Flash Distillation

Objectives: 1. Know how to specify the number of thermodynamic conditions in a flow system. 2. U d Understand the detail of flash t d th d t il f fl h distillation
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Unit U it 1 : Fl h distillation Flash di till ti

Content Gibbs Phase Rule for Flowing Systems Flash Di till ti Fl h Distillation Isothermal Flash Derivation of Rachford Rice equation DePriester Chart Example on Isothermal Flash distillation Adaibatic flash

Gibbs Phase Rule for a Flowing System

Thenumberofthermodynamicconditionsthatcanbespecifiedforasystemwith3components with2phasesin equilibrium. Variables: T,P, X1,X2,X3... Y1,Y2,Y3... Y Y Z1,Z2,Z3... C C F,Zi,TF,PF V,L,... V, L, ... } P Q
CP + 2

Equations: Xi = 1

Orig ginal

Yi = 1 Zi = 1
ki
,
i i

X = i Xi

C ( P 1)
C 1

Add ditional

Fzi = Vyi + Lxi + ...

Fhf + Q = Vhv + Lhl + ...

Original Additional

CP C + P

C+4+P

C +1
Foraflowsystem: For a flow system:

F = CP+2
F = P + 3

F=C+5

Determination of Unspecified Variables

If

F =C+5

variablesareusedtospecify

F,T,P,TF,PF,Zi

Thenremaining

( C + 1) P + 1

variablesmustbefoundfrom

A) mole fraction summations B) K-Value relationships C) Mass balances D) E Energy b l balance

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( P 1) C C

Flash Distillation
- Given temperature, the overall composition (feed), find the amount of vapour and liquid phases formed and their compositions - Given the overall composition (feed) and the amount of vapour and liquid phases formed in the flash tank find the temperature of the process and the compositions of the phases Isothermal, adiabatic conditions - If you know the amount of liquid phase, you can select an appropriate flash tank from standard sizes

flash Distillation
V , y i , hv
T Tb(B) V

P ,T1 1

F , ziF , hF , PF , TF
P ,T1 1
Tb(A)

L x* y* xA

L, xi , hL

- Alternatively instead of flashing through Alternatively, the valve, the liquid mixture is partially vaporized in a boiler (or vapour condensed in a cooler)
P = PF 1 T1 = TF
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isothermal process

Flash Distillation
Considerthefollowingoperationwhichproducesaliquidvaporequilibriumfroma liquidfeed: l df d

FlashDrum LiquidFeed
F,zi,TF,PF,hF Q

Vaporout
V,yi,TV,PV,hv

Liquidout Li id t
L,xi,TL,PL,hL Foreachstream: n:molarflowrate:F,L,V zi:compositionvariables:x,y,z T:temperature T: temperature P:pressure h:enthalpy Q:heattransfer

Isothermal Flash Variables

LiquidFeed
F,z T P h F zi,TF,PF,hF Q

Vaporout
V,yi,TV,PV,hv

Liquidout FlashDrum
L,xi,TL,PL,hL

Forthissystemthereare3C+10variables: WeshowedthatthereareC 5degreesof We showed that there are C+5 degrees of freedom.IfwespecifyF,zi,TF,PFwehave specified(C+3)variablesand wecanspecifytwoadditionalvariables.

F,V,L,TF,PF, TV,PV,TL,PL,Q,{xi ,yi ,zi}C CommonSpecifications: TV,PV IsothermalFlash V/F=0,PL BubblePointTemperature V/F=1,PV DewPointTemperature V/F=0,TL BubblePointPressure V/F=1,TV DewPointPressure Q=0,P Q=0 PV AdiabaticFlash Adiabatic Flash Q,PV Nonadiabaticflash V/F,PV PercentVaporizationFlash

Isothermal Flash Equations

Ifwespecifythe F = g Thenremaining

C+ 5

variablesF,Tv,Pv,TF,PF,Zi

( C + 1) P + 3 = 2C + 5 variablesmustbefoundfrom:
NotethatifTandPof eachproductstream arenotconsideredas variables,thenwe wouldnthave equationsforthermal andmechanical equilibriuminthe drum. d

Equations A)molefractionsummations B)KValuerelationships C)Massbalances C) Mass balances D)Energybalance

( P 1) C
C

E)Thermalandmechanicalequilibrium E) Th l d h i l ilib i Total

2C + 5

2 ( P 1)

IflessthanC+5variablesarespecified,thenthesystemisundetermined(underspecified). IfmorethanC+5variablesarespecified,thenthesystemisoverdetermined ( (overspecified). p )

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Isothermal Flash Equations

Wehave2C+5 variablestodeterminefrom2C+5 equations.Theexpression

= CP + P + 1

givesthetotalnumberofequationsforthissystemof2C+3(thesystemcreatesatwo phaseequilibrium).Thetwoadditionalequationsweneedcomefromourassumption ofthermalandmechanicalequilibrium inthedrum.

