Multistage separation processes are the heart of the petroleum processing and chemical production industries. They yield important products as common as gasoline and plastics and as specialized as medical-grade pharmaceuticals.
This valuable new book provides process engineers and engineering students with solid information and insights into these processes. Its unique feature is that it goes beyond fundamental principles to emphasize intuitive understanding and practical interpretation. It presents numerous examples in a wide variety of applications to demonstrate the performance of processes under varying conditions and the relationships among the different operating variables.
Focusing on computer modeling and modern simulation techniques, Predicting the Performance of Multistage Separation Processes is a valuable tool for evaluating performance trends, limitations, and bottlenecks. The book presents rigorous mathematical methods, but wherever possible, it applies shortcut methods to help engineers make reliable decisions quickly.
Preface
Multistage separation processes are the heart of the petroleum, petrochemical, and chemical industries. These industries yield important products as common as gasoline and plastics and as specialized as medical-grade pharmaceuticals.
This book is aimed at performance prediction of multistage processes that is essential for their efficient design and operation. It is distinguished by its emphasis on computer modeling, expert interpretation of models, and discussion of modern simulation techniques. It is also unique in that it relates fundamental concepts to intuitive understanding of processes. A generous number of examples are provided in a wide variety of applications to demonstrate the performance of processes under varying conditions and the relationships among the different operating variables. The book is of value as a reference for practicing engineers in the process industry and for advanced level students of engineering process design.
Improved accuracy in predicting thermodynamic and physical properties has occurred simultaneously with major advances in the development of computational techniques for solving complex multistage separation equations. The result has been the emergence of a variety of simulation programs for accurate and efficient prediction of multistage separation processes. This has provided engineers with valuable tools that can help them make more reliable qualitative as well as quantitative decisions in plant design and operation. Frequently, however, effective use of such programs has been hampered by lack of understanding of fundamentals and limitations of prediction techniques. Improper use of simulators can be costly in time and money, which tends to defeat the purpose of computer-aided engineering. These problems are addressed here, and a strategy is pursued that decouples the discussion of conceptual analysis of the material and the computational techniques.
Although rigorous mathematical methods are presented with a good degree of detail, special attention is given throughout the book to keep practical interpretation of the models in focus, emphasizing intuitive understanding. Graphical techniques and shortcut methods are applied wherever possible to gain a handle on evaluating performance trends, limitations, and bottlenecks. Also included are industrial practice heuristics about what ranges of operating variables will work. The student of this book should come away with an enhanced intuitive grasp of the material as well as a basic understanding of the calculational techniques.
The book may be used for a methodical study of the subject or as a reference for solving day-to-day problems. It follows a logical flow of ideas within each chapter and from one chapter to the next, yet each chapter is quite self-contained for quick reference. The discussion starts with fundamental principles, prediction of thermodynamic properties, the equilibrium stage, and moves on to the different types of multistage and complex multistage and multicolumn processes and batch distillation. Although computer simulation is a central theme of this book, no previous experience in the use of simulation software is required.
Earlier chapters use simplified and binary models to analyze in a very informative way some fundamentals such as the effect of reflux ratio and feed tray location, and to delineate the differences between absorption and distillation. Following chapters concentrate on specific areas such as complex distillation, with detailed analyses of various features such as pumparounds and side-strippers and when they should be used. Also discussed are azeotropic, extractive, and three-phase distillation operations, liquid-liquid extraction, and reactive distillation. The applications are clearly explained with many practical examples.
Shortcut computational methods, including modular techniques for on-line, real-time applications, are discussed, followed by a discourse of the major rigorous algorithms in use for solving multicomponent separations.
An understanding of column hydraulics in both trayed and packed columns is essential for a complete performance analysis and design of such devices. The reader will find instructional coverage of these topics, as well as of tray efficiency, in subsequent chapters.
Finally, in a departure from steady-state processes that characterize the rest of the book, the subject of batch distillation is discussed. This process, important for separating pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals, is presented, including shortcut and rigorous computational methods, along with various optimization techniques.
Preface to the Second Edition
The favorable reception of the first edition in the industry and academic fields has resulted in the publication of this second, enhanced edition of Predicting the Performance of Multistage Separation Processes.
The second edition includes several improvements and updates, and, most importantly, the addition of about 100 application problems and solutions. These exercises expound on the material throughout the book, and can serve both as teaching material and an applications-oriented extension of the book.
The problems cover three major aspects of the learning process: theory and derivation of application equations, engineering and problem-solving cases, and numerical and graphical exercises. The numerical problems require an algorithm definition and computations which may be done manually. For computer-oriented courses, these problems provide excellent material for program writing exercises.
