Question: A distillation column with open steam heating is separating a feed that is 80 mol% methanol and 20 mol% water in a steady state operation.
A distillation column with open steam heating is separating a feed that is 80 mol% methanol and 20 mol% water in a steady state operation. The column has 10 stages, a total condensor, and the feed is on stage . Operation is at 1 atm. The steam is pure water and is a saturated vapor. CMO is assumed to be valid. At 2:16 a.m. 25 days ago the feed and distillate flows were shut off (D=F=0), but the steam rate was unchanged and the total condensor is still condensing the vapor to a saturated liquid. The column has now reached steady-state operation.
a. what is the current methanol mole fraction in the bottoms?
b. At the new steady state estimate the methanol mole fraction in the reflux liquid leaving the total condensor.
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