FLASH CALCULATION

 A flash is a single-equilibrium stage distillation in witch a feed is partially

vaporized to give a vapor richer in the most volatile components than the
remaining liquid.
a) Adiabatic flash
As shown in fig. (4.10, Seader), a liquid feed is heated under pressure and
flashed adiabatically across a valve to lower pressure, resulting in the
creation of a vapor phase that is separated from the remaining liquid in a
flash drum.

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

b) Isothermal flash
If the valve is omitted, a low-pressure liquid can be partially vaporized in
the heater and then separated into two phases in the flash drum (when
TV is specified).

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

 Alternatively, a vapor can be cooled and partially condensed, with

phase separation in a flash drum as in figure (4.10b, Seader), to give a
liquid that is richer in the less volatile components.
 In both cases, if the equipment is properly designed, the vapor and
liquid leaving the drum are in equilibrium

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

 Isothermal flash calculations

In this process an entering stream (a liquid at high pressure) flash as it
comes into a vessel that is at lower pressure. Significant quantities of
both liquid and vapor phases are formed.

V= vapor flow rate (moles/ time)

L= Liquid flow rate (moles/ time)
F= Feed flow rate (moles/ time) TV=TL
zi,xi,yi= mole fraction of
component i in the feed,
PV=PL
liquid, and vapor streams
respectively.

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

 In a typical isothermal flash calculation,

Given: F , zi , T and P in the vessel.

unknown: V , L, yi , and xi.

We have (C) component balances, C more equations are required. They

are obtained from phase equilibrium.

Total mass balance (1 eqn)

F  L V (1)

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

Component mass balance (C) equation:

Fzi  Lxi  Vyi (2)

Phase equilibrium (C) equation:

yi Pi sat  iL
 Ki  (3)
xi P
(3) and (1) are substituted in (2):

Fzi  ( F  V ) xi  VK i xi (4)
Solving for xi:
zi F
xi  (5)
F  V  VK i
ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani
 FLASH CALCULATION

Dividing numerator and denominator by F yields

zi
xi  (6)
1  (V / F )[ K i  1]

If the system is ideal, iL= 1.0, Ki =Pisat/P

zi
xi  sat
(7)
Pi
1  (V / F )[  1]
P
Equations 6,7 can be written for each of the (C) components in the system

i C

i C
zi 

i 1
xi      1.0
i 1 1  (V / F )[K i  1] 

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

zi K i
If y i  K i xi and yi 
1  (V / F )[ K i  1]

i C

i C
zi K i 
Then 
i 1
yi      1.0
i 1 1  (V / F )[K i  1] 

A flash calculation is an iterative trial and error procedure where the

problem is to guess (V/F) ratio until:
i C

x
i 1
i  1. 0

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

 Flash calculation iteration for ideal systems

 The first thing to do in any flash calculation is to make sure that something
will flash (there is liquid and vapor phases).
 If we are in a region where nothing flashes P of the system must higher
than the bubble point P of the feed at the specific T.
in
z i Pi sat z i Pi sat

Saturated liquid line
yi  ,  1.0 T= constant
P i 1 P Sub-cooled x
PBP liquid y
in
 PBUB   z i Pi
Saturated

Pressure
sat
P vapor line
i 1 1 PDP

 
i C
PBUB   z i Pi sat
Superheated
i 1
Vapor
If P>PBUB, nothing will flash, V/F=0 0 xDP x1 z y1 yBP 1.0
and xi=zi x,y
ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani
 FLASH CALCULATION
i n i n
zi P
Dew point  xi  
i 1 i 1 Pi sat
 1.0

1 1
PDew  PDew 
i C
sat 
 i i   i n sat 
 i i 
( z / P
 i 1  ( z / P
 i 1 

If P< PDew, every thing flashes, V/F=1 and yi=zi

Once we know that two phases will be present, equation (7) must be
solved for (V/F).

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

Example: A liquid feed stream containing 40 mole perercent benzene,

35 mole percent toluene and 25 mole percent o-xylene is flashed
to 110°C and 760 mm Hg (14.7psia). Determine the flow rates and
compositions of the vapor and liquid streams after the flash for 100
kg-mole/hr of feed. The VLE relationships can be assumed to be
ideal. i.e the system obeys Raoult's Law.

Solution

The first thing to do in any flash calculation is to check whether the actual
pressure P is between the bubble point and dew point pressures of the feed at
the operating temperature.

The vapor pressures at 110°C (230°F) are read from the Cox chart.

