Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.57, No.10, 3678-3684, 2018
Thermodynamic and Exergy Analysis of Energy-Integrated Distillation Technologies Focusing on Dividing-Wall Columns with Upper and Lower Partitions
This study continues our research about dividing-wall distillation columns (DWCs) with upper and lower partitions (Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2016, 56, 952). Thermodynamic efficiencies and heat demands are investigated to offer a more complex point of view about distillation technologies. Rigorous simulations of nine distillation systems are completed, and the results are evaluated. Among the separation systems there are conventional direct and indirect distillation systems and energy-integrated ones, that is, DWCs with upper and lower partition, columns with side stripper or side rectifier, the fully thermally coupled distillation column, the sloppy system, and a direct sequence with backward heat integration are examined using three different alcohol mixtures. Results are obtained from rigorous simulations using exergy analysis. Thermodynamic efficiencies are in agreement with the expectations based on previous researches. On the basis of the thermodynamic efficiencies and heat demands the direct sequence with backward heat integration proved to be the most suitable distillation technology for the mixtures examined. The DWC with upper partition shows also promising behavior.