Influence of column hardware on the performance of reactive distillation columns

Abstract

We compare the performance of an MTBE synthesis column using two different hardware configurations: (1) a sieve tray column in which the catalyst particles, encased inside wire gauze envelopes, placed along the liquid flow path; (2) a column filled with catalytically active packing of Raschig ring shape. The columns simulations are performed using a rigorous nonequilibrium model. Using the bottoms flow rate of MTBE as continuation parameter it is shown that the two different hardware configurations exhibit significantly different bifurcation diagrams. The sensitivity of this bifurcation diagram has been studied with varying (a) methanol feed, (b) iso-butene feed, (c) inert feed and (d) reflux ratio. We show that the cross-flow contacting on the sieve tray configuration is beneficial to conversion.