DISTILLATION COLUMN SIMULATION USING DWSIM 12 November 2022

By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

DISTILLATION COLUMN SIMULATION USING DWSIM:

A FREE AND OPEN-SOURCE CHEMICAL PROCESS SIMULATOR

BY
VIRAJ DESAI, PROCESS ENGINEER
EMAIL: VIRAJ DESAI

LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
VERSION: 0.00
OCT 2022

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 DISTILLATION COLUMN SIMULATION USING DWSIM 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

PREFACE

The manual “DISTILLATION COLUMN SIMULATION USING DWSIM” presents a set of Pump Sizing
exercise using a free and open-source chemical process simulator “DWSIM” and can be utilized to
establish process simulation laboratory as part of undergraduate chemical engineering degree or in
allied degree curriculum. The problem statements are of intermediate level.

Prerequisite

• Must know about DWSIM UI/UX.

• Flow sheeting in DWSIM
• Selection of Thermodynamic Packages.
• Manipulating variables
• Basic Modules

Thanks

Viraj Desai

P.E. O&G

Disclaimer

All the exercises are strictly restricted to learning only and not meant to be used in real world
application.

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 DISTILLATION COLUMN SIMULATION USING DWSIM 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

PROCESS SIMULATION USING DWSIM: A FREE AND OPEN-SOURCE CHEMICAL

PROCESS SIMULATOR

PREAMBLE

DWSIM is an open-source CAPE-OPEN compliant chemical process simulator. It features a Graphical

User Interface (GUI), advanced thermodynamics calculations, reactions support and petroleum
characterization / hypothetical component generation tools. DWSIM can simulate steady-state,
vapor–liquid, vapor–liquid-liquid, solid–liquid and aqueous electrolyte equilibrium processes and has
built-in thermodynamic models and unit operations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DWSIM ). It is
available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS.

The objective of the course is to create awareness of the open-source process simulator “DWSIM”
among prospective graduates and practicing process engineers. The course will cover Intermediate
aspects of create flow sheet in DWSIM and simulation of simple Pressure changing module like
shortcut column, energy streams, material streams etc.

Target Audience

• Junior Interns in Process Firms

• III / Final year B. Tech. Chemical Engineering students
• M. Tech. Chemical Engineering students
• Practicing Process Engineers

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 DISTILLATION COLUMN SIMULATION USING DWSIM 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

Table of Contents

1 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 6
2 Simple Distillation Column .............................................................................................................. 8
3 ChemSep Rigorous Separation Column (CAPE-OPEN) .................................................................. 12
4 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 16
5 References .................................................................................................................................... 17

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 DISTILLATION COLUMN SIMULATION USING DWSIM 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

List of Figures

Figure 1 Simple distillation apparatus comprising distillation flask (DF), distillation head (DH),
thermometer (T), condenser (C), and receiver (or collection) flask (RF). ............................................... 6
Figure 2 Distillation apparatus including distillation column (DC).......................................................... 7
Figure 3 Problem Statement ................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 4 Feed Stream Specs .................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 5 Shortcut Column ..................................................................................................................... 10
Figure 6 Shortcut Column Specs ........................................................................................................... 10
Figure 7 Connections to shortcut column............................................................................................. 11
Figure 8 Flow sheet ............................................................................................................................... 11
Figure 9 CHEMSEP Column ................................................................................................................... 12
Figure 10 Cape open object editor ....................................................................................................... 12
Figure 11 Operation tab of cape open .................................................................................................. 13
Figure 12 Pressures tab in specifications .............................................................................................. 13
Figure 13 Column Specifications in Cape open ..................................................................................... 14
Figure 14 Flow sheet of CHEMSEP Column........................................................................................... 14
Figure 15 Stream Results ...................................................................................................................... 15
Figure 16 Mc-Cabe Thiele Graph .......................................................................................................... 15

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 Background 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

1 BACKGROUND
Distillation is a widely used technique in chemical analysis for characterizing materials by
establishing an index of purity and for separating selected components from a complete matrix. The
technique is even more widely used in preparative chemistry and throughout manufacturing
industry as a means of purifying products and chemical intermediates. Distillation operations differ
enormously in size and complexity from the semimicro scale to the ‘thousands of tons per annum’
production operations. For analytical purposes the scale employed is usually bench-level.