TL = TV

Wehavetotalmaterialbalance:

F=V+L

PL = PV

Wehavecomponentmaterialbalances,oneforeachcomponent:

FZi = VYi + LXi

Wehavethemolefractionsummations foreachphase(orstream):

Xi = 1
i

Yi = 1
i

Zi = 1
i

Inequilibrium,wehaveaKvaluerelationship foreachcomponent:

kiL,V =

YiV XiL
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Rachford Ri R hf d Rice Derivation D i ti

ItisconvenienttodefinetheVaporFraction asfollows: p Substitutingintoourtotalmaterialbalance:

V F

L = F F
Forthecomponentmaterialbalances:

FZi = VYi + LXi

Zi =

V F F Yi + Xi F F

Zi = Yi + Xi Xi

UsingtheK Value andsolvingfortheliquidphasemolefraction: Using the KValue and solving for the liquid phase mole fraction:

Zi = Yi + Xi Xi
Yi = K i Xi

Zi = Ki Xi + Xi Xi
WeusetheKValue toget:

Zi Xi = K i + 1 Yi = Ki Zi K i + 1

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Rachford Rice Equations

Weusethemolefractionsummations:

Xi = 1 Yi = 1
i i

(Yi Xi ) = 0
i

Substitutinginourexpressionsforthemolefractions:

Zi Xi = K i + 1
GivesustheRachfordRice Equation:

Yi =

Ki Zi K i + 1

Zi K i Zi =0 K i + 1 K i + 1 i

Zi (K i 1) f ( ) = =0 i K i + 1

Therootsofthisequationgiveusthecompositions,andvaporfraction ofthe IsothermalFlashoperation. p Tosolvethisequation,weneedtousesomeprocedureforfindingtheroots: Iterative Graphical

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Newtons Iterative Method

TosolvetheRachfordRiceequationwecanuseNewtonsmethodtofind: q Newtonsmethod estimatesabetter N t th d ti t b tt rootusingthelastguessandtheratio ofthefunctiontoitsderivativeatthat g guess:

k +1 = k

( ) f' ( k )
f k

FortheRachfordRiceEquation thisbecomes: this becomes:

k (Ki 1) + 1 k +1 = k + i 2
i k (Ki 1)+ 1

Zi (K i 1)

Zi (K i 1)

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Rachford-Rice Procedure
TheRachfordRiceprocedureusingNewtonsmethodisthen: Step1: Step2: Step3:

TL = TV
PL = PV

Thermalequilibrium Mechanicalequilibrium Mechanical equilibrium

SolveRachfordRiceforV/F wheretheKvaluesaredeterminedby TL,andPL and P

Zi (Ki 1) =0 i Ki + 1

CanuseNewtonsmethodhere.

Step4: Steps5and6: Steps 5 and 6: Step7:

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V = F Zi Xi = Ki + 1

DetermineV

Ki Zi Yi = K i + 1
DetermineL DetermineQ

L = F F Q = Vhv + Lhl Fh f

Step8:

DePriester D Pi t
In order to carry out an analysis of a separation which uses differences in K-values between two phases to cause a separation, we need a source of K-values. K l A lot of equilibrium (K-Value) information for binary systems is often contained in vapor-liquid phase diagrams.

For hydrocarbon systems, interactions between molecules are very similar, y y , y , and consequently, the K-Values will not be a function of composition. K-Values at different pressures and temperatures for hydrocarbons can thus be graphed for multicomponent systems. One type of these graphs is called DePriester charts.

