Abstract
Dividing-wall column (DWC) is very attractive as the most energy saving alternative for conventional distillation columns. Hence, the main objective of this study is to develop general procedures for simulation and optimization of DWCs for industrial applications. For this, six examples involving typical industrial conditions are selected, and then the relative importance of various design variables of DWCs is examined through rigorous simulation using a commercial simulator, in order to gain insight into the design of such columns. The results show that vapor and liquid splits in the column have significant impact on the energy requirements of DWCs although their effect on condenser and reboiler duty is less pronounced within the optimum region. Further, simulation results show that DWC optimization does not need to include the variation of the number of stages as its effect on reducing the total annual cost is small. Based on the simulation and design results for the six examples, a simplified procedure for the quick design of DWCs using process simulators is proposed.
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