Chapter 4

Chapter 4. Total Reflux and Minimum Reflux Ratio a. Total Reflux. In design problems, the desired separation is specified and a column is designed to achieve this separation. In addition to the column pressure, feed conditions, and reflux temperature, four additional variables must be specified. Specified Variables Designer Calculates Case A D, B: distillate and bottoms flow rates 1. xD QR, QC: heating and cooling loads 2. xB N: number of stages, Nfeed: optimum feed plate 3. External reflux ratio L0/D DC: column diameter 4. Use optimum feed plate xD, xB = mole fraction of more volatile component A in distillate and bottoms, respectively The number of theoretical stages depends on the reflux ratio R = L0/D.

In practice the total reflux condition can be achieved by reducing the flow rates of all the feed and the products to zero. The number of trays required for the specified separation is the minimum which can be obtained by stepping off the trays from the distillate to the bottoms. Figure 4.4-8 Minimum numbers of trays at total reflux.

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