Shortcut Distillation

Agung Ari Wibowo, S.T., M.Sc

Politeknik Negeri Malang
Malang - Indonesia
  The column utilities in HYSYS can be used to model a wide
variety of chemical separation techniques including
absorption, liquid-liquid extraction and distillation

The use of
separation
column in
HYSYS
Shortcut
distillation The primary purpose of the shortcut distillation is to allow for
users to perform a first pass estimate on the performance
requirements of a given system for a specified reflux ratio. The
values gathered from the shortcut distillation utility can be used
to assist the user when setting up the complete distillation utility
in HYSYS, or when attempting to find reasonable column
properties to allow the system to converge (e.g. number of
trays, feed location, etc.)
 The shortcut distillation utility within HYSYS allows users to
quickly model a distillation separation of a stream with relatively
Shortcut little known information. Once the user attaches a fully defined
distillation inlet stream to the shortcut distillation column, the essential
information that must be specified are as follows:

 The vapor/liquid quality of the top product

 The light key component and composition in the bottoms product

 The heavy key component and composition in the distillate (top)

product

 The condenser pressure

 The reboiler pressure

 The external reflux ratio

 What is Light and Heavy Key?
Shortcut
distillation Light Key : a lighter component means a component with a
lower boiling point. Defined as lightest
component in the bottom product in a
significant amount

Heavy key : a heavier component means a component with a

higher boiling point. Defined as heaviest
component in the overhead product in a
significant amount.

*Note : Both Light and Heavy key depend on the component

in the stream
 With this information, the utility will run and, if possible, converge on a solution that
Shortcut will meet the key component specifications. The critical information that the utility
will calculate are as follows:
distillation
 Fully specified distillate product stream (temperature, pressure, flow rate,
composition)

 Fully specified bottom product stream (temperature, pressure, flow rate,

composition)

 Condenser operating temperature and heat duty

 Reboiler operating temperature and heat duty

 Minimum number of trays (calculated by Fenske Methode)

 Actual number of trays (minimum/theoritical tray devided by tray efficiency)

 Optimum feed tray location

 Reflux minimum (Calculated by Underwood Methode)

 A distillation column is used to separate mixed compound of Benzene,
Toluene and p-xylene. Feed entering to the column at 20°C and 1 atm
Case with mass flow 500 kg/hr. The attempt of this separation process is to
get benzene with purity of 99.9% (top product only Benzene and
Toluene) . And the benzene composition at the bottom will be 0.1%. If
the column operate isobarically and R= 1.18 Rm. What is the
composition of the product (top and bottom), and what is the
temperature of reboiler (Use Peng-Robinson as Fluid Package)?

Feed Composition Mole Fraction

Benzene 0.35
Toluene 0.25
p-xylene 0.40
Case
Case
Case
Case
Case
 Ethyl benzene is produced by the reaction of ethylene and benzene. The
reactor which being used has the maximum conversion of 80% and operated
adiabatically. The feed of the reactor consist of pure ethylene, benzene and

Case 2 recycle stream from Flash Separator. The product from the reactor is cooled to
64 C, and then flash separated. The bottom product of the Flash Separator will
be separated using distillation column to get high purity E-benzene. If the
column bottom product only consist of Benzene and E-benzene in which the
mole fraction of benzene is 0.1% and in the Top product the mole fraction of

` E-Benzene is 0.01%, determine in which stage feed should enter the column?
Column operated isobarically.
C2H4 + C6H6 → C8H10
Component Benzene Ethylene
Temperature (C) 25 25
Pressure (atm) 1 1
Molar Flow (kmol/hr) 500 450
Fluid Package (Peng- R = 1.26 Rm Distillate Phase : Vapor
Robinson)
Case 2
Case 2