Process design and optimization of distillation column integrated with thin film evaporator

Abstract

Used lubricating oil is a hazardous waste that must be treated before being discharged into the environment. The processing of used lubricating oil consists of several stages, including the removal of heavy fraction of hydrocarbons entering the final separation stage. Some equipment can be used to do this process, one of which is distillation using a thin film evaporator as the reboiler. This study aims to determine the effect of feed temperature and the number of trays on the distillation column using a thin film evaporator as a reboiler, so that the performance of the distillation column and thin film evaporator can be observed in distilling the separation of heavy hydrocarbon fraction. The controlled variables are the composition of hydrocarbons and the design of the evaporator with rotor rotation of 30 rpm, pressure of 2.53 kPa. Feed temperature will be varied from 150 to 300°C while the number of trays is 5 to 19 with two intervals. The amount of lube oil in distillate and the total annual cost are observed for each variable. From this research, the relation between feed temperature and tray is directly proportional to the lube oil produced. The optimum operating condition in this research is at the feed temperature of 150°C and 9 trays of the distillation column.