MODULE 4

Chemical Engineering Design

Separation Columns

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Separation Columns

• Distillation Basics

• Absorption & Stripping

• Column Internals & Hydraulics: Trays

• Column Internals & Hydraulics: Packing

• Column Design & Optimization

• Complex Columns

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Distillation

• Distillation is the most

commonly used separation
process in the chemical
industry
– Relatively cheap
– Reliable and low
maintenance

• Distillation costs can be

80% of capital and utilities
in some processes

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
Chemical Engineering Design
 Distillation Column Nomenclature
Condenser
Vapor
Reflux drum (receiver)
Distillate, D
(External) reflux
• Feed is separated into distillate
Feed, F enriched in light components (high
volatility) and bottoms enriched in
heavy components (low volatility)
Trays
• Vapor is generated in reboiler and
passes up through many trays to
Reboiler overhead condenser

• Liquid reflux flows down over trays,

giving counter-current contacting
Bottoms, B
Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-
Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 What Really Happens on a Tray

• (1) Components in Distillation Column.mp4

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 What Really Happens on a Tray
• Liquid comes down a
downcomer from tray
above and is distributed
across the active area of
the tray

• Vapor bubbles up through

holes creating a froth on
the tray

• Froth or liquid overflows

into next downcomer

• Some columns use packing

instead (see below)
Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-
Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Tray Dimensions
Weir length

Tray spacing

Active area

Downcomer Height over weir

backup
Weir height
Downcomer clearance

Active area
Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-
Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Stage Efficiency
• Real trays do not usually achieve theoretical stage
performance
Number of theoretical stages
Overall stage efficiency =
Number of actual trays for same separation

Liquid droplets can be

entrained to tray above
Vapor can flow
up downcomer

Vapor concentration
Liquid can weep varies along the tray
to tray below

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Column Operating Window
Excessive

Vapor rate
entrainment
Jet flooding

Coning Area of satisfactory

operation
Downcomer flooding

Weeping

Liquid rate
• Plate design must ensure good contacting between phases
• Coning: vapor bypasses liquid
• Weeping: liquid drains through to tray below

• Usually design to operate near (~ 70 to 80% of) flooding limits so as

to allow for turn-down
Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-
Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Column Operating Window
Flooding
• Upper limit to vapour flow
• Sharp drop in plate efficiency and increase in pressure drop
• Generally caused by excessive carry over of liquid to the next
plate by entrainment or by liquid backing up in the down-comer

Weeping
• Lower limit of the vapour flow
• Occurs when the vapour flow is insufficient to maintain a level of
liquid on the plate.

Coning
• Occurs at low liquid rates
• Term given to the condition where the vapour pushes the liquid
back from the holes and jets upward, with poor liquid contact.

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Tray Types
Counter Current Trays without Down-comers (Dual Sow Trays)
• Sieve tray without down comer

• Gas and liquid passes through the

same tray openings resulting in
limited operating range

• Employed where high capacity or

high resistance to fouling is
required

• Perform best in an operating

region of 60 - 85% floods

• Least expensive to make and

easiest to install and maintain

• Major challenge of mal-distribution

observed in larger diameter
towers which makes then un-
popular
Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-
Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Tray Types
Cross Sow Trays with Down- Comers

Sieve Tray Valve Tray

• Tray has holes punched in it • Moving valves close when vapor
flow is low
• Liquid is retained by vapor up flow
• If valves fall off then it turns into a
• Cheapest design sieve tray
• Resilient to solids, corrosion, • Many proprietary designs
particularly if large holes used
• Better turndown performance (5:1
• Lowest pressure drop range)
• Turndown performance is poor • Cost about 1.2 times sieve trays
due to weeping (2:1 range)

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Tray Types
Cross Sow Trays with Down- Comers

Fixed Valves Bubble Caps

• Valves are stamped into the tray, • Ensure that liquid level is
so always open maintained on each tray

• Less prone to corrosion or fouling • Turndown performance is

than moving valves, but poorer better, but most prone to fouling
turndown performance and corrosion damage

