Currently, process intensification
using dividing-wall columns
(DWCs) is one of the most promising alternatives for reducing the
costs of the distillation process. However, for extractive distillation,
there are still questions regarding whether the DWC is a more economical
option than the conventional sequence (CS). Normally, extractive DWCs
are simulated with two thermally coupled columns (TCSs), and their
designs are usually obtained by setting the TCSs in different ways
that do not necessarily constitute an optimum design. Thus, this work
proposes a systematic procedure based on stage equilibrium for obtaining
an optimized DWC configuration, in terms of operability and design.
A strict comparison between the DWC configuration and the CS (also
optimized) was performed, and the best results in terms of the total
annual cost (TAC) were obtained for columns with a distinct number
of stages in each section of the wall; however, these columns did
not outperform the optimized conventional systems.
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