Lecture 3

Flash distillation
Multicomponent flash distillation design
Example problem
Sizing of a flash drum

Compulsory reading: Chapter 2 (sections 2.6 and 2.8) from the text book

Farooq/CN3132/Flash Distillation-3-1
1

Multicompoment flash distillation

Graphical solution limited to binary separation.
Manually solve by trial and error
Computer solution using nonlinear equation
solver

We can write the following equations:

y
(1)
Equilibrium: K i = i
xi
K i = f (Pdrum,Tdrum, xi ) (non-ideal)
= f (Pdrum,Tdrum ) (ideal)

Ki xFi
K
x
y
=
=
xi i= i1.0 i 1 +(2)
( Ki 1) f

yi = 1.0;
i=1

i =1

Combining eqs (1), (3) and (4):

Fzi
zi
zi
xi =
=
=
F V + VK i 1 + K 1 V 1 + (K i 1) f
( i )
F
(5)
Add all components:
C
C
z
(6)
xi = 1 + (K i 1) f = 1
i
1
1

Multiply eq (5) with K i :

K i zi
K i xi = yi =
(10) 1 + (K i 1) f
Add all components:
C

K i xi = yi =

Mass balances around Loop 1:

(7)

K i zi
=1
1 + (K i 1) f

(8)

Loop 1

V, y, HV
F, z
TF, PF, hF

IDEAL
STAGE

L, x, hL

Overall: F = L + V

(3)

Component: Fzi = Lxi + Vyi

(4)

Subtract eq (8) from eq (6):

C
(K i 1) zi = 0
1 + (K 1) f
i
1

(9)

Eqs (6), (8) and (9) are the design equations.

Eq (9) has good convergence property.
Farooq/CN3132/Flash Distillation-3-2
2

 Test your understanding

Feed composition, zi , is usually known. For an ideal system K i = (Pdrum ,Tdrum )

Consider the following two scenarios:
Scenario 1
Pdrum,Tdrum are known.
What is the unknown in eq (6), (8) or (9)?
Scenario 2
Pdrum and f are known.
Can you determine Tdrum ?

If you are able to solve the unknown,

can you calculate compositions of the
vapor (V) and liquid (L) streams
leaving the flash drum?

Farooq/CN3132/Flash Distillation-3-3
3

Example problem on multicomponent flash

A flash chamber operating at 50 C and 200 kPa is separating 1000 kg moles/hr of a feed that is 30 mole %
propane, 10 mole % n-butane, 15 mole % n-pentane and 45 mole % n-hexane. Find the product compositions
and flow rates.
Design equations
V, y1, y2, y3, y4
F = 1000 kg moles/hr
z1= 0.30
z2= 0.10
z3= 0.15
z4= 0.45

zi
1 + (K i 1) f
yi = K i xi

Tdrum = 50 o C

xi =

Pdrum = 200 kPA

L, x1, x2, x3, x4

(K i 1) zi
1 + (K 1) f
i
i =1
4

=0

(1)
(2)
(3)

zi given
Tdrum and Pdrum given - Ki can be
calculated
V
f = is the only unknown in eq (1)
F

Solution procedure
Eq (1) is nonlinear in f
Solve by trial and error or use EXCEL
Use the f in eq (2) to calculate xi
Use xi in eq (3) to calculate yi
V = (F)(f)
L = F-V
Farooq/CN3132/Flash Distillation-3-4
4

Solution by trial and error

1. Get Ki from given Tdrum and Pdrum
2. Guess a value for f (between 0 and 1)
4
(K i 1) zi
3. Check the value of
i =1 1 + (K i 1) f
4. If , where is tolerance limit, accept guessed f
5. If not then go back to step 2
Sample result

Components

zi

Ki

0.3
0.1
0.15
0.45
1.0

7.4
2.55
0.76
0.29

LHS of eq (1)
f = 0.4 f = 0.6
f =0.5

xi

yi

0.071
0.056
0.170
0.698
0.995

0.525
0.143
0.129
0.202
0.999

(kg moles/hr)

1000

Propane
n-butane
n-pentane
n-hexane

0.149

-0.122

0.008

500 500

Test your understanding

How would you proceed if

V
( = f ) is known and you are required to calculate Tdrum or Pdrum ?
F

Demonstration of solution using EXCEL

http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/chesf/cn3132/Notes/Multicomponent%20Flash.xls

Farooq/CN3132/Flash Distillation-3-5
5

Water-Hydrocarbon Systems

Hydrocarbon and water may be assumed to be completely immiscible for the purposes of flash calculations. Each
of the two phases (immiscible) exerts its own vapor pressure and the total pressure is the sum of the individual
vapor pressures.
Bubble point calculation (liquid mixture being heated)
o
For a binary water-hydrocarbon system: Total pressure, P = PHC
+ PHo2O

(1)

For a multi-component water-hydrocarbon system: P = PHC + PHo2O

(2)

Partial pressure of hydrocarbons in the mixture: PHC = P PHo2O

(3)

Criteria:

yi = Ki ( T,PHC ) xi = 1
i

(where y and x indicate water-free basis)

(4)

Example
Calculate the bubble point at 25 psia for the hydrocarbon water mixture whose feed composition is shown below:

n-C5
n-C6
n-C7
H2O

0.225
0.450
0.225
0.100
1.000

x'
(water
free)
0.250
0.500
0.250
1.000

T = 160 F
PHo2O = 4.7; PHC = 20.3

Kx

T = 163.4 F
PHo2O = 5.2;PHC = 19.8
K

Kx

1.94
0.77
0.30

0.485
0.385
0.075

2.05
0.815
0.324

0.511
0.408
0.081

0.945

1.000
Farooq/CN3132/Flash Distillation-3-6
6

Dew point calculation (vapor mixture being cooled)

