Shortcurt Procedure for Multicomponent Batch Distillation with Distillate Receiver

Abstract

A shortcut calculation procedure applicable to a multicomponent batch distillation with a distillate receiver under total reflux condition was developed. Based on the assumptions of negligible vapor and liquid holdups in stages and the condenser, constant molar overflows, constant vapor boilup rates, constant relative volatilities, and adibatic equilibrium stages, the proposed model provides the estimates of the volume of the distillate receiver, changes in compositions in the receiver and still, concentration profiles of the column, and total distillation time required to complete the separation, provided that the desired product purities of the most volatile component are specified for the receiver and still. Experimental data for the separation of BTX mixture using a 10 cm i.d. column having six theoretical stages were compared with the simulation results for the two cases when the distillate receiver is initially empty and initially full.