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INTRODUCTION

This document provides an introduction to distillation column processes. It explains that distillation separates mixtures into components based on differences in volatility. Distillation columns produce an overhead distillate and bottoms product. The document outlines the key components of a distillation unit, including the rectifying and stripping sections. It also discusses advantages of packed columns over tray columns, noting packed columns have faster dynamics due to lower liquid holdup on the packing.

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Narsyida Niasara Hamdan
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142 views2 pages

INTRODUCTION

This document provides an introduction to distillation column processes. It explains that distillation separates mixtures into components based on differences in volatility. Distillation columns produce an overhead distillate and bottoms product. The document outlines the key components of a distillation unit, including the rectifying and stripping sections. It also discusses advantages of packed columns over tray columns, noting packed columns have faster dynamics due to lower liquid holdup on the packing.

Uploaded by

Narsyida Niasara Hamdan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INTRODUCTION

Basically, this experiment was about to operate vapour-liquid separation process by


using a Packed Column Distillation Unit. It is also to analyze the effect of reflux ration on
separation of ethanol-water system and lastly to determine the number of stages by using
McCabe Thiele method.

Generally, distillation is defined as a process in which a liquid or vapour mixture of


two or more substances is separated into its component fractions of desired purity, by the
application and removal heat. Distillation is based on the fact that the vapour of a boiling
mixture will be richer in the components that have lower boiling points. Therefore, when this
vapour is cooled and condensed, the condensate will contain more volatile components. At
the same time, the original mixture will contain more of the less volatile material.

Basically, distillation is a process that separates two or more components into an


overhead distillate and bottoms. The bottoms product is almost exclusively liquid, while the
distillate may be liquid or vapour or both. The separation process requires three criteria.
Firstly, a second phase must be formed so that both liquid and vapour phases are present and
can contact each other on each stage within the separation column. Then, the components
have different volatilities so that they partition between the two phases to different extend.
Lastly, the two phases can be separated by gravity or other mechanical means. Distillation
differs from absorption and stripping in the second phase is created by thermal means.
(Seader, 1998)

Distillation columns exhibit static nonlinearity because impurity levels asymptotically


approach zero. The impurity level in the overhead product is the concentration of heavy key,
and the impurity level in the bottoms product is the concentration of the light key. (Jim Riggs,
1992) Coupling is significant when the composition of both overhead and bottoms product
are being controlled. Columns are affected by a variety of disturbances, particularly feed
composition and flow upsets. Improved distillation control is characterised by a reduction in
the variability of the impurities in the products. In addition, control performance can affect
plant processing rates and utility usage. After the variability of a product has been reduced,
the set point for the impurity in the product can be increased, moving the set point closer to
the specification limit.
While the contrast, continuous columns process is a continuous feed stream. No
interruptions occur unless there is a problem with the column or surrounding process units.
They are capable of handling high throughputs and are the most common of the two types.
Furthermore, the column interval has two types which are tray column and packed column.
Tray column is where trays of various designs are used to hold up the liquid to provide better
contact between vapour and liquid, hence better separation while for packed column is where
instead of trays, ‘packing’ are used to enhance contact between vapour and liquid.

Figure 1: A schematic of a typical distillation unit

The distillation column contains one feed stream and two product streams. The feed
contains a mole percent of the light component, Zf. The product stream exiting the top has a
composition of XD of the light component. The product stream leaving the bottom contains a
composition of XB of the light component. The column is broken in two sections. The top
section is referred to as the rectifying section. The bottom section is known as the stripping
section. The top product stream passed through a total condenser. This effectively condenses
all of the vapour distillate to liquid. The bottom product stream uses a partial re-boiler. This
allows for the input of energy into the column.

Columns that use sections of structured packing offer significant efficiency


advantages over tray columns for low-pressure applications because there is less pressure
drop across the structured packing than across a corresponding set of trays. It is because of
the low liquid holdup on structured packing, this column has faster composition dynamics
than tray columns. The liquid holdup on the structured packing is low enough that the
composition profile through the packing reaches its steady-state profile much more quickly
than the re-boiler and accumulator. For the column with structured packing, the dynamic lag
of the accumulator and the re-boiler primarily determine the dynamic response of the product
compositions (Jim Riggs, 1992).

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