For this project, we were charged with distilling a feed stream of methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, and n-butanol to 98% purity of each component. Our feed was assigned entrance specifications of 50 kmol/hr, 25˚C, and 1 atm. ChemCAD simulations allowed us to analyze the different methods of distillation in order to create an optimal process. It was left up to us to decide how many columns to use, the topology of these columns, number of trays, feed stream location, and many other variables that are used in the design of distillation processes. For the first column in each process, we were asked to perform calculations in Excel in order to compare them to the ChemCAD results.
Topologies
We simulated two different topologies for this project in order to effectively compare our options. One included splitting the feed into two streams, each proceeding to another column and exiting in two more streams, resulting in one for each component. Our second topology involved removing one component at a time as the feed went through a series of three columns. …show more content…
This ensured that most, if not all, of the methanol and ethanol would end up in the distillate of column 1, while the n-propanol and n-butanol went to the bottoms. From here, the methanol/ethanol distillate traveled to another column (column 3) where it was distilled into two more pure streams (98 mole % methanol in the distillate and 98 mole % ethanol in the bottoms). The n-propanol/n-butanol mixture was also fed to another column (column 2) where it was separated into streams of 98 mole % n-propanol and 98 mole % n-butanol. A snapshot of our simulation is included below, followed by a ChemCAD-generated stream box that details the compositions of the final streams – 4, 5, 6, &
Topologies
We simulated two different topologies for this project in order to effectively compare our options. One included splitting the feed into two streams, each proceeding to another column and exiting in two more streams, resulting in one for each component. Our second topology involved removing one component at a time as the feed went through a series of three columns. …show more content…
This ensured that most, if not all, of the methanol and ethanol would end up in the distillate of column 1, while the n-propanol and n-butanol went to the bottoms. From here, the methanol/ethanol distillate traveled to another column (column 3) where it was distilled into two more pure streams (98 mole % methanol in the distillate and 98 mole % ethanol in the bottoms). The n-propanol/n-butanol mixture was also fed to another column (column 2) where it was separated into streams of 98 mole % n-propanol and 98 mole % n-butanol. A snapshot of our simulation is included below, followed by a ChemCAD-generated stream box that details the compositions of the final streams – 4, 5, 6, &