7/28/2015

IntroductiontoDistillation

[visitoursponsor]

anintroduction
Copyright19972009byM.T.Tham

Introduction
TypesofColumns
BasicEquipment
andOperation

FACTORSAFFECTINGDISTILLATIONCOLUMNOPERATION
Theperformanceofadistillationcolumnisdeterminedbymanyfactors,forexample:
feedconditions

ColumnInternals

stateoffeed
compositionoffeed
traceelementsthatcanseverelyaffecttheVLEofliquidmixtures

Reboilers
Distillation
Principles

internalliquidandfluidflowconditions

VapourLiquid
Equilibria

stateoftrays(packings)

Distillation
ColumnDesign
Effectsofthe
NumberofTrays
orStages
FactorsAffecting
Operation
Crossword

weatherconditions
Someofthesewillbediscussedbelowtogiveanideaofthecomplexityofthe
distillationprocess.

FeedConditions

Thestateofthefeedmixtureandfeedcompositionaffectstheoperatinglines
andhencethenumberofstagesrequiredforseparation.Italsoaffectsthe
locationoffeedtray.Duringoperation,ifthedeviationsfromdesign
specificationsareexcessive,thenthecolumnmaynolongerbeablehandlethe
separationtask.Toovercometheproblemsassociatedwiththefeed,some
columnaredesignedtohavemultiplefeedpointswhenthefeedisexpectedto
containingvaryingamountsofcomponents.

RefluxConditions

OtherResources
Copyright
Information
Visitoursponsor

Backtothe
Notes
Section

Astherefluxratioisincreased,the
gradientofoperatinglineforthe
rectificationsectionmovestowards
amaximumvalueof1.Physically,
whatthismeansisthatmoreand
moreliquidthatisrichinthemore
volatilecomponentsarebeing
recycledbackintothecolumn.
Separationthenbecomesbetter
andthuslesstraysareneededto
achievethesamedegreeof
separation.Minimumtraysare
requiredundertotalreflux
conditions,i.e.thereisno
withdrawalofdistillate.
Ontheotherhand,asrefluxis
decreased,theoperatinglinefor
therectificationsectionmoves
towardstheequilibriumline.The
pinchbetweenoperatingandequilibriumlinesbecomesmorepronouncedand
moreandmoretraysarerequired.ThisiseasytoverifyusingtheMcCabeThiele
method.
Thelimitingconditionoccursatminimumrefluxration,whenaninfinitenumber
oftrayswillberequiredtoeffectseparation.Mostcolumnsaredesignedto
operatebetween1.2to1.5timestheminimumrefluxratiobecausethisis
approximatelytheregionofminimumoperatingcosts(morerefluxmeans

http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/distil/distilop.htm

1/3

7/28/2015

IntroductiontoDistillation

higherreboilerduty).

VapourFlowConditions

Adversevapourflowconditionscancause
foaming
entrainment
weeping/dumping
flooding
Foaming
Foamingreferstotheexpansionofliquidduetopassageofvapourorgas.
Althoughitprovideshighinterfacialliquidvapourcontact,excessive
foamingoftenleadstoliquidbuildupontrays.Insomecases,foaming
maybesobadthatthefoammixeswithliquidonthetrayabove.Whether
foamingwilloccurdependsprimarilyonphysicalpropertiesoftheliquid
mixtures,butissometimesduetotraydesignsandcondition.Whatever
thecause,separationefficiencyisalwaysreduced.
Entrainment
Entrainmentreferstotheliquidcarriedbyvapouruptothetrayabove
andisagaincausedbyhighvapourflowrates.Itisdetrimentalbecause
trayefficiencyisreduced:lowervolatilematerialiscarriedtoaplate
holdingliquidofhighervolatility.Itcouldalsocontaminatehighpurity
distillate.Excessiveentrainmentcanleadtoflooding.
Weeping/Dumping
Thisphenomenoniscausedbylowvapourflow.Thepressureexertedby
thevapourisinsufficienttoholduptheliquidonthetray.Therefore,liquid
startstoleakthroughperforations.Excessiveweepingwillleadto
dumping.Thatistheliquidonalltrayswillcrash(dump)throughtothe
baseofthecolumn(viaadominoeffect)andthecolumnwillhavetobe
restarted.Weepingisindicatedbyasharppressuredropinthecolumn
andreducedseparationefficiency.
Flooding
Floodingisbroughtaboutbyexcessivevapourflow,causingliquidtobe
entrainedinthevapourupthecolumn.Theincreasedpressurefrom
excessivevapouralsobacksuptheliquidinthedowncomer,causingan
increaseinliquidholdupontheplateabove.Dependingonthedegreeof
flooding,themaximumcapacityofthecolumnmaybeseverelyreduced.
Floodingisdetectedbysharpincreasesincolumndifferentialpressureand
significantdecreaseinseparationefficiency.

ColumnDiameter

Mostoftheabovefactorsthataffectcolumnoperationisduetovapourflow
conditions:eitherexcessiveortoolow.Vapourflowvelocityisdependenton
columndiameter.Weepingdeterminestheminimumvapourflowrequiredwhile
floodingdeterminesthemaximumvapourflowallowed,hencecolumncapacity.
Thus,ifthecolumndiameterisnotsizedproperly,thecolumnwillnotperform
well.Notonlywilloperationalproblemsoccur,thedesiredseparationduties
maynotbeachieved.

StateofTraysandPackings

Rememberthattheactualnumberoftraysrequiredforaparticularseparation
dutyisdeterminedbytheefficiencyoftheplate,andthepackingsifpackings
areused.Thus,anyfactorsthatcauseadecreaseintrayefficiencywillalso
changetheperformanceofthecolumn.Trayefficienciesareaffectedbyfouling,
wearandtearandcorrosion,andtheratesatwhichtheseoccurdependsonthe
propertiesoftheliquidsbeingprocessed.Thusappropriatematerialsshouldbe
specifiedfortrayconstruction.

WeatherConditions

Mostdistillationcolumnsareopentotheatmosphere.Althoughmanyofthe
columnsareinsulated,changingweatherconditionscanstillaffectcolumn
operation.Thusthereboilermustbeappropriatelysizedtoensurethatenough
vapourcanbegeneratedduringcoldandwindyspellsandthatitcanbeturned
downsufficientlyduringhotseasons.Thesameappliestocondensors.

Thesearesomeofthemoreimportantfactorsthatcancausepoordistillationcolumn
http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/distil/distilop.htm

2/3

7/28/2015

IntroductiontoDistillation

performance.Otherfactorsincludechangingoperatingconditionsandthroughputs,
broughtaboutbychangesinupstreamconditionsandchangesinthedemandforthe
products.Allthesefactors,includingtheassociatedcontrolsystem,shouldbe
consideredatthedesignstagesbecauseonceacolumnisbuiltandinstalled,nothing
muchcanbedonetorectifythesituationwithoutincurringsignificantcosts.The
controlofdistillationcolumnsisafieldinitsownright,butthat'sanotherstory.

Previous

http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/distil/distilop.htm

3/3