UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN KIMIA

PROCESS SIMULATION LABORATORY (CPE613)

NAME (STUDENT ID)

: SHEH MUHAMMAD AFNAN BIN SEH HANAFI

(2013210382)
: MOHD ADAFI BIN OMAR
(2013632232)
: ARIF ISKANDAR BIN ISMAIL
(2013293746)

EXPERIMENT

: LAB 2: SPLIT RATIO AND DISTILLATION

COLUMN
: 29/09/2015
:5
: EH221
: DR. RAHIDA WATI

DATE PERFORMED
SEMESTER
PROGRAM
SUBMIT TO
No.

Title

Allocated Marks (%)

1
2
3
4

Procedure
Process Flow Diagram (PFD)
Workbook/Stream Summary
Questions & Discussions

10
20
30
40

TOTAL MARKS

Marks

100

Remarks:
Checked by:

Rechecked by:

-------------------------------

-----------------------------------

(DR. RAHIDA WATI)

Date:

Date:

TABLE OF CONTENT
Objective

Procedure

2-3

Process Flow Diagram

Workbook/stream summary

5-6

Question and Answer

Discussion

Conclusion

Reference

OBJECTIVE
In this experiment, understand the usage of valve and distillation specification

PROCEDURE
1.

Firstly ,a new iCON project is started by selecting the New Project Button.

2.

Then ,a property package window will appear.

1

In the window , All Property package from the Chemical System Categories is
selected.

Then, Advanced Peng-Robinson is selected from the Thermodynamic Model

drop-down list. After that click the Apply button.

3.

Compenent window is opened.

Add all the chemicals being used which are Methanol (CH3OH) and Water (H 2O)
being entered into the compound list.

4.

In the Visio PFD flowsheet, all the equipments involved in production of methanol were
put in correct order.

5.

The stream was chosen and labeled FEED then the splitter is added and connected to the
STREAM1 and STREAM3.

6.

Two distillation columns were chosen labelled DC1 and DC2 then connected to the
splitter.

7.

The control valve is added to the stream before it enters DC2.

8.

All the information given is being key in the streams and reactors.
Condition
Pressure (bar)
Number of trays
Feed Tray*
Reflux ratio
Distillate to feed ratio

DC1
5.2
16
12
1.26
0.96
*Count from the top of DC

DC2
1.01
13
9
0.834
0.96

Hint:

9.

Use Advanced Peng-Robinson property package

Split ratio is 0.5

Used total condenser for both DC

The simulation is run by clicking the run button and the result are obtained which will be
discussed in the discussion section and to answer the question given

PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM (PFD)

STREAM SUMMARY

Name

FEED

S1

S2

S3

SPLITTER.Out0

control_valve.Out

SPLITTER.Out1

control_valve.In

DC-1.Feed_8_feed

DC1.Feed_11_feed

Description
Upstream Op
Downstream Op

SPLITTER.In

VapFrac

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

T [C]

25.0

25.0

25.1

25.0

P [bar]

5.20

5.20

1.01

5.20

MoleFlow/Composition

Fraction

kmol/h

Fraction

kmol/h

Fraction

kmol/h

Fraction

kmol/h

METHANOL

0.50000

1350.00

0.50000

675.00

0.50000

675.00

0.50000

675.00

WATER

0.50000

1350.00

0.50000

675.00

0.50000

675.00

0.50000

675.00

1.00

2700.00

1.00

1350.00

1.00

1350.00

1.00

1350.00

Total
Mass Flow [kg/h]

67577.14

33788.57

33788.57

33788.57

Volume Flow [m3/h]

78.814

39.407

39.416

39.407

Std Liq Volume Flow [m3/h]

78.706

39.353

39.353

39.353

Std Gas Volume Flow [MMSCFD]

5.4213E+1

2.7106E+1

2.7106E+1

2.7106E+1

Energy [W]

-2.287E+7

-1.144E+7

-1.144E+7

-1.144E+7

H [kJ/kmol]

-30494.8

-30494.8

-30494.8

-30494.8

82.041

82.041

82.089

82.041

25.03

25.03

25.03

25.03

S [kJ/kmol-K]
MW
Mass Density [kg/m3]

857.4204

857.4204

857.2303

857.4204

Cp [kJ/kmol-K]

85.760

85.760

85.788

85.760

Thermal Conductivity [W/m-K]

