Application of Irreversible Thermodynamics to Distillation

Authors : Gelein De Koeijer, Signe Kjelstrup

Pages : 107-114

View : 10 | Download : 6

Publication Date : 2004-09-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :We compare three different ways of modelling tray distillation to each other, and to experimental data: the most common way that assumes equilibrium between the liquid and vapour phases at the outlets of each tray, and two more precise methods that use irreversible thermodynamics. Irreversible thermodynamics determines the driving forces and fluxes of a system in agreement with the second law. It is shown that the methods using irreversible thermodynamics insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Maxwell-Stefan equations); are superior to the method that assumes that equilibrium is reached on each tray. The Soret effect must be included to have a good description of the heat flux.
Keywords : irreversible thermodynamics, distillation, Maxwell Stefan equation, Soret Dufour effects, interface