Multicomponent

Separations
Chapter 4: Efficiencies of Trays and
Columns
 Introduction

Determine required reflux ratio and number of ideal

stages in distillation design.

Theoretical equilibrium stage rarely attained so

actual number of real plates required will be greater.

The concept of efficiency is used to link the

performance of real contacting stages to the
theoretical equilibrium stage.

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 Efficiencies
What do we mean by efficiency of a
distillation tray or column?

Efficiency quantifies the closeness to

equilibrium that is obtained

100% efficiency means that equilibrium is

achieved
0% efficiency means that the vapour and
liquid compositions are the same, i.e. no
separation has occurred.

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 Scale of efficiency
There are three scales upon which we can
consider distillation efficiency:
1. Overall Column Efficiency
2. Individual Plate Efficiency
(stage efficiency)
Efficiency varies from plate-to-plate

1. Point Efficiency
Efficiency varies within a single plate

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Overall Column Efficiency
The Overall Column Efficiency (Eoc) is the ratio of
number of theoretical stages to the number of actual
stages:
Nt
EOC
Na

Nt is the number of ideal stages required to achieve

a given separation.
Na is the number of actual stages required to achieve
the same separation.
Various empirical methods to estimate EOC values.

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Overall Column Efficiency
The OConnell Correlation

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Overall Column Efficiency
The OConnell Correlation
The industry standard for several decades.
One of the best empirical methods available
(reasonable accuracy, good reliability, and simplicity)
Higher relative volatility increases the significance of
the liquid phase resistance, thus reducing efficiency.
The OConnell plot can be expressed in equation form:

Viscosity in centipoise cP

EOC 0.492( L ) 0.245

Evaluated at average arithmetic T Between key

between top and bottom. components
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Overall Column Efficiency
Problem 4.1:
The liquid viscosity of a distillation column is 0.133cP and its
relative volatility of key components at the average temperature
is 1.945. By using OConnell correlation, calculate the tray
efficiency of the distillation column.

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Individual plate Efficiency

Important factors affecting plate

efficiency
Liquid and Vapour Flowrates
Different Stage efficiencies in rectifying and
stripping sections
Stage Geometry
Weir height, hole size, liquid and vapour
flowpaths
Physical Properties
Viscosity, surface tension

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 Vapour/Liquid Flowrates
There are 5 different hydraulic regimes
that can occur on a functioning tray:
1. Bubble
2. Cellular Foam
3. Froth
4. Spray
5. Emulsion

Most Common
Very low vapour flowrates weeping occurs
V is too high flooding and entrainment occur
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 Stage Geometry
Sieve tray

Valve tray
Efficiency Increases

Bubble-cap tray

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Physical Properties
How do viscosity and surface tension
affect efficiency?
Bubble Size hence surface area
Rising/Settling Velocity (from Stokes Law)
hence vapour/liquid contact time
Diffusivity hence mass transfer
Flow regime (froth, spray etc..)

Generally, lower liquid viscosity leads to

higher efficiencies

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 Quantifying Efficiency
Plate efficiency defines the
closeness to equilibrium

y* Consider the following

example under conditions of
y total reflux:
If x and y are measured as 0.5
and 0.68, calculate the Stage
x efficiency.

0.68 0.50
Estage 0.643
0.78 0.50

x
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 Murphree Efficiency
The stage efficiency calculated in the
previous example is known as the Murphree
efficiency, Emv.
yn yn 1
Emv *
yn yn 1

Emv gives an accurate measure of efficiency

when the liquid and vapour are perfectly
mixed
Does this occur in practice?

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 Mixing
Large trays will often result in complicated liquid flow
regimes, meaning that different areas on the plate will
vary in efficiency, and xn will not be constant on the
plate.
xn-1

yn xn

yn+1

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 Liquid Composition

xn-1

yn xn

yn+1

The liquid composition changes from xn-1 to xn, but

how?

Lets assume we get plug flow on the tray

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Murphree Tray Efficiency

Xout<X4<X3<X2<X1

If flow path is long, the liquid concentration of more volatile

component in the same stage decrease along the length of
tray if the liquid is not well mixed.
Y* is calculated based on Xout.
Actual Yout is based on average X on the tray.
It is possible to have efficiencies more than 1

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 Liquid Composition xn-1

yn xn

Equilibrium Vapour
Composition
yn+1

yn-1* Actual Vapour

Composition

xn-1 yn*

Shape is determined by
film resistance in vapour
and liquid xn

Liquid Flow

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 Liquid Composition
xn-1

yn xn
Mixing of vapour is much more
rapid, hence we could assume we
measure the average, yn yn+1

yn-1*

xn-1 yn*
yn

xn

Liquid Flow

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 yn-1*

xn-1 yn*
yn

xn

Liquid Flow

yn yn 1
Emv *
yn yn 1

What is the validity of Emv in this case?

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 Liquid Composition
yn yn 1
yn-1 * Emv
yn* yn 1

xn-1
yn
yn*

xn

Liquid Flow

What would be the value of Emv in the case above?

