distillation-designer

Distillation column design skill for tray/packing selection, hydraulic analysis, and column optimization

509 stars

Best use case

distillation-designer is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Distillation column design skill for tray/packing selection, hydraulic analysis, and column optimization

Teams using distillation-designer should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/distillation-designer/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/a5c-ai/babysitter/main/library/specializations/domains/science/chemical-engineering/skills/distillation-designer/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

Download SKILL.md from GitHub
Place it in .claude/skills/distillation-designer/SKILL.md inside your project
Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How distillation-designer Compares

Feature / Agent	distillation-designer	Standard Approach
Platform Support	Not specified	Limited / Varies
Context Awareness	High	Baseline
Installation Complexity	Unknown	N/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Distillation column design skill for tray/packing selection, hydraulic analysis, and column optimization

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

SKILL.md Source

# Distillation Designer Skill

## Purpose

The Distillation Designer Skill performs distillation column design including tray and packing selection, hydraulic calculations, and column optimization for vapor-liquid separations.

## Capabilities

- McCabe-Thiele and Ponchon-Savarit methods
- Shortcut design calculations (Fenske, Underwood, Gilliland)
- Tray hydraulics (flooding, weeping, entrainment)
- Packing selection and sizing (HETP, pressure drop)
- Feed location optimization
- Reflux ratio optimization
- Side draw design
- Azeotropic and extractive distillation

## Usage Guidelines

### When to Use
- Designing new distillation columns
- Rating existing columns
- Optimizing column performance
- Evaluating tray vs. packing

### Prerequisites
- VLE data available
- Feed composition defined
- Product specifications set
- Thermodynamic model validated

### Best Practices
- Validate VLE predictions
- Consider turndown requirements
- Allow for design margins
- Evaluate energy integration

## Process Integration

This skill integrates with:
- Distillation Column Design and Optimization
- Separation Sequence Synthesis
- Heat Integration Analysis

## Configuration

```yaml
distillation-designer:
  internals:
    - sieve-trays
    - valve-trays
    - structured-packing
    - random-packing
  design-methods:
    - rigorous
    - shortcut
```

## Output Artifacts

- Column specifications
- Tray/packing datasheets
- Hydraulic analysis
- Operating envelopes
- Optimization recommendations