FLASH CALCULATION

A flash is a single-equilibrium stage distillation in witch a feed is partially

vaporized to give a vapor richer in the most volatile components than the
remaining liquid.

a) Adiabatic flash
As shown in fig. (4.10, Seader), a liquid feed is heated under pressure and
flashed adiabatically across a valve to lower pressure, resulting in the
creation of a vapor phase that is separated from the remaining liquid in a
flash drum.

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
b) Isothermal flash
If the valve is omitted, a low-pressure liquid can be partially vaporized in
the heater and then separated into two phases in the flash drum (when
TV is specified).

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION

Alternatively, a vapor can be cooled and partially condensed, with

phase separation in a flash drum as in figure (4.10b, Seader), to give a
liquid that is richer in the less volatile components.

In both cases, if the equipment is properly designed, the vapor and

liquid leaving the drum are in equilibrium

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
Isothermal flash calculations
In this process an entering stream (a liquid at high pressure) flash as it
comes into a vessel that is at lower pressure. Significant quantities of
both liquid and vapor phases are formed.
V= vapor flow rate (moles/ time)
L= Liquid flow rate (moles/ time)

TV=TL

F= Feed flow rate (moles/ time)

zi,xi,yi=
mole
fraction
of
component i in the feed,
liquid, and vapor streams
respectively.

ChE 334: Separation Processes

PV=PL

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION

In a typical isothermal flash calculation,

Given:
F , zi , T and P in the vessel.
unknown:

V , L, yi , and xi.

We have (C) component balances, C more equations are required. They

are obtained from phase equilibrium.
Total mass balance (1 eqn)

F L V
ChE 334: Separation Processes

(1)
Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
Component mass balance (C) equation:

Fzi Lxi Vyi

(2)

Phase equilibrium (C) equation:

yi
Pi sat iL
Ki
xi
P

(3)

(3) and (1) are substituted in (2):

Fzi ( F V ) xi VK i xi

(4)

Solving for xi:

zi F
xi
F V VK i
ChE 334: Separation Processes

(5)
Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
Dividing numerator and denominator by F yields

zi
xi
1 (V / F )[ K i 1]

(6)

If the system is ideal, iL= 1.0, Ki =Pisat/P

zi

xi

1 (V / F )[

sat

Pi
1]
P

(7)

Equations 6,7 can be written for each of the (C) components in the system

zi
xi

(
V
/
F
)[
K

1
]
i 1
i 1
i

i C

i C

ChE 334: Separation Processes

1 .0

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
If

y i K i xi

and

zi K i
yi

(
V
/
F
)[
K

1
]
i 1
i 1
i

i C

Then

zi K i
yi
1 (V / F )[ K i 1]

i C

1 .0

A flash calculation is an iterative trial and error procedure where the

problem is to guess (V/F) ratio until:
i C

x
i 1

ChE 334: Separation Processes

1.0

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
Flash calculation iteration for ideal systems

The first thing to do in any flash calculation is to make sure that something
will flash (there is liquid and vapor phases).

If we are in a region where nothing flashes P of the system must higher

than the bubble point P of the feed at the specific T.

z i Pi sat
1 .0

P
i 1
in

in

PBUB z i Pi
i 1

i C

PBUB z i Pi sat
i 1

sat
1

Sub-cooled
liquid

PBP

P
PDP

If P>PBUB, nothing will flash, V/F=0 and

xi=zi
ChE 334: Separation Processes

Saturated liquid line

T= constant

Pressure

z i Pi sat
yi
,
P

Saturated
vapor line

Superheated
Vapor
0

xDP x1 z

y1 yBP 1.0

x,y
Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
i n

i n

i 1

i 1

xi

Dew point
1

PDew

i C

i 1

PDew

sat
(
z
/
P
i i

zi P
1.0
sat
Pi

i n

i 1

sat
(
z
/
P

i
i

If P< PDew, every thing flashes, V/F=1 and yi=zi

Once we know that two phases will be present, equation (7) must be
solved for (V/F).

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
Example: A liquid feed stream containing 40 mole perercent benzene,
35 mole percent toluene and 25 mole percent o-xylene is flashed
to 110C and 760 mm Hg (14.7psia). Determine the flow rates and
compositions of the vapor and liquid streams after the flash for
100 kg-mole/hr of feed. The VLE relationships can be assumed to
be ideal. i.e the system obeys Raoult's Law.
Solution
The first thing to do in any flash calculation is to check whether the actual
pressure P is between the bubble point and dew point pressures of the feed at
the operating temperature.

The vapor pressures at 110C (230F) are read from the Cox chart.
ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
Pisat at 110 oC from Cox chart.
Benzene (1) = P1sat = 33 psia
Toluene (2)= P2sat = 14 psia .
O-Xylene (3)= P3sat = 5.6 psia
i C

PBUB z i Pi sat
i 1

V=?
y1= ?
y2=?
y3=?