Distillation is the process that occurs when a liquid sample is volatilized to produce a vapor that is
subsequently condensed to a liquid richer in the more volatile components of the original sample.
The volatilization process usually involves heating the liquid, but it may also be achieved by reducing
the pressure or by a combination of both. This can be demonstrated in a simple laboratory
distillation apparatus comprising a flask, distillation head, condenser, and sample collector.

Figure 1 Simple distillation apparatus comprising distillation flask (DF), distillation head (DH), thermometer (T), condenser
(C), and receiver (or collection) flask (RF).

A thermometer is included in the apparatus as shown to monitor the progress of the operation. In its
simplest form this procedure results in a separation into a volatile fraction collected in the receiver
flask and a non-volatile residue in the distillation flask. When a distillation column is incorporated in
the equipment, the evaporation and condensation processes occur continuously. This results in a
progressive fractionation of the volatiles as they pass up the column. The most volatile components
emerge from the top of the column initially and the less volatile components emerge later. By
changing the receivers throughout the course of the distillation a separation or fractionation is
affected. Eventually, all the volatiles will have passed over into the sample collectors and any
involatile residue present will remain in the distillation flask.

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 Background 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

Figure 2 Distillation apparatus including distillation column (DC).

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 Simple Distillation Column 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

2 SIMPLE DISTILLATION COLUMN

Objective

• Find Minimum reflux ratio

• Minimum number of stages
• Actual number of stages
• Feed stage location

Data

Figure 3 Problem Statement

DWSIM Blocks Used

• Shortcut Column
• Material Stream
• Energy Stream
• Indicators (Digital or Analog)

Procedure

1. Start a new DWSIM Simulation (DWSIM VER 8.3.1 - CLASSIC UI). Click on “New steady state
Simulation” as a template for new simulation
2. The simulation configuration window will be opened. It shows a specification page. Add
components required to solve the problem statement. In the present case, add Isobutane,
Isopentane, Propane, N-hexane & N-heptane. Ensure all components are added from the
same property database. For instance, in this case, both components are added from
“ChemSep” database.
3. Specify the thermodynamic package as Peng-Robinson (PR).

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 Simple Distillation Column 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

4. Customize the system of units to C5 for the simulation and click “Next”.
5. The flow sheeting section of simulation window will be opened. First, let provide input and
output streams for the unit operation to be performed. Drag and drop three Material
streams available at the right, in the object palette. Rename them stream as “Feed”, “Top”
and “Bottom”.
6. Drag and drop two Energy streams available at the right, in the object palette. Rename them
stream as “R-Duty”, “C-Duty”.
7. On clicking the “Feed” stream, general information about the stream will be displayed on
the left side of screen. Specify the feed compositions, temperature, and pressure for the
inlet streams. Once credentials are specified for the inlet streams, the color of stream turns
blue.

Figure 4 Feed Stream Specs

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 Simple Distillation Column 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

8. Below the Unit Operation tab on left, locate the shortcut column (SC) block. Drag and drop
into the flow sheet. Rename it as “ADU”.

