1
Figure 6.1: A distillation column with the total
reflux
(from Separation Process Engineering by Wankat, 2007)
yA / x A
aAB = (6.2)
yB / x B
2
Performing the material balances for species
A (assuming that species A is the more volatile
component: MVC) around the re-boiler gives
Lx A,N = VyA,R + Bx A,R
or
VyA,R = Lx A,N - Bx A,R (6.3)
B=0
which results in the fact that
V =L
3
With the above facts, Eq. 6.3 becomes
VyA,R = Lx A,N
yA,R L
= =1
x A,N V
4
Combining Eqs 6.5:
yA,R = x A,N (6.5)
and Eq. 6.6:
yB,R = x B,N (6.6)
with Eq. 6.1:
y
A = a x A (6.1)
y R
x
B R B R
gives
x
A = a x A (6.7)
x R
x
B N B R
5
Performing material balances for species A
and B around stage N (in a similar manner as
per the re-boiler) results in
yA,N = x A,N -1 (6.9)
yB,N = x B,N -1 (6.10)
6
By doing the same for stage N - 1, we obtain
x x
A = aN -1aN aR A (6.13)
x x
B N -2 B R
(6.14)
7
1
aAB = (a1a2a3 ...aN -1aN aR )N min
where N min is the number of of equilibrium stages
for the total reflux distillation
8
Dx
A
Dx
B dist
ln
Bx A
Bx B R
N min = (6.17)
ln aAB
9
We can also write the similar equations as
per Eqs. 6.18 and 6.19 for species B (try doing it
yourself)
10
When there are only 2 components (i.e. a
binary mixture), Eq. 6.16 can be written as
follows
x / 1 - x
A ( A ) dist
ln
x / (1 - x )
A A bot
N min =
ln aAB
(6.21)
(6.23)
distillate (FRbenzene )
dist
13
Since the fractional recoveries of toluene (in
the distillate95%) and cumene (in the bottom
95%) are specified, both toluene and cumene are
the key components
Accordingly,
toluene is the light key component (LK)
cumene is the heavy key component (HK)
14
As the relative volatility of benzene is higher
than that of toluene, which is the LK, benzene is
the light non-key component (LNK)
(FRcumene ) = 0.95
bot
Lets denote
toluene A (the LK)
cumene B (the HK)
benzene C (the LNK)
15
Hence, the number of minimum equilibrium
stages (N min ) for the distillation with the total re-
flux can be computed, using Eq. 6.20, as follows
(FR )
A dist ( FR )
B bot
ln
1 - (FR ) 1 - (FR )
A dist B bot
N min =
ln aAB
(FR )
A dist ( FR )
B bot
ln
1 - (FR ) 1 - (FR )
A dist B bot
N min =
1
ln
aBA
or
( toluene )dist ( cumene )bot
FR FR
ln
1 - (FR ) 1 - (FR )
toluene dist cumene bot
N min =
1
ln
acume-tol
(6.24)
16
Note that, as aAB is defined as
yA / x A
aAB =
yB / x B
by using the same principle, we obtain the fact
that
yB / x B
aBA =
yA / x A
Accordingly,
1
aBA =
aAB
17
( toluene )dist ( cumene )bot
FR FR
ln
1 - (FR ) 1 - (FR )
toluene dist cumene bot
N min =
1
ln
acume-tol
yields
ln
( 0.95 )( 0.95 )
1 - (0.95) 1 - (0.95)
N min =
1
ln
0.21
N min = 3.8
18
is employed to compute the fractional recovery
of the LNK (= benzene in this Example) in the
distillate
19
(6.25)/(6.26) gives
y benz / x benz
abenz-tol y tol / x tol y benz / x benz
= = = abenz-cume
acume-tol y cume / x cume y cume / x cume
y tol / x tol
(6.27)
abenz-tol 2.25
abenz-cume = = = 10.7
acume-tol 0.21
20
Thus, the fractional recovery of benzene
N min
abenz-cume
=
(FR )
cume bot + aN min
1 - ( cume )bot
FR
benz-cume
(10.7)
3.8
=
(0.95)
+ 10.7 3.8
( )
1 - (0.95)
(FR )C dist
= (FRbenz )
dist
= 0.998
22
Figure 6.2: The pinch point for a binary
mixture without the azeotrope
(from Separation Process Engineering by Wankat, 2007)
23
Figure 6.3: The pinch point for a binary
mixture with the azeotrope
(from Separation Process Engineering by Wankat, 2007)
y i, j+1, V
27
yi, j +1
Vminyi, j +1 = Lmin + Dx i, dist
Ki
(6.31)
Dx i, dist
Vminyi, j +1 =
L
1 - min
V a K
min i ref
(6.34)
(6.35)
29
Taking a summation of Eq. 6.35 for all species
results in
ai Dx i, dist
V y = Vmin (1) = Vmin =
min i , j +1 L
a - min
i V K
min ref
(6.36)
30
ai ai
and
K ref K ref
31
ai Bx i , bot
-Vmin = (6.40)
(a i
-f)
32
or
Vmin -Vmin
i
=
(
a Dx
i , dist
+ Bx )
i , bot
( ai - f )
(6.43)
Eq. 6.39:
ai Dx i, dist
Vmin = (6.39)
(a i
- f)
is the second Underwood equation, used to com-
pute the value of Vmin
34
