Study Of Distillation Technology Process Using Excel, Matlab And Chemcad

Some of problems in distillation technology process are studied using Excel, Matlab and Chemcad. They are distillation with simple balance, determining accurately the position of sensitive plates in distillation tower, distillation of multi-components, and crude distillation at steady state. This paper shows how to solve bubble & dew points for binary ideal system and five cases of flash by means of Excel and analizes reducing pressure affects on phase equilibrium as an example of distillation and separation ethyl benzene & phenyl ethylene below atmosphere. Results of calculation indicate that the bubble & dew points may be reduced extremely, but the relative volatility rises slightly and the separation of them is affected hardly by decreasing pressure. And this article puts forward more reasonable modifying suggestions after analyzing numerically in detail the common method of determining the position of sensitive plate in distillation tower and finds out something unsatisfactory about it. The results indicate that the position of sensitive plates is located at the section of middle or upper in tower but not near by feeding plate, and the smaller reflux ratio, the closer overhead of distillation tower. Accurate calculation for flash is solved using Matlab, and the result is correct and reasonable. Complicated multi-components distillation and crude distillation are simulated using Chemcad, and results are reasonable about profiles of flow for vapor and liquid as well as temperature in the tower. So they can be applied to commercial production.