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Be able to determine the tower operating conditions (T,P)

and the type of condenser

Be able to determine the equilibrium number of stages

and reflux required

Be able to select an appropriate contacting method

(plates or packing)

Be able to determine the number of actual plates or

packing height required, as well as the locations of feed
and product

Be able to determine the tower diameter

Be able to determine other factors that may influence

tower operation

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Proximity of critical conditions should be avoided

Typical operating P is 1 to 415 psia (29 bar)

For vacuum operation P>5 mmHg

Normally total condenser is used (except for low

boiling components and where vapor distillate is
desired)

Preliminary material balance to estimate the distillate

and bottom product compositions

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Assume cooling water available at 90oF

PD : Dist P
PB: Bottom P
PB=PD+10psia

End

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R=L/D

PD
L

TB

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Applicable when cw (Ti=900F and To=1200F) can be

used.

P at exit of condenser PD (or in the reflux drum) is

selected such that to condense stream V to liquid with
the cw.

So, this P is bubble P at 1200F.

If PD is < than 215 psia (~15 bar), use total condenser

However, if PD is < 30 psia (~2 bar), use total

condenser but reset PD to 30 psia to avoid vacuum
operation

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If PD is > than 215 psia, calculate the dew

pressure at 1200F. If this pressure is <365 psia
(~25bar), use partial condenser.

However, if the pressure is > 365 psia, use

partial condenser with a refrigerant that give
minimum approach T of 5-100F (to replace
cw) such that the distillate dew P does not
exceed 415 psia (~29bar).

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Bottom pressure (Higher than top pressure)

PB= PD + PCond
+
PColumn= PD + P
= PD + (0 to 2 psia) + (5 to 10 psia)
= PD +
(5 to 12 psia)

TB is at bubble point and calculated based on the PB and

bottoms composition.

If the TB is above limiting T (due to decomposition, close to

Tcetc), then calculate
PB based on the limiting T, then calculate PD=PB-P and
recalculate TD. Check whether this new TD requires
different type of coolant and condenser.

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If top stream contain both condensable and noncondensable components, the condenser is
designed to produce both vapor distillate and
liquid distillate

The PD is calculated at 120oF or lower (if

refrigeration) for the required recovery
(composition) of condensable components in
liquid distillate.

For vacuum operation, the vapor distillate is sent

to vacuum pump.

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If refrigerant is used, always consider placing

water-cooled partial condenser ahead of it (to
reduce coolant requirement)

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Favor high pressures and low temperatures

Cool the feed gas and the absorbent with cw

or refrigerant.

Interstage coolers can be added if there is

internal temperature rise.

Due to high compression cost, it might not be

economical to increase the feed gas pressure.

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Favor low pressures and high temperatures

Heat the feed liquid and the stripping agent.

Operate at near ambient pressure but not

under vacuum.

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This method is valid under the following

conditions.

For single feed, distillate and bottom products i.e.

ordinary distillation
To estimate
reflux ratio
number of equilibrium stages and
feed location.

Quite accurate for ideal mixtures of narrow- boiling

range
Not for non-ideal mixtures, azeotropes and mixtures
of wide-boiling range (need to use rigorous model)

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SKF4153: Plant Design 1

Step 1: Using FenskeEqn to determine minimum

number of equilibrium stages (i.e. at total reflux,
D=0, R=)

d and b are component flowrates at distillate

and bottom respectively. HK (heavy key), LK
(light key), is relative volatility

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Step 2: Also using FenskeEqn to determine the

distribution (d/b) of nonkey component between
distillate and bottom streams (at total reflux)

This is a good estimate of d/b at finite reflux

condition.

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Step 3: Using Underwood eqns to determine

minimum reflux ratio (Rmin) that correspond
to infinite number of equilibrium stages
(N=).

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Step 4: Using Gilliland correlation to estimate

the actual number of equilibrium stages (N)
at a specified ratio of R/Rmin

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Step 5: Estimate the feed location by using

Fenske Eqn. (or could use KirkbrideEqn)

A. Calculate NR,minfor rectifying section (between

feed and distillate)

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B. Calculate NS,minfor stripping section (between feed

and bottom)

C. We then assume that,

NR,min/NS,min=NR/NS
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also N=NR+NS

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Example calculation using FUG is provided in

Perrys Chemical Engineers Handbook.

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For column with one feed, one absorbent or

stripping agent, and two product streams.

To estimate minimum absorbent (Lmin) or

stripping agent (Vmin) flow rate and the number
of equilibrium stages N.

