EXPERIMENT REPORT

I. RAW EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Table 1. Raw data
Areometer
Tray Flow rates Temperatures
No. values
position
Feed Top Reflux Feed Top Feed Bottom Top Reflux
1 4 30 111 7 26.5 82.5 67 88 37 101
2 4 30 81 10 26.5 79.5 67 91 36 79
3 4 30 57 15 26.5 84 68 93 36 77
4 2 30 67 10 26.5 66 68 94 36 79
5 5 30 63 10 26.5 66.5 66 94 36 79

II. DATA ANALYSIS

Table 2. Raw data analysis

Flow rates Mole fractions

No. Tray position
Feed Top Reflux Feed Top Reflux
1 4 169.2 111 39.48 0.0972 0.2338 -0.0245
2 4 169.2 81 56.40 0.0972 0.5430 -0.0652
3 4 169.2 57 84.60 0.0972 0.6180 -0.1680
4 2 169.2 67 56.40 0.0971 0.3670 -0.0796
5 5 169.2 63 56.40 0.0972 0.3774 -0.0600

1. Necessary data when reporting

• Phase equilibrium data x-y and T-xy for ethanol - water system at 1 atm.
• Graph of density and specific heat capacity of ethanol to the mole fraction and
temperature.
• Graph of enthalpy of vapourization to the temperature of ethanol and water.

2. Formulas
R x
y= x+ D
R +1 R +1
L0
• R: reflux ratio = ( L0 : reflux flow rate, D: flow rate of top product )
D
• xD : mole fraction of top product

R+ f 1− f
y= x+ xW
R +1 R +1
 • xW : mole fraction of bottom product
F
• f= : feed ratio
D
• R: reflux ratio
q x
y= x− F
q −1 q −1

• xF : mole fraction of feed

hG − hF
• q= ; hG , hL , hF : heat of gas, liquid and feed stream passing through feed tray
hG − hL

xD − y F *
Rmin =
y F * − xF

• yF * : y – coordinate of intersection point of feed line and equilibrium line.

Po A
Relative volatility: α =
Po B

• P o A : saturated vapor pressure of A

• P o B : saturated vapor pressure of B

Convert areometer value to mole fraction xD , xF

ABV   alcohol
M alcohol
x=
ABV   alcohol (100 − ABV )   H 2O
.
M alcohol M H 2O

• ABV: Alcohol by volume

• alcohol ,  H 2O : density of alcohol and water
• M alcohol , M H 2O : molar mass of alcohol and water

Convert flow rate form ml/min to mole/min

Q ( ml/min )  ABV   alcohol (100 − ABV )   H 2O 

Q ( mol/min ) =  + 
100  M alcohol M H 2O
 

xF .F − xD .D
Mole fraction of bottom product: xW =
F −D
Heat capacity of C2 H5OH − H2O mixture:
 (
Cmix = x.Calcohol + 1 − x CH2O)
• Calcohol , CH 2O : heat capacity of alcohol and water ( kJ/kg.o C )

Latent heat of C2 H5OH − H2O mixture:

( )
rmix = x.ralcohol + 1 − x rH 2O

• ralcohol , rH 2O : latent heat of alcohol and water at certain temperature

Calculate CF , CLF , CGF , H F , H LF , HGF

(
CF (boiling ) = CLF = CGF = Calcohol .xF + CH2O . 1 − xF )
H F = CF .tF

H LF = CF .tbF ( tbF : boiling temperature of mixture )

(
H GF = CF .tbF + ralcohol .xF + rH2O 1 − xF )
3. Calculation results
Table 3. Calculation results of parameters
Reflux HF HG , F H L, F
tF ( o C )
Tray q
q
No.
position
ratio
(R) (kJ/kg. C) (kJ/kg. C) (kJ/kg. C)
o o o
q −1
1 4 0.3556 67 264.356 2325.4 347.810 1.0422 24.67
2 4 0.6963 67 263.356 2325.4 342.1182 1.0422 24.67
3 4 1.4842 68 264.382 2325.4 342.1182 1.0392 26.51
4 2 0.841 68 273.055 2552.033 365.060 1.0421 24.77
5 5 0.895 66 263.304 2325.4 350.212 1.044 23.57

Table 4. Equations of feeding line and rectifying operation line

No. Feeding line equation Rectifying operation line equation
1 y = 24.67x – 2.303 y = 0.262x + 0.172
2 y = 24.67x – 2.303 y = 0.4105x + 0.3201
3 y = 26.51x – 2.48 y = 0.5975x + 0.2488
4 y = 24.77x – 2.3081 y = 0.4571x + 0.1993
5 y = 23.57x – 2.209 y = 0.472x + 0.199
 4. Sketching the graphs
1) Graphs used to define number of theoretical trays, one graph for each experiment.
2) Using the graph to determine predictive purity ( by drawing real trays from xW with overall
efficiency ) and compare to the purity measured of top product.
The practical data of equilibrium phase for the ethanol-water system at atmospheric pressure is
as below:
(x, y: the mole fraction of ethanol in liquid phase and gas phase respectively):

