C.

2 Non-Equilibrium Stage Model

A nonequilibrium stage model developed to simulate the multicomponent multistage mass transfer process encountered in an amine treating unit is used in the Amines Property Package. The generalized stage model shown in Figure C.2 gives the flow geometry and nomenclature for an individual stage in a column. The fundamental concept used is that the rate of absorption/desorption of acid gases to/from the amine solution must be considered as a mass-transfer rate process. This rate process depends on the equilibrium and kinetic parameters that describe the acid gas/amine system. The model incorporates a modified Murphree-type vapour efficiency to account for the varying mass-transfer rates of individual acid gas components. The acid gas stage efficiencies are, in turn, functions of mass-transfer coefficients and the mechanical design of the tray.

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Non-Equilibrium Stage Model

When the generalized stage model is extended to the multistage case, the resulting column flow geometry and nomenclature is shown in Figure C.2. The resulting set of balance equations that characterize the multistage unit are given in Section C.4 - Equilibrium Solubility. This set of equations must be solved for each column in the flowsheet. A modified Newton-Raphson method is used to solve the rigorous nonlinear stage equations simultaneously for temperature, composition and phase rates on each stage in a column.
Figure C.2

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