umn. At flow rates higher than achieved in this laboratory project the HETP will increase at a much faster rate and the packing becomes much less efficient. This region is characterized as the flooding region. The graphs of HETP vs. vapor velocity in our laboratory show a visible flooding region. The slopes of the curves are linear. The curves are linear for the operating range up to the flooding then increase exponentially as the curve enters the flooding region. In the design of experiments we attempted many different approaches to induce flooding into the system without success. Such approaches were to use a wide range of temperature drops across the condenser cooling water and to increase the heat load on the reboiler to a maximum level. The value for vapor velocity used in the scale-up was 4.85 ft/hr. The vapor velocity value was used in the design as a parameter when doing the energy balances around the condenser and reboiler for the existing column. Once the energy balance was complete and the heat duty was known, the heat exchangers were sized. The HETP value that corresponds to 4.85 ft/min is 4.3 inches. This value was used in the design of the packing height. Using a number of equilibrium stages for the existing column, which was obtained through McCabe-Thiele analysis, and the HETP value from the lab column, the height of packing for the existing column was determined.Design Calculations*Feed CompositionrETOH = 0.789 kg/L rISO = 0.785 kg/LMol. Wt.ETOH = 46.07 g/kmol Mol. Wt.ISO = 60.09 g/kmol*Assumed basis of 1 Liter0.5 L. * 0.789 (g/kmol) * (1 kmol/46.07 kg) = 0.0085631 kmol ETOH0.5 L. * 0.785 (g/kmol) * (1 kmol/60.09 kg) = 0.0065319 kmol ISO*Total moles0.0085631 kmol ETOH + 0.0065319 kmol ISO = 0.015095 kmol*Mole fraction of ETOH in feedx ETOH = (0.0085631 kmol ETOH)/ 0.015095 kmol = 0.567*Mole fraction ISO in feedx ISO = 1 - 0.567 = 0.433*Reflux Ratio...
