Prof M.

Mazzotti
Thermische Verfahrenstechnik I binary distillation in packed column
Binary distillation in packed column
A process engineer visiting a company of a competitor was told that a packed column (inner
diameter 0.5m) is used to separate a binary liquid mixture. During his visit he also saw that the
column was running with a reux ratio of R = 1.5. The manufacturer of the packing material X
provides the following HTU-diagram:
Figure 1: HTU-diagram of packing material X
From scientic publications the equilibrium curve of the binary liquid mixture is available:
y

= x
2
+ 2x (1)
also the vapor density of the mixture is known:
v
= 4.1kg/m
3
In a yer, provided by the company, the following information are printed:
concentration in the product stream: x
1,D
= 0.82
concentration in the bottom stream: x
1,B
= 0.03
product stream: F = 77 kg/h
feed concentration: x
F
= 0.4
With these information, the process engineer is able to calculate the height of the packing material
in the column of the competitor. Which height did he get?
1
Prof M. Mazzotti
Thermische Verfahrenstechnik I binary distillation in packed column
Guideline for the solution
NTU
ov,G
= NTU
rect
ov,G
+ NTU
strip
ov,G
=
y=x
D

y=x
B
dy
y y

(2)
Equilibrium:
y

= x
2
+ 2x (3)
Operating line:
y = px + q (4)
Rectication part:
p =
R
R + 1
(5)
q =
x
p
1 + R
=
x
1,D
1 + 1.5
(6)
Using equation 5 and 6 in 4:
y = 0.6 x + 0.328; dy/dx = 0.6 (7)
NTU
rect
ov,G
=
y=x
D

y=x
F
dx 0.6
y y

= 0.6
y=x
D

y=x
F
dx
x
2
1.4x + 0.328
(8)
Substitution:
X = x
2
1.4x + 0.328 (9)
= 4c b
2
= 4 0.328 1.4
2
= 0.648 (10)
NTU
rect
ov,G
= 0.6
y=x
D

y=x
F
dx
X
= 0.6
1
sqrt
ln
2x + b sqrt
2x + b + sqrt
= 1.89 (11)
Stripping part:
p =
y
F
x
1,B
x
F
x
1,B
(12)
q = y
F
p x
F
= 0.014 (13)
y
F
=
R x
F
+ x
1,D
1 + R
= 0.568 (14)
This leads to
y = 1.454x 0.014; dy/dx = 1.454 (15)
2
Prof M. Mazzotti
Thermische Verfahrenstechnik I binary distillation in packed column
NTU
strip
ov.G
= 1, 454
y=x
F

y=x
B
dx
x
2
0.546x 0.014
(16)
= 4c b
2
= 4 (0.014) (0.546)
2
= 0.354116 (17)

= 0.595 (18)
NTU
strip
ov.G
= 7.88 (19)
Using equation 2:
NTU
ov.G
= 1.89 + 7.88 = 9.77 (20)
with
w
D
=

D
A
D
=
(1 + R) p
A
D
=
2.5 774
3600 0.5
2
4.1
= 0.06642m/s (21)
F = 0.06642

4.1 = 0.1345 (22)

Using diagram in gure 1 leads to HTU
ov,G
=0.528 m
H = HTU
ov,G
NTU
ov,G
= 5.16m (23)
3