Thermally linked distillation column configurations to separate near-ideal multicomponent mixtures containing four or more components are discussed. It is shown that for sharp separation of an n-component mixture using only one reboiler and one condenser the minimum number of rectifying and stripping sections needed is 4n − 6. A stepwise procedure is proposed to obtain such distillation configurations, and a series of observations are presented which make the task of generating these configurations a little easier. It is found that, for n ≥ 4, some of these distillation configurations are missing from the known superstructures in the literature. An alternative method is proposed to obtain an n-component superstructure. The resulting superstructure has all the earlier known configurations embedded within it and contains the substructures incorporating the missing configurations. This provides a more complete superstructure for the optimization task.

Synthesis of Distillation Column Configurations for a Multicomponent Separation

https://www.d.umn.edu/~rdavis/courses/che3791/Green/notes/Design.pdf

A retrospective on design and process synthesis

A systematic procedure presented in this paper draws distillation column configurations to separate an ideal to near ideal n-component mixture into n product streams with each enriched in one of the components. The method synthesizes all feasible basic configurations using n-1 distillation columns with each column having only a condenser at the top and a reboiler at the bottom. It also generates all feasible thermally coupled schemes with classical two-way liquid and vapor communication between the distillation columns. The method is simple and easy to use. The advantage of such a method is that it could be incorporated in a search algorithm to systematically find an optimum distillation scheme for a given application.

Synthesis of multicomponent distillation column configurations

In this paper a new method is presented which will enable engineers toselect better heat integrated distillation systems quickly and easily. The keyto this method is making the assumption that OAT, the product of thecondenser or reboiler duty and the temperature difference between the reboilerand condenser, is constant for a single distillation task over a wide range ofpressures. Using this assumption and the principles of multieffect distillation,a lower bound on the utility use for single distillation tasks and for distillationsequences is readily calculated for designs involving simple two productcolumns that may or may not be multieffected. This paper also describesmethods which can be used to synthesize distillation systems which approachthese bounds. Finally, an algorithm is presented which develops the least costdistillation system for separating a multicomponent feed. The methods in thispaper are illustrated with a five component example problem.UNIVERSITY LIBK/kRIESCARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITYPITTSBURGH. PENNSYLVANIA 15?13

A Simple Synthesis Method Based on Utility Bounding for Heat‐Integrated Distillation Sequences

This paper addresses the synthesis of distillation column configurations to separate non-azeotropic multicomponent mixtures containing N components. It is shown that, for sharp separations of an N-...

Generalized Disjunctive Programming Model for the Optimal Synthesis of Thermally Linked Distillation Columns

The paper reports efforts to automate the synthesis of separation processes. Heuristic and algorithmic programming are used to select both the sequence and types of processes used for the conversion of complex mixtures into specified products. Improved schemes are evolved using learning techniques. An illustrative example is included.

Roger W. Thompson

Papers

Systematic synthesis of separation schemes