McCabe-Thiele method

See McCabe-Thiele method.

The McCabe-Thiele method is considered to be the simplest and perhaps most instructive method for the analysis of binary distillation.

Given a simple, binary component feed, analytical methods such as the McCabe-Thiele method or the Fenske equation can be used.

The developing petroleum industry in the early 20th century provided the impetus for the development of accurate design methods such as the McCabe-Thiele method and the Fenske equation.

These types of VLE diagrams are used in the McCabe-Thiele method to determine the number of equilibrium stages (or theoretical plates) needed to distill a given composition binary feed mixture into one distillate fraction and one bottoms fraction.