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Separation performance investigation of packed distillation columns using simple NEQ approach based on packing multicomponent efficiencies and effective mass transfer coefficients

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering volume 35, pages 1151–1166 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

A simple non-equilibrium modeling approach is proposed to simulate multicomponent distillation process in packed columns. The real behavior of the column is simply considered by the evaluation of interphase mass transfer rate based on the overall mass transfer coefficient. Two distinct methods are used to calculate this overall coefficient including the effective mass transfer coefficient method and the packing efficiency method. The modelling procedure consists of an iterative segment-wise algorithm implemented in a MATLAB home-code. For verification, the obtained composition profiles from a structured and a random packed column are compared with reported experimental data. Comparisons show that the packing efficiency-based model could acceptably predict the experimental profiles with an average relative deviation of 18% and 25% for structured and random packed columns, respectively. This confirms that our simple non-equilibrium approach is a reliable and robust model for the performance evaluation of packed columns.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Engineering, Oil, Gas Faculty, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

    Hadi Poortalari & Farshad Varaminian

  2. Material and Nuclear Fuel Research School (MNFRS), Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

    Javad Karimi Sabet

Authors
  1. Hadi Poortalari
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  2. Javad Karimi Sabet
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  3. Farshad Varaminian
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Correspondence to Javad Karimi Sabet or Farshad Varaminian.

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Poortalari, H., Karimi Sabet, J. & Varaminian, F. Separation performance investigation of packed distillation columns using simple NEQ approach based on packing multicomponent efficiencies and effective mass transfer coefficients. Korean J. Chem. Eng. 35, 1151–1166 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-017-0315-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-017-0315-7

Keywords

  • Packed Distillation Column
  • Multicomponent Separation
  • Simple Non-equilibrium Modeling
  • Overall Mass Transfer Coefficient
  • Packing Efficiency