Title: Energy efficient distillation column configuration: an exergy analysis

Authors: Laxmi Patil; Vinay Amte

Addresses: Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, Karnataka, India ' SABIC Research and Technology Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Abstract: The column targeting tools and exergy analysis are used to set energy targets and improve energy efficiency in the distillation column. The combination of process options like feed stage location, reflux ratio, feed conditioning, side-reboiler and side-condenser greatly improves thermodynamic efficiency and reduces exergy loss throughout the column. The converged base-case simulation for propane-propylene binary mixture obtained from Aspen Plus was evaluated with both column targeting tools and exergy loss analysis. The study reveals significant decrease in reboiler (∼29%) and condenser (∼15%) duties, and increase in thermodynamic efficiency by ∼33% as compared to base-case design by reduction in total exergy losses.

Keywords: column targeting; exergy analysis; distillation column; reflux ratio; side-reboiler; side-condenser; thermodynamic efficiency.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2022.122079

International Journal of Exergy, 2022 Vol.37 No.4, pp.428 - 443

Received: 30 Oct 2020
Accepted: 06 Jul 2021
Published online: 08 Apr 2022 *

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