Distillation of Binary Mixture

 Bottom plate and re-boiler

For constant molal over flow, L and V used to denote low rates
m-1
L V
L Bx xm1 ym
y m  x m 1  B m
V V L Vm
x m Bottom y
m 1 V
m+1
plate
L Bx B yr
ym 1  xm 
yr
L m1
V V B
V
L xB
xm+1 Re-boiler
L Bx yr
yr  xm 1  B
V V
Re-boiler plate
xB

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 Binary Multistage Distillation

 The vapor leaving the partial re-boiler

is assumed to be in equilibrium with
the liquid bottom product. ym

L Bx
y m1  xm  B ym+1 a
b
V V
a, b,d
The operating line for stripping section bottom plate
yr c
d
c, d, e
crosses the diagonal at point (xB , xB( and
Re-boiler plate
L
its slope= xB e
LB
xB xm+1 xm Xm-1
Note: Re-boiler acts as an ideal plate
L
 Boilup - ratio
B
ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani
 Binary Multistage Distillation

 Feed plate
A feed plate is the plate over which the feed is admitted. The liquid rate
over the vapor rate or both may change, depending on the thermal
conditions of the feed.
Consider the 5 possible feed conditions shown in the next figures which
assumes that the feed has been flashed adiabatically to feed stage
pressure.
L V V
a. sub-cooed liquid feed:
F
L  LF

L  L  F  Condensed portion of vapor L  LF

L V
V V
ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani
 Binary Multistage Distillation

 As a result of this, flow of liquid in stripping section increases and

flow of vapor in rectifying section decreases

b. Feed is saturated liquid (bubble point liquid feed) :

L V V
L  LF F

V V
L  LF
L V

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 Binary Multistage Distillation

C. Partial vaporized feed :

L  L  LF

V  V  VF LV  V  V F

F
The liquid portion of feed = LF+VF

becomes liquid and the vapor

portion of feed becomes vapor L V

L  L  LF
F  LF  VF

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 Binary Multistage Distillation

d. saturated vapor feed (dew point vapor feed) :

V  F V
L
LL F

V  F V
L V

e. Superheated vapor feed

V V  F
V  V  F  boiling portion of liq. L
F
LL
V V  F LL V

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 Binary Multistage Distillation

LL
q  moles of liquid flow in stripping section th at result
F
from the introducti on of each mole of feed
a. Cold feed q > 1.0 L  L L  F  condensate  L
q   1.0
F F
LL LF L
b. Feed at bubble point (sat. liq.), q=1.0 q   1.0
F F

L  L L  LF  L
c. Feed partially vapor, 0 < q < 1.0 q   1.0
F F

LL LL
d. Feed at dew point (sat. vap.), q = 0 q  0
F F

LL
e. Feed superheated vapor, q < 0 q 0 LL
F
ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani
 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage
 q for sub-cooled feed (Tb > TF)
L  L L  F  condensate  L
q  V V
F F L

condensate F
q  1
F

FCpL (Tb  TF )  L

L V
FCpL (Tb  TF )
Condensate  L 

CpL (Tb  TF )
q  1


ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage
 q for superheated feed (TF > Td)
Boiling liquid
L  L L  boiling liquid  L
q  V V
F F L
FCpV (TF  Td )  boiling liquid   F

FCpV (TF  Td )
boiling liquid 

 FCpV (TF  Td ) CpV (Td  TF ) L V
q  
F 

TF= feed temperature

Tb, Td= bubble and dew point of feed respectively.
 = average latent heat of vaporization
CpL, CpV = specific heat of liquid and vapor respectively.

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage
 Feed line

The contribution of the feed stream to the internal flow of liquid = qF

The total flow rate of liquid in the stripping section is:

L  L  qF and L  L  qF

e.g
LL LF L
For saturated liquid feed q   1.0
F F

LL LL
For saturated vapor feed q  0
F F

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage
The contribution of the feed stream to the internal flow of vapor =F(1- q)

The total flow rate of vapor in the rectifying section is:

