POLYNOMIAL OBJECTIVE FUNCTIONS FOR FLASH CALCULATIONS - BINARY, TERNARY, AND QUATERNARY SYSTEMS

Polynomial objective functions are developed for the vapor fraction in vapor-liquid equilibrium flash calculations for binary, ternary, and quaternary systems. The form of the polynomial suggests possible expan sion to N-component systems. An extensive testing of these objective f unctions was performed using experimental data for binary systems. Com parative analysis with traditional Rachford-Rice objective function de monstrates better predictive capability and improved computational str ategy for the new form. Comparison between predictions and experimenta l data shows a good match, even for cases where the Rachford-Rice obje ctive function fails to yield realistic results.