Reboiler Separation Efficiencies for Binary Systems

Abstract

Reboilers are essential for the proper work of distillation and stripping columns. Hereby the intensity of axial mixing along the reboiler (Peclet number) is used for the reboiler separation efficiency modeling and estimation for binary systems. Two fully worked examples show that the separation (Murphree) efficiency varies significantly depending on the adopted reboiler flow model. Murphree efficiency ranges between 1.40 and 0.663 in example 1, and between 1.962 and 1 in example 2. The general conclusion is that the reboiler performance must be considered carefully in the case of design of the new plants,as well as in the case of “brown field” projects.

Synthesis of dimethyl carbonate and propylene glycol in a pilot-scale reactive distillation column: Experimental investigation, modeling and process analysis

“…The simulation model always assumed that the reboiler would act as a (phase-)equilibrium stage and was thus not able to predict the performed experiments. Keskinen et al [63] and Jaćimović et al [64] found that a reboiler exhibits a non-ideal behavior depending on (1) the type of reboiler, (2) the vaporization fraction and (3) the wideness of the boiling points of the components present. They found that naturally circulating reboilers do not act as (phase-)equilibrium stages.…”