Studi Kasus Distilasi

Biner
Campuran Pentana dan
Decana

Pengenalan Kolom Distilasi

Campuran 0,5%-mol n-Pentane dan 0,5%-mol n-Decane (vapour
fraction = 0,1) masuk ke dalam kolom distilasi pada P=200 kPa
dengan laju 1000 kgmol/jam. Campuran tersebut akan
dipisahkan dengan cara distilasi hingga diperoleh produk
distilat dan produk bawah yang murni (kemurnian > 99%)
dengan laju masing-masing 500 kgmol/jam
Mulai simulasi dengan kondisi :
1.

EOS Peng Robinson

2.

Komponen n-Pentane dan n-Decane

Membangun Kolom Distilasi (1)

Kasus ini merupakan kasus distilasi sederhana, diperlukan

3 aliran material yaitu aliran umpan, distilat, dan produk

bawah. Selain itu diperlukan juga 2 aliran energi untuk
reboiler dan kondenser.
Agar pendinginan distilat dapat dilakukan menggunakan

air pendingin, temperatur produk distilat sebaiknya berada

pada rentang 30-50 oC. Untuk kasus ini, produk distilat
dispesifikasi memiliki temperatur 45 oC dengan komposisi
n-Pentana 0,99 dan n-Decana 0,01. Kemudian karena
produk yang diharapkan berfasa cair, maka vf diisikan 0

Membangun Kolom Distilasi (2)

Untuk memudahkan simulasi, gunakan short cut distillation terlebih dahulu
untuk memperkirakan nilai reflux ratio. Sambungkan aliran-aliran seperti
Gambar di bawah ini

Membangun Kolom Distilasi (3)

Spesifikasikan Light Key dan Heavy Key seperti di bawah ini. Kemudian
isikan eksternal reflux ratio = 1

Membangun Kolom Distilasi (4)

Diperoleh hasil seperti di bawah ini. Gunakan hasil dalam Tab Performance
untuk membangun kolom Rigorous Distillation

Membangun Kolom Distilasi (5)

Sebelum memasang unit distilasi dalam flowsheet,
pastikan dahulu bahwa stream umpan dapat
disambungkan ke lebih dari 1 unit operasi dengan
menceklis bagian Allow Multiple Stream
Connection dalam Preference

Membangun Kolom Distilasi (6)

Lanjutkan pengisian kolom distilasi seperti di bawah ini

Membangun Kolom Distilasi (7)

Lanjutkan pengisian kolom distilasi seperti di bawah ini

Membangun Kolom Distilasi (8)

Lanjutkan dengan monitor kolom distilasi, isikan spesifikasi reflux ratio = 1
dan laju distilat = 500 kmol/jam. Kemudian pilih Run. Hasil perhitungan
setelah tercapai konvergensi adalah sebagai berikut:

Latihan Kolom
Distilasi

Distillation Column (2)

Condenser

Vapor (partial condenser or full reflux only)

Reflux drum

Feed (multiple
feeds are
enabled)

Distillate (total condenser or partial condenser only)

Reflux stream
Reflux pump
Sidestream cut (multiple stream are enabled)
Boilup stream
Bottom stream

Reboiler pump
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Partial reboiler

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Distillation Column (3)

Distillation column is one of the hardest unit operations to solve, both at steady-state and dynamic
mode, so it need very good engineering judgment
Let us create a system consisting of: methane, ethane, propane, n-pentane, n-hexane, n-heptane, and
n-octane, with Peng-Robinson Fluid Package
Add a stream FEED with: 55oC, 700 kPa, 10000 kg/h flow, and 0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 0.2, 0.2, 0.2, and 0.1
mol fraction of methane, ethane, propane, n-pentane, n-hexane, n-heptane, and n-octane, respectively

Before we install rigorous distillation column (

), add a short-cut distillation column
(
) to generate good estimate on tray numbers, feed entrance, and reflux ratio
Tray numbers: number of total equilibrium tray
Feed entrance: tray number where the feed must be entered effectively
Reflux ratio: flow ratio between reflux returned (L) to distillate produced (D)

