Mathematical Programming Approach for the Design of Intensified Thermally Coupled Distillation Sequences

Abstract

In this work we present a methodology that transform insights from the conceptual design of intensified thermally coupled distillation in a set of logical expressions and mathematical models that can be integrated in a mathematical programming environment with the objective of systematically generate column sequences with a reduced number of actual columns (lower than N-1 columns, where N is the number of components). Some of the alternatives considered are Divided Wall Columns (DWC); Columns with vertical partitions, Kaibel like configurations, Elimination of transfer blocks, Extended DWC (including columns with vertical partitions) with external liquid transfer. The combination of all these alternatives provides a new rich space of alternatives, some of them not known before that should be taken into account in the design of distillation based separation systems. Some examples illustrate the procedure.