PHC = P yHCi
i

Criteria:

(5)

xi = K ( T,Pi ) = 1
i
HC
i
i

(6)

Example
Calculate the bubble point at 25 psia for the hydrocarbon water mixture whose feed composition is shown below:

n-C5
n-C6
n-C7
H2O

0.225
0.450
0.225
0.100
1.000

y'
(water
free)
0.250
0.500
0.250
1.000

K
2.5
1.08
0.46

T = 190 F
PHC = 22.5
y/K
0.100
0.463
0.543
1.106

T = 195 F
PHC = 22.5
y/K

2.71
1.17
0.515

0.092
0.423
0.485
1.000

Farooq/CN3132/Flash Distillation-3-7
7

Drum Size Calculation

Drum sizing is an empirical procedure. Vertical falsh drum design is discussed here.
Step1. Calculate the permissible vapor velocity, uperm
L v
(1)
v
uperm is the maximum permissible vapor velocity (in ft/s at maximum cross-section)

uperm = K drum

L liquid density
v vapor density

Must be in the same unit

K drum = exp[A + BlnFlv + C(lnFlv )2 + D(lnFlv )3 + E(lnFlv )4 ] 1

W v
Flv = L
Wv L
WL liquid mass flow rate
Wv vapor mass flow rate

Must be in the same unit

(2)

The constants
(Blackwell, 1984):
A = -1.877478097
B = -0.8145804597
C = -0.1870744085
D = -0.0145228667
E = -0.0010148518

Kdrum is an empirical constant whose value has been correlated graphically by Watkins (1967) for 85% of flood with no demister.
Approximately 5% liquid will be entrained with the vapor. Use of the same design with a demister will reduce entrainment to less
than 1%. The demister traps small liquid droplets on fine wires and prevents them from exiting. The droplets then coalesce into
larger droplets, which fall off the wire and through the rising vapor into the liquid pool at the bottom of the flash chamber. Blackwell
(1984) fit Watkins correlation to equation (2).
Farooq/CN3132/Flash Distillation-3-8
8

Step 2.

( )

ft 3600s
lbm
uperm
A c ft 2 v 3

lb moles
s hr
ft
V
=
hr
lbm

MWvapour

lb mole
V (MWv )
(3)
Ac =
uperm ( 3600 ) v
For a vertical drum: Diameter, D =

4A c

(4)

Usually, the diameter is increased to the next largest 6-in. increment.

Step 3.
L hV + hf + hL
=
(3<L/D<5)
D
D

(5)

hv = 36 in + 0.5d with a minimum requirement of 46 in.

hf = 12 in + 0.5d with a minimum requirement of 18 in.
hL =

Vsurge

D2 / 4
Vsurge is the desired surge volume

d is the diameter of the feed nozzle

(6)

L/D < 3, choose larger Vsurge

L/D > 5, use horizontal drum (Dhorizontal 2D vertical)

See Example 2.4 from the text book

Farooq/CN3132/Flash Distillation-3-9
9

Homework 1 (CN 3132)

1. The outlet air from the paint formulation chamber of a paint industry shown in the figure is saturated with solvent hexane. The
outlet air stream is at atmospheric pressure and 25 oC. A consultant has been hired to design a flash separator that will
remove at least 90% of hexane from the outlet air before discharging the air steam to atmosphere. Available in the store is a
cooling system that can cool the outlet air stream up to -5 oC. Also available is a compressor that can compress the air
stream up to 600 kPa. The consultant has recommended that the flash separator be operated at 0 oC and 200 kPa. K values
of hexane at 2 different conditions are also included in the figure below.

Fresh air

Hexane saturated
outlet air
10 moles/hr

Paint
formulation
chamber

Maximum 10% of hexane in

Nearly pure

K values of hexane.
Pressure Temp
K
o
1 atm
25 C
0.2
200 kPa 0 oC 0.035

(i) Find the flow rate of the hexane stream leaving the bottom of the flash unit assuming 90% removal.
(ii) Do you agree with the recommendation of the consultant? Show the calculations in support of your answer.

Farooq/CN3132/Flash Distillation-3-10
10

180

2. The T-x-y data for toluene-phenol system at 1 atm pressure

is given in Figure 2. It has been decided that a 35:65 mixture
of toluene and phenol will be flash distilled at a feed rate of
1000 kmol/hr in a flash drum at 1 atm pressure and 140 oC.
o

T ( C)

a. Find toluene mole fractions in the vapor and liquid

streams leaving the flash unit. Show your drawings in
Figure 2.
b. Calculate the vapor flow rate leaving the flash unit
c. Calculate the diameter of the drum if the permissible
vapor velocity is 2 m/s. Average molecular weight of
the vapor is 92.5. Molar density of the vapor is 0.0295
kmol/m3.

Vapor

160
140
120

Liquid
100

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

xT or yT

Figure: 2

3. A flash drum operating at 300 kPa is separating a mixture that is fed in as 40 mole % isobutane, 25 % n-pentane, and 35% nhexane. We wish a 90% recovery of n-hexane in the liquid. F= 1000 kg moles/hr. Find Tdrum, xi, yi, V/F.

Farooq/CN3132/Flash Distillation-3-11
11