Graphic exergy analysis of processes in distillation column by energy-utilization diagrams

The graphical construction called an energy-utilization diagram (EUD) is adopted for analyses of energy transformation and exergy losses in a distillation column. The overall exergy loss on one plate of a column can be decomposed into six kinds of exergy losses and are represented graphically. Two of them are caused by mixing and cooling in the vapor phase, and the other two by mixing and heating in the liquid phase. To display the remaining two yielded by condensation and evaporation of each component, the concept of the individual energy level is applied. The relationship between the individual energy level and the xy diagram is presented as well as effects of the reflux ratio and the feed location on the EUD for the whole column. Separation of n-hexane and n-octane is used to illustrate the methodology.