Equipment Design - £ year Chapter Seven Assist. Prof.: thsan H. Dakhil CHAPTER SEVEN SEPARATION COLUMNS "Distillation Columns" 7.1 Introduction: Distillation is probably the most widely used separation process in the chemical and allied industries; its applications ranging from the rectification of alcohol, which has been practiced since antiquity, to the fractionation of@de ~ oil. 7.2 Distillation column design nae The design of a distillation column can be divided into the rey step 1- Specify the degree of separation required: set product ations. operating pressure 2- Select the operating conditions: batch or continuot 3- Select the type of contacting device: plates or pi . 4- Determine the number of equilibrium stages. 5- Size the column: diameter, number of real st 6- Design the column internals: plates, dist 7- Mechanical design: vessel and inter “y 7.3 Column Sizing SN ‘An approximate stieshotn overall column size can be made once the number of real stages requ the separation is known. This is often needed to make a rough “wy i¢ capital cost for project evaluation, s . packing supports, 7.4 Plate Spacin; Ign of the column will depend on the plate spacing. Plate 5 m (6 in) to 1 m (36 in.) are normally used. The spacing chosen fepend on the column diameter and operating conditions. Close spi sed with small-diameter columns. For columns above 1 m diameter, plate’spacings of 0.3 to 0.6 m will normally be used, and 0.5 m (18 in.) can be taken as an initial estimate. Tower diameter, m ‘Tray spacing, mm Lor less 500 (150 is minimum) 13, 600 3-4 750 48 1000 Blo cee Gleed act sd sella (ae pana [arash ASA deneEquipment Design - £" year Chapter Seven Assist. Prof: Ihsan H. Dakhil 7.5 Column Diameter ‘The principal factor that determines the column diameter is the vapor flowsrate. The vapor velocity must be below that which would cause excessive liquid entrainment or a high-pressure drop. The column diameter, D,, can then be calculated by the following equation: 40%, N D. — ~ Te where, = is the maximum vapor rate, kg/s. we 7.6 Plate Contractors Cross-fiow plates are the most common type of — used in distillation and absorption columns. In a cross-flow phate the liquid flows across the plate and the vapor up through the plate. The Hewing liquid is transferred from plate to plate through vertical channels x9! “down-comers”, A pool of liquid is retained on the plate by an outlet Froth | “iowa Calming’ zone Downcomer —= ‘apron Plate below ‘Typical cross-flow plate Bio eee gleel ai scab sella (ae pana [arash ASA dene Mu, ae ae FaEquipment Design - £" year Chapter Seven Assist. Prof: Ihsan H. Dakhil 7.7 Types of Cross Flow Tray: Three principal types of cross-flow tray are used, classified according to the method used to contact the vapor and liquid. 1. Sieve plate (perforated plate) This is the simplest type of cross-flow plate. The vapor passes up through perforations in the plate: and the liquid is retained on the plate by the vapgrlow. There is no positive vapor liquid seal, and at low flow-rates liquid will NS: through the holes, reducing the plate efficiency. The perforations ually small holes, but larger holes and slots may be use. 2. Bubble-cap plates Y In this type of plate, vapor passes up through short pipes, called risers, covered by a cap with a serrated edge, or slots. fie bubble-cap plate is the oldest type of cross-flow plate. The most significant feature of the bubble-cap plate is that the use of risers ensures that a leggy liquid is maintained on the tray at all vapor flow-rates. 3. Valve plates (floating cap plates) Valve plates are proprietary di they are essentially sieve plates with large-diameter holes covered by mdyable flaps, which lift as the vapor flow increases. As the area for vap6r flow varies with the flow-rate, valve plates can operate efficiently at lower flovy"Fates than sieve plates: the valves closing at low vapor rates. = T Sieve plate Bubble-cup Simple valve Bio eee gleel ai scab sella (ae pana [arash ASA dene avEquipment Design - £" year Chapter Seven Assist. Prof: Ihsan H. Dakhil pressura of vapour its ‘valve Bubble-cup Simple valve, “XN 7.8 Selection of Plate Type The principal factors to consider when comparing the ance of bubble-cap, sieve and valve plates are: Cost : Bubble-cap plates are more expensive than or valve plates. The relative cost will depend on the material of sng for mild steel the ratios, bubble-cap : valve : sieve, are approximately 3 if Capacity : There is little difference in the capa€it’rating of the three types (the diameter of the column required for a fow-rate); the ranking is sieve valve, bubble-cap. 3 Operating range : This is the m nificant factor. By operating range is meant the range of vapor and liquid’ rates over which the plate will operate satisfactorily, The ranking is Buobfe-cap, valve and sieve plates. Efficiency : The efficiency. Qf the three types of plate will be virtually the same ‘when operating over, Resien flow range. Pressure drop : It — design consideration, particularly for vacuum columns. The ranking, arranged from lowest, is sieve plates, valves and bubble- cus. Summ jeve plates are the cheapest _and_are satisfactory for_most applications. Bubble-caps should only be used where very low vapor rates. Bio eee gleel ai scab sali Alegll [laa pea [inochi dace 1, Fiwe Saal