Table 5

x 0 5.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100

y 0 33.2 44.3 53.1 57.6 61.4 65.4 69.9 75.3 81.8 89.8 100

DIAGRAM REPRESENTING THE THEORETICAL STAGES WHEN THE FEED

TRAY IS 4 AND THE REFLUX FLOWRATE LO = 39.48 ML/MIN
DIAGRAM REPRESENTING THE THEORETICAL STAGES WHEN THE FEED
TRAY IS 4 AND THE REFLUX FLOWRATE LO = 56.4 ML/MIN

1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
DIAGRAM REPRESENTING THE THEORETICAL STAGES WHEN THE FEED
TRAY IS 4 AND THE REFLUX FLOWRATE LO = 84.6 ML/MIN

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7 0.75 0.8 0.85 0.9 0.95 1
DIAGRAM REPRESENTING THE THEORETICAL STAGES WHEN THE FEED
TRAY IS 2 AND THE REFLUX FLOWRATE LO = 56.4 ML/MIN
 DIAGRAM REPRESENTING THE THEORETICAL STAGES WHEN THE FEED
TRAY IS 5 AND THE REFLUX FLOWRATE LO = 56.4 ML/MIN

1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

Table 6. Results
Number of Overall
Tray xD
No. R theoretical tray
position
trays efficiency
1 4 0.3556 2 0.2338 0.4
2 4 0.6963 4 0.543 0.8
3 4 1.4842 4 0.618 0.8
4 2 0.8418 2 0.367 0.4
5 5 0.895 2 0.3774 0.4

III. DISCUSSIONS
1) Discuss about the affect of reflux flow rate and the position of feed tray to the purity of
product and overall efficiency of the distillation tower.
1.1. Effect of reflux flow rate on the purity of product
After experiment no. 1, 2 and 3 we can clearly find that when the reflux flow rate
increases, the purity of product will increase as well.
 This can be explained by: “with the same amount of heat supplied, mole flow rate of
vapor G0 does not change”

We have G0 = L0 + D . When the reflux flow rate increases, it also means that flow rate of
top product decreases. The heat supplied into the reboiler will help separate the phases of
mixture. Partition coefficient will be proportional to the specific heat supplied – calculated on 1
mole top product.
Therefore, when D decreases, specific heat supplied increases and partition coefficient
increases. Hence, the purity of product will rise ( both top and bottom product ).
1.2. Effect of reflux flow rate on the efficiency
During the experiment, we can find that when we increase the reflux flow rate, the
efficiency also increase.
However, we have to consider that overall tray efficiency does not allow us to evaluate
the economic aspect of equipments. Our aim is to make products which have desired purity.
When we increase the reflux flow rate, tray efficiency increases, it means the number of real
trays needed will decrease, hence the manufacturing cost decreases. In reality, people must find
out the most suitable reflux flow rate, which the total cost is the lowest.
1.3. Effect of position of feed tray to the purity of product and tray efficency
During the distillation process, the concentration of liquid stream as well as vapor stream
will change after passing thourgh each tray. However, this change is not same at all trays, it also
depends on each tray’s position. For instance, when the feed tray is at the bottom, the purity of
product is high and vice versa.
After the experiment, we can see that the position of feed tray does not have an effect
much on the tray efficiency. The effect of the position of feed tray on efficiency cannot be
concluded base on high or low position but base on its error compare to theoretical postion: the
nearer this position, the higher efficiency.
2) Explain the phenomenon and process in the tower when it is working stably
The boiling point of mixture is different at each tray and decreases to the last tray.
When the system is stable, it means:
• Heat resistors work at its certain capacity in order to ensure heat supplied to streams
• Flowmeters of streams must be stable
Thermometer of each tray indicates different value, the higher postion the lower temperature
3) Reasons of causing error and how to overcome it
During the experiment:
• The valve is not completely opened -> flow rate is not stable.
 • The ball fluctuated so we have to carefully observe.
• Measuring the alcohol by volume by reading areometer is not accurate.
• Error by measuring flow rate ( inaccurate timer, unstable flow rate ).
• Not reading all the values simultaneously.
During calculation: rounding the values, converting units, seeking data in the table, and
sketching the graph inaccurately
How to overcome:
• Do the experiment carefully, all the members have to work well with each other.
• Always set the feed flow rate and reflux flow rate at the defined value.
• Record the values simultaneously.