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Published:
Jul 3, 2024Keywords:
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Main Article Content
Design and Optimization of an Azeotropic Distillation Pilot Plant for the Production of Pure Ethanol
Abstract
This study aimed to design an azeotropic distillation plant using Aspen
Plus® V10 software and determine optimal process conditions for
producing pure ethanol greater than 95% from pre-concentrated nearazeotropic ethanol-water solution. The non-random two-liquid
Redlich-Kwong thermodynamic model was the base method for
property analysis and performance prediction. Modelling and
simulation of the converged process were conducted for fixed column
variables (R = 5, N = 12 and p = 1 atm). Plant operating parameters
were varied in the range of 0 to 1 for the pre-heater vapour fraction, 2
to 10 for the column feed plates (NFP), 2 to 6 for the recycle feed plate
(NRFP), 10 to 20 kmol/h feed flow rate (FAZ) and 0.81 to 0.86 mol/mol
ethanol concentration (XFAZ). Results show that an increase in FAZ and
XFAZ resulted in retrograde phenomena, which hinders plant
performance while increasing energy requirements. Further, an
increase in NFP and NRFP results in a decrease in dehydration plant
performance from 99.84% to 97.5%. It was concluded that high energy
efficiency and enhanced plant performance are obtained when the plant
is operated with FAZ ranging from 18 to 20 kmol/h. The feed and recycle
plates should be located closer to the top of the column, i.e., stage 4 for
the feed, stage 2 for aqueous solution and stages 1-3 for the recycle
streams. The study recommends a careful distillation synthesis followed
by real plant monitoring to address the retrograde phenomena effect
and improve the overall ethanol dehydration plant performance.
