VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT

-----------------------

REPORT
PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENT

DISTILLATION

Lecturer: Dr. Tran Tan Viet

Student name: Nguyen Hoang Minh Tri
ID number: 1810778
Class: CC01
Group: WCC01.4
Date: 09/12/2020

Year 2020 – 2021

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. EXPERIMENTAL DATA...........................................................................................1
II. CALCULATED DATA...............................................................................................1
1. Steps of calculation....................................................................................................1
a) Processing raw experimental data......................................................................1
b) Calculating parameters.......................................................................................3
c) Constructing equations of the distillation column..............................................3
d) Efficiency assessment.........................................................................................3
2. Processing data...........................................................................................................4
3. Data required for constructing VLE diagram.............................................................4
4. Graphs........................................................................................................................5
III. DISCUSSION...........................................................................................................8
1. Effect of reflux flowrate and feed tray position on the purity of product and
efficiency of distillation column.................................................................................8
2. Describe the phenomena and processes occurring inside of the distillation device
when it is stable..........................................................................................................8
3. Suggest reasons and solutions for error in this experiment........................................9

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Experimental data of distillation column...............................................................2
Table 2. Calculated data.......................................................................................................4
Table 3. Calculated parameters from formulas....................................................................4
Table 4. Feed, Rectifying line equation calculated..............................................................4
Table 5. Phase equilibrium data for ethanol-water system at 1 atm.....................................4
Table 6. Conclusion for number of trays and overall tray assessment.................................8

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Vapor-Liquid equilibrium diagram for water-ethanol system..............................5
Figure 2. VLE diagram for case feed tray 4 and Lo = 56.4 ml/min......................................5
Figure 3. VLE diagram for case feed tray 4 and Lo = 78.96 ml/min....................................6
Figure 4. VLE diagram for case feed tray 4 and Lo = 101.52 ml/min..................................6
Figure 5. VLE diagram for case feed tray 4 and Lo = 56.4 ml/min......................................7
Figure 6. VLE diagram for case feed tray 5 and Lo = 56.4 ml/min......................................7

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 I. EXPERIMENTAL DATA
Flowrate Ethanol
Temperature (oC)
(Reading level) concentration
Tray
position Feed Overhead (D) Feed Overhead Reflux Bottom
(F) (ml/min) Reflux (Lo) Feed Over- head tF tD tL tW

4 30 47.50 10 32 45 66 39 95 96
4 30 33.53 14 32 67 65 36 79 87
4 30 32.33 18 32 81 66 35 77 94
2 30 56.67 10 32 60 66 37 79 94
5 30 55.58 10 32 61 66 37 80 94
Table 1. Experimental data of distillation column
II. CALCULATED DATA
1. Steps of calculation
a) Processing raw experimental data
- The reading on the hydrometer (HV) is converted to mole
fraction (xD, xF)
HV × ρethanol
M ethanol
x=
HV × ρethanol ( 100−HV ) × ρwater
+
M ethanol M water
- For each temperature, we can obtain specific value of ρethanol
and ρwater from ρ-t graphs of ethanol and water.
- Calculate ρ F, ρ D:
1
ρmixture =
x 1−x
+
ρethanol ρwater
- Calculate MF, MD:
M mix =M ethanol x ethanol + M water (1−x ethanol)
- Convert the flowrate from ml/min to mmol/min:
ml g
Q(
mmol ( min
Q) ×ρ ( )
ml mix

min ) =
M (
g
mmol )
mix

- Calculate xW (bottom product)

x F × F−x D × D
xW=
F−D
With F, D is the flowrate of feed and overflow stream
(mol/min)

2
 b) Calculating parameters
- Reflux ratio
L0
R=
D
- Mass fraction of feed:
x F × 46
x´F =
MF
From xF, the value of boiling point temperature of feed
can be obtained using VLE diagram.
- Cethanol and Cwater can be obtained from C-t graphs using tbF, tF
- Calculate CF, CbF:
C F = x´F × Cethanol + ( 1− x´F ) C water ( at t F )
C bF = x´F ×C ethanol+ ( 1− x´F ) Cwater ( at t bF )
- Calculate latent heat rbF
r bF = x´F × r ethanol + ( 1− x´F ) ×r water
- Calculating HF, HGF, HLF, q:
H F=t F × C F
H GF =t bF × CbF + r bF
H LF =t bF × CbF
H −H F
q= GF
H GF−H LF
c) Constructing equations of the distillation column
- Feeding line equation:
q xF
y= x−
q−1 q−1
- Rectifying line equation
R xD
y= x+
R+1 R+1
- Stripping line equation
R+ f 1−f
y= x+ x
R+1 R+1 W
With f (feed ratio) = F/D
d) Efficiency assessment
no . of theoreticaltrays
E0 =
no .of experimental trays

3
 2. Processing data
Flowrate (ml/min)
Mole fractions
= Reading level x 5.64
Tray position
Feed Overhead Reflux Feed Overhead Bottom
(F) (D) (Lo) xF xD xW
4 169.2 47.5 56.4 0.1232 0.1998 0.0972
4 169.2 33.5294 78.96 0.1233 0.3831 0.0809
4 169.2 32.3333 101.52 0.1232 0.5661 0.0685
2 169.2 56.6667 56.4 0.1232 0.3143 0.0565
5 169.2 55.5789 56.4 0.1232 0.3234 0.0562
Table 2. Calculated data