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DePriester Charts: Low T

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High T

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Example
Aflashchamberoperatingat50Cand200kPaisseparating1000kgmoles/hrofa feedthatis30mole%propane,10%nbutane,15%npentane,and45%nhexane. Whataretheproductcompositionsandflowrates? 1)UsingtheDepriesterChart wedeterminethat: K1 (propane)=7.0 K2 (nbutane)=2.4 K3 (n pentane) = 0 80 (npentane)=0.80 K4 (nhexane)=0.30 2)WefirstwritetheRachfordRiceEquationandsubstituteinthecompositionandKvalues:

V Z (K 1) f = i i F i (K i 1) + 1 V 0.3(7.0 1) 0.1( 2.4 1) 0.15(0.8 1) 0.45( 0.3 1) f = + + + F (7.0 1) + 1 (2.4 1) + 1 ( 0.8 1) + 1 (0.3 1) + 1
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WecaneitherplottheRachfordRiceEquationasafunctionofV/ForuseNewtonsmethod:

V Z (K 1) f = i i F (K i 1) + 1
i

V 0.3(7.0 1) 0.1( 2.4 1) 0.15(0.8 1) 0.45( 0.3 1) f = + + + F (7.0 1) + 1 (2.4 1) + 1 ( 0.8 1) + 1 (0.3 1) + 1
GuessV/F=0.1

0.3(7.0 1) 0.1( 2.4 1) 0.15(0.8 1) 0.45(0.3 1) f ( 0 1) = 0.1 + + + = 0 8785 0.8785 0.1(7 1) + 1 0.1( 2.4 1) + 1 0.1(0.8 1) + 1 0.1(0.3 1) + 1
ToobtainanewguessweneedthederivativeoftheRRequation:

V 0.1(2.4 1) 2 0.15(0.8 1) 2 0.45(0.3 1)2 0.3(7.0 1)2 f' = + + + F [ (7 1) + 1]2 [ ( 2.4 1) + 1]2 [ ( 0.8 1) + 1]2 [ (0.3 1) + 1]2
0.3(7.0 1)2 0.1( 2.4 1)2 0.15(0.8 1)2 0.45(0.3 1)2 f' f (0.1) = 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 4.631 [0.1(7 1) + 1] [0.1(2.4 1) + 1] [0.1(0.8 1) + 1] [0.1(0.3 1) + 1]
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Soournextguessis

2 = 0.1+

0.879 = 0.29 4.631

f (0.29) =

0.45(0.3 1) 0.15(0.8 1) 0.1(2.4 1) 0.3(7.0 1) + + + = 0.329 0.29(7 1) + 1 0.29(2.4 1) + 1 0.29(0.8 1) + 1 0.29(0.3 1) + 1

ToobtainanewguessweneedthederivativeoftheRRequation:
0.3(7.0 1)2 0.1(2.4 1)2 0.15(0.8 1)2 0.45(0.3 1)2 f ' (0.29) = + + + = 1.891 [0.29(7 1) + 1]2 [0.29(2.4 1) + 1]2 [0.29(0.8 1) + 1]2 [0.29(0.3 1) + 1]2

3 = 0.29 +
f (0.46) = 0.066

0.329 = 0.46 1.891 f ' (0.46 ) = 1.32 0.066 = 0.51 1.32

4 = 0.46 +
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f (0.51) = 0.00173

So:

V / F = 0.51

V = 510kg / hr

Using:

Xi =

Zi Ki + 1

Yi =

Ki Zi Ki + 1

X1 (propane)=0.0739 X2 (n butane) = 0 0583 (nbutane)=0.0583 X3 (npentane)=0.1670 X4 (nhexane)=0.6998

Y1 (propane)=0.5172 Y2 (n butane) = 0 1400 (nbutane)=0.1400 Y3 (npentane)=0.1336 Y4 (nhexane)=0.2099

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Flash Distillation (Adiabatic)

V , y i , hV F , ziF , hF , PF , TF
P ,T1 1

L, xi , hL
- Liquid feed is heated under p q pressure and then adiabatically flashed through y g the pressure reducing valve

P PF 1 T1 TF

Lxi + Vy i = FziF
L+V = F

LhL + VhV = FhF

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(1 )hL + hV hF = 0

Flash Distillation (Adiabatic)

Objective: find V, L, and j , , their compositions Procedure: P d
1) Guess T1 2) Isothermal flash procedure

ziF(1 Ki ) =0 f( ) = ) i 1 + (Ki 1
3) Validate

(1 )hL + hV hF = 0
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not

Flash Distillation (Adiabatic)

Objective: find V, L, and their compositions Procedure: 1) Guess )

= L/ F

2) Isothermal flash procedure find temperature of the flash drum so that:

ziF(1 Ki ) =0 f(Ki ) = ) i 1+ (Ki 1

3) Validate V lid t

T1
not

(1 )hL + hV hF = 0
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hF hL = hV hL