Operability Improvement in a Fully Thermally Coupled Distillation System with Separated Main Columns

Abstract