Design specifications for the RADFRAC distillation tower

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A mixed feed of ethanol at 30°C and 5 bar at a flow rate of 15 kmol/h and acetic acid at the same conditions and flow rate is pumped to 6 bar; the pump efficiency is 0.85 and the motor efficiency is 0.95. It is then fed into a reactor for reaction to produce ethyl acetate and water; the reaction takes place at a temperature of 40°C and a pressure of 5 bar, with an ethanol conversion rate of 0.7. The material at the reactor outlet is fed into a distillation column for separation. The distillation column has 30 theoretical plates; a total condenser is used at the top of the column. The reflux ratio is 1.5, and the overhead yield is 0.2. Feed is introduced above the 18th plate. The pressure in the condenser is 4 bar, with a pressure drop of 0.1 bar in the condenser itself, and a total pressure drop of 0.2 bar throughout the column. The property method uses UNIQUAC. The material at the bottom of the distillation column is cooled to 30°C by a condenser, with the pressure drop across the condenser being ignored. Design specifications were established to achieve an ethanol acetate purity of 80% in the overhead product by adjusting the overhead withdrawal ratio of the distillation column (0.001–1).