Once Vmin is known, the value of Lmin can then
be calculated from the material balance equation
at the condenser as follows
Lmin = Vmin - D (6.47)
35
Dx HNK, dist = 0
and
Dx LNK, dist = Fz LNK
while the amounts of key components (both HK
and LK) are
Dx LK, dist = (FRLK ) Fz LK (6.49)
dist
and
Dx HK, dist = (1 - FRHK ) Fz HK
bot
(6.50)
37
Thus, we can have C - 1 degree of freedoms,
which yields C - 1 equations for Eq. 6.39:
ai Dx i, dist
Vmin = (6.39)
(a i
- f)
and there are C - 1 unknowns (i.e. Vmin and
Dx i, dist for all LNK and HNK)
38
Example For the same distillation problem on
Page 13, determine the minimum reflux ratio,
based on the feed rate of 100 kmol/h
DVfeed = 100
39
Substituting corresponding numerical values
into Eq. 6.51 gives
2.25 (100)(0.40) 1.0 (100)(0.30) 0.21 (100)(0.30)
100 = + +
(2.25 - f) (1.0 - f) (0.21 - f)
(6.52)
f = 0.5454
41
From the previous calculations (see Page 21),
the fractional recovery of benzene (the LNK in
this Example) or (FR)benz, dist is found be 0.998
42
(2.25)(39.9) (1.0)(28.5)
Vmin = +
(2.25 - 0.5454) (1.0 - 0.5454)
(0.21)(1.5)
+
(0.21 - 0.5454)
Vmin = 114.4
L
Therefore, the minimum reflux ratio is
D
min
44.5
= 0.64
69.9
44
In order to determine the number of stages for
multi-component distillation at finite reflux ratio,
there should be a correlation that utilises the
results from both extreme cases (i.e. the cases of
total reflux and minimum reflux)
45
The work was published in Industrial and
Engineering Chemistry, Vol. 32, under the topic
of Multicomponent rectification: Estimation of
the number of theoretical plates as a function of
the reflux ratio in 1940
46
The correlation firstly developed by Gilliland
was later modified by C.J. Liddle [published in
Chemical Engineering, Vol. 75(23), under the
topic of Improved shortcut method for distilla-
tion calculations in 1968] and could be presented
in the form of chart as shown in Figure 6.5
47
The procedure of using the Gillilands correla-
tion/chart is as follows
1) Calculate N min using the Fenske equation
L
2) Calculate using the Underwoods
D
min
equations
L
3) Choose actual or operating , which is
D
normally within the range of 1.05 to 1.25
L
times that of
D
min
multiplier, M )
48
4) Calculate the abscissa or the value of
L L
D D
min
(on the X-axis)
L
D 1
49
The optimal feed stage/plate can also be esti-
mated using the following procedure
50
Next, by assuming that the relative feed stage
is constant as we change from total reflux to a
finite value of reflux ratio, we obtain the follow-
ing equation:
N F , min NF
= (6.55)
N min N
which is employed to calculate the optimal feed
location, N F
51
N -1
2
z x
B HK LK, bot
log f = 0.260 log
N - N f D z LK x HK, dist
(6.56)
52
For 0 x 0.01:
(N - N ) min
= 1.0 - 18.5715x
(N + 1)
(6.57)
For 0.01 < x < 0.90 :
(N - N )
min 0.002743
= 0.545827 - 0.591422x +
(N + 1) x
(6.58)
For 0.90 < x < 1.0 :
(N - N )min
= 0.16595 - 0.16595x
(N + 1)
(6.59)
L
2) Calculate the value of
D
min
54
L
= 0.64
D min
L
3) Choose the value of the actual
D
L
It is given that the actual or operating
D
is set as 2.0
L L
-
D D 2.0 - 0.64
min
= = 0.453
L 2.0 + 1
+ 1
D
55
5) Determine the value of ordinate (the
Y-axis of the Gillilands chart)
The ordinate can be read from the chart
when the abscissa is known
L L
-
D D
min
With the abscissa, of 0.453,
L
+ 1
D
the ordinate is found to be
(N - N ) min
0.27
(N + 1)
56
(N - N ) 0.002743
= 0.545827 - 0.591422 (0.453) +
min
(N + 1) 0.453
(N - N ) min
= 0.284
(N + 1)
57
(N - N ) min
= 0.27
(N + 1)
(N - 3.8)
= 0.27
(N + 1)
N - 3.8 = 0.27 (N + 1)
N - 3.8 = 0.27N + 0.27
0.73N = 4.07
N = 5.58
58
From the Example on Pages 39-44, we ob-
tained the following:
Dx tol, dist = 28.5
Dx cume, dist = 1.5
D = (Dx i, dist ) = 69.9
59
0.408
0.021
ln
0.30
0.30
NF, = = 1.90
min 1
ln
0.21
N F = 2.79 3
60
Figure 6.5: Gillilands correlation chart (modified by Liddle in 1968)
(from Separation Process Engineering by Wankat, 2007)
61