• One side is always open, so • Cost can be double sieve trays

orientation of tray is important
• Pressure drop is highest
• Cost about 1.1 times sieve trays
• Widely used before 1970s, but
seldom now
Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-
Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 High Capacity Trays
Take advantage of the active area under the down comer by having either valve or
sieve trays or both
• Closed downcomers

• Maximize active area

• Directional valves

• Enhanced phase separation

• Reduced tray spacing

UOP MD Tray: Source UOP
• Examples:
– UOP: MD™, ECMD™, PFMD™, SimulFlow™
– Shell: HiFi™,ConSep™
– Koch-Glitsch: SuperFrac®, Ultra-Frac®
– Sulzer: VGPlus™

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 High Capacity Trays

• Increased active area or enhanced phase separation

enable much higher throughput
– E.g.: UOP SimulFlow™ has 230% capacity of sieve trays

• Efficiency is usually similar to sieve or valve trays, but

some designs have enhanced efficiency as well as
capacity

• Enhanced capacity trays are used a lot in revamps to save

buying a new shell, also for very large diameter new
columns

• Details must be obtained from vendors

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Comparison of Common Tray Type

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Tray Design
• Design correlations for tray design and prediction of flooding
are in the literature:
• Perry’s Chemical Engineer’s Handbook (McGraw-Hill)
• Kister, H. “Distillation Design” & “Distillation Operation” (McGraw-Hill)

• Tray design is automated in most process simulation

programs
• Tool may need to be “switched on” or activated
• Beware of “rating” vs. “sizing” – rating calcs are to test performance of a given
existing column, e.g. for revamp

• Tray designs should always be confirmed by a column

internals vendor
• They use more sophisticated proprietary programs
• They can provide much better estimates of pressure drop and stage efficiency

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Typical Tray Design Procedure
1. Calculate maximum and minimum vapor and liquid flow rates
2. Select trial tray spacing (24” typical default)
3. Estimate diameter based on flooding correlations
4. Make trial tray layout (active area, hole size, hole area, weir height)
5. Check weeping, pressure drop, downcomer flooding & entrainment
(return to 4 if necessary)
6. Finalize tray details (calming zones, hole pitch)
7. Confirm percentage flooding
8. Optimize design

Usually automated in software, but designer must be

vigilant about warnings!
Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-
Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 EXAMPLE 11.11 (TEXTBOOK 1)

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Packed Columns
• Instead of trays, liquid is distributed
over a packing inside the column

• Packing requirements
• Provide high surface area
• Minimal resistance to gas flow
• Give uniform gas flow across cross-section
• Promote liquid distribution and re-mixing

• Two types of packing:

– Random (a.k.a. dumped)
• Formed particles made of metal or ceramics
– Structured
• Metal sheets with holes and patterns punched
in them, assembled into blocks

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Random Packing
• Raschig rings
• Pall rings
• Berl saddles
• Intalox saddles
• Hypac
• Super Intalox
• Many other variants available from vendors

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Structured Packing

• Folded or stamped perforated sheets assembled into a

block, with high voidage

• Give better efficiency (lower HETP: height equivalent to

a theoretical plate), but higher cost than random
packings

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Trayed vs. Packed Columns
Trayed Columns Packed Columns
• Wider range of liquid and vapor • Not good for low liquid rates
flow rates
• Cheaper for corrosive systems
• Easier to design and predict stage
efficiency • Reduced liquid hold-up, so safer
for systems where inventory must
• Easier to withdraw side streams, be minimized
use side columns or provide
intermediate heating or cooling • Good for high liquid throughputs
(no downcomers)
• Easier to clean and handle fouling
• Lower pressure drop, so better for
• Don’t have to worry about liquid vacuum columns
distribution, so better for large
diameters • Cheaper for small columns where
trays are difficult to install (< 2ft
• Usually cheaper (sieve trays cost diameter)
~20% of packing)
• Handle foaming systems better

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design
 Questions ?

Covenant University Department of Chemical Engineering-

Mamudu Angela, PhD.
Chemical Engineering Design