THEORY OF FLASH DRUM

INTRODUCTION:

Distillation is a unit operation or a physical separation process and is a technique of

separating more volatile components from other’s by partial vaporisation of the liquid
mixture followed by condensation. The vapour produced is much richer with volatile
components. The distribution of the components in the two phases is governed by the vapour
liquid equilibrium relationship.

Distillation Application’s:
Distillation is the most important operation in petroleum refinery and petrochemicals
industries .The separation of petrochemicals like propylene from propane and ethyl benzene
from styrene takes place through distillation. In petroleum refineries distillations are used to
separate large volumes of crude oils from gasoline, kerosene, gas oil and other liquid fuels.

VAPOUR-LIQUID EQUILIBRIUM

Separation of a mixture by distillation is based on the equilibrium distribution of the

components between the liquid phase and the vapour phases. Knowledge of vapour-liquid
equilibrium is therefore essential for understanding the principles of distillation. A phase
equilibrium diagram is essential for the relationship between the mole fraction of a
component in the vapour and liquid phases for varying temperatures at constant pressure or
varying pressure at constant temperature.

Fig.1.1

Fig1.1 is the phase-equilibrium diagram for a binary mixture system where x,y refers to the
mole fraction of the more volatile component in the liquid phase and vapour phase
respectively. The temperature raised to its boiling point and is plotted with respect to the
liquid composition x, then we get the “bubble point curve” and if we plot it again with respect
to the vapour composition y then we get the “dew point curve”. P represents the sub-cooled
liquid which is heated at constant pressure to point Q, where the first bubble of vapour
appears. The vapour appeared has the composition, represented by point R which is
significantly rich with the less volatile component than is the initial state .The heating process
is continued beyond point Q where the temperature rises causing the amount of vapour to get
increase and the amount of liquid to get decrease. During this process the vapour phase and
the liquid phase composition changes as indicated by paths RN and QM until the dew point is
reached at point N, where the last droplet of liquid disappear. The line TB-M-Q-TA in the
fig.1.1 is the bubble point curve and TB-N-R-TA is the dew point curve.

RAOULT’S LAW

Raoult’s law describes the vapour liquid equilibrium of ideal solution. For an ideal solution
the equilibrium partial pressure, P∗¿ ¿ of a component at a fixed temperature equals to the
product of a vapour pressure P when pure at this temperature and its mole fraction in the
liquid. x is the mole fraction of A in the binary solution and B is (1−x) .

P A∗¿ xP A ……………………………… (1)

P B∗¿(1−x)P B …………………………….. (2)

The total pressure

P=P A∗+P B∗¿ ¿ …………………………….. (3)

=xP A +(1−x )P B …………………………... (4)

The mole fraction of A in the vapour phase is given by

y A=P A∗¿ ¿
P …………………………… (5)

xP A
=
P …………………………… (6)

RELATIVE VOLATILITY

Relative volatility is the concentration ratio of A to B in the vapour phase divided by the
same ratio of liquid phase. Relative volatility is usually denoted as α. For binary mixture
 y /(1− y )
α=
x /(1−x ) ………………………… (7)

PA
=
PB (Ratio of vapour pressure of A and B) ………….. (8)

α is a unit less quantity. When α = 1 the separation would be impossible under the given
condition because the composition of the liquid and the vapour phase are the same
(azeotrope).When α > 1, separation by distillation becomes progressively easier.

FLASH VAPOURISATION

INTRODUCTION

Flash is a single stage separation technique in which a feed mixture is partially vaporized to
produce vapour which is enriched with more volatile components and a liquid that is less rich
with volatile components. The vapour and liquid streams leaving the drum are in equilibrium,
so this operation is called as equilibrium flash vaporisation. The separation of a feed mixture
in a flash drum can be carried out by two different ways and they are described as follows

i) The temperature of the liquid feed is increased to a certain temperature which lies between
the bubble point temperature and the dew point temperature of that feed at a specified
constant pressure,

ii) By lowering the pressure on the feed stream.

The partial vaporisation of a multicomponent feed mixture is commonly conducted by

reducing the pressure on the feed stream rather than by heating the feed at constant pressure.
However, the two general methods referred for flash calculation is as follows:

i) Isothermal flash

ii) Adiabatic flash.

ISOTHERMAL FLASH

The isothermal flash is commonly used in the single stage separation process. The flash
temperature TF and pressure P are specified in the fig 1.2 as the total flow rate F and
composition (xi) of the feed .The name given as isothermal flash because the temperature of
the contents in the flash drum as well as the vapour and liquid streams formed by the flash is
fixed at TF. The flash temperature may not be equal to the feed temperature prior to its
flashing. An isothermal flash process can be mathematically described by the independent
equation required to describe are as follows
Fig: 1.2

Equilibrium relationship

y Fi=K Fi x Fi (i=1, 2………C) ...……………………….. (9)

c
∑y Fi =1
i=1 …………………………… (10)
c
∑x Fi =1
i=1 …………………………… (11)

Material balances:

FZ F i =V F y F i + L F x F i …………………………… (12)

Where, K F i represents the equilibrium coefficient of component i, y Fi and x Fi are the

composition of component i in the produced vapour and liquid streams.

F is the flow rate of liquid feed, Z F i is the feed composition of component i, L F and
V F is the flow rates of liquid and vapour streams. Equation 12 can be extended to:
c
c c

∑ Z F =V F i∑=1 y F + L F ∑ x F
i i
i=1
i
i=1 ……………………………….. (13)
 F=V F + L F ……………………………….. (14)

Z Fi
x Fi =
LF
+V F K F i
F F ………………………………. (15)

Z Fi
x Fi =
VF
(1− )+(V F K F i )
F F ………………………………. (16)

Z Fi
x Fi = θ=
VF
1−θ(1−K F i ) Where F ………………………….. (17)
c
ZFi
F ( θ ) =∑ −1
i=1 [ 1−θ (1−K F i ) ] ……………………………… (18)

Positive value of θ means the vaporisation occurs, whereas zero value indicates no
vaporisation.

ADIABATIC FLASH

Adiabatic flash means no heat is added to the flash drum i.e. the heat (Q) added at the flash
drum is equal to zero.

The enthalpy balance gives:

FH=V F H F +L F h F …………………………………. (19)

Where

H = Feed enthalpy

H F = Enthalpies of the exit vapour

h F = Enthalpies of liquid stream.

When produced vapour and liquid streams form ideal solutions, the enthalpies is
c
H F =∑ H F i y F i
i=1 …………………………………. (20)
c
h F =∑ h F i x F i
i=1 …………………………………… (21)