CONDENSATION OF STEAM-GAS MIXTURES UNDER VACUUM: ANALYSIS OF PROCESS FEATURES, CALCULATION METHODS AND THEIR COMPARISON

In modern industrial processes of chemical and petrochemical raw material processing, there is often a need to carry out these processes under vacuum conditions. One of the key stages in such processes is the condensation of vapor-gas mixtures, which is carried out in vacuum condensers and allows for the extraction of target products and increases overall production efficiency. This stage becomes particularly important when working with thermally unstable substances, such as ethylene glycols, where maintaining low temperatures is critical to prevent product degradation. The condensation of vapor-gas mixtures under vacuum conditions is complicated by the presence of non-condensable gases, which negatively affect the efficiency of the heat exchange process. This factor requires special attention when choosing calculation methods and designing heat exchange equipment. Existing calculation methods used in industrial practice often have limitations and require adaptation to specific operating conditions. The article focuses on the problem of condensing vapor-gas mixtures under vacuum in the chemical industry. It examines the peculiarities of the condensation process in the presence of non-condensable gases and its impact on the performance of vacuum condensers. The main theoretical principles and existing methods for calculating the condensation of vapor-gas mixtures are presented, along with an analysis of domestic and foreign literature sources on this topic. To automate and improve the accuracy of engineering calculations, a software code was developed in Visual Basic for Applications, integrated with the universal modeling program Aspen HYSYS V12. Practical calculation results based on various methodologies and specialized software packages are presented. Significant discrepancies were found between the results obtained using different methods, highlighting the need for further study and improvement of methods for calculating the condensation of vapor-gas mixtures under vacuum conditions.