Guidelines for Experimental Objectives
Using the continuous distillation column, produce
a distillate of at least 90 wt% methanol from a feed of 30 wt% methanol
in water. The column contains 12 real trays, a total condenser, a
reboiler, and four possible feed locations.
Design Objective
You are also asked to use the information obtained
in the lab to design a continuous column using similar trays to produce
a methanol 90 mole% and a water 99 mole% from a feed of 50 wt% methanol
at a flow rate of 1000 cc/m. Please specify the number of stages,
reflux ratio, feed stage and feed temperature.
Question for prelab meeting:
Can you use the McCabe-Thiele method
for the analysis and why?
These are in addition to the standard guidelines.
Experimental Methods: Specify the the data required to calculate the
stage efficiency and which stage(s) data can be obtained.
Expected Data: Estimate the compositions at total reflux and at the
specified operating conditions assuming 100% efficiency.
Hints
(Last modified on 1/2/01)
Specify the experimental conditions, carry out experiment and plot
the trend for five variables.
What is the theoretical minimum
number of ideal stages required to achieve this separation?
Where is the optimal feed stage using minimum
number of ideal stages?
How do you estimate the stage (Murphree) efficiency
and column (overall) efficiency?
Specify
the data required to calculate the column efficiency. Obtain at least
4 estimates on efficiency and show them
in your
data table.
(1) McCabe-Thiele, Murphree, subcooled, total condenser, equimolar
overflow, mass and energy balances.