PRACTICAL 10

Study of a Linde double for the column for the separation of the ethane-propane
mixture.
The Linde double column is a unit which allows significant energy savings. It is
composed of two column series, operating at different pressure levels so that thermal
integration is possible: the condenser of the high-pressure column is also the reboiler of
the low-pressure column. At industrial level, this column is employed in the air separation
plants to separate oxygen from nitrogen. It is advantageous for the distillation of air
because it allows to operate the unit without the condenser of the low-pressure column,
therefore without employing service fluids at temperatures close or below 100 K that
would be very expensive. This result can be obtained also because the relative volatility
of the two components is high, with a difference in the normal boiling temperatures of
about 13 K (77 K for nitrogen, 90 K for oxygen).

Because of its advantages, the Linde unit can be applied also to the separation of
other mixtures, as hydrocarbon mixtures for which industrially the separation is needed,
thought being difficult, as ethane-ethylene or propane-propylene.
For the simulation in ASPEN HYSYS® of the separation of ethane-propane mixture in
the Linde unit the following scheme can be considered.

Figure 1. Scheme of the separation of ethane-propane mixture in the Linde unit.

On the basis of the data reported in the Appendix, it is asked to:

1. Create the scheme as reported above considering as specifications for the first
column a mole fraction of ethane in the bottom product equal to 0.001 and a mole
fraction of propane in the top product equal to 0.001 and considering as
specification for the second column the molar flow of vapor distillate equal to 70
kmol/h;
2. Determine the trend of the reboiler duty of the first column as a function of the
molar fraction of ethane in the bottom product of the first column;
3. Determine the molar fraction of ethane in the bottom product of the first column
so that the reboiler duty of the first column is null;
That corresponds to a value of 0.576
4. Determine the composition of the final products in the case also the condenser
duty of the second column is null.
Results
Figure 2 shows the trend of the reboiler duty as a function of the molar fraction of
ethane in the bottom product of the first column. It’s important to mention that this graph
was done in order to ensure a temperature difference between stream “distillate D1”
(TdistillateD1=-29.58ºC) and “stream bottom B2” (TbottomB2=-34.30ºC) of approximately 5ºC.

Figure 2. Trend of the reboiler duty.

Then, in order to ensure that the reboiler duty of the first column is null, a molar
fraction of ethane in the bottom product of the first column of 0.576 is obtained. In this
case, the condenser duty of the second column has a value equal to 9.79 kW. In addition,
it’s observed that the duty shared by the condenser of the first column and the reboiler of
the second column has an absolute value of 166.2 kW.
The last step is to determine the composition of the final products in the case also
the condensers duty of the second column is null. Table 2 shows the results obtained.
Table 1. Compositions of the final products.

Component Molar fraction in B2 Molar fraction in D2

Ethane 0.0000* 0.9925
Propane 1.0000* 0.0075

Aspen Hysys® rounds the results up to four decimals, so it seams that the
conversion achieved in the bottom product of the second column is 100%. This won’t be
achieved in any case, but it can be noticed that purity is almost maintained.
In the other hand, the distillate purity is not maintained at all because some ethane
is lost in the pathway.
Summarizing what we don’t want is to pay a service fluid at cryogenic temperatures
because it would cost too much. So, at the end by using the Linde column a higher purity
of the products is obtained in addition to the significant energy savings.