Add flow control valve at FEED outlet and size it

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Distillation Column (4)

Choose top product as total liquid phase (no vapor at top stream)

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Distillation Column (5)

At Parameter tab we can enter several parameters and operating conditions
Light Key in Bottom:
lightest component which
may present in bottom
stream
Heavy Key in Distillate:
heaviest component
which may present in
distillate stream
Light and heavy
correspond to component
boiling point. We wish to
separate lights (methane,
ethane, and propane) and
heavies (pentane,
hexane, heptane, and
octane)

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Lights will flow as distillate, and heavies will flow as bottom. Therefore, there is no
perfect separation, so lights may entrain to bottom and heavies to distillate. Such LK and
HK is used to design thermodynamic equilibrium and properties, based on LK at bottom
and HK at distillate

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Distillation Column (6)

Lightest component whom we allow to flow at bottom stream is propane, so the light key in
bottom is propane. In contrary, heaviest component whom we allow at distillate stream is
n-pentane. We must specify both fractions as low as possible
Lower value: gives more equilibrium stages (tray) at constant reflux ratio
Specify condenser and
reboiler pressure as feed
pressure -/+ 5 kPa as first
guess
Lower value: lower
temperature at both
condenser and reboiler
In chemical engineering,
we must try to keep those
temperatures as economic
as possible (condenser
temperature 40oC,
reboiler temperature
100oC to 300oC

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Distillation Column (7)

However, in some cases, those temperatures can not easily be obtained, so special
treatment is needed (such as using refrigeration to get condenser temperature as low as
-100oC or special configuration to get -200oC, and fired heater to raise reboiler
temperature as high as 700oC or 800oC). However, those temperatures are not the only
economic judgment for designing distillation column
Minimum reflux ratio
calculated is 0.088
Minimum reflux ratio is
defined as reflux ratio
which gives infinite
number of equilibrium
trays
Economic actual reflux
ratio usually ranges
from 1.1 to 1.5 minimum
reflux ratio
Enter 0.2 as actual reflux
ratio

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Distillation Column (8)

The results of the short-cut design are provided in Performance tab

We need 14 equilibrium
stages with feed entering
from 8th stage (from
above)
Condenser and reboiler
temperature are -111oC
and 142oC respectively

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Distillation Column (9) - Preferences

Before installing rigorous distillation column, we may need to change one preference
which allows us to connect one stream to many unit operations
Select Tools >> Preferences menu
Click here!

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Distillation Column (10)

Install rigorous distillation column which is connected to stream number 1 (valve outlet)
Specify its stages as 14, with feed entering at 8th stage (from above), pressure at
condenser and reboiler 645 kPa and 655 kPa, respectively, choose Total Condenser

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Distillation Column (11)

We can enter some data at Monitor tab
Distillation column has two (2) degrees-of-freedom, so we may enter two values at
Specifications

Then press
Run and see if
the column
solver has
converged
Reflux Ratio
and Distillate
Rate specs
often give
converged
results!!

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Distillation Column (12)

See the results at Worksheet tab!

The key
components
fraction is
too large, so
we may
improve the
performance
of this
column

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Distillation Column (13)

Add more specifications by:

Click here to add another specification

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Distillation Column (14)

We wish to reduce propane impurity at bottom and pentane impurity at distillate stream

Choose Stream as we wish to decrease impurities at stream

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Distillation Column (15)

We wish to reduce propane impurity at bottom and pentane impurity at distillate stream
Deactivate
Reflux Ratio
and Distillate
Rate specs,
then activate
both impurities
specs

At first try, copy both current values and paste it to specified value
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Distillation Column (16)

Try to reduce its value gradually, as sudden large change usually results in inconvergence
Reflux ratio has
increased, while
the distillate rate
remains the
same
Increasing
purity
(decreasing
impurity)
always results
in increase of
reflux ratio,
and often
decrease of
distillate or
bottom rate

Check if this flow profile is abnormal

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