A graphical method for the preliminary design of ternary simple distillation columns at finite reflux

• Published in: South African journal of chemical engineering Vol. 37; pp. 99 - 109
• Main Authors: Seedat, Naadhira, Kauchali, Shehzaad, Patel, Bilal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.07.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Distillation design; Finite reflux; Graphical methods; McCabe Thiele; Finite reflux; Graphical methods; Distillation design; McCabe Thiele
• ISSN: 1026-9185
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sajce.2021.04.005

•A general graphical method for the design of multicomponent distillation systems at finite reflux is presented.•Key design parameters such as feed stage location and number of theoretical stages can be determined graphically on a 2-D plane.•Feed stage location is determined without additional calculations.•Key design parameters obtained are used to initilaise rigorous simulations with less computational difficulty. The present study proposes a graphical method for the design of ternary distillation systems at finite reflux. Here key design parameters are determined, in particular feed stage location and the number of theoretical stages required for separation at finite reflux for ideal and nonideal systems in simple columns. The procedure provides designers with a visual tool to determine the design parameters simultaneously and no additional calculations are required unlike current approaches. The proposed graphical method correlated to the Fenske-Underwood-Gilliland (FUG) method for ideal systems. The parameters obtained from the proposed graphical allow for implementation in rigorous simulators as starting values to achieve a converged column with the first simulation and less computational difficulty. [Display omitted]