Figure 5 Shortcut Column

9. Under specification for shortcut column add the data as follows.

Figure 6 Shortcut Column Specs

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 Simple Distillation Column 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

10. Provide appropriate connections to the shortcut column as shown

Figure 7 Connections to shortcut column

11. Run the simulation by pressing “Solve flow sheet” button on the top corner of the screen.

Figure 8 Flow sheet

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 ChemSep Rigorous Separation Column (CAPE- 12 November 2022
OPEN) By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

3 CHEMSEP RIGOROUS SEPARATION COLUMN (CAPE-OPEN)

DWSIM Blocks Used

• Chemsep Rigorous Separation Column

• Material Stream

Procedure

1. Make a copy of all the blocks present in the flowsheet.

2. Now replace the shortcut column with the CHEMSEP Rigorous Separation Column form the
columns unit operation tab

Figure 9 CHEMSEP Column

3. Connect feed stream and tops and bottom and remove the C-Duty and R-Duty Streams.
4. Now Click on “Open-CAPE-OPEN object editior”. A new window will open as shown

Figure 10 Cape open object editor

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 ChemSep Rigorous Separation Column (CAPE- 12 November 2022
OPEN) By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

5. Click on operations tab and add the specifications shown

Figure 11 Operation tab of cape open

6. In Speifications tab click on Pressures, and specify condensor and reboiler pressures.

Figure 12 Pressures tab in specifications

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 ChemSep Rigorous Separation Column (CAPE- 12 November 2022
OPEN) By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

7. Click on column specs and specify the details as shown

Figure 13 Column Specifications in Cape open

8. Once done by speifying all the variables. Run the simulation by pressing “Solve flow sheet”
button on the top corner of the screen.

Figure 14 Flow sheet of CHEMSEP Column

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 ChemSep Rigorous Separation Column (CAPE- 12 November 2022
OPEN) By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

9. After the flowsheet is solved succesfully click on the “Open-CAPE-OPEN object editior” to
view the results.
10. Stream Results

Figure 15 Stream Results

11. Mc-Cabe Thiele Graph

Figure 16 Mc-Cabe Thiele Graph

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Results 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

4 RESULTS
Shortcut Column Properties Feed Top Bottoms

Temperature (C) 30 1.8557 82.9526

Pressure (bar) 1.01325 1.4 1.4

Mass Flow (kg/h) 230333 100128 130206

Molar Flow (kmol/h) 3000 1530.61 1469.4

Volumetric Flow (m3/h) 13930.2 165.339 239.495

Density (Mixture) (kg/m3) 16.5348 605.589 543.669

Molecular Weight (Mixture) (kg/kmol) 76.7776 65.4166 88.6117

Specific Enthalpy (Mixture) (kJ/kg) -293.547 -402.473 -227.714

Specific Entropy (Mixture) (kJ/[kg.K]) -0.75532 -1.28371 -0.58512

Molar Enthalpy (Mixture) (kJ/kmol) -22537.8 -26328.4 -20178.1

Molar Entropy (Mixture) (kJ/[kmol.K]) -57.9916 -83.9756 -51.8485

Thermal Conductivity (Mixture) (W/[m.K]) 0.0956115 0.114681 0.101067

ChemSep Column Properties Feed (2) Top (2) Bottoms (2)

Temperature (C) 30 2.15354 83.2826

Pressure (bar) 1.01325 1.41325 1.41325

Mass Flow (kg/h) 230333 100129 130204

Molar Flow (kmol/h) 3000 1530.63 1469.37

Volumetric Flow (m3/h) 13930.2 164.508 215.093

Density (Mixture) (kg/m3) 16.5348 608.654 605.339

Molecular Weight (Mixture) (kg/kmol) 76.7776 65.4166 88.6123

Specific Enthalpy (Mixture) (kJ/kg) -293.547 -401.848 -227.159

Specific Entropy (Mixture) (kJ/[kg.K]) -0.75532 -1.28142 -0.58357

Molar Enthalpy (Mixture) (kJ/kmol) -22537.8 -26287.5 -20129

Molar Entropy (Mixture) (kJ/[kmol.K]) -57.9916 -83.8262 -51.7115

Thermal Conductivity (Mixture) (W/[m.K]) 0.0956115 0.114569 0.101026

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References 12 November 2022
By Viraj Desai, Process Engineer

5 REFERENCES
1. Distillation Overview
2. Simulation File
3. Simulation Results

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