Planning of Distillation and Absorption Columns

Abstract

First, this chapter presents general information on the planning of a distillation column. It then introduces the prerequisite for the planning of a distillation or absorption plant, particularly the physical data and the vapour–liquid equilibrium of the components involved. The chapter shows how to prepare a mass and energy balance for the desired separation. It covers fixing the separation conditions according to the available heating and cooling media. The general criteria for selecting equipment parts for the given problem definition is provided. The equipment parts are as follows:

• appropriate column internals for the separation problem

• condensers, reboilers and vacuum pumps

• control equipment according to the requirements

• heating with steam or thermal oil

• cooling with cooling water or air