Multicomponent batch distillation with distillate receiver

Based on the assumption of adiabatic equilibrium stages, a rigorous calculation procedure applicable to a multicomponent batch distillation with a distillate receiver under total reflux condition was developed. Provided that the operating conditions including the desired product purity of the most volatile component in the receiver are specified, the proposed model estimates the volume of the distillate receiver, changes in compositions in the receiver and still, concentration profiles of the column, and the batch time required to complete the separation. In order to test the validity of the proposed model, experimental data for the separation of acetone-methanol-2-propanol mixture using a 10 cm I.D. column having six theoretical stages were compared with the simulation results for the two cases when the distillate receiver is initially empty and initially full.