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The characterization of the component distribution in the fractionation of multicomponent mixtures
Author(s) -
Butler R. M.,
Pasternak I. S.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450420202
Subject(s) - distillation , graph , sigmoid function , range (aeronautics) , boiling point , component (thermodynamics) , refinery , fractionation , mathematics , fractional distillation , biological system , computer science , algorithm , chemistry , chromatography , materials science , combinatorics , thermodynamics , artificial intelligence , physics , organic chemistry , biology , artificial neural network , composite material
A rapid graphical technique has been developed for characterizing the distribution of components in the distillation separation of multicomponent hydrocarbon mixtures. The characterization consists of specifying the minimum number of theoretical plates required to effect a given separation at a definite “cut‐point” temperature. These parameters may be ad directly from a plot of the measured distribution of components against their boiling points on a special form of graph paper. The new graphical technique has been employed evaluate a wide range of actual refinery separations including those from crude towers with multi‐sidestreams. In all cases a single straight line could used to represent the separations obtained. A number of calculations have also been carried but to show the distribution of components at minimum reflux. In these cases, sigmoid curves are obtained when the distributions are plotted on the special graph paper. The central portions of these curves, however, remain almost straight and represent the poorest separations between components. This fact has been used to develop a graphical correlation for quickly estimating the minimum reflux required to accomplish the specified separation.