How to determine the height of a plate tower?

The theoretical values required are calculated; it is necessary to determine how high the skirt should be, how high the liquid level at the bottom of the tower should be, and what height is needed for the two-phase separation at both the bottom and top of the tower……

(1) Select the product concentrations at the top and bottom of the tower (sometimes specified in the design requirements), perform mass balance calculations for the entire tower, and prepare a summary table of these mass balance equations. (2) Determine the operating pressures of the condenser, tower top, and tower bottom. (3) Determine the top and bottom temperatures of the tower. (4) Select the feeding condition and determine the feeding temperature. (5) Determine the x-y phase equilibrium curve at the specified operating pressure. (6) Determine the minimum reflux ratio. (7) Determine the appropriate operating reflux ratio. (8) Calculate the required number of theoretical plates and the feed position. (9) Determine the overall tower efficiency and calculate the actual number of plates in the rectification section and the stripping section. (10) Selection and determination of plate spacing: The height of a plate tower is the sum of the effective height for gas-liquid contact, along with the heights of the space at the top and bottom of the tower. Among them, the effective section height is given by: Z = (N – NF – NP – 1)HT + NFHF + NPHP + HD + HB. Here, N represents the actual number of trays; NF is the number of feed trays; HT is the tray spacing; HF is the tray spacing at the feed tray; NP is the number of manholes – generally one manhole is installed every 6–8 trays, while one manhole is placed every 3–4 trays when frequent cleaning is required. The diameter of manholes is generally 450–500 mm. HP—refers to the plate spacing at the manhole; it is generally set to 600 mm or more. HD—Space at the top of the tower (excluding the head section), usually taken as 1.2–1.5 m. HB—Space at the bottom of the tower. It refers to the distance from the last tray to the bottom of the tower. The liquid needs a residence time of 10–15 minutes from leaving the last tray to exiting the tower; based on this, the height of this section can be determined using the flow rate of the liquid in the reactor and the diameter of the tower