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Visualizing the
McCabe-Thiele Diagram
Use this spreadsheet-based visualization
and interactive analysis of the
McCabe-Thiele diagram to understand the
foundations of distillation engineering.
Paul M. Mathias
Fluor Corp.
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The approach
As far as possible, this application uses Excels
standard capabilities. The exception is a function to
perform data interpolation, called Interp, which was
developed using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
and is provided as part of the online version of the article.
This function is used, for example, to interpolate vaporpressure and x-y equilibrium data. This feature enables
the spreadsheet application to accept x-y data from any
source, including experimental data, calculated values
derived from a thermodynamic model, or values from
commercial software.
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a distillation column with a total condenser and a partial reboiler. The partial reboiler is an equilibrium stage, but the total condenser
is not. The stages are counted from the top down, with
stage 1 at the top of the column where the reflux enters.
(Note that if a partial condenser is used, it will have to be
counted as the first equilibrium stage.) According to the
CMO approximation, each stage is at phase equilibrium,
and the vapor and liquid flows are constant in both the rectifying section (above the feed tray) and the stripping section (feed tray and below). Following the usual practice,
QC
V
1
F0
(feed with q = 1)
D
R
F
QF
(heat rate required
to change its
thermal state
to the specified q)
QR
^1 h
^2 h
Analogous to Eq. 1, the operating line for the stripping section is:
yj+1 =
L
L
x j + ( - 1) x B
V
V
^3 h
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37
E ML =
x j - x j-1
x *j - x j - 1
^4 h
In Eq. 4, xj* is the liquid mole fraction that is in equilibrium with the vapor ascending from tray j and xj is the
actual mole fraction of the liquid descending from tray j.
As the efficiency EML decreases to values less than unity,
the decrease in liquid mole fraction from the distillate to the
bottom will be reduced. The concept of Murphree efficiency
is equally applicable to the vapor or liquid phase, and here
it is convenient to apply it to the liquid phase. Note that if
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^5 h
^6 h
^7 h
P=
y1 =
P 1sat x 1 c1 + P 2sat x 2 c2
P
P 1sat x 1 c1
^8 h
^9 h
^10h
^11h
^12h
are well worth the time and effort required to collect them,
since they are the prime tool of the troubleshooter. Visualization tools capture the fundamentals of distillation. Such a
diverse and comprehensive toolkit gives engineers detailed
results, insight, and understanding to develop superior
designs, as well as the judgment to diagnose and resolve
operational problems.
Today, implementation of the McCabe-Thiele graphical
procedure does not require the CMO approximation, since
the diagram can easily be constructed from a rigorous distillation calculation. In addition, the McCabe-Thiele diagram
has been extended to multicomponent systems by Hengstebeck. When used in this manner, McCabe-Thiele/Hengstebeck diagrams are highly effective as design and troubleshooting tools for analyzing new energy-saving technologies
(16), designing steam-stripping systems (17), improving
energy efficiency (18), evaluating revamp improvements (19),
and explaining counter-intuitive observations in a multi-feed
distillation tower (20).
Perrys Chemical Engineers Handbook (21) states:
With the widespread availability of computers, the preferred
approach to design is equation based Nevertheless,
diagrams are useful for quick approximations, for interpreting
results of equation-based methods, and for demonstrating
the effect of various design variables. The x-y diagram is the
most convenient for these purposes.
Total reux
The total-reflux calculation, which corresponds to
infinite reflux ratio, is useful because it determines the
minimum number of stages needed for the target separaCEP
December 2009
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39
0.9
2
XD
0.8
3
0.7
0.6
0.5
Feed Stage
0.8
xD
EML
1.00
Calculated
xB Stage 10
0.0300
0.90
QC, GJ/h
4.984
xB
0.03
QR, GJ/h
4.299
Reflux Ratio
2.025
xB-error
0.5
0.4
5
0.3
0.2
6
0.1
XB
7
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
xF
q
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8.9 E23
1
0.9
Bottom
Operating
Line
0.8
0.7
0.6
4
6
0.5
Top
Operating
Line
0.4 11
0.3 10
9
0.2
Feed Line
0.1
0
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
Reflux
Ratio
Optimum
Tray
Q R,
GJ/h
Q C,
GJ/h
Q R + Q F,
GJ/h
0.1
2.54
2.06
5.83
5.83
2.44
2.25
5.68
5.68
0.2
2.27
2.65
5.39
5.39
0.4
2.12
3.09
5.15
5.15
0.6
2.00
3.56
4.93
4.93
0.8
1.89
4.07
4.75
4.75
1.79
4.60
4.60
4.60
1.1
1.75
4.88
4.53
4.53
x = Mole Fraction of
Acetone in Liquid
Reflux Ratio
3.2
3
2.8
2.6
2.4
2.2
2
1.8
1.6
McCabe-Thiele
0.2
0.4
0.6
q = Thermal Quality of Feed
0.8
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
McCabe-Thiele
Rigorous
4
6
Tray Number
10
S Figure 6. The liquid composition profiles obtained using the McCabeThiele techinique and rigorous calculations are similar.
200
Rigorous
Vapor
175
3
2
McCabe-Thiele
1
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Flow, kmol/h
150
75
0
4
6
Tray Number
10
Feed Tray
100
Liquid
125
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Bottom
Operating
Line
3
4
5
11
10 7
8
9
0.1
Top
Operating
Line
6
Feed Line
0.2
0.9
S Figure 9. A pinch point occurs when a feed point is too low, such as
tray 9 rather than the optimum tray 6.
