Quick Decision-Making for Close-Boiling Distillation Schemes

Abstract

Separating close-boiling components using distillation is very common in industry. Considering the higher capital and energy intensity of the task, schematic selection of optimal distillation strategies becomes a significant decision of both industrial and methodological importance. In this sense, this paper introduces a reliable shortcut method of simplicity and robustness for optimizing the target of total annualized cost (TAC). In detail, selective analyses are carried out among four schematic candidates for three closeboiling systems. The schemes are conventional distillation column, mechanical vapor recompression (MVR), double-effect distillation, and distillation with a recycle process. The mixtures to be separated are methyltrichlorosilane/dimethylchlorosilane, methylcyclopentane/cyclohexane, and isobutanol/n-butanol. After the first round evaluation, hydraulic calculations through rigorous simulations are worked out to size the equipment, which is necessary for TAC analyses. In the second round comparison, MVR stands out to be a more attractive option for close-boiling separations than other configurations.

Speleothem-Inspired Copper/Nickel Interfaces for Enhanced Liquid–Vapor Transport by Marangoni and Soret Effects

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Enhanced Nucleate Boiling of Novec 649 on Thin Metal Foils Via Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures

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Efficient Synthesis of Isobutylene Dimerization by Catalytic Distillation with Advanced Heat-Integrated Technology

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“…What is more, there are several heat-integrated means for the distillation process presented to solve the high energy consumption. The most common ones are dividing wall column (DWC), vapor-recompressed heat pump (VRHP), internally heat-integrated distillation column (HIDiC), and multi-effect distillation (MED) . DWC, which can realize the separation of multiple components by integrating the distillation column sequence into a column shell, has been studied by a lot of researchers in its advantages of drastically reducing capital and operating costs. − The DWC can also be combined with CD technology to form the catalytic dividing wall column (CDWC) which can integrate reaction and multicomponent separation to save more energy than direct or indirect distillation sequences. − The VRHP which acts as a typical heat-integrated technology is to improve the pressure level of the overhead vapor to be the heat source and substitute for the high-quality steam in the bottom reboiler by the use of compressors.…”