F
100 kgmole/hr

TV=TL=110 oC

z1= 0.4

PV=PL= 1 atm

z2=0.35

L=?
x1= ?
x2=?
x3=?

z3=0.25

PDew

i C

i 1

sat
(
z
/
P
i i

PDew < P=14.7 psia < PBUB

ChE 334: Separation Processes

So there are two phases in the drum (vap. and liq. phases
Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
Guess: V/F = 0.5, 0.7 and 0.65

zi

xi

1 (V / F )[

xi Pi sat
yi
Raoult' s law
P

sat

Pi
1]
P

V/F=0.5

V/F=0.7

V/F=0.65

yi

Component

zi

Pjsat

xi

xi

xi

(at V/F=0.65)

Benzene

0.4

33

0.247

0.214

0.22

0.496

Toluene

0.35

14

0.359

0.362

0.36

0.344

O-xylene

0.25

5.6

0.362

0.441

0.42

0.159

Total

1.000

0.968

1.017

1.00

0.999

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
V =(V/F)* F =0.65 * 100= 65 kg mole/ hr
L= F - V = 100 - 65 = 35 kg mole/hr

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION

Flash calculations in VLE relationship = f(T,P) only and not

f(composition), the isothermal flash calculation is essentially the same
as if the system were ideal.
a) Binary system (T,P are specified)

y1 y 2 1.0,
K1

y1
,
x1

K2

y1 K 1 x1
ChE 334: Separation Processes

x1 x 2 1.0
y2
x2

K1

K2

y1
,
x1

K2

1 y1
1 x1

1 K 1 x1
1 K 1 x1
, 1 - x1
1 x1
K2
Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
(1 x1 ) K 2 1 K 1 x1 , K 2 x1 K 2 x1 K 1 1.0
x1 ( K 1 K 2 ) 1 K 2

x1

1 K2
K 1
, x2 1
K1 K 2
K1 K 2

y1 and y2 can be obtained from yi=Kixi

The fraction vaporization (V/F) can be obtained from

Fzi Lxi Vyi ,

ChE 334: Separation Processes

F L V ,

y i K i xi
Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION

K 1 (1 K 2 )
y1 K 1 x1
,
( K1 K 2 )

ChE 334: Separation Processes

K 2 ( K 1 1)
y 2 K 2 x2
( K1 K 2 )

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
b) Multi-components systems:

F L V and

yi K i xi into

x i L K i x iV z i ( L V ) ,
divide by L

xi

z i (1 V / L)
1 ( K iV / L )

K iV
stripping factor for i
L

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Fzi Lxi Vyi ,

yi
L y iV z i ( L V )
Ki
divide by L

z i (1 L / V )
yi
1 ( L / K iV )
L
Absorption factor for i
K iV

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
f i z i F moles of component i in feed.
l i xi L moles of component i in liquid prpduct.
vi y iV moles of component i in vapor product.
zi (L V )
z i (1 V / L)
l i xi L
*L
, F L V L(1 V / L)
1 ( K iV / L )
1 ( K iV / L )

fi
zi F
l i xi L

1 ( K iV / L ) 1 ( K iV / L )

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
vi yiV

z i (1 L / V )
V , F L V V ( L / V 1)
1 ( L / K iV )

vi yiV

z i (1 L / V )
fi

1 ( L / K iV ) 1 ( L / K iV )

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
Case #1
If T and ( vi / f i )of one component i is specified
Guess P and find

The equation vi yiV

fi
1 ( L / K iV )

can be rearrange to give

f
L
i 1 Absorption factor for i (1)
K iV v i
fj
L

1 Absorption factor for j (2)

K jV v j

If equation (2) is divided equation. (1)

( f j / v j 1)
K iV
L
*
ij
K jV
L
( f i / vi 1)
ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
ij ( f i / vi 1) f j / v j 1
fj
vj

ij (

fi
1) 1
vi

or if equation (1) is divided by equation (2)

K jV
( f / v 1)
L
*
ji i i
K jV
L
( f j / v j 1)

fj
vj

ij

1
( f i / vi 1) 1
ji
1
ji

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
Case # 2
P and T are specified
If f(V/F) is positive at V/F =0 and negative at V/F =1.0, then two phases are present . If
f(V/F) is negative at V/F =0, the system is sub-cooled. If f(V/F) is positive at V/F =1, the
system is superheated vapor.

xi

yi

z i (1 V / L)
zi

1 ( K iV / L) ( K i 1) V F 1

F L V L(1

z i (1 L / V )
zi K i

1 ( L / K iV ) ( K i 1) V F 1

f ( ) f (V / F ) y i xi

F L V V(

V
)
L

L
1)
V

z i ( K i 1)
( K i 1)(V / F ) 1

It is called Rachford-Rice function

is called vapor fraction

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

FLASH CALCULATION
Case # 3
P and V/F specified

Guess T

Like case # 2

Case # 4
P and ( vi / f i )of one component are
specified

Guess T

Like case # 1

ChE 334: Separation Processes

Dr Saad Al-Shahrani