0.2886

0.2886

0.2885

0.2886

6.9256E-4

6.9256E-4

6.9104E-4

6.9256E-4

Viscosity [Pa-s]
Molar Volume [m3/kmol]
Z Factor

0.029

0.029

0.029

0.029

0.0072

0.0072

0.0014

0.0072

Surface Tension
Speed of Sound

Name

S4

S5

S6

S7

DC1.LiquidDraw_0_condenser
L

DC1.LiquidDraw_16_reboilerL

DC1.LiquidDraw_0_condenserL

DC1.LiquidDraw_13_reboilerL

Description
Upstream Op
Downstream Op
VapFrac
T [C]
P [bar]
MoleFlow/Composition

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

123.4

153.1

73.0

99.9

5.20

5.20

1.01

1.01

Fraction

kmol/h

Fraction

kmol/h

Fraction

kmol/h

Fraction

kmol/h

METHANOL

0.52083

675.00

0.00001

0.00

0.52083

675.00

0.00000

0.00

WATER

0.47917

621.00

0.99999

54.00

0.47917

621.00

1.00000

54.00

1.00

1296.00

1.00

54.00

1.00

1296.00

1.00

54.00

Total
Mass Flow [kg/h]

32815.74

972.83

32815.74

972.82

Volume Flow [m3/h]

42.830

1.063

40.193

1.015

Std Liq Volume Flow [m3/h]

38.379

0.974

38.379

0.974

Std Gas Volume Flow [MMSCFD]

2.6022E+1

1.0843E+0

2.6022E+1

1.0843E+0

Energy [W]

-7.708E+6

-3.684E+5

-9.413E+6

-4.315E+5

H [kJ/kmol]

-21410.5

-24559.7

-26146.4

-28770.0

108.113

98.406

95.395

87.885

25.32

18.02

25.32

18.02

766.1820

915.2706

816.4472

958.8378

Cp [kJ/kmol-K]

98.478

81.192

90.111

77.495

Thermal Conductivity [W/m-K]

0.2556

0.6833

0.2735

0.6778

2.0677E-4

1.7854E-4

3.4651E-4

2.8200E-4

0.033

0.020

0.031

0.019

S [kJ/kmol-K]
MW
Mass Density [kg/m3]

Viscosity [Pa-s]
Molar Volume [m3/kmol]

Z Factor

0.0062

0.0035

0.0013

Surface Tension
Speed of Sound

QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION

What is the molar flow before entering DC1 and DC2?

Determine the stream that flow into DC1 and DC2. Based from the PFD, stream that flow
into DC1 and DC2 were stream 2 and stream 3. The flow rates of both streams was 1350
kgmol/h.

How to reduce pressure in DC2?

The pressure in DC2 was reduced by adding a valve to the stream before it enter DC2.
The pressure was reduced from 5.20 bar to 1.0 bar.

What is the temperature at the bottom of DC1 and DC2?

The outlet stream at the bottom of DC1 was stream 5. The temperature was 153.1C. The
outlet stream at the bottom of DC2 was stream 7. The temperature was 99.9 C.

Did the process achieve a methanol that free from water? What is the purity of the
methanol? How to increase the purity?
Based on the result, the top streams for DC1 and DC2 which are S4 and S6 is not free
from water as there is value for composition of water which is 0.47197. The purity for
7

0.0007

DC1 top product containing 0.52083 mol fractions of methanol and for DC 2 top product,
it is contain 0.52083 mol fraction of methanol. There are a few ways to increase the
purity of the methanol production which is by increasing the number of stages for the
column, recycle back the product to the distillation column, increasing reboilers number
or build the series of the distillation column so that the product can undergoes another
separation process.

DISCUSSION

The aim of this experiment is to understand the usage of valve and distillation column
and to determine the effect of different pressure on purity. Valve is used to control conditions
such as flow, pressure, temperature, and liquid level by fully or partially opening or closing in
response to signals received from controllers. A distillation column or fractionation column is an
essential item used in distillation of liquid mixtures so as to separate the mixture into its
component parts, or fractions, based on the differences in volatilities.
The purity of methanol does not change when different pressure was applied. Based from
the PFD, when the pressure was reduced from 5.30 bar to 1.0 bar by using valve, the purity of
methanol was the same for both DC which 0.52083 mol fraction.
There are few method to increase the purity of methanol. Firstly, recycle back the product
to the distillation column to maximize the production of methanol. Other than that, increase the
reboilers number or build the series of the distillation column so that the product can undergoes
another separation process. Last but not least, increase the number of stages for the column.

CONCLUSION
For conclusion, the purity of distillate component by distillation column does not affect by any
change in pressure. The objective are also clear to understand the usage of valve and distillation
specification.

REFERENCE
1. Steam Purity, GE Power and Water Process Technologies,
http://www.gewater.com/handbook/boiler_water_systems/ch_16_steampurity.jsp
2. Distillation, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distillation
3. Distillation: Introduction to Control, Control Guru, http://controlguru.com/distillationintroduction-to-control/