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Butane/Propane (LPG) Equilibrium Diagram
- Thread starter Mauer
- Start date
Maeur:
The McCabe-Thiele diagram method is only good for a binary mixture. I want to point out that LPG could be a multi-component mixture of n-propane, iso-propane, n-butane, iso-butane and perhaps even some of the various butylenes. The exact composition of the LPG depends upon which refinery produced it and when they produced it.
I would also point out that the McCabe-Thiele method is rarely used any longer in industry. One of the various available simulation models is far more commonly used. Is this question of yours perhaps just a homework problem?
Milton Beychok
(Visit me at www.air-dispersion.com)
.
The McCabe-Thiele diagram method is only good for a binary mixture. I want to point out that LPG could be a multi-component mixture of n-propane, iso-propane, n-butane, iso-butane and perhaps even some of the various butylenes. The exact composition of the LPG depends upon which refinery produced it and when they produced it.
I would also point out that the McCabe-Thiele method is rarely used any longer in industry. One of the various available simulation models is far more commonly used. Is this question of yours perhaps just a homework problem?
Milton Beychok
(Visit me at www.air-dispersion.com)
.
- Thread starter
- #3
Dear Milton Beychok:
Certainly i'm still a student, but i posted this message because right now i´m working at a company that produces ecological refrigerants.
I'm involved in a proyect to separate butane and propane from GLP, and the first thing i thought of was to use the McCabe-Thiele method to get a raw idea of the dimension of the tower, treating GLP as a binary mixture.
I also checked your link and your book seems really intesting, i´m going to recomend it at my university. By the way if you're interested in ecological refrigerants you can visit , the site is spanish but there's available an english version.
Gracias
Mauer
Certainly i'm still a student, but i posted this message because right now i´m working at a company that produces ecological refrigerants.
I'm involved in a proyect to separate butane and propane from GLP, and the first thing i thought of was to use the McCabe-Thiele method to get a raw idea of the dimension of the tower, treating GLP as a binary mixture.
I also checked your link and your book seems really intesting, i´m going to recomend it at my university. By the way if you're interested in ecological refrigerants you can visit , the site is spanish but there's available an english version.
Gracias
Mauer
Milton is right. You need to consider what else is in the LPG. I have never tried to assume that LPG was a binary mixture because I have always had access to a process simulator (HYSYS, etc.). I don't know what sort of error you will have using McCabe-Thiele as I have never done it that way. This method will tell you the number of ideal stages you need but I would be concerned that with the presence of various butane species and other heavy and light ends, that you will not get a very good picture.
I also wanted to point out what might be an error (see my reference/definition below).
Isopropane (from
The term isopropane suggests that this is structural isomer of propane, but since propane is a three carbon hydrocarbon, a structural isomer doesn't exist. Isopropane is instead a commercial term used to describe isobutane/propane mixes (and sometimes butane/propane mixes).
I also wanted to point out what might be an error (see my reference/definition below).
Isopropane (from
The term isopropane suggests that this is structural isomer of propane, but since propane is a three carbon hydrocarbon, a structural isomer doesn't exist. Isopropane is instead a commercial term used to describe isobutane/propane mixes (and sometimes butane/propane mixes).
- Thread starter
- #7
UmeshMathur
Chemical
It's a bit late to respond to wfn217's post, but this system is definitely not ideal. In this day and age, rigorous process simulation is de rigeur for all commercially significant work. Why would anyone use ANY approximate graphical method (except students doing work for pedagogical reasons)?
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