SAMPLE PROBLEM #21:

A mixture of 54.5 mol% chlorobenzene at its bubble

point is fed continuously to the bottom plate of a
column containing two theoretical plates. The
column is equipped with a partial reboiler and a
total condenser. Sufficient heat is supplied to the
reboiler to give V/F = 0.855, and the reflux ratio
L/V in the top of the column is kept constant at
0.50. Under these conditions, what quality of
product and bottoms (xD, xB) can be expected?
 Total Condenser
SOLUTION
V1

V2
1 L0
Reflux Ratio D
L1 L/V =0.5 = slope
Saturated Liquid L2
F
2
54.5 mol% C6H6 V3

Boil-up Ratio
V/F = 0.855 B
? xB and xD Partial Reboiler
 Basis: F = 1 mol/s
 Boil-up ratio = V/F
= 0.855
= V3/F
Therefore;
V3 = 0.855F
= 0.855(1)
V3 = 0.855 mol/s
Reflux ratio = L/V
= 0.5
= L0/V1
At CMO:
V3 = V2 = V1 = 0.855 mol/s
Therefore;
L0 = 0.5V1
= 0.5(0.855)
= 0.4275 mol/s
 At CMO:
L0 = L1 = 0.4275 mol/s
 Balance at TC:
V1 = L0 + D
Therefore;
D = V 1 – L0
= 0.855 – 0.4275
D = 0.4275 mol/s
 Solve for R:
R = L0/D
= 0.4275/0.4275
R=1
F = B + D;
Therefore;
B=F–D
= 1 - 0.4275
= 0.5725 mol/s
To obtain xD and xB, assume values for
xD then solve for xB and yint. When you
plot these values, your graph must
contain three stages.
F(xF) = B(xB) + D(xD)
Therefore;
xB = [1(0.545) –
0.4275(xD)] / 0.5725
yint = xD/(R+1)
Assume values for xD then compute
for xB:

xD xB yint

0.85 0.32 0.425

0.875 0.30 0.438

0.90 0.28 0.450

 Graph the curve and the first and second
data.
 The first graph indicates that
approximately 2.4 stages are necessary.
The problem demands for three stages.
Therefore, the first set of values is not
accurate enough.
 The second set of values indicates that
more or less 2.6 stages are needed in the
process. The assumed xD therefore is more
accurate than the first one.
 Use
The theset
third third
of pair of values
values for that
indicates the distillate line
exactly 3.8
and the
stages bottoms
are neededline in aprocess.
in the McCabe Thiele graph.

McCabe Thiele Method

1

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2
XB XF XD
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Based on the graph using the
McCabe Thiele method, the third set
of values gave the exact 3 number of
stages. Therefore,

 xD = 0.9
 xB = 0.28