CARLESTON MABUNDA

21304870
FACULITY OF ENGINEERING AND BUID ENVIRONEMENT
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
CHEMICAL ENGINEERNG PROJECT III

I certify that this report is my own unaided work, except for the assistance received from
the teaching staff. I undertake not to pass this report onto any other studen
Table of content
1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
2. Description of distillation ………………………………………………………………………………... 3
2.1 types of distillation processes …………………………………………………………………… 3
3. How the distillation pilot plant works ……………………………………………………………… 3
4. Description of Batch distillation ……………………………………………………………………… 4
5. Packing ................................................................................................................ 5
5.1 Types of packing ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
5.2 Description of Raschig rings ……………………………………………………………………… 6

6. Reboiler …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7

7. PID of the Distillation Pilot Plant ……………………………………………………………………… 8

8. References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9

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Introduction

The function of the power plant is to separate ethanol from water. This separation process is achieved
by distillation, where this method works because the liquids have different boiling points. When the
mixture is heated, one liquid evaporates before the other. One way to check the purity of the separated
liquids is to measure their boiling points. For example, pure ethanol boils at 78⁰C and pure water boils at
100⁰C.

Distillation

Distillation refers to a process where these a separation of two or more liquid components in a mixture
using the principle of relative volatility or boiling points. The greater the difference in relative volatility
the greater the non-linearity and easier it is to separate the mixture using distillation.

They’re two types of distillation processes

 Continuous distillation
 Batch distillation

A continuous distillation is more commonly used for fractional distillation of petroleum, bulk
petrochemicals and chemicals where the composition to the column doesn’t change dramatically from
day to day.

A batch distillation is used for small volume processing of specifically chemicals, pharmaceutical
intermediates and solvent recycling and recovery. Batch distillation is ideal for situations where the feed
composition changes on a routine basis for example solvent recovery systems where the feed
composition will change each batch.

The essential features of a batch distillation column are:

 A bottom receiver/ reboiler which is charged with the feed to be processed and which provides
heat transfer surface.
 A rectifying column (either a tray or packed column) superimposed on the reboiler, coupled with
either a total condenser or partial condenser system.
 A series of product accumulator tanks connected to the product streams to collect the main and
or the intermediate distillate fractions.

How this distillation pilot plant works

Liquid is first introduced to the bottom of the distillation.

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Steam is then introduced into the boiler which heats up the mixture at the bottom of the distillation
drum. The vapor so formed at the bottom of the column is richer in low boiling point component of the
binary mixture (in this case, ethanol) than the unvaporised liquid. To increase the concentration of
ethanol in the vapor, the distillation is equipped with packing where the rising vapor will pass through.
The vapor passes up the column and is completely condensed by a condenser located at the top of the
column.

The condensed liquid is then collected in the overhead accumulator, in which a definite liquid level is
maintained. Some of the liquid in the accumulator is allowed to flow back to the top of the column. This
liquid stream is called reflux. The reflux liquid is usually at its boiling point and is rich in the low boiling
component (ethanol). It provides the down-flowing liquid that comes into with the up-flowing vapor.

The remaining portion of the condensed liquid is withdrawn as overhead product (i.e. distillate)

Batch distillation: keeping it small

Many plants choose batch distillation out of a matter of ease. Batch distillation allows a higher for a high
level of chemical purity and maximum flexibility.

The biggest advantage of batch processing is that it provides a large amount of flexibility. A single
system will handle a wide variety of chemicals and varying compositions. A single column can separate
multiple chemicals with each going to its own receiver thank. Depending on the chemicals being used, a
batch can run daily for a week and then changed out for another completely different batch quickly and
efficiently.

However, a batch distillation also has its disadvantage that are part of batch processing. Although a
batch processing comes with a high level of flexibility, it also comes with the risk of contamination.

Whenever change from one distillation cut to another the intermediate material should go a slop
receiver for recycling back to the distillation pot on the next batch. Whenever a change out of batch, it
must be taken into consideration that the new batch might be contaminated by the different chemicals
used in the previous process. If this is a possibility, a cleaning process using clean in place technology
must be installed to ensure that there are no leftovers from the previous batch.

Different types of devices called plates, trays or packing are used billing the vapor and liquid phases into
intimate contact to enhance the mass transfer. Depending on the relative volatility and the separation
task (example purity of the separated components) more trays (for packing materials) are stacked one
above the other in a cylindrical shell to form a column

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Figure 1 shows a bottom drum for the distillation
Packing

Inside a distillation column, these packing. Packing optimizes the separation process by providing a
large, wet surface where chemical separation, also known as mass transfer take place mass transfer. In
the process of mass transfer, separation is usually achieved through the opposing forces of heat and
pressure vs. gravity. Packing is used to amplify these forces and facilitate faster and more efficient
chemical separation processes.

Packing materials come in a variety of different forms. Plants can choose their material to fit the surface
area, weight, corrosion resistance and pressure drop that is needed.

They’re two main types of packing in a packed column, which are Random packing and Structured
packing.

Random packing, as the name implies, their dumped into a column during installation and allowed to
fall random. Small packing poured randomly into a vessel is certainly the more popular and commonly
employed form of packed design. However, in certain Instances where exceptionally low pressure drop
and very high flowrates are involved. Stacked or oriented packing are used. Structured packing are
considerably more expensive per unit volume than random packing. They come with different sizes and
are neatly stacked in the column.

Structured packing usually offer less pressure drop and have high efficiency and capacity than random
packing.

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Figure 2 shows random packing Figure 3 shows Structured packing
Random packing is used in the distillation process and it makes use of few different structures such as
Raschig rings, Pall rings, Saddle rings, Lessing rings and Tri Packs

In this pilot plant, Raschig rings were used.

Raschig ring packing is proven in a wide range of heat transfer applications. A full range if Raschig ring
sizes and materials are available to tackle a wide range of separation applications. Raschig rings have a
long history of improving separation efficiency. The Raschig Ring structure provides one of the largest
surface areas among tower packing options and handles heavy loading, process upsets and temperature
shocks. The advantage of Raschig ring packing is high capacity, low pressure drop, high separation, cold
and heat resistant, long service time.

Figure 2 shows a glass walled with a Raschig ring packed bed Figure 3 shows Raschig Rings

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Reboiler

The energy requirement for distillation is provided using a reboiler. In classical distillation services all the
vapor to drive the separation comes from the reboiler.

An electrode boiler is used in this pilot plant. Its operation is quite simple. Incoming electricity via
electrodes inside the boiler creates a field around them that makes molecules of circulating in boiler’s
upper part move faster. In such a way water gets heated. The boiler vessel itself is under pressure with
use of inert gas system (e.g. nitrogen). Water volume is regulated with a control volume valve. It is kept
pretty low level, so that the boiler output can be regulated almost instantly. Water conductivity is
continuously monitored to ensure that the boiler gives the correct output. When the conductivity
exceeds the set parameters blowdown is initiated automatically. Steam boiler operation is based on
similar principles. Steam is collected in the upper part of the boiler it gets out through the control valve.
In case, steam pressure exceeds the set point, boiler power decreases automatically.

Figure 4 shows an electrode steam boiler

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Reference
1. Mujtaba, I., 2004. Batch Distillation And Design Operation. 3rd ed. London: ICP.
2.  Gorak, A. and Olujic, Z., 2014. Distillation. Burlington: Elsevier Science.
3. NAKA, Y., TERASHITA, M., HAYASHIGUCHI, S. and TAKAMATSU, T., 1980. An intermediate
heating and cooling method for a distillation column. Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan,
13(2), pp.123-129.
4.