Instead of relative volatility , this method uses

absorption factor (Ae=L/KV) for absorption and
stripping factor (Se=KV/L) for stripping.

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Min absorbent molar flow rate

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Typical actual absorbent rate L

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To calculate number of equilibrium stages N, use

Where

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Min stripping agent molar flow rate

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Typical actual stripping agent rate V

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To calculate number of equilibrium stages N, use

Where

See example 14.1.

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SKF4153: Plant Design 1

Multistage, multicomponent, VL separation

tower (Plate or packed)

Normally done by simulators

Assume equilibrium-stage model (other are

mass-transfer models)
Mole balance, enthalpy balance and VLE
calculation at each stage

Iterative solution with initial guesses (inside-out

method or Newton method)

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From mass-transfer models calculation:

We get the actual number of stages (trays) or packed

height.

From equilibrium stage calculation:

We get number of equilibrium stages (Nequilibrium) .
We need an estimate of plate efficiency (Eo) to convert

Nequilibriumto actual trays (Nactual), or

We need a height equivalent to a theoretical plate
(HETP) to convert Nequilibriumto packed height.
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For tray towers,

For packed towers,

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Very approximate plate efficiency:

70% for distillation
50% for stripper
30% for absorber

One method to est. is by Lockett and Leggett version

of empirical OConnell correlation

We need a product of average liquid-phase viscosity

and average relative volatility

See Figure 14.3.

Another method by Chan and Fair (See Ref.)

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Relative volatility?

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Column Height =

(Nactual- 1) x (Tray Spacing)

+ Height of sump below bottom tray
+ Disengagement height above top
tray.

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Values of HETP are usually derived from

experimental data for a particular type and
size of packing.

Packing vendors/manufacturers can provide

HETP values.

Typical values:
For modern random packing: 2 ft
For structured packing: 1 ft

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For modern random packing with low-viscosity

liquids,
HETP, ft=1.5(Dp, in)

For structured packings at low-to-moderate P and

low-viscosity liquids,
HETP, ft=100/a, ft2/ft3 +0.333

For absorption with a viscous liquid,

HETP, ft=5 to 6

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Where Dp is the nominal diameter of random packings

a (ft2/ft3 ) is the specific surface area of structured packing

SKF4153: Plant Design 1

For vacuum service,

HETP, ft=1.5(Dp, in.) + 0.50

For high P service with structured packings,

HETP, ft>100/a, ft2/ft3 +0.333

For small diameter towers less than 2 ft in

diameter,
HETP, ft=tower diameter in feet but not less than

1 ft.
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SKF4153: Plant Design 1

HTU (Height of a transfer units) and NTU

(Number of transfer units)
A more firm theoretical foundations
More accurate

See Transport Process and Unit Operation,

Geankoplis
Also Seader and Henley (1998)

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SKF4153: Plant Design 1

Tower diameter is calculated to avoid

flooding (i.e. liquid began to fill the tower and
leave with vapor at top)

The diameter depends on,

Vapor and liquid flowrates
Vapor and liquid properties.

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SKF4153: Plant Design 1

Entrainment flooding,
At high vapor flow rate, more

droplets of liquids are carried by

the vapor to the tray above and
lead to flooding
More common

Downcomer flooding,
due to liquid froth in the

downcomer backs up to the tray

above.
Not common
To avoid, downcomer area should
at least 10-20% of tower crosssectional area
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SKF4153: Plant Design 1

There will be liquid holdup in the tower

Under normal operation the amount of liquid holdup

is unchanged

If the gas flow is increased, a point is reached where

the holdup will increase significantly with increasing
vapor flow rate where liquid will begin to fill the tower
(flooding).

This is follow by rapid increase in pressure drop

Normally, for a given liquid flow rate, the tower

diameter is calculated at 70% of flooding gas flow rate

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SKF4153: Plant Design 1

Tower inside diameter,

Flooding velocity,

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0.1?

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Tower inside diameter,

For flooding velocity, use

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DT>10(nominal packing diameter)

or
DT --> 30(nominal packing diameter)

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SKF4153: Plant Design 1

dPtray tower >dPrandom packing >dPstructured packing

Tray dP can be calculated using simulators

dP for tray and packed columns are discussed in

Perrys ChemEngrHbook (1997), Kister (1992),
Seader and Henley(1998)
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Reduce downcomer liquid load

Reduce tray liquid load
Lower tray dP
Shorter path length (might reduce tray
efficiency)
More expensive
Sensitive to maldistribution of liquid and
vapor.

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Sizing of a deisobutanizer
Go through this example thoroughly.

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