We could end up with an efficiency greater than

100%, hence we must interpret any measurements
with caution.
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 Murphree Efficiency
Efficiency may be defined in terms of liquid phase
compositions:
xn1 xn
EML *

xn1 xn tray

Simple material balance yields the relationship between

these two definitions of Murphree Efficiency:
EML
EMV
EML (1 EML )
Where = m V/L and m is the slope of the equilibrium line.

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Murphree Efficiency and
overall Efficiency
Overall column efficiency can be calculated as:

ln1 EMV ( 1)
mV
EOC
ln L
Need to be applied separately to each column section (rectifying and stripping)
because varies from m
Where section
is thetoslope
section.
of the equilibrium line

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Point Efficiency
Murphree efficiency drawback: liquid and vapour are not
mixed well, the rates of mass transfer between the two
phases and the flow characteristics of the tray are ignored.

Point efficiency depends only on the mass transfer

characteristics of the system, and then use the actual
hydraulic conditions on the tray to relate this to a plate
efficiency.

The plate efficiency is then either incorporated into an ideal

stage calculation procedure, changing it into an actual stage
calculation procedure, or the plate efficiencies are related to
an overall column efficiency.
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Point Efficiency
Point Efficiency is defined as:
yn yn1
E p *
yn yn1 po int

yn* is the composition of vapour in equilibrium with

the liquid at point n, and yn is the actual vapour
composition at that point.
Point efficiency is thus the ratio of the change of
composition at a point to the change that would
occur on a theoretical stage.
Vapour composition at a point cannot exceed
equilibrium composition, thus point efficiency is
always lower than 1.
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Murphree Tray Efficiency

Vapour Conc Profile on Tray n

x n-1
yn

*
yn
Liquid Conc on Tray n
Xn

xn
Xn*
yn+1
INLET OUTLET
Mole Frac

Position on Tray
Tray Schematic for Point *
Notice that yn > yn so that E MV > 1
and Murphree efficiencies
Concentration Profile Across Trays

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Point Efficiency
A laboratory scale column need to
be set up to measure values for
point efficiency calculation.
The Oldershaw column can be
constructed from glass (for
atmospheric operation) or metal (for
higher pressure).
Small hole diameters and small tray
spacing are used. Typical column
diameters are 1 to 3 inches.
The Oldershaw column efficiency is
essentially a point efficiency.
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Prediction of Point Efficiencies

The overall mass transfer resistance can be

estimated from the gas and liquid resistances
The over all mass transfer resistance can be used
to predict the point efficiency. NOG is the number of
overall gas transfer units.
1 1
K y azL
N OG N G N L NOG =
E p 1 exp N OG G

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Relation between efficiencies

Two limiting cases

1. The liquid is completely mixed on the tray.

In that case, EMV = Ep

2. Plug flow of liquid with no mixing along the tray

Here, consider the mixing of vapour above the tray.

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Prediction of Plate Efficiencies
Quantitative relationships between the Murphree and point
efficiency was derived based on three mixing cases. (assuming
plug flow of liquid):

Lewis Case 1: Vapour perfectly mixed between trays. The

direction of liquid flow on successive trays
is immaterial.
Lewis Case 2: Vapour unmixed between trays. Liquid
flows in the same direction on successive
trays.
Lewis Case 3: Vapour unmixed between trays. Liquid
flows in alternate directions on successive
trays.

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Prediction of Plate Efficiencies

Gas

Liquid

Case 1 Case 2 Case 3

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Prediction of Plate Efficiencies
For Case 1, the relationship between Ep and Emv
is:
exp ( E p ) 1
EMV , dry

The dry Murphree efficiency takes into account

the vapour and liquid resistances and the
vapour-liquid contact patterns.
It is uncorrected for the effects of entrainment
(liquid carried by vapour) and weeping (liquid
descending through tray perforation).

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Flooding and weeping

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Prediction of Plate Efficiencies
Colburns equation gives reasonable approximation
of the effect of entrainment on efficiency, provided
is close to 1 and perfect mixing of liquid.
EMV , dry
EMV
e
1 EMV , dry
Lo

Where e is the entrainment rate and Lo is the liquid

flow-rate.
Other rigorous methods have also been presented
to account for the effects of entrainment and
weeping.

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Prediction of Plate Efficiencies

Sequence of Steps for Theoretical Prediction of Tray Efficiency

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 Predicting Efficiency
Multicomponent Systems
With binary systems the efficiency of each
component is the same

With multicomponent systems each

component can yield a different point
efficiency on a tray

If the point efficiency varies, then naturally

so will the plate efficiency and hence so will
the overall column efficiency

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 Design Implications
Multicomponent Systems
In practice, the number of stages will often be
about right if relatively simple correlation
methods are used for multicomponent systems
However, the distribution of components
throughout the column will be different to those
predicted
This can impact upon the feed and side-stream
locations

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 The Efficiency Scale The
AIChE model

Liquid/Gas Liquid and

Film Ep Vapour Mixing Emv, dry
Resistance Models
Calculations

Entrainment
EOC Emv and Weeping
Corrections

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