In this paper we
describe an energy-efficient process design using
a reactive distillation (RD) of the esterification reaction for the
synthesis of ethyl levulinate (LAEE). Two designs, a neat design and
an excess design, were examined to find the best configuration for
the process. In the neat design, there are two columns with equal
molar feeds to produce LAEE. An additional column is required in the
excess design to separate LAEE from the unreacted reactant (levulinic
acid, LA). Later in the process, this unreacted LA is recycled back
into the RD column. Compared to the neat design, the excess design
showed superiority for the esterification process in terms of the
total annual cost (TAC) and energy requirement. Therefore, three energy
integration configurations, external heat integration (HI), thermally
coupled distillation (TCD), and a combination of TCD and HI, were
investigated in this excess design. A side reboiler was implemented
in the water removal column to overcome the limitation of the temperature
difference for heat transfer. The simulation results showed that the
configuration of TCD with HI was the best one, which saved 32.9% and
10.5% of the energy and TAC, respectively, compared to the conventional
RD with three columns without HI.
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