FLASH CALCULATION

A flash is a single-equilibrium stage distillation in which a feed is partially

vaporized to give a vapor richer in the most volatile components than the
remaining liquid.
a) Adiabatic flash
As shown in fig. (4.10, Seader), a liquid feed is heated under pressure and
flashed adiabatically across a valve to lower pressure, resulting in the
creation of a vapor phase that is separated from the remaining liquid in a
flash drum..
 FLASH CALCULATION

b) Isothermal flash
If the valve is omitted, a low-pressure liquid can be partially vaporized in
the heater and then separated into two phases in the flash drum (when
TV is specified).
 FLASH CALCULATION

Alternatively, a vapor can be cooled and partially condensed, with

phase separation in a flash drum as in figure (4.10b, Seader), to give a
liquid that is richer in the less volatile components.
In both cases, if the equipment is properly designed, the vapor and
liquid leaving the drum are in equilibrium
 FLASH CALCULATION

Isothermal flash calculations

In this process an entering stream (a liquid at high pressure) flash as it
comes into a vessel that is at lower pressure. Significant quantities of
both liquid and vapor phases are formed.

V= vapor flow rate (moles/ time)

L= Liquid flow rate (moles/ time)
F= Feed flow rate (moles/ time) TV=TL
zi,xi,yi= mole fraction of
component i in the feed,
PV=PL
liquid, and vapor streams
respectively.
 FLASH CALCULATION

In a typical isothermal flash calculation,

Given: F , zi , T and P in the vessel.
unknown: V , L, yi , and xi.

We have (C) component balances, C more equations are required. They

are obtained from phase equilibrium.

Total mass balance (1 eqn)

F L V (1)
 FLASH CALCULATION

Component mass balance (C) equation:

Fzi Lxi Vyi (2)

Phase equilibrium (C) equation:

yi Pi sat iL
Ki (3)
xi P
(3) and (1) are substituted in (2):

Fzi ( F V ) xi VK i xi (4)
Solving for xi:
zi F
xi (5)
F V VK i
 FLASH CALCULATION

Dividing numerator and denominator by F yields

zi
xi (6)
1 (V / F )[ K i 1]
If the system is ideal, iL= 1.0, Ki =Pisat/P
zi
xi sat
(7)
Pi
1 (V / F )[ 1]
P
Equations 6,7 can be written for each of the (C) components in the system

i C

i C
zi

i 1
xi 1.0
i 1 1 (V / F )[ K i 1]
 FLASH CALCULATION

zi K i
If y i K i xi and yi
1 (V / F )[ K i 1]

i C i C
zi K i
Then
i 1
yi 1.0
i 1 1 (V / F )[ K i 1]

A flash calculation is an iterative trial and error procedure where the

problem is to guess (V/F) ratio until:
i C

x
i 1
i 1.0
 FLASH CALCULATION

Flash calculation iteration for ideal systems

The first thing to do in any flash calculation is to make sure that something
will flash (there is liquid and vapor phases).
If we are in a region where nothing flashes P of the system must higher
than the bubble point P of the feed at the specific T.
in
z i Pi sat z i Pi sat

Saturated liquid line
yi , 1.0 T= constant
P i 1 P Sub-cooled x
PBP liquid y
in
PBUB z i Pi
Saturated

Pressure
sat
P vapor line
i 1 1 PDP

i C
PBUB z i Pi sat
Superheated
i 1 Vapor
If P>PBUB, nothing will flash, V/F=0 0 xDP x1 z y1 yBP 1.0
and xi=zi x,y
 FLASH CALCULATION
i n i n
zi P
Dew point xi
i 1 i 1 Pi sat
1.0
1 1
PDew PDew
i C
sat
i n sat
i i )
( z i / Pi )
i 1 ( z / P
i 1

If P< PDew, every thing flashes, V/F=1 and yi=zi

Once we know that two phases will be present, equation (7) must be
solved for (V/F).
 FLASH CALCULATION

Example: A liquid feed stream containing 40 mole% benzene, 35

mole% toluene and 25 mole% o-xylene is flashed to 110C and
760 mm Hg (14.7psia). Determine the flow rates and compositions
of the vapor and liquid streams after the flash for 100 kg-mole/hr of
feed. The VLE relationships can be assumed to be ideal. i.e the
system obeys Raoult's Law.

Solution

The first thing to do in any flash calculation is to check whether the actual
pressure P is between the bubble point and dew point pressures of the feed at
the operating temperature.

