Open steam heating

Example 4-4
The feed is 60 mole% methanol and 40 mole% water and is
input as a two-phase mixture that flashes so that V/F = 0.3.
Feed flow rate is 350 kmol/h. The column is well insulated
and has a total condenser. The reflux is returned to the
column as a saturated liquid. An external reflux ratio of L0/D
= 3.0 is used.

1
We desire a distillate
concentration of 95 mole %
methanol and a bottoms
concentration of 8 mole %
methanol. Instead of using a
reboiler, saturated steam at 1
atm is sparged directly into the
bottom of the column to
provide boilup. (This is called
direct or open steam.)
Calculate the number of
equilibrium stages and the
optimum feed plate location.

2
Unit Operation Lab, Department of Chemical Technology 3
 QC
V1
1 D Sat’d liquid
L0 xD  0.95
L0 D  3.0
V j 1 L j

F = 350 F
Optimum feed stage
Z M  0.6 p = 1 atm
ZW  0.4 V L
VF F  0.3
N
S B
Pure water xB  0.08
Sat’d vapor Sat’d
liquid

4
The first thing we need is the equilibrium data, which
can be from Perry et (1973)
Perry, R.H., C.H. Chilton and S.D. Kirkpatrick (Eds.),
Chemical Engineering Handbook, 5th ed., McGraw-Hill,
New York, 1973.
Mole % Mole %
Methanol Methanol Temp,
Liquid Vapor oC

0.0 0.0 100

2.0 13.4 96.4
4.0 23.0 93.5
6.0 30.4 91.2
10.0 41.8 87.7

5
We would like to assume constant molal overflow (CMO) so
that we can use the McCabe-Thiele analysis procedure.
A look at the figure shows that the configuration at the
bottom of the column is different than when a reboiler is
present. Thus we should expect that the bottom operating
equations will be different from those derived previously.

Plot the equilibrium data on a y-x graph.

Top operating line:

L  L
y j 1  x j  1   xD
V  V

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Intersection y = x = xD

Since the reflux is returned as saturated liquid,

L L0 L0 D
 
V Lo  D L0 D  1
Enough information is available to plot the top operating line
Feed line:
q z
y x
q 1 1  q
Intersection y = x = z
L  L V  V  F  VF  F VF
q    1
F F F F
Now we can plot the feed line
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Bottom operating line: QC
V1
D
V B L S L0

V j 1 L j
yV  xB B  xL  yS S F

V L
L S B
y  x  y S  xB
V V V
Since the steam is pure, yS = 0 S B

Since steam is saturated S  V and B  L

L L
y  x  xB
V V

Slope L V (unknown) , y intercept =  L V xB (unknown)

When y = 0 , x = xB
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Plot equilibrium data, top operating line and feed line.

1.00
0.90
0.80
0.70
Feed line
0.60
yMEOH

0.50
0.40
0.30 Top operating line
0.20
0.10
0.00
0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00
xMEOH

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We can plot bottom operating line between two points, the
intercept of top operating line and feed line, and x intercept
(y = 0) = xB = 0.08

1.00

0.80

0.60
yMEOH

0.40

0.20 Bottom operating line

0.00
0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00
xMEOH

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Step off stages, starting at the top.

1.00 1
2
0.90 xD
3
0.80
0.70 4
x3
0.60
yMEOH

0.50
0.40
5
0.30
x4
0.20
0.10
0.00 xB
0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00
xMEOH

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 1.00 1
2
0.80
3 xD
Optimum feed is on stage 3 or 4
4
0.60
x3 (since by accident x3 is at the
yMEOH

0.40 5
intersection point of feed and
0.20
x4 operating line).
0.00
xB
0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00
xMEOH

We can calculate a fractional number of stages.

distance from operating line to product
Fraction 
distance from operating line to equilibriu m
xB  x4 0.08  0.305
Fraction    0.9
x5  x4 0.06  0.305

We need 4 + 0.9 = 4.9 equilibrium contacts.

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