A New Step in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Separation Process by using a Divided Wall Distillation Column

Document Type : Research paper

Authors

1 Chemical Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman

2 Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman,, Kerman, Iran

3 Department of Chemical Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran

Abstract

Designing a sustainable and economic distillation system is a major global challenge in the chemical industry . As a new generation of distillation columns , Divided Wall Columns have attracted a lot of attention with advantages such as reducing energy consumption and occupying less space . This research aims to investigate and simulate the performance of the Divided Wall Column for the Liquefied Petroleum Gas separation process in order to improve efficiency , increase purity and recover more products . In this regard, first, by using a shortcut method based on valid articles , initial values such as the number of trays and the flow rate of the incoming and outgoing flows are estimated for each part of the column.Then , the efficiency of these initial values has been validated by detailed simulation in Aspen Plus software . The simulation results show that the use of the Divided Wall Column instead of the two De - ethanizer and De - propanizer columns in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas separation process will bring about 35% energy savings. This significant savings will be a valuable achievement from an economic point of view. In addition, the number of reboilers, condensers, return pumps and heat exchangers will also be reduced. Also, the use of the Divided Wall Column leads to an increase in the purity of ethane from 0.49 to 0.74 and a 25% increase in propane recovery. This indicates the high efficiency of this type of column in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas separation process.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

[1] Gómez-Castro, F.I.; Rodríguez-Ángeles, M.A.; Segovia-Hernández, J.G.;Gutiérrez-Antonio, C.; Briones-Ramírez. (2011). A. Optimal Designs of Multiple Dividing Wall Columns. Chem. Eng. Technol, volume34,p. 2051–2058.
 
[2] Petlyuk, F.B., Platonov, V.M., and Slavinskii, D.M., 1965. Thermodynamically optimal method for separating multicomponent mixtures. Int. Chem. Eng., 5(3), pp.555–561.
 
[3] Song, Z.W., Cui, W., Wu, Y.Y., Wu, B., Chen, K. and Ji, L.J., 2024. Energy, exergy, economic, and environmental analysis of a novel liquid-only transfer dividing wall column with vapor recompression. Separation and Purification Technology, 329, p.125122.
 
[4] Waibel, Y., Trescher, L., Ränger, L.M. and Grützner, T., 2023. First multiple dividing wall column: Design and operation. Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 193, pp.132-144.
 
[5] Zhang, H., Lu, P., Ding, Z., Li, Y., Li, H., Hua, C. and Wu, Z.(2022). Desig Optimization and Control of Dividing Wall Column for Purification of Trichlorosilane. Chemical Engineering Science, Volume 1, p.117716.
 
[6] Xing Q., Shengkun J., Kejin H., Haisheng C., Yang Y., and Liang Zh.(2020). Optimal design of Kaibel dividing wall columns based on improved particle swarm optimization methods,Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 273, p.123041.
 
[7] Jalil Elahi Choran. (2016). investigation of the shortcut method in the design of a column with a divided wall in a   gas-liquid separation unit, Master's thesis, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, (in persian).
 
[8] B. Kaibel. (2014). “Dividing-Wall Columns,” in Distillation: Equipment and Processes, Elsevier,p. 183–199.
 
[9] Kiss. (2013). A. Dividing-wall column. In: Advanced distillation technologies: design, control and applications. John Wiley & Sons ,volume 2, p.67–110.
 
[10] Hosanna, U.; Han, S., Kim, S. K.; Hwang, K. S. (2014). Structural design of fully thermally coupled distillation column using approximate group methods. Chem.Eng.Proc.Des,p.85,155.
 
[11] Hosanna, U.; Han, S.; Hwang, K. S. (2014). New design method for fully thermally coupled distillation column using group and approximate methods. Ind. Eng. Chem.Res, volume 53,p.11979-11988.
 
[12] Seihoub, Fatima-Zohra and Benyounes, Hassiba and Shen, Weifeng and Gerbaud, Vincent . (2017). An Improved Shortcut Design Method of Divided Wall Columns Exemplified by a Liquefied Petroleum Gas Process, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, volume 56 ,p.9710 – 9720
 
[13]Abdolahpour, S., Ahmadian Behrooz, H., Fazeli, A. (2020). 'The Optimal Design of the Dividing Wall Distillation Columns - Case Study of Benzene, Toluene and Xylene Separation', Iranian Chemical Engineering Journal, 19(110), pp. 66-80, (in persian).
Journal of Separation Science and Engineering
Volume 16, Issue 1
August 2024
Pages 61-76

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics