Mass Transfer Fundamentals

(ChE-206)
Lecture No. 26

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Distillation Column Design Steps
• Specify the degree of separation required: set product specification
• Select the operating conditions: batch or continuous, operating pressure
• Select the type of contacting device: plates or packing
• Determine the stage and reflux requirements: the number of equilibrium
stages
• Size the column: diameter, number of real stages
• Design the column internals: plates, distributors, packing
supports
• Mechanical Design: vessel and internal fittings
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Plate Design Procedure
• Trial and error approach
• Starting with a rough plate layout, checking key performance factors
and revising the design, as necessary, until a satisfactory design is
achieved.

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Procedure

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Plate Areas

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Diameter
• Upper limit of vapor velocity is fixed by
flooding condition.
• Flooding velocity

• uf= flooding vapor velocity based on

column cross-sectional area
• K1= constant obtained from graph

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• Liquid vapor flow factor FLV is:

• To calculate the column diameter an estimate of net area An is

required.
• As a first trial take the downcomer area as 12% of the total and
assume that the hole-active area is 10%.

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Liquid Flow Arrangement
• Depends upon:
• Liquid flow rate
• Column diameter

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Entrainment
• Can be estimated using a relationship given
by Flair and a graph.
• Fractional entrainment is a function of
liquid-vapor floe factor and the percentage
flooding.

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Weep Point
• Liquid leakage through the holes
• Lower limit of operating range occurs
• Vapor velocity is minimum at weep point
• Minimum design vapor velocity:

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Weir liquid crest
• Height of the liquid crest over the weir can be estimated using Francis
weir formula:

• To ensure an even flow of liquid, the crest should be at least 10mm at

lowest liquid rate.

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Weir Dimensions
• Weir height:
• High weir will increase plate efficiency but at an expense of increased
plate pressure drop.
• For columns operating above atmospheric pressure:
• Weir height range is 40-90 mm
• However recommended is 40-50mm
• Inlet Weir:
• To improve liquid distribution
• Seldom needed
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• Weir length:
• Range is 0.6-0.85 of the column
diameter
• Initial value can be 0.77, equivalent
to a downcomer area of 12%

Perforated Area
• Area available for mixing
• Support rings, beams, calming zone

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Hole Size
• Range 2.5-12 mm
• Preferred: 5mm
• Larger holes for fouling systems
• Holes are drilled or punched
Hole Pitch
• Distance between hole centers lp should not be less than 2 hole
diameters and normal range will be 2.5-4 diameter.
• Hole patterns:
• Square
• Equilateral triangular
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Hydraulic Gradient
• Difference in the liquid level, needed to drive the liquid flow across
the plate.
• Ignored in sieve plates because of small resistance in liquid flow

Liquid Throw
• Horizontal distance travelled by liquid flowing over downcomer weir.
• Only important in design of multi-pass plates

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Plate Pressure Drop
•  Important deign factor
• Two main sources of pressure loss:
• Due to vapor flow through holes (orifice loss)
• Due to the static head of liquid over plate

• Expressed in millimeters of liquid

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• Total drop:

• Dry plate drop:

• Residual head:

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Downcomer Design
• The downcomer area and plat spacing should be such that the level of
the liquid and froth in the downcomer is well below the top of the
outlet weir on the plate above.
• If the level rises, column will flood.
• The back-up of liquid in the downcomer is caused by the pressure
drop over the plate.

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• Clear liquid downcomer backup:

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Froth Height
• To predict the height of aerated liquid and height of froth in
downcomer, froth density needs to be estimated.
• Density of aerated liquid = 0.4-0.7 times of clear liquid
• Assume froth density as an average value 0.5 of the liquid density.

Downcomer residence time

• Recommended time is 3seconds

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Self Study
• Example 11.11

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