BDC Strikes Back

Rotation 3, Section AA
Stephanie Ford, Evan Epstein, Emily Thomas,
Kyle Elliott, Andrew Kullman

March 10, 2020

Story to be told
Introduction - Emily

Data Analysis - Evan

Methods/ Exp Design - Kyle

Results - Stephanie

Conclusions/Reccs - Andrew
Summary
1. Introduction & Objectives
2. Background
3. Rotation I, II Recommendations
4. Experimental Design
5. Data and Analysis
6. Conclusions
7. Next Steps and Recommendations
Introduction
● The process: Batch distillation is the second separation

● Rotation III: Optimize unit performance by varying variable parameters

● Objectives:
○ Determine the relationship between purity and reflux ratio
○ Find parameters to minimize energy consumption and maximize product produced
○ Can the design team use smoker rose?

BDC prepares outlet from TDC for azeotrope separation in the sieve

EMT
Background
● Uses volatility differences to separate
mixtures
● BDC has no physical trays
○ Theoretical trays determined in analysis
○ Mass transfer occurs at theoretical trays
○ Affect purity
●

Credit to Rotation II: Takuma Okamoto,

Ryan OHara, Samuel Ng, Zander Hall
Background -- Data Analysis
● Smoker Rose
● McCabe-Theile
● Rayleigh integrand
● Time to get to x g of etoh
Theoretical from mccabe, smoker rose
prediction for final compositioon--also
compare to actual to confirm rotationII saying
yeah good
Energy calculation: time to get to 100g
Hypothesis: higher reflux ratios increase purity and expense
The actual concentration of each sample will be compared to
the concentration predicted via Smoker-Rose analysis.
Assuming constant molar overflow and total reflux,
McCabe-Thiele analysis can quantify the effective number of
stages in the batch distillation column at total reflux. The
effective number of stages and reflux ratio are used to find
the Rayleigh integrand, which approximately describes the
evolution of the batch distillation system as one phase is
removed [4]. We use the Rayleigh integrand and the nominal
reflux ratio in a Smoker-Rose analysis to determine a
time-dependent relationship between the distillate
composition and the pot’s initial molar charge[1]. A python
script prepared by Rotation 1 will automate much of this
analysis.It is important to note that smoker-Rose analyses
have continuously overshot previous sections’ distillate
ethanol composition values; we expect that this trend will
continue.
To determine the optimal parameters for the design team to
follow, we will create a model correlating heater duty and
ethanol fraction in the distillate, and a model correlating
ethanol fraction in distillate and production rate. From
Rotation II’s results, we expect increased heater duty to
Background -- Data Analysis
● McCabe-Thiele analysis:
○ Determine number of theoretical stages
to achieve our separation
● Rayleigh Integrand:

● Smoker Rose:

● Energy/cost:
Ethanol production time = desired mass / ratio in distillate / rate
Energy = power/time * Ethanol production time
Background
Reflux ratio: expense

Hypothesis: higher reflux ratios increase purity and expense

Where Did We Come From?
Rotation I and II Findings Recommendations
Where Do We Go?
Rotation I and II Recommendations Rotation III Implementation
Data Collection

Uncertainty remains in the accuracy of certain measured variables

Assumptions and Data Analysis
Assumptions
● Reflux flow rate scales with reflux ratio at 50%
heater duty
●
Reflux ratio v

conclusion
Data

conclusion
Cost and enviro Analysis
- Operators needed to do all of the batch processing

conclusion
conclusion
Dont use BDC for hella composion bc its not effective

conclusion
What this means for the design team

conclusion
Method Refinement
EH&S:
● Safety protocols listed in the SOP are generally sufficient
○ Be especially careful while taking pot samples--the fluid is hot, and rough handling
could make it spill
○ Use PPE, including safety goggles and gloves
● Do not dispose of any ethanol-water samples down the drain, instead depositing them
in the designated containers
● Do not consume any samples

Protocol:
●
Recommendations for the Design Team
Sources
Questions?