Distillation simultaneous convergence

Simultaneous Convergence Methods One drawback of some tearing methods is their relatively limited range of application. For example, the BP methods are more successful for distillation, and the SR-type methods are considered better for mixtures that exhibit a wide range of (pure-component) boiling points (see, however, our remarks above on modified BP and SR methods). Other possible drawbacks (at least in some cases) include the number of times physical properties must be evaluated (several times per outer loop iteration) if temperature- and composition-dependent physical properties are used. It is the physical properties calculations that generally dominate the computational cost of chemical process simulation problems. Other problems can arise if any of the iteration loops are hard to converge. 

SC (simultaneous correction) method. The MESH equations are reduced to a set of N(2C +1) nonlinear equations in the mass flow rates of liquid components ltJ and vapor components and the temperatures 2J. The enthalpies and equilibrium constants Kg are determined by the primary variables lijt vtj, and Tf. The nonlinear equations are solved by the Newton-Raphson method. A convergence criterion is made up of deviations from material, equilibrium, and enthalpy balances simultaneously, and corrections for the next iterations are made automatically. The method is applicable to distillation, absorption and stripping in single and multiple columns. The calculation flowsketch is in Figure 13.19. A brief description of the method also will be given. The availability of computer programs in the open literature was cited earlier in this section. 

The calculation procedures [the 0 method, Kb method, and constant composition method] developed in Chap. 2 for conventional distillation columns are applied to complex distillation columns in Sec. 3-1. For solving problems involving systems of columns interconnected by recycle streams, a variation of the theta method, called the capital 0 method of convergence is presented in Secs. 3-2 and 3-3. For the case where the terminal flow rates are specified, the capital 0 method is used to pick a set of corrected component-flow rates which satisfy the component-material balances enclosing each column and the specified values of the terminal rates simultaneously. For the case where other specifications are made in lieu of the terminal rates, sets of corrected terminal rates which satisfy the material and energy balances enclosing each column as well as the equilibrium relationships of the terminal streams are found by use of the capital 0 method of convergence as described in Chap. 7. 

The block of inter-linked columns offers robust simulation of a combination of complex distillation columns, as heat-integrated columns, air separation system, absorber/stripper devices, extractive distillation with solvent recycle, fractionator/quench tower, etc. Because sequential solution of inter-linked columns could arise convergence problems, a more robust solution is obtained by the simultaneous solution of the assembly of modelling equations of different columns. 

The BP and SR methods for vapor-liquid contacting converge only with difficulty or not at all for separations involving very nonideal liquid mixtures (e.g., in extractive distillation) or for cases where the separator is like an absorber or stripper in one section and a fractionator in another section (e.g., a reboiled absorber). Furthermore, BP and SR methods are generally restricted to the very limited specifications stated above. More general procedures capable of solving ail types of multicomponent, multistage separation problems are based on the solution of all the MESH equations, or combinations thereof, by simultaneous correction (SC) techniques. 

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