Optimum reflux ratio example

Optimum Reflux Ratio Example. The following estimates illustrate these factors for the fractional distillation of a methanol-water mixture to produce 250 gal. of methanol per hour. In making the calculations, it was assumed that the heat-transfer surface required was proportional to the vapor rate which is equal to... 

Martin and coworkers described an application of optimization to an existing tower separating propane and propylene. The lighter component (propylene) is more valuable than propane. For example, propylene and propane in the overhead product were both valued at 0.20/lb (a small amount of propane was allowable in the overhead), but propane in the bottoms was worth 0.12/lb and propylene 0.09/lb. The overhead stream had to be at least 95 percent propylene. Based on the data in Table E12.4A, we will determine the optimum reflux ratio for this column using derivations provided by McAvoy (personal communication, 1985). He employed correlations for column performance (operating equations) developed by Eduljee (1975). 

Mayur et al. (1970) formulated a two level dynamic optimisation problem to obtain optimal amount and composition of the off-cut recycle for the quasi-steady state operation which would minimise the overall distillation time for the whole cycle. For a particular choice of the amount of off-cut and its composition (Rl, xRI) (Figure 8.1) they obtained a solution for the two distillation tasks which minimises the distillation time of the individual tasks by selecting an optimal reflux policy. The optimum reflux ratio policy is described by a function rft) during Task 1 when a mixed charge (BC, xBC) is separated into a distillate (Dl, x DI) and a residue (Bl, xBi), followed by a function r2(t) during Task 2, when the residue is separated into an off-cut (Rl, xR2) and a bottom product (B2, x B2)- Both r2(t)and r2(t) are chosen to minimise the time for the respective task. However, these conditions are not sufficient to completely define the operation, because Rl and xRI can take many feasible values. Therefore the authors used a sequential simplex method to obtain the optimal values of Rl and xR which minimise the overall distillation time. The authors showed for one example that the inclusion of a recycled off-cut reduced the batch time by 5% compared to the minimum time for a distillation without recycled off-cut. 

As indicated in Fig. 11-7, the optimum reflux ratio occurs at the point where the sum of fixed charges and operating costs is a minimum. As a rough approximation, the optimum reflux mho usually falls in the range of 1.1 to 1.3 times the minimum reflux ratio. The following example illustrates the general method for determining the optimum reflux ratio in distillation operations. 

Example 6 Determination of optimum reflux ratio. A sieve-plate distillation column is being designed to handle 700 lb mol (318 kg mol) of feed per hour. The unit is to operate continuously at a total pressure of 1 atm. The feed contains 45 mol% benzene and 55 mol% toluene, and the feed enters at its boiling temperature. The overhead product from the distillation tower must contain 92 mol% benzene, and the bottoms must contain 95 mol% toluene. Determine the following ... 

Checking Against Optimum Design. This attempts to answer the question whether a balance needs to be as it is. The first thing to compare against is the best current practice. Information is available ia the Hterature (13) for large-volume chemicals such as NH, CH OH, urea, and ethylene. The second step is to look for obvious violations of good practice on iadividual pieces of equipment. Examples of violations are stack temperatures > 150° C process streams > 120° C, cooled by air or water process streams > 65° C, heated by steam t/ urbine 65% reflux ratio > 1.15 times minimum and excess air > 10% on clean fuels. 

This will be possible for only a few practical design problems. The technique is illustrated in Example 1.1, and in the derivation of the formula for optimum pipe diameter in Chapter 5. The determination of the economic reflux ratio for a distillation column, which is discussed in Volume 2, Chapter 11, is an example of the use of a graphical procedure to find the optimum value. 

Continuous binary distillation is illustrated by the simulation example CON-STILL. Here the dynamic simulation example is seen as a valuable adjunct to steady state design calculations, since with MADONNA the most important column design parameters (total column plate number, feed plate location and reflux ratio) come under the direct control of the simulator as facilitated by the use of sliders. Provided that sufficient simulation time is allowed for the column conditions to reach steady state, the resultant steady state profiles of composition versus plate number are easily obtained. In this way, the effects of changes in reflux ratio or choice of the optimum plate location on the resultant steady state profiles become almost immediately apparent. 

Continuous multicomponent distillation simulation is illustrated by the simulation example MCSTILL, where the parametric runs facility of MADONNA provides a valuable means of assessing the effect of each parameter on the final steady state. It is thus possible to rapidly obtain the optimum steady state settings for total plate number, feed plate number and column reflux ratio via a simple use of sliders. 

It is required to separate the benzene-toluene mixture of Example 6.1 into a benzene-rich distillate with 0.80 mole fraction benzene and a toluene-rich bottoms with 0.05 mole fraction benzene. The separation is to be made using a distillation column with 15 theoretical stages that include a partial condenser and a partial reboiler. Calculate the reflux ratio required to achieve the specified separation and determine the optimum feed location. What effect would lowering the number of stages to ten have on the reflux ratio and the optimum feed location ... 

In this example, the reflux ratio is to be minimized by finding the optimum feed plate location for a fixed number of total stages N or plates [k2 = N - 2]. This example was included in order to demonstrate the use of the optimization procedure for solving problems involving existing columns. Again the variables listed as usual specifications are fixed. Of the four remaining variables required to completely define the column, three are fixed, namely, bh/dh)Li and... 

Estimate the total number of equilibrium stages and the optimum feed-stage location for the distillation problem presented in Examples 6.10 and 6.11 if the actual reflux ratio is set at R = 1.0. 

Example 10.3. As shown in Fig. 10.22, a countercurrent extraction cascade equipped with a solvent separator to provide extract reflux is used to separate methylcyclopentane A and n-hexane C into a final extract and raffinate containing 95wt% and 5wt% A, respectively. The feed rate is 1000 kg/hr with 55 wt% A, and the mass ratio of aniline, the solvent S, to feed is 4.0. The feed contains no aniline and the fresh solvent is pure. Recycle solvent is also assumed pure. Determine the reflux ratio and number of stages. Equilibrium data at column temperature and pressure are shown in Fig. 10.23. Feed is to enter at the optimum stage. 

The minimum reflux ratio is commonly used in specifying operating conditions. For example, we may specify the reflux ratio as L7D = 1.2(L7D)n. Minimum reflux would use the minimum amount of reflux liquid and hence the minimum amount of heat in the reboiler, but the maximum (infinite) number of stages and a maximum (infinite) diameter for a given separation. Obviously, the best operating conditions lies somewhere between minimum and total reflux. As a rule of thumb, the optimum external reflux ratio is between 1.05 and 1.25 times (170). (See Chapter 11 for more details.)... 

In general the same type of information given by the constant 0/V method can be obtained by the use of the Ponchon and Savarit method. For example, the cases of total reflux, minimum reflux ratio, and optimum feed-plate location can be easily solved. 

Before we turn to examples, I want to review the results summarized by the template and by Fig. 13.3-4 in more detail. I do so partly because they can be superficially clear, and still obscure some of the information implicit in the analysis. To disperse some of the obscurity, I ll discuss four specific points the optimum feed stage location, the effect of a different feed location, the minimum number of plates required, and the minimum reflux ratio. Each of these four points is instructive. 

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