays (Nact) 42 47
Feed tray location (Nf) 17 19
Efficiency of trays (ƞ) 0.7 0.68
Column diameter (D) m 3.2 4
Column height (H) m 17.6 19.8
Condenser duty (Qc) kJ.h−1 13529 25230
Condenser heat transfer area (Ac) m2 130 230
Reboiler duty (QR) kJ.h−1 14550 25576
Reboiler heat transfer area (Ar) m2 210 250
Installed cost of condenser $ 19380 29050
Installed cost of reboiler $ 24870 36265
Operating cost $ 80850 149860
Total annual cost of the column $ 482420 723660
Total annual cost of the second outline $ 1546358

compositions and flow rates of the products at the optimum conditions are presented in Tables 4 and 5. The
obtained results show that the minimum operating pressures of the first and second columns are 2.31 and
2.23 bar, respectively. The effects of reflux ratio on TAC of both columns at different pressures are exhibited
in Figures 6 and 7. As seen in the Figures 6 and 7 and Table 4, the optimal values of the pressure,
temperature, and reflux ratio for the first column are 2.31 bar, 65°C and 2.4, respectively, whereas those
values for the second column are 2.23 bar, 55°C and 1.8, respectively. At these conditions, the TACs of the
two columns are minimized. The run time duration for the indirect sequence of the distillation column is
13.26 and 11.7 sec for the first and second distillation column, respectively.

Conclusion
Presented here is the conceptual design of distillation columns sequence for separation of pentane and
hexane from C5+ stream of LPG unit. For this purpose, the optimum values of the design variables (reflux
10 M. R. HOJJATI AND H. NAMDARI GHAREGHANI

Figure 6. Total annual cost of the first column versus reflux ratio at different pressures for the indirect sequence.

Figure 7. Total annual cost of the second column versus reflux ratio at different pressures for the indirect sequence.

ratio and pressure) were determined in order to minimize the objective function (TAC) based on fixed and
operating costs, and accordingly, calculations correspond to direct, and indirect configurations of the
distillation columns have been done. Economical comparison between the two sequences (direct and
indirect) revealed that the direct sequence is more economical than the indirect one. The obtained results
indicated that TAC decreased firstly and then increased with increasing the reflux ratio. Moreover, the
TACs of both sequences showed ascending trends as the pressure increased. To make the units of fixed cost
and operating cost the same as ($/yr), the fixed capital cost was multiplied by 0.202 which is the estimated as
capital charge factor. At present, the price of each barrel C5+ feed is equal to that of gas condensate or crude
oil ($52/barrel); and if we assume the operating time of LPG unit assume 8150 hr/yr, therefore in
accordance with the daily production rate of C5+ in a gas refinery (1.108 × 104 barrel/day), the annual
value of this feed is 195,500,000 $/year.
 ENERGY SOURCES, PART A: RECOVERY, UTILIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 11

In direct sequence, the TAC based on fixed capital cost (1,047,555 $ or 211,606 $.year−1) and
operating cost (141,660 $.year−1) is the sum of these parameters and equal 353,266 $.year−1.
Total income of the project accomplishment is 236,162,278 $.year−1 which includes annual
sale of pentane (112,884,020 $.year−1), hexane (76,960,450 $.year−1) and the value of C7+ stream
(46,317,808$.year−1).
Net profit or economic potential of the project which is calculated by subtracting the total
expenses from the total revenue is 40,309,012 $.year−1. Economical calculations show that rate of
return (ROR) of the project is 38.48% and the annual profit of 650,000,000 $.year−1 will be obtained
if the project is executed in all the gas refineries of the South Pars.

Nomenclature and units

Ttop Tower top temperature (°C)
Tcooling Cooling temperature (°C)
sat;liq
Tfeed Feed temperature at saturated liquid condition (°C)
Tc Critical temperature (°C)
Xf Feed composition
Yd Composition of tower top product
Xw Composition of tower bottom product
LK Light key
HK Heavy key
YLK Light key composition
XHK heavy key composition
ΔT Temperature difference (°C)
Pbub Bubble point pressure (psi)
Pfeed Feed pressure (psi)
ΔP Pressure drop (psi)
Tdew Dew point temperature (°C)
N Number of trays
R Reflux ratio
TAC Total annual cost (106 $.year−1)
η Tray efficiency
U Overall heat transfer coefficient (W.m−2K−1)
D Diameter (m)
H Height (m)
A Area of reboiler or condenser (m2)
M&S Marshall and Swift index
Fc Correction factors

ORCID
Mahmoud Reza Hojjati http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6220-3204

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Appendix A.
Fixed Cost Data
For our conceptual design, we use Guthrie’s correlation to estimate the fixed costs of distillation column including
column, trays, reboiler and condenser costs.
 
M&S
Installed Cost for Columns; $ ¼ 101:9D1:066 H0:802 ð2:18 þ Fc Þ (1)
280

 
M&S
Installed Cost for Trays; $ ¼ 4:7D1:55 HFc (2)
280

 
M&S
Reboiler and Condenser; $ ¼ 101:3A0:65 ð2:29 þ Fc Þ (3)
280

Appendix B.
The results of debutanizer column as a case study
To demonstrate the type of problems which can be investigated using the suggested algorithm and also the accuracy of
the designed algorithm, a debutanizer column in the South Pars has been evaluated as a case study example. This
column is operating at the pressure of 8 bar, and the reflux ratio of 2.13 and the compositions of its feed, distillate and
bottom products are listed in Table 6
14 M. R. HOJJATI AND H. NAMDARI GHAREGHANI

Table 6. Specification of feed and products of the debutanizer column.

Products of the debutanizer column

Component Feed composition Overhead Bottoms
C2 mol % 0 0 0
C3 mol % 1.01 1.66 0
i-C4 mol% 22.83 37.56 0
n-C4 mol % 36.96 60.78 0.02
i-C5 mol % 11.49 0 29.31
n-C5 mol % 10.25 0 26.14
n-C6 mol % 8.89 0 22.67
n-C7 mol % 5.05 0 12.88
n-C8 mol % 2.62 0 6.68
n-C9 mol % 0.72 0 1.84
n-C10 mol % 0.18 0 0.46
n-C11 mol% 0 0 0
Molar flow rate kg.mol.h−1 743.5 452 291.5
Mass flow rate kg.h−1 50390 26170 24230
Temperature °C 85 63.1 135
Absolute pressure bar 8.6 8 8.6

The FUG method-based algorithm, applying to assess the characteristics of the debutanizer column reveals that the
predicted data are in good agreement with the actual data. The results of the comparison between these data are shown
in Table 7.

Table 7. Comparison of the characteristics of the designed column and those of the actual column.

Parameter Unit Actual Designed Error percent

Above temperature °C 60 63.1 5.2
Bottom temperature °C 130 135 3.8
Above pressure (absolute) bar 7.5 8 6.7
Bottom pressure (absolute) bar 8.5 8.6 1.17
Feed tray location (Nf) 14 14 0
Number of trays 31 34 8.8
Column diameter (D) m 2.3 2.07 10

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