Multicomponent Flash Distillation

Flash distillation
Multicomponent flash distillation design
Example problem
Sizing of a flash drum

Compulsory reading: Chapter 2 (sections 2.6 and 2.8-in 2nd Edn or 2.9 in 3rd Edn) from the text book

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Multicompoment flash distillation

Graphical solution limited to binary separation. Combining eqs (1), (3) and (4):
Fzi zi zi
Manually solve by trial and error xi
F V VK i 1 K 1 V 1 K i 1 f
Computer solution using nonlinear equation i
F
solver (5)
Add all components:
We can write the following equations: C C
z
y
Equilibrium: K i i (1)
xi 1 K i 1 f 1 (6)
1 1 i
xi
K i f Pdrum,Tdrum ,xi (non-ideal) Multiply eq (5) with K i :
f Pdrum,Tdrum (ideal) K i zi
K i xi yi (7)
(10) 1 K i 1 f
Ki xFi
C C
K x y
yi 1.0; xi 1.0 1 (2)
i i i
Ki 1 f Add all components:
i 1 i 1
C c C
K i zi
Mass balances around Loop 1:
K i xi yi 1 K i 1 f
1 (8)
1 1 1
Loop 1
V, y, HV Subtract eq (8) from eq (6):
F, z IDEAL C
K 1 z
T F, P F, h F STAGE
1 iK 1i f 0 (9)
L, x, hL 1 i

Overall: F L V (3) Eqs (6), (8) and (9) are the design equations.
Eq (9) has good convergence property.
Component: Fzi Lxi Vyi (4)
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 Test your understanding
Feed composition, zi , is usually known. For an ideal system K i Pdrum,Tdrum

Consider the following two scenarios:

Scenario 1
Pdrum,Tdrum are known. If you are able to solve the unknown,
can you calculate compositions of the
What is the unknown in eq (6), (8) or (9)?
vapor (V) and liquid (L) streams
leaving the flash drum?
Scenario 2
Pdrum and f are known.
Can you determine Tdrum ?

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 Example problem on multicomponent flash

A flash chamber operating at 50 C and 200 kPa is separating 1000 kg moles/hr of a feed that is 30 mole %
propane, 10 mole % n-butane, 15 mole % n-pentane and 45 mole % n-hexane. Find the product compositions
and flow rates.
Design equations

V, y1, y2, y3, y4 ? 4

K 1 zi
1 iK 0
i 1 f
(1)
i 1
F = 1000 kg moles/hr
zi
z1= 0.30 Tdrum 50 o C xi (2)
z2= 0.10 1 K i 1 f
Pdrum 200 kPA
z3= 0.15 yi K i xi (3)
z4= 0.45
zi given
L, x1, x2, x3, x4 ?
Tdrum and Pdrum given - Ki can be
calculated
V
f is the only unknown in eq (1)
F
Solution procedure
Eq (1) is nonlinear in f
Solve by trial and error or use EXCEL
Use the f in eq (2) to calculate xi
Use xi in eq (3) to calculate yi
V = (F)(f)
L = F-V
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Solution by trial and error
1. Get Ki from given Tdrum and Pdrum
2. Guess a value for f (between 0 and 1)
3. Check the value of
4
K i 1 zi
i 1 1 K i 1 f
4. If , where is tolerance limit, accept guessed f
5. If not then go back to step 2

Sample result

LHS of eq (1)
F Components zi Ki f = 0.4 f = 0.6 f =0.5 xi yi V L
(kg moles/hr)
Propane 0.3 7.4 0.071 0.525
1000 n-butane 0.1 2.55 0.056 0.143
n-pentane 0.15 0.76 0.149 -0.122 0.008 0.170 0.129 500 500
n-hexane 0.45 0.29 0.698 0.202
1.0 0.995 0.999

Test your understanding

V
How would you proceed if ( f ) is known and you are required to calculate Tdrum or Pdrum ?
F

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Demonstration of solution using EXCEL
http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/chesf/cn3132/Notes/Multicomponent%20Flash.xls

To be solved in class
Natural gas is the major primary energy source for Singapore. Historically, Singapore has relied on Piped Natural Gas (PNG) from
the dry (lean) sources of Indonesia and Malaysia and its domestic market and power plants have been designed accordingly. This
has led to very tight specifications on gas quality in Singapore. Recently, Singapore has started importing Liquefied Natural Gas
(LNG) to diversify natural gas sources, which is important for increasing energy security. LNG is sold in three major grades, namely
lean, medium and rich. Lean LNG is predominantly methane with small amount of ethane and negligible propane and butane. On
the other hand, medium and rich LNG can contain up to 10 and 20% (by volume), respectively, of ethane, propane and butane.
Essentially, only lean LNG with a very narrow range of Wobbe Index (equivalent to calorific value) can meet the current gas
specifications in Singapore.

At SLNG, LNG is first pressurized to 40 bar and then heated to 25 oC using sea water. SLNG has decided to buy rich LNG with the
following composition: 85% CH4, 10% C2H6, 3% C3H8, and 2% C4H10 on mol basis, recover methane stream 95% purity with at
least 90% recovery and then sell the heavy residue to countries where there is demand for rich LNG.

Find the temperature at which the vapour stream should be collected to meet the purity-recovery requirements for methane.

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Homework 2 (CN 3132)
1. A flash drum is separating 50 kg moles/hr of a mixture of ethane, iso-butane and n-butane. The ratio of iso-butane to n-butane is
held constant at 0.8. Mole fractions of all the three components in the feed can change. The flash drum operates at a pressure of
100 kPa and a temperature of 20 oC. If the drum is operating at V/F = 0.4, what must the mole fractions of all three components
in the feed be?

2. A flash drum operating at 300 kPa is separating a mixture that is fed in as 40 mole % isobutane, 25 % n-pentane, and 35% n-
hexane. We wish a 90% recovery of n-hexane in the liquid. F= 1000 kg moles/hr. Find Tdrum, xi, yi, V/F.

Note: Use of EXCEL to solve a multicomponent flash problem was shown during the lecture. Solve problem 2 in EXCEL to gain a
hands-on experience.

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