CEP
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41
x = Mole Fraction of
Acetone in Liquid
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Reflux Ratio
Optimum Tray
QR, GJ/h
1.00
1.89
4.07
0.95
2.10
4.42
0.90
2.41
4.93
0.85
2.88
5.71
0.80
3.70
7.05
0.75
5.38
9.83
0.74
5.95
10.8
0.73
6.68
12.0
0.72
7.57
13.4
0.71
8.81
15.5
0.70
10.6
18.4
0.69
13.3
22.9
0.68
18.2
30.9
0.67
28.8
48.1
McCabe-Thiele
Rigorous
4
6
Tray Number
10
S Figure 10. When the feed point is too low (tray 9 rather than the optimum tray 6), the liquid composition reaches an asymptotic value.
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Reflux Ratio
20
15
10
5
0
0.65
0.70
0.75
0.80
0.85
Efficiency
0.90
0.95
1.00
1
1
2
0.9
Bottom
3
Operating
4
0.8
Line
0.7
5
0.6
6
Top
0.5
Operating
0.4 11
7
Line
0.3
10
Feed Line
8
0.2
9
0.1
0
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6 0.7
0.8
0.9
x = Mole Fraction of Acetone in Liquid
Nomenclature
a/
y=
y/x
(1 - y) / (1 - x)
xa
1 + (a - 1) x
^13h
^14h
B
D
EML
=
=
=
GE
G12, G21
=
=
H1vap, H2vap
P
sat,
P1
sat
P2
=
=
Q
R
R
T
V
=
=
=
=
=
x*
Greek Letters
1, 2
=
=
Subscripts
1, 2
B
C
D
F
j
R
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
CEP
temperature-dependence
parameters in NRTL model
(Eq. 12)
bottom flowrate, kmol/h
distillate flowrate, kmol/h
Murphree efficiency, applied to
the liquid compositions (Eq. 4)
excess Gibbs energy (Eq. 10)
terms in NRTL model
(Eqs. 10 and 11)
enthalpy of vaporization of
components 1 and 2, kJ/mol
liquid flowrate in rectifying
section, kmol/h
liquid flowrate in stripping
section, kmol/h
pressure, kPa
vapor pressures of components
1 and 2, kPa
liquid fraction or thermal state
of the feed; q = 1 corresponds to
saturated liquid
heat rate, GJ/h
gas constant
reflux ratio
temperature, K
vapor flowrate in rectifying
section, kmol/h
vapor flowrate in
stripping section, kmol/h
liquid mole fraction (of the morevolatile component)
liquid composition in equilibrium
with y (Eq. 4)
vapor mole fraction (of the morevolatile component)
nonrandomness parameter in
NRTL model (Eq. 11)
relative volatility (Eq. 13)
activity coefficients of
components 1 and 2
interaction-energy parameter in
NRTL model (Eq. 10)
components 1 and 2
bottom
condenser
distillate
feed
stage number
reboiler
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43
Closing thoughts
The ability to easily vary input specifications in the
Excel spreadsheet and to visualize the effects on column
performance has significant value in teaching distillation fundamentals. Engineers are better able to grasp the
effects of various inputs, and they become better design
engineers and more competent, discriminating users of
commercial software. The understanding gained from
the spreadsheet is a valuable first step in using a rigorous
simulation as a design and troubleshooting tool.
But how robust is the McCabe-Thiele approach, which
is the foundation of this Excel application? In particular,
can it give results that will confuse or even mislead? In the
authors experience, the McCabe-Thiele approach captures
trends well and thus is a valid and useful teaching tool.
So, should this tool be extended to improve accuracy
by eliminating the poor approximations and thus become
applicable to more realistic distillation situations (e.g., heat
effects, complex column configurations, multi-component
systems, mass transfer limitations, chemical reactions and
kinetics, etc.)? Extensions should be limited and should
be done with caution. Rigorous modeling methods are
very powerful for describing real distillation systems. The
computer code based on these methods supports flexible
design requirements very well. Thus, the best use of the
spreadsheet method presented here is to produce engineers
who understand the fundamentals, have good engineering
judgment, and become discriminating users of sophisticated
detailed methodologies.
As Kister noted, the two can coexist (4). In fact,
it is good practice to benefit from both the accuracy and
flexibility of rigorous calculations and the insight and
understanding gained by visualization of the venerable
CEP
McCabe-Thiele diagram.
Literature Cited
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
PAUL M. MATHIAS is a technical director at Fluor Corp. (47 Discovery, Irvine,
CA 92618; Phone: (949) 349-3595; Fax: (949) 349-5058); E-mail: Paul.
Mathias@Fluor.com), and previously worked on the ASPEN Project
(MIT), at Air Products and Chemicals, and at Aspen Technology. He is
a chemical technologist with more than 30 years of broad experience,
specializing in properties and process modeling. He has 50 publications and 75 presentations at technical conferences, and has been a
member of the editorial advisory boards of two journals: Chemical &
Engineering Data and Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.
He occasionally teaches chemical engineering courses at the Univ. of
California, Irvine. He is a member of AIChE. He earned a BTech from
the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and a PhD from the Univ. of
Florida, both in chemical engineering.
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19.
20.
21.