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION
V=?
Pisat at 110 oC from Cox chart. y1= ?
y2=?
Benzene (1) = P1sat = 33 psia y3=?
F
Toluene (2)= P2 sat = 14 psia . TV=TL=110 oC
100 kgmole/hr
PV=PL= 1 atm
O-Xylene (3)= P3 sat = 5.6 psia z1= 0.4
z2=0.35
L=?
z3=0.25 x1= ?

 
i C x2=?
PBUB   z i Pi sat x3=?
i 1
1
PDew 
 i C sat 
 i i 
( z / P
 i 1 

PDew < P=14.7 psia < PBUB So there are two phases in the drum (vap. and liq. phases

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

Guess: V/F = 0.5, 0.7 and 0.65

zi
xi  xi Pi sat
sat
Pi yi  Raoult' s law
1  (V / F )[  1] P
P

V/F=0.5 V/F=0.7 V/F=0.65 yi

Component zi Pjsat xi xi xi (at V/F=0.65)
Benzene 0.4 33 0.247 0.214 0.22 0.496
Toluene 0.35 14 0.359 0.362 0.36 0.344
O-xylene 0.25 5.6 0.362 0.441 0.42 0.159
Total 1.000 0.968 1.017 1.00 0.999

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

V =(V/F)* F =0.65 * 100= 65 kg mole/ hr

L= F - V = 100 - 65 = 35 kg mole/hr

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

 Flash calculations in VLE relationship = f(T,P) only and not

f(composition), the isothermal flash calculation is essentially the same
as if the system were ideal.

a) Binary system (T,P are specified)

y1  y 2  1.0, x1  x2  1.0

y1 y2 y1 1  y1
K1  , K2  K1  , K2 
x1 x2 x1 1  x1

1  K 1 x1 1  K 1 x1
y1  K1 x1  K2  , 1 - x1 
1  x1 K2
ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani
 FLASH CALCULATION

 (1  x1 ) K 2  1  K1 x1 , K 2  x1 K 2  x1 K1  1.0

x1 ( K1  K 2 )  1  K 2

1 K2 K 1
 x1  , x2  1
K1  K 2 K1  K 2

y1 and y2 can be obtained from yi=Kixi

The fraction vaporization (V/F) can be obtained from

Fz i  Lx i  Vyi , F  L V , y i  K i xi
ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani
 FLASH CALCULATION

K 1 (1  K 2 ) K 2 ( K 1  1)
y1  K 1 x1  , y 2  K 2 x2 
( K1  K 2 ) ( K1  K 2 )

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

b) Multi-components systems:

F  L  V and yi  K i xi into Fz i  Lx i  Vyi ,

yi
x i L  K i x iV  z i ( L  V ) , L  y iV  z i ( L  V )
Ki
divide by L divide by L

z i (1  V / L) z i (1  L / V )
xi  yi 
1  ( K iV / L ) 1  ( L / K iV )

K iV L
 stripping factor for i  Absorption factor for i
L K iV

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

f i  z i F  moles of componenti in feed.

li  xi L  moles of componenti in liquid prpduct.
vi  yiV  moles of componenti in vapor product.

z i (1  V / L) zi (L  V )
l i  xi L  *L  , F  L  V  L(1  V / L)
1  ( K iV / L ) 1  ( K iV / L )

zi F fi
 l i  xi L  
1  ( K iV / L ) 1  ( K iV / L )

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

z i (1  L / V )
vi  yiV   V , F  L  V  V ( L / V  1)
1  ( L / K iV )

z i (1  L / V ) fi
vi  yiV  
1  ( L / K iV ) 1  ( L / K iV )

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

Case #1
If T and ( v i / f i )of one component i is specified
Guess P and find 
fi
The equation vi  yiV  can be rearrange to give
1  ( L / K iV )
L f
 i  1  Absorption factor for i (1)
K iV v i
L fj
  1  Absorption factor for j (2)
K jV v j

If equation (2) is divided equation. (1)

L KiV ( f j / v j  1)
*   ij 
K jV L ( f i / vi  1)

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 FLASH CALCULATION

 ij ( f i / vi  1)  f j / v j  1
fj fi
  ij (  1)  1
vj vi

or if equation (1) is divided by equation (2)

L K jV ( f / v  1)
*   ji  i i
K jV L ( f j / v j  1)

fj 1
 ( f i / vi  1)  1
vj  ji

1
 ij 
 ji
ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani
 FLASH CALCULATION

Case # 2
P and T are specified
If f(V/F) is positive at V/F =0 and negative at V/F =1.0, then two phases are present . If
f(V/F) is negative at V/F =0, the system is sub-cooled. If f(V/F) is positive at V/F =1, the
system is superheated vapor.

z i (1  V / L) zi V
xi   F  L  V  L(1  )
1  ( K iV / L) ( K i  1) V F  1 L
z i (1  L / V ) zi K i L
yi   F  L V  V(  1)
1  ( L / K iV ) ( K i  1) V F  1 V
z i ( K i  1)
f ( )  f (V / F )   y i   xi  
( K i  1)(V / F )  1
It is called Rachford-Rice function

 is called vapor fraction

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani
 FLASH CALCULATION

Case # 3

P and V/F specified Guess T

Like case # 2

Case # 4

P and ( v i / f i )of one component are specified Guess T

Like case # 1

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani