Binary fractional distillation is a method of separating two liquid components via a distillation column (which contains a number of trays, or stages).  It's a concept encountered by virtually every Chemical & Process Engineering student.  This application calculates the required number of theoretical stages for a set of specified operating parameters via the McCabe-Thiele method.  It plots the classic McCabe-Thiele diagram and evaluates the minimum and actual reflux ratio, and the thermodynamic state of the feed.   

This application also highlights several Maple concepts. 

• The ability to instantly observe the effect of changes in operating parameters.

• Text boxes for the input of operating parameters

• Maple's programming language to calculate the number of theoretical stages required for the distillation process and error-checking of unrealistic operating parameters (i.e. try making the fraction of light component in the feed greater than than in the distillate)

• The precise control over the appearance of a plot for presenting engineering information.

• The use of document blocks for suppressing the display of code, allowing students to concentrate on the engineering fundamentals.

Note: Execute the entire worksheet (with !!!) once before changing any parameters.