Study of a new concept of distillation column: heat integrated distillation column (HIDiC)

Author(s)

Jeffrey León Pulido

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Química
• Defense date: 2011-02-06

Examining board members

Maria Regina Wolf Maciel; Marcio Luiz de Souza Santos; Christiane de Arruda Rodrigues Ragnini

• Advisor: Maria Regina Wolf Maciel

Abstract

The separation processes are largely used in petroleum and alcohol-chemical industries. The distillation process represents around 40% of energy costs in industrial operation, thus large among of energy of the process is not used and it is lost to the surrounding. In Brazil, industrial developments and the need of energy market allowed innovations to the conventional separation process. This is essential for the development of new strategies and designs that enable a reduction in energy consumption. In the present work a study of the new concept of Heat Integrated Distillation Colum which is referenced in literature as HIDiC column was developed. In this column, the rectifying section operates at higher pressures and temperatures than the stripping section. Thus, the heat of rectifying section is used to heat the stripping section. The Aspen Plus V7.2 software was used for the study of column configuration and the potential of heat transfer, since it does not have this type of unit operation. The simulations shows a more realistic situation able to model the new configuration, simplifying the complexities of design and creating strategies that facilitate the study of the potential for reducing the energy consumption of this configuration. In HIDiC column, the rectifying and stripping section are concentrically and to ensure operability a compressor and throttle valve are applied to achieve the temperatures and pressures required by the system. Currently, this configuration is not a reality in the industry, because the lack of experimental data from the column. In addition, the complexity of internal configuration needs to be solved. In HIDiC column, heat transfer studies were performed showing the process parameters such as feed position, amount of heat exchanged and the initial concentration. So far, in Brazil has not been published works about this technology. The range of applicability of HIDiC column has many important applications in petrochemical and alcohol-chemical industries and it represents an alternative for reducing the energy consumption in distillation process (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/07572-1 - Study of a new concept of distilling column: Heat Integrated Distilation Column (HIDiC)
• Grantee: Jeffrey León Pulido
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master