17.6: The Stability Criteria
- Page ID
- 577
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\dsum}{\displaystyle\sum\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\dint}{\displaystyle\int\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\dlim}{\displaystyle\lim\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)
\( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)
\( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\(\newcommand{\longvect}{\overrightarrow}\)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Interestingly enough, one of the most difficult aspects of making VLE calculations may not be the two-phase splitting calculation itself, but knowing whether or not a mixture will actually split into two (or even more) phases for a pressure and temperature condition.
A single-phase detection routine has to be simultaneously introduced at this stage to detect whether the system is in a true single-phase condition at the given pressure and temperature or whether it will actually split into two-phases. Several approaches may be used here: the Bring-Back technique outlined by Risnes et al. (1981), and Phase Stability Criteria introduced by Michelsen (1982), among others. Here we describe Michelsen’s stability test.
Michelsen (1982) suggested creating a second-phase inside any given mixture to verify whether such a system is stable or not. It is the same idea behind the Bring-Back procedure (Risnes et al., 1981), but this test additionally provides straightforward interpretation for the cases where trivial solutions are found
(Ki’s —> 1). The test must be performed in two parts, considering two possibilities: the second phase can be either vapor-like or liquid-like. The outline of the method is described below, following the approach presented by Whitson and Brule (2000).
- Calculate the mixture fugacity (fzi) using overall composition zi.
- Create a vapor-like second phase,
- Use Wilson’s correlation to obtain initial Ki-values.
- Calculate second-phase mole numbers, Yi:
\[Y_i=z_i K_i \nonumber \] -
Obtain the sum of the mole numbers
\[S_v=\sum_i^n Y_i \nonumber \] -
Normalize the second-phase mole numbers to get mole fractions:
\[y_i=\dfrac{Y_i}{S_v} \nonumber \]
-
Calculate the second-phase fugacity ( \(\mathrm{f}_{\mathrm{y}}\) ) using the corresponding EOS and the previous composition.
-
Calculate corrections for the K-values:
\[\begin{array}{c}
R_i=\dfrac{f_{x i}}{f_{y i}} \dfrac{1}{S_v} \\[6pt]
K_i^{(n+1)}=K_i^{(n)} R_i
\end{array}
\nonumber \]g. Check if:
i. Convergence is achieved:\[\sum_i^n\left(R_i-1\right)^2<1 \cdot 10^{-10} \nonumber \]
ii. A trivial solution is approached:
\[\sum_i^n\left(\ln K_i\right)^2<1 \cdot 10^{-4} \nonumber \]If a trivial solution is approached, stop the procedure.
If convergence has not been attained, use the new K-values and go back to step (b).
- Create a liquid-like second phase,
Follow the previous steps by replacing equations (17.15), (17.16), (17.17), and (17.18) by (17.22), (17.23), (17.24), and (17.25) respectively.
\[\begin{array}{c}
Y_i=z_i / K_i \\[6pt]
S_L=\sum_i^n Y_i \\[6pt]
x_i=\dfrac{Y_i}{S_L} \\[6pt]
R_i=\dfrac{f_{x i}}{f_{z i}} S_L
\end{array} \nonumber \]
The interpretation of the results of this method follows:
- The mixture is stable (single-phase condition prevails) if:
- Both tests yield S < 1 (SL < 1 and SV < 1),
- Or both tests converge to trivial solution,
- Or one test converges to trivial solution and the other gives S < 1.
- Only one test indicating S > 1 is sufficient to determine that the mixture is unstable and that the two-phase condition prevails. The same conclusion is made if both tests give S > 1, or if one of the tests converges to the trivial solution and the other gives S > 1.