The vapor pressures at 110C (230F) are read from the Cox chart.
 FLASH CALCULATION
V=?
Pisat at 110 oC from Cox chart. y1= ?
y2=?
Benzene (1) = P1sat = 33 psia y3=?
F
Toluene (2)= P2 sat = 14 psia . TV=TL=110 oC
100 kgmole/hr
PV=PL= 1 atm
O-Xylene (3)= P3 sat = 5.6 psia z1= 0.4
z2=0.35
L=?
z3=0.25 x1= ?

i C x2=?
PBUB z i Pi sat x3=?
i 1
1
PDew
i C sat
i i
( z / P
i 1

PDew < P=14.7 psia < PBUB So there are two phases in the drum (vap. and liq. phases
 FLASH CALCULATION

Guess: V/F = 0.5, 0.7 and 0.65

zi
xi xi Pi sat
sat
Pi yi Raoult' s law
1 (V / F )[ 1] P
P

V/F=0.5 V/F=0.7 V/F=0.65 yi

Component zi Pjsat xi xi xi (at V/F=0.65)
Benzene 0.4 33 0.247 0.214 0.22 0.496
Toluene 0.35 14 0.359 0.362 0.36 0.344
O-xylene 0.25 5.6 0.362 0.441 0.42 0.159
Total 1.000 0.968 1.017 1.00 0.999
 FLASH CALCULATION

V =(V/F)* F =0.65 * 100= 65 kg mole/ hr

L= F - V = 100 - 65 = 35 kg mole/hr
 FLASH CALCULATION

Flash calculations in VLE relationship = f(T,P) only and not

f(composition), the isothermal flash calculation is essentially the same
as if the system were ideal.

a) Binary system (T,P are specified)

y1 y 2 1.0, x1 x2 1.0

y1 y2 y1 1 y1
K1 , K2 K1 , K2
x1 x2 x1 1 x1

1 K1 x1 1 K1 x1
y1 K1 x1 K2 , 1 - x1
1 x1 K2
 FLASH CALCULATION

(1 x1 ) K 2 1 K1 x1 , K 2 x1 K 2 x1 K1 1.0

x1 ( K1 K 2 ) 1 K 2

1 K2 K 1
x1 , x2 1
K1 K 2 K1 K 2

y1 and y2 can be obtained from yi=Kixi

The fraction vaporization (V/F) can be obtained from

Fzi Lxi Vyi , F L V , y i K i xi

 FLASH CALCULATION

K1 (1 K 2 ) K 2 ( K1 1)
y1 K1 x1 , y 2 K 2 x2
( K1 K 2 ) ( K1 K 2 )
 FLASH CALCULATION

b) Multi-components systems:

F L V and yi Ki xi into Fzi Lxi Vyi ,

yi
xi L K i xiV zi ( L V ) , L y iV z i ( L V )
Ki
divide by L divide by L

z i (1 V / L) z i (1 L / V )
xi yi
1 ( K iV / L ) 1 ( L / K iV )

K iV L
strippingfactor for i Absorption factor for i
L K iV
 FLASH CALCULATION

f i z i F moles of component i in feed.

li xi L moles of component i in liquid prpduct.
vi yiV moles of component i in vapor product.

z i (1 V / L) zi ( L V )
l i xi L *L , F L V L(1 V / L)
1 ( K iV / L ) 1 ( K iV / L )

zi F fi
l i xi L
1 ( K iV / L ) 1 ( K iV / L )
 FLASH CALCULATION

z i (1 L / V )
vi yiV V , F L V V ( L / V 1)
1 ( L / K iV )

z i (1 L / V ) fi
vi yiV
1 ( L / K iV ) 1 ( L / K iV )
 FLASH CALCULATION

Case #1
If T and ( vi / f i )of one component i is specified
Guess P and find
fi
The equation vi yiV can be rearrange to give
1 ( L / K iV )
L f
i 1 Absorption factor for i (1)
K iV v i
L fj
1 Absorption factor for j (2)
K jV v j

If equation (2) is divided equation. (1)

L K iV ( f j / v j 1)
* ij
K jV L ( f i / vi 1)
 FLASH CALCULATION

ij ( f i / vi 1) f j / v j 1
fj fi
ij ( 1) 1
vj vi

or if equation (1) is divided by equation (2)

L K jV ( f / v 1)
* ji i i
K jV L ( f j / v j 1)

fj 1
( f i / vi 1) 1
vj ji

1
ij
ji
 FLASH CALCULATION

Case # 2
P and T are specified
If f(V/F) is positive at V/F =0 and negative at V/F =1.0, then two phases are present . If
f(V/F) is negative at V/F =0, the system is sub-cooled. If f(V/F) is positive at V/F =1, the
system is superheated vapor.

z i (1 V / L) zi V
xi F L V L(1 )
1 ( K iV / L) ( K i 1) V F 1 L
z i (1 L / V ) zi K i L
yi F L V V( 1)
1 ( L / K iV ) ( K i 1) V F 1 V
z i ( K i 1)
f ( ) f (V / F ) yi xi
( K i 1)(V / F ) 1
It is called Rachford-Rice function

is called vapor fraction

 FLASH CALCULATION

Case # 3

P and V/F specified Guess T

Like case # 2

Case # 4

P and ( vi / f i )of one component are specified Guess T

Like case # 1