Nonkey

However, the flow of nonkeys is different. The arrangement shown in... 

However, the case shown in Fig. 5.76 has a flow rate of nonkeys given by... 

In general, the flow of key components is constant and independent of the sequence, while the flow of nonkey components varies according to the choice of sequence, as illustrated in Fig. 5.8. 

It thus appears that the flow rate of the nonkey components may account for the diflerences between sequences. Essentially, nonkey components have two effects on a separation. They cause... 

A widening of the temperature differences across columns, since light nonkey components cause a decrease in condenser temperature and heavy nonkey components cause an increase in the reboiler temperature. 

Figure 5.8 The overall flow rate of key components is constant for any sequence of simple columns. The overall flow rate of nonkey components varies. (From Smith and Linnhoff, Trans. IChemE, ChERD, 66 195, 1988 reproduced by permission of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.)...

The mechanism by which nonkey components affect a given separation is more complex in practice than the broad arguments presented here. There are complex interrelationships between the volatility of the key and nonkey components, etc. Although the argument presented is thus not rigorous, it is broadly correct. 

It is interesting to note that heuristics 2, 3, and 4 from Sec. 5.2 tend to minimize the flow rate of nonkey components. Heuristic 1 relates to special circumstances when there is a particularly difiicult separation. ... 

Distillation. There is a large inventory of boiling liquid, sometimes under pressure, in a distillation column, both in the base and held up in the column. If a sequence of columns is involved, then, as discussed in Chap. 5, the sequence can be chosen to minimize the inventory of hazardous material. If all materials are equally hazardous, then choosing the sequence that tends to minimize the flow rate of nonkey components also will tend to minimize the inventory. Use of the dividing-wall column shown in Fig. 5.17c will reduce considerably the inventory relative to two simple columns. Dividing-wall columns are inherently safer than conventional arrangements because they lower not only the inventory but also the number of items of equipment and hence lower the potential for leaks. 

The (x, i )), values in Eq. (13-37) are minimum-reflux values, i.e., the overhead concentration that would be produced by the column operating at the minimum reflux with an infinite number of stages. When the light key and the heavy key are adjacent in relative volatihty and the specified spht between them is sharp or the relative volatilities of the other components are not close to those of the two keys, only the two keys will distribute at minimum reflux and the Xi D),n values are easily determined. This is often the case and is the only one considered here. Other cases in which some or all of the nonkey components distribute between distillate and bottom products are discussed in detail by Henley and Seader (op. cit.). 

To solve Equation 9.51, it is necessary to know the values of not only a ,-j and 9 but also x, d. The values of xitD for each component in the distillate in Equation 9.51 are the values at the minimum reflux and are unknown. Rigorous solution of the Underwood Equations, without assumptions of component distribution, thus requires Equation 9.50 to be solved for (NC — 1) values of 9 lying between the values of atj of the different components. Equation 9.51 is then written (NC -1) times to give a set of equations in which the unknowns are Rmin and (NC -2) values of xi D for the nonkey components. These equations can then be solved simultaneously. In this way, in addition to the calculation of Rmi , the Underwood Equations can also be used to estimate the distribution of nonkey components at minimum reflux conditions from a specification of the key component separation. This is analogous to the use of the Fenske Equation to determine the distribution at total reflux. Although there is often not too much difference between the estimates at total and minimum reflux, the true distribution is more likely to be between the two estimates. 

Heuristic 1. Separations where the relative volatility of the key components is close to unity or that exhibit azeotropic behavior should be performed in the absence of nonkey components. In other words, do the most difficult separation last. 

If the design problem in the absence of significant constraints can be decoupled in this way, there must be some mechanism behind this. Take two different sequences for the separation of a four-component mixture, Figure 21.103. Summing the feed flowrates of the key components (see Chapter 9) to each column in the sequence, the total flowrate is the same in both cases, Figure 21.10. However, the flow of nonkey components is different, Figure 21.10. 

The mechanism by which nonkey components affect a given separation is more complex in practice than the broad arguments presented here. There are complex interrelationships between the volatility of the key and nonkey components, and so on. Also, it is often the case that the distillations system has constraints to prevent certain heat integration opportunities. Such constraints will often present themselves as constraints over which the pressure of the distillation columns will operate. For example, it is often the case that the maximum pressure of a distillation column is restricted to avoid decomposition of material in the reboiler. This is especially the case when reboiling high molar mass material. Distillation of high molar mass material is often constrained to operate under vacuum conditions. Clearly, if the pressure of the distillation column is constrained, then this restricts the heat integration opportunities. Another factor that can create... 

Daily Intake of Drinking Water. Results from Other (Nonkey) Studies Cited in the Exposure Factors Handbook... 

The six sequencing heuristics are formulated to reduce the separation load on downstream columns, favoring easier separations early and difficult separations in the absence of nonkey components. If only two products are to be derived from a mixture and all of the components in one product are more volatile than all of the components in the other product, then the next split should divide the mixture into the two products. The presence of hazardous or corrosive materials can gready increase costs, and such components should be removed as early as possible. The most plentiful product in a mixture should be removed (if it can be) with one separation and if the relative volatility is favorable. Direct sequences, ie, removing a light product as distillate, generally are favored over indirect sequences, ie, removing a heavy product as bottoms. If no product dominates the feed composition, then separations that yield approximately equimolar splits are favored. Only if no other heuristic applies should the easiest separation be performed next. 

Distribution of nonkeys between the overhead and bottoms products,... 

A convenient approximation is that the distributions of nonkeys require the minimum number of trays as given by Eq. (13.116). Designating the nonkey by subscript nk, that equation becomes... 

The distribution of nonkeys actually depends somewhat on the reflux ratio. For instance, in the case of Example 13.10, the distributions at minimum trays (total reflux) and minimum reflux are substantially different. Often it turns out, however, that the distributions predicted by Eq. (13.119) are close to those at finite reflux whenever R is near 1.2Rm, which is often near the economic value for the reflux ratio. Further discussion of this topic is by Hengstebeck (Distillation, 1961) and Stupin and Lockhart (1968) whose work is summarized by King (1980, p. 434). Knowledge of the complete distribution is needed for estimation of top and bottom temperatures and for determination of the minimum reflux by the method to be cited. 

Presumably 10.46 from the top is more accurate than 13.0, but it also may be in error because of the approximate fashion in which the distributions of nonkeys were found. 

The lower bounds on the recoveries were set to 0.85 on the grounds that a number of simulations performed showed that to avoid the distribution of nonkey components it was necessary to keep the recoveries of the key components greater than or equal to 0.85. 

Figure 2.3 Estimate splits of nonkey components in a multicomponent distillation.

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