V  V  (1  q) F , V  V  (1  q ) F
e.g

For saturated liquid feed V V

V V
1 q  0 , q  1.0
F
For saturated vapor feed V V  F V V  F

V  V  (1  q ) F F  (1  q) F 1 q  1 q0

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage

 For constant molal over flow n+1

Rectifying section

Vyn  Lxn1  Dx D (1) L

V
yn
xn+1
L Dx
yn  xn1  D n
V V

stripping section

V ym  Lxm1  Bx B (2) m+1

V
L
ym
L Bx xm+1
ym  x m 1  B
V V m

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage
To locate the point where the operating lines intersect,
Let yn=ym , xn+1=xm+1 and subtract equation (1) from equation (2)

Vyn  V ym  Lxm1  Lxm1  Dx D  Bx B

y (V  V )  ( L  L) x  Dx D  Bx B
FxF
LL Fx F
y x
V V V V
 qF Fx F q xF
y x y x
(1  q ) F (1  q) F 1 q 1 q

q x Feed line
y x F
q 1 1 q q-line

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage

 This equation represents a straight line, called the feed line on which
all intersections of operating lines must fall.

 The position of feed line depend on xF and q.

q xF
 Its slope is and its intercept is
q 1 1 q

 This line cross the diagonal at x= xF

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage
XD
ra cold liquid q > 1 slope +
q =1
q >1
0 < q <1
rb saturated liquid q = 1 slope 
b a
c
rc (vap. + liq.) 0 < q < 1 slope -
q =0 d
r

rd saturated vapor q = 0 slope 0 y e

q <1

re superheated q < 0 slope +

xD
RD  1
XB

XB XF XD
x
ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani
 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage
 Construction of operating lines
q x
1. Locate the feed line ( y x F ) according to the feed
q 1 1 q

conditions.

RD x
2. Locate the rectifying line ( yn1  xn  D ). This line croces the
RD  1 RD  1
xD
diagonal at (xD, xD) and of intercept ( )
RD  1

3. Draw the stripping line through point (xB, xB( an the intersection of

rectifying line with the feed line.

Note: xF, xB , xD, L,D are constant

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage
 Plate Feed Location
The feed plate is always represented by the triangle that has one corner
on the rectifying line and one on the stripping line
XD

Note:
a
b
1. The number of plates = number of
plates + re-boiler plate. y c

2. The liquid on the feed plate does not

have the same composition as the feed.
X
B
XB XF XD
x
ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani
 1 1
2
0.9 3

0.8 Feed line 4

0.7 5

0.6 6 R.O. L

y 0.5
7
0.4
8
0.3

0.2
. 9
S.O. L
10
xD 0.1 R
RD  1
0
xF xD
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
xB x
 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage
 Heating and cooling requirements Vap. at its dew Liq. At its
point temp.
T2 bubble point
Heat loss from a large insulated is relatively small. temperature

Va
T1 m w

 For condenser Top La

xa D
plate
a. If the condensate is not su-bcooled (at Tbub) xD

 wCpw (T2  T1 )  Va   ( L  D)  ( RD D  D)  D( RD  1)

qc  m

Va  D( RD  1)
m w  
(T2  T1 )Cpw (T2  T1 )Cpw
 molal latent heat of vaporization of more volatile component

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage
b. If Su-cooled Reflux
If the reflux is cooled below the bubble point, a portion of vapor coming
to the top plate (1) must condensed to heat the reflux

ΔL that is condensed inside the column is obtained from:

Lc  LCpc (T1  Tc ) V

Top ΔL T1
LCpc (T1  Tc ) L
Lc  plate
Tc
D
c xD

Cpc=specific heat of condensation

T1= temp. of liq. On to plate bubble point of condensate
Tc= temp. of return condensate (reflux)
c= heat of vaporization of condensate for volatile component.

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage

The actual reflux ratio in the column is

L  L L[1  Cpc (T1  Tc ) / C ]


D D
T1 Tbc= bubble point of the condensate

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani

 McCabe Thiele Graphical
Equilibrium-Stage
 For re-boiler

 s s  V b   q r
m Bottom
plate Vb
Vb  q condensate
m s  
s s Lb B
xB
steam
m s = steam consumption m s

V b = vapor flow rate from re-boiler

s = latent heat of steam.
 = molal latent heat of mixture at the bottom
 molal latent heat of less volatile component

ChE 334: Separation Processes Dr Saad Al-Shahrani