Complete short cut design: example

A mixture of 4% n-pentane, 40% n-hexane, 50% n-heptane and 6%

n-octane is distilled at 1 atm. The goal is to recover 98%of hexane and
1% of heptane in the distillate. The feed is boiling liquid.T=?

a) Find minimum number of stages and minimum reflux ratio

b) Given operating reflux of 1.5 of the minimum find the operating
number of ideal stages
xF F xF Moles in D xD Moles in xB Ki
B
Pentane 0.04 4 4 4/43.7= 0- 0 3.62
0.092 assump
Hexane 0.4 40 (40*0.98)= 39.2/43.7 0.8 0.014 1.39
LK 39.2 =0.897
Heptane 0.5 50 (50*0.01)= 0.5/43.7 49.5 0.879 0.56
HK 0.5 = 0.011

Octane 0.06 6 0 - assumpt 0 6 0.107 0.23

100 - D=43.7 B=56.3
basis
1
 Complete short cut design: example
A mixture of 4% n-pentane, 40% n-hexane, 50% n-heptane and 6%
n-octane is distilled at 1 atm. The goal is to recover 98%of hexane and
1% of heptane in the distillate. The feed is boiling liquid.
xF F xF Moles in D xD Moles in B xB Ki (80C)
Pentane 0.04 4 4 0.092 0 0 3.62

Hexane 0.4 40 39.2 0.897 0.8 0.014 1.39

LK
Heptane 0.5 50 0.5 0.011 49.5 0.879 0.56
HK
Octane 0.06 6 0 0 6 0.107 0.23
100 D=43.7 B=56.3

1) Fenske equation
ln[( xDi / xBi ) /( xDj / xBj )] ln[( 0.897 / 0.014) /( 0.011 / 0.879)]
N min  1   1  8.4
ln  ij ln 1.39 / 0.56

2
 Complete short cut design: example
2) Underwood equation can be solved by Newton-Raphson method or trial-error
 i xi , F
(1  q)   q=1
i  A
xF α A=1.5 A=1.48
Pentane 0.04 6.46  i xi , F  i xi , F
 0.052  0.052
i  A i  A

Hexane 0.4 2.48  i xi , F  i xi , F

 1.012  0.992
LK i  A i  A

Heptane 0.5 1.0  i xi , F  i xi , F

 1.00  1.042
HK i  A i  A

Octane 0.06 0.41 By trial-error

 i xi , F  i xi , F
 0.023  0.023
i  A i  A method
root A≈1.487

 i xi , F  i xi , F
  0.041   0.021
i  A i  A 3
 Complete short cut design: example

V  i xi , D 6.46(0.092) 2.48(0.897) 1(0.011)

RDm 1        2.337
D  i  A 6.64  1.48 2.48  1.487 1  1.487
RDm  1.34

Now the operating reflux RD is 1.5RDm=2.01

RD  RDm 3) Gilliland correlation N  N min

 0.22  0.45
RD  1 N 1

N=16