Abstract: Ageneral thermodynamic model was presented by analyzing distillation processes. The mass transfer in these processes was assumed in an irreversible thermodynamic state during the model development. The simulated results showed that this model could be applied not only to analyzing entropy generation in distillation processes, but also to compare the effects of the tray parameters on the entropy generation in a column, with which energy-saving distillation tower can thus be designed and the distillation operation can be controlled in an optimal mode.

Key words: Nonequilibrium thermodynamics, Mathematical model, Energy saving analysis, Distillation