Worked Example

Condenser: Total
P 8 bar
800 kPa

Component F(i) in kmol/hr z(i) Recovery in D in % D(i) x(i)

C3 45 0.15 100 45 0.3015
LK nC4 105 0.35 95 99.75 0.6683
HK nC5 90 0.3 5 4.5 0.0302
nC6 60 0.2 0 0 0.0000
∑ 300 1 200 149.25 1.0000

1. Column Temperatures

Condenser T => Bubble Point (BP) of D

Range => MVC BP at 8 bar 15 °C
LVC BP at 8 bar 155 °C
nC4 BP at 8 bar 70 °C

Component x(i) K(i) at 70°C y(i)

MVC C3 0.3015 2.7 0.8141
LK nC4 0.6683 1 0.6683
HK nC5 0.0302 0.4 0.0121
LVC nC6 0.0000 0.17 0.0000
∑ 1.0000 4.27 1.4945

K(1) 1.806657700067 => 42 °C

Component x(i) K(i) at 42°C y(i)

C3 0.3015 1.8067 0.5447
nC4 0.6683 0.59 0.3943
nC5 0.0302 0.2 0.0060
nC6 0.0000 0.078 0.0000
∑ 1.0000 2.6747 0.9451

K(2) 1.911660077518 => 46 °C

Component x(i) K(i) at 46°C y(i)

C3 0.3015 1.9117 0.5764
nC4 0.6683 0.62 0.4144
nC5 0.0302 0.22 0.0066
nC6 0.0000 0.088 0.0000
∑ 1.0000 2.8397 0.9974

Condenser T 46 °C

Feed => Saturated Liquid

Feed T => Bubble Point (BP) of F

Range => MVC BP at 8 bar 15 °C

LVC BP at 8 bar 155 °C
nC4 BP at 8 bar 70 °C

Component x(i) K(i) at 70°C y(i)

C3 0.1500 2.7 0.4050
nC4 0.3500 1 0.3500
nC5 0.3000 0.4 0.1200
nC6 0.2000 0.17 0.0340
∑ 1.0000 4.27 0.9090

K(1) 2.970297029703 => 76 °C

Component x(i) K(i) at 76°C y(i)

C3 0.1500 2.9703 0.4455
nC4 0.3500 1.1 0.3850
nC5 0.3000 0.45 0.1350
nC6 0.2000 0.2 0.0400
∑ 1.0000 4.7203 1.0055

Feed T 76 °C

2. Average Relative Volatilities

Component α(i)_F α(i)_D α(i)_B α(i)_ave

C3 6.6007 8.6894 4.2139 6.2290
LK nC4 2.4444 2.8182 2.0227 2.4064
HK nC5 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000
nC6 0.4444 0.4000 0.5057 0.4480

3. Minimum Number of Stages

Fenske Equation:
 Component z(i)_D z(i)_B α(i)_ave
LK nC4 0.6683 0.0348 2.4064
HK nC5 0.0302 0.5672 1.0000

Numerator 2.5575
Denominator 0.3814
N(min) 6.71

4. Minimum Reflux Ratio

Underwood Equation 1:

q = Liquid Fraction of Feed

q 1

θ range => 2.4064

1

θ(0) 1.5

Component x(Fi) α(i)_ave LHS RHS

C3 0.15 6.2290 0.1976
nC4 0.35 2.4064 0.9292
nC5 0.3 1.0000 -0.6000 0
nC6 0.2 0.4480 -0.0852
∑ 1 0.4417

θ(1) 1.3405

Component x(Fi) α(i)_ave LHS RHS

C3 0.15 6.2290 0.1911
nC4 0.35 2.4064 0.7902
nC5 0.3 1.0000 -0.8809 0
nC6 0.2 0.4480 -0.1004
∑ 1 0.0001

5. Actual Number of Stages

Gilliland plot:
f 1.5
R 1.2069

Plot calculation:

N(min) N
0.1823 0.4900 6.71 15

Molokanov Equation:

N(min) N
0.1823 0.4759 6.71 14

6. Feed Location

Kirkbride Correlation:

B 150.75
D 149.25
z(HK)_F 0.3
z(LK)_F 0.35
z(LK)_B 0.0348
z(HK)_D 0.0302

N(r)/N(s) 1.0301

N(r)+N(s) 15

N(s) 7
N(r) 8
7. Distribution of Non-Keys

Fenske Equation:

A -1.2744 <= HK

C 6.71

Component α(i)_ave log10(d(i)/b(i)) d(i)/b(i) d(i)+b(i) b(i)

C3 6.2290 4.05320932201279 11303.405869312 45 0.0040
nC4 2.4064 1.28309658196361 19.1909547738693 105 5.2003
nC5 1.0000 -1.27441061994205 0.0531605395398 90 85.4571
nC6 0.4480 -3.61323934714446 0.00024364676691 60 59.9854
∑ 300 150.6468
B(i) x(i)
0 0.0000
5.25 0.0348
85.5 0.5672
60 0.3980
150.75 1.0000

Reboiler T =>
Range =>

Component
MVC C3
LK nC4
HK nC5
LVC nC6
∑

K(1)

Component
C3
nC4
nC5
nC6
∑

Reboiler T
Underwood Equation 1:

Componentx(Di) α(i)_ave RHS

C3 0.3015 6.2290 0.384189
nC4 0.6683 2.4064 1.508971
nC5 0.0302 1.0000 -0.088536
nC6 0.0000 0.4480 0
∑ 1.0000 1.8046

R(min) 0.8046
x(i)_B d(i) x(i)_D
0.0000 44.9960 0.3013
0.0345 99.7997 0.6682
0.5673 4.5429 0.0304
0.3982 0.0146 0.0001
1.0000 149.3532 1.0000
Bubble Point (BP) of B
MVC BP at 8 bar 15 °C
LVC BP at 8 bar 155 °C
nC5 BP at 8 bar 120 °C

x(i) K(i) at 120°C y(i)

0 4.7 0.0000
0.0348 2.2 0.0766
0.5672 1 0.5672
0.3980 0.5 0.1990
1 8.4 0.8428

1.18654073199528 => 128 °C

x(i) K(i) at 128°C y(i)

0 5 0.0000
0.0348 2.4 0.0836
0.5672 1.1865 0.6730
0.3980 0.6 0.2388
1 9.1865 0.9954

128 °C