TF
Tray Reflux TbF ave HF HGF HL
ave q q/(q-1)
position ratio R (oC) (kJ/kg) (kJ/kg) (kJ/kg)
(oC)
4 1.187 65.8 85.73 1319.70 3713.74 1412.21 1.04 26
4 2.355 65.8 85.73 1319.70 3713.74 1412.21 1.04 26
4 3.140 65.8 85.73 1319.70 3713.74 1412.21 1.04 26
2 0.995 65.8 85.73 1320.97 3715.03 1413.50 1.04 26
5 1.015 65.8 85.73 1312.55 3715.03 1413.50 1.04 26
Table 3. Calculated parameters from formulas

Tray
No. Feeding line equation Rectifying line equation
position
1 y=26x-3.0809 y= 0.5428x + 0.0913
2 4 y=26x-3.0830 y= 0.7019x + 0.1142
3 y=26x-3.0809 y= 0.7584x + 0.1368
4 2 y=26x-3.0809 y= 0.4988x + 0.1575
5 5 y=26x-3.0809 y= 0.5037x + 0.1605
Table 4. Feed, Rectifying line equation calculated

3. Data required for constructing VLE diagram

x 0 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
y 0.00 0.33 0.44 0.53 0.58 0.61 0.65 0.70 0.75 0.82 0.90 1.00
t
100 90.5 86.5 83.2 81.7 80.8 80.0 79.4 79.0 78.6 78.4 78.4
( C)
o

Table 5. Phase equilibrium data for ethanol-water system at 1 atm

4
From the table of data, we can construct the below VLE diagram of
water – ethanol system
1.0

0.9

0.8

y(Vapor mol fraction) 0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

x (Liquid mol fraction)

Figure 1. Vapor-Liquid equilibrium diagram for water-ethanol system

4. Graphs

Feed tray 4 - Lo = 56.4 mL/min

1.0

0.9

0.8
y (Vapor mol fraction)

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

x (Liquid mol fraction)

Figure 2. VLE diagram for case feed tray 4 and Lo = 56.4 ml/min

5
 Feed tray 4 - Lo = 78.96 mL/min
1.0

0.9

0.8
y (Vapor mol fraction)

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

x (Liquid mol fraction)

Figure 3. VLE diagram for case feed tray 4 and Lo = 78.96 ml/min

Feed tray 4 - Lo = 101.52 mL/min

1.0

0.9

0.8
y (Vapor mol fraction)

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

x (Liquid mol fraction)

Figure 4. VLE diagram for case feed tray 4 and Lo = 101.52 ml/min

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 Feed tray 2 - Lo = 56.4 mL/min
1.0

0.9

0.8
y (Vapor mol fraction)

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

x (Liquid mol fraction)

Figure 5. VLE diagram for case feed tray 4 and Lo = 56.4 ml/min

Feed tray 5 - Lo = 56.4 mL/min

1.0

0.9

0.8
y (Vapor mol fraction)

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

x (Liquid mol fraction)

Figure 6. VLE diagram for case feed tray 5 and Lo = 56.4 ml/min

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 Number of Overall tray
No. Tray position R xD
theoretical trays efficiency
1 4 1.187 1 0.1998 0.2
2 4 2.355 1 0.3831 0.2
3 4 3.140 2 0.5661 0.4
4 2 0.995 1 0.3143 0.2
5 5 1.015 1 0.3234 0.2
Table 6. Conclusion for number of trays and overall tray assessment.
III. DISCUSSION
1. Effect of reflux flowrate and feed tray position on the
purity of product and efficiency of distillation column
- Effect of increasing reflux stream flowrate:
o From the calculated data above, it is clear that D
decreases as we increase the flowrate of reflux stream
L0. This is because if we assume that the input heat
and feed flowrate is constant, then the sum L0 + D is
unchanged.
o The purity of the overhead product increase, given the
same position of feed tray. Also, the overall efficiency
of the distillation column also increases
o However, one disadvantage of increasing reflux
stream flowrate is the increase of operating costs. In
addition, the flowrate of product stream also decreases
which makes the overall distillation process take a lot
more time. Hence, it is required to compute a suitable
value of reflux stream flowrate in order to balance
between efficiency and operating cost.
- Effect of changing feed tray position:
o As we lower the position of feed tray, the overall
efficiency as well as the purity of the product is
supposed to increase. However, as we can observed
from the result of calculation, not much of a difference
can be observed between the experiment with feed tray
at position 2 and 5. This can be due to some errors of
the equipment and measurement.
2. Describe the phenomena and processes occurring inside
of the distillation device when it is stable.
- Phenomena when the device is stable:
o The product stream flowrate is stable
o The readings on the thermometers only have small
variations between a constant value.
o The heating resistors operates at its full capacity

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- Processes occurring inside of the distillation device:
o The steam from the boiler goes upward while the
liquid of the feed stream goes into the middle part of
the column and falls downward.
o The two streams meet and exchange heat with each
other. Ethanol with a lower boiling point in the feed
stream is absorbed into the flow of steam, which
makes its component in the feed stream decreases.
o After going through the condenser and depressurizing
valve, the liquid product with a higher ethanol
concentration is obtained.
3. Suggest reasons and solutions for error in this experiment
- Errors:
o The distillation column is not ideal
o Errors during adjustment of feed stream flowrate
o Errors during temperature and concentration of ethanol
recording.
o Errors during looking up data and constructing
diagrams
o Errors when conducting the experiment: measuring
ethanol concentration in feed and product solution, not
waiting for the equipment to stabilize before collecting
results…
- Solution:
o Always adjust the feed flowrate so that it stays at the
desired value
o Give the equipment time to stabilize before doing the
experiment
o The process of recording experimental data must be
fast
o Use reliable data tables to construct diagram, it is also
recommended to use programs to construct graphs.