Evaluating Sieve Tray Flooding in A Distillation Column Using Kister and Haas; and Fair’s Correlations

Abstract

This research project evaluates the problem of flooding in a distillation column that uses sieve tray. Data obtained from a typical crude oil refining company in Nigeria were used in the various calculations using the Kister and Haas;  as well as the Fair’s correlations. The flooding capacity of the column and its effect on the fractional hole area, hole diameter and tray spacing of the column were determined. The flooding capacity was determined as 0.104 m/s and 0.121 m/s for the two correlations. The flooding capacity has a directly proportional relationship with the tray spacing TS and fractional hole area of the column but has an inversely proportional relationship with the hole diameter of the column. Results obtained have shown that the  Kister and Haas; and Fair’s correlations experienced 46.38 % and 51.3 % flooding respectively. These results have shown that the performance of the column is below capacity utilization.

Keywords: separation efficiency, downcomer, sieve tray, froth entrainment.