Design of Distillation Column Using McCABE-THIELE Method

Presented By
Amit Kumar Dubey
Jitendra Kumar Prabhakar
Contents
Introduction
Relative Volatility
Degree of freedom Analysis
Assumption and validity of McCabe - Thiele method
Material balance
Graphical Analysis and number of stage calculation
Different Feeds to a distillation column
Reflux ratio
Cost Analysis
 Distillation

 Separation of components
of solution based on their
distribution in liquid and
gas phase Where all the
components are present
in both phases is termed
as distillation.

 Larger the value of

Relative volatility above
unity the greater the
degree of separability. At
𝜶=1, no separation
possible.
Relative volatility
Relative volatility is numerical measure of volatility of

Y= mole fraction A in vapor

one component relative to other component.
Numerically in terms of distillation it is the ratio of
components present is gas phase to that of liquid phase.

y1
y2
𝜶= x
1
x2
As y1+y2=1 and x1+x2=1

y1
1−y
𝜶= x 1
1
1− x1
On rearranging this we have X = mole fraction A in liquid
𝜶x
y= Equilibrium Curve
(1+(𝜶−1)x)
Degree Of Freedom Analysis
Degree of freedom is basically the number of variables that must be known in order to completely define a system
Dof= Nv –Nr
Nv =No. of Variables : Variables can be intensive, extensive and repetitive
Nr =No of Equations: Equations may be Inherent relations, mass balance relations, energy balance relations, phase
equilibrium relations or chemical equilibrium relation
Any stream of C components can be represented using C+2 variable.
For a stream having C components and P phases their would be C(P-1) phase equilibrium relations.
Dof of Partial Reboiler-
Nv =3(C+2)+1 q
Nr =2C+3
Material balance equations=C: Energy balance Equation=1
Phase equilibrium relation=C : Inherent relations=2
DoF=3(C+2)+1-(2c+3)=C+4
Partial Reboiler
Dof of feed Plate 𝑉𝑛 𝐿𝑛
Nv =5(C+2)+1
Nr =2C+3
Material balance equations=C F
Energy balance Equation=1
Phase equilibrium=C
Inherent relations=2 𝑉𝑚 𝐿𝑚
Dof=5(C+2)+1-(2C+3)=3C+8

Feed Tray
Dof of single plate
Nv = 4(C+2)+1
Nr =2C+3 𝑉𝑛 𝐿𝑛−1
Material balance equations=C
Energy balance Equation=1
Phase equilibrium=C
Inherent relations=2
𝑉𝑛+1 𝐿𝑛
DoF=4(C+2)+1-(2C+3)=2C+6
Single Equilibrium Tray
Dof of Distillation coumn
Enriching Section Total Condensor
No of variables in distillation column
=Dof of Condensor+ 1
Seperator
Dof of divider 2
Distilate D, xd
Dof of plate in enriching Section+
Dof of plates in stripping section+
L, G,yn+1
Dof of feed plate + FeedM
x
n
Dof of reboiler F, xf L,xm G,y
m+1
Nv =2(C+4)+3C+8+2C+5+2(M-1)+2C+5+2(N-M-1)+C+5
NR=9(C+2)
Dof=2N+C+9
Np

Strippinging
Section
Reboiler
BottomsW, xw
Number of Variables-
2N+1 streams in column + heat transfer rate : (2N+1)(C+2)+N
1 stream in condenser (C+2)+ heat transfer rate :C+3
2 stream in divider 2 (C+2) +)+ heat transfer rate :2C+5 Enriching Section Total Condensor
2 stream in reboiler 2 (C+2) +)+ heat transfer rate :2C+5

Nv=(2N+1)*(C+2)+1+N+C+3+2C+5+2C+5 =2NC+5N+6C+15 1
Seperator
2
Number of Equations- Distilate D, xd
Mass balance on each tray : NC
Phase equilibrium Relation : NC
L, G,yn+1
T & P equalities : 2N
FeedM
x
Heat balance relation : N n

In Condenser C mass balance and one energy balance : C+1 F, xf L,xm G,y
m+1
Partial Reboiler C mass balance C phase equilibrium
T&P equalities and one energy balance : 2C+3
C mass bance and two temperature and pressure
Equalities and C-1 concentration identies and one Np
energy balance : 2C+2
Strippinging
Section
Reboiler
Nr=2NC+3N+C+1+2C+3+2C+2
=2NC+3N+5C+6 BottomsW, xw
Dof=2N+C+9
Utilization of Dof in distillation column
Pressure in each stage including reboiler :N
Pressure in Condenser :1
Pressure in reflux divider :1
Heat leak in each stage excluding reboiler : N-1
Heat leak in reflux divider :1
Feed stream specifications :C+2
Recoveries specified Number of Equilibrium Stages Specified Most Convinient general Five specifications to calculate the performance of
specifications existing column with new feed

1. Condensate at 1. Condensate at saturation 1.Reflux ratio 1.Reflux temperature

saturation temperature temperature

2. Recovery of light key 2. Number of stages above feed stage 2.Condensor Load 2.Total Number of stages
component
3. Recovery of heavy-key 3. Number of stages below feed stage 3.Reboiler Load 3.Total no. of stages below feed
component

4. Reflux ratio (> 4. Reflux ratio 4.Recovery of one component 4.Distilate rate D/F
minimum) D or B
5. Optimal feed stage 5. Distillate flow rate 5.Concentration of one Maximum Allowable vapour rate
component either D or B

Total Dof= C+2N+9

Assumption and validity of McCabe - Thiele method

The temperature change between the tray is small so sensible heat is assumed to be negligible.

Magnitude of heat of solution is somewhat less in terms of order of magnitude so it is assumed to be negligible

in comparison with latent heat.

The above two assumptions collectively results in assumption of equimolal overflow and vaporization.

When heat losses and heat of solution is unusually large than McCabe Thiele method is not applicable.
Enriching Section Condensor

Material Balance for whole column

1
Seperator
2 Overall material balance around the entire column
Distilate D, xd
𝐹=𝐷+𝑊

n
L,xn G,yn+1
Material balance for more volatile component
Feed F, xf
m L,xm
𝐹𝑥𝑓 = 𝐷𝑥𝑑 + 𝑊𝑥𝑤
G,ym+1

Np

Strippinging Section Reboiler

BottomsW, xw
Material Balance for enriching section

Total material balance for enriching section

𝐺 =𝐿+𝐷
Condensor
Material balance for more volatile component
1 𝐺𝑦𝑛+1 = 𝐿𝑥𝑛 + 𝐷𝑥𝑑
Seperator
2
Distilate D, xd
Defining reflux ratio, R = 𝐿Τ𝐷, enriching-section
operating line is
n
L,xn G,yn+1 𝑅 𝑥𝑑
𝑦𝑛+1 = 𝑅+1
𝑥𝑛 +
𝑅+1

Enriching Section
Material Balance for stripping section

m L’xm G’,ym+1
Total material balance for stripping section

𝐿′ = 𝐺 ′ + 𝑊

Np Material balance for more volatile component

𝐿′𝑥𝑚 = 𝐺′𝑦𝑚+1 + 𝑊𝑥𝑤
Reboiler

BottomsW, xw Stripping-section operating line is

𝐿′ 𝑊𝑥𝑤
𝑦𝑚+1 = 𝐺′
𝑥𝑚 +
Strippinging Section 𝐺′
 Material Balance for Feed Tray

Condition of feed represented by

𝑉𝑛 𝐿𝑛
q = ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑣𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑒 1 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠
𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑

(1-q)F 𝐻 −𝐻
F q = 𝐻𝑣 − 𝐻𝐹
𝑣 𝐿

qF
From the definition of q
𝐿𝑚 = 𝐿𝑛 + 𝑞𝐹
𝑉𝑚 𝐿𝑚
𝑉𝑛 = 𝑉𝑚 + 1 − 𝑞 𝐹

q- line equation
𝑞 𝑥𝐹
𝑦= 𝑞 −1
𝑥 − 𝑞 −1
 Different Feeds to Distillation Column
1 1. Subcooled liquid (q > 1)
2
2. Saturated liquid ( q = 1)
Y= mole fraction A in vapor

3
3. Mixture of liquid and vapor (1 > q > 0)

4 4. Saturated vapor (q = 0)

5
5. Superheated vapor (q < 0)

𝑥𝑤 𝑥𝑓 𝑥𝑑
X = mole fraction A in liquid
 Reflux Ratio 1

2
Total reflux condition is realized by returning all the
overhead product back to column as total reflux and

Mole fraction A in vapor,

reboiling all the residue product and it requires infinite 3
reboiler and condenser heat capacity

Theoretically Fenske equation can be used to calculate

minimum number of steps when total condenser is used 4

𝑥𝑑 1 − 𝑥𝑤
log( )
1− 𝑥𝑑 𝑥𝑤
𝑁𝑚 = log 𝛼𝑎𝑣
𝑥𝑤 𝑥𝑓 𝑥𝑑
Mole fraction A in liquid, 𝑥

Stage calculation at Total Reflux

Minimum reflux ratio (𝑅𝑚 ) is the maximum ratio which
requires an infinite number of trays for desired separation
and corresponds to minimum reboiler and condenser

Mole fraction A in vapor,

cooling capacity
Optimum reflux ratio around 1.2𝑅𝑚 to 1.5𝑅𝑚 .

𝑥𝑤 𝑥𝑓 𝑥𝑑
Mole fraction A in liquid, 𝑥

Infinite trays at minimum Reflux

 Cost Analysis
 For R = 𝑅𝑚 , number of trays required is infinite, which gives high
fixed cost which falls through a minimum and rise to infinite at Total cost
total reflux.

Annual cost
Operating cost
 Operating cost increases almost directly with reflux ratio so
as we increase R the column diameter, condenser and
Fixed cost
reboiler heat load will also increase proportionately and For
R = ∞ operating cost becomes infinite. Optimum 𝑅
𝑅𝑚
𝑅 = 𝑅𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑥 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜

 There total cost must therefore pass through a minimum at

the optimum reflux ratio Variation of Costs with reflux ratio