Tray columns design principles

The design of a distillation column is based on information derived from the VLE diagram describing the mixtures to be separated. The vapor-liquid equilibrium characteristics are indicated by the characteristic shapes of the equilibrium curves. This is what determines the number of stages, and hence the number of trays needed for a separation. Although column designs are often proprietary, the classical method of McCabe-Thiele for binary columns is instructive on the principles of design. 

A variety of other configurations and modifications of the basic design shown in Figures 3-6 and 3zZ are possible. Valve trays (see Chapter lOi are popular. Downcomers can be chords of a circle as shown or circular pipes. Both partial and total condensers and a variety of reboilers are used. The column may have multiple feeds, sidestream withdrawals, intermediate reboilers or condensers, and so forth. The column also usually has a host of temperature, pressure, flow rate, and level measurement and control devices. Despite this variety, the operating principles are the same as for the sinple distillation column shown in Figure 3-6. 

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