Evolutionary thermodynamic synthesis of zeotropic distillation sequences

J. Koehler, P. Aguirre, E. Blass

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to present a new evolutionary strategy for the synthesis of simple and complex distillation sequences. The initial flowsheet is the reversible multicomponent distillation scheme, which includes as the thermodynamically optimum superstructure many of the possible separation configurations. Assumptions with respect to ideal boiling behaviour or constant molar overflow are not required, but azeotropic systems are excluded. The computation time requirement is extremely low, because only flash-type calculations and no rigorous column simulations are involved. In this approach columns and heat exchangers are successively removed from the initial flowsheet by using thermodynamic information on splits. In this way not only simple sequences, but also sidestream withdrawals, sidestream strippers and sidestream enrichers can be created. The evolutionary strategy and the underlying modification criteria will be illustrated by several examples. Some comments on common heuristic rules and heat-integration possibilities are made in conclusion.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)153-167
Number of pages15
JournalGas Separation and Purification
Volume6
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1992

Keywords

  • distillation sequences
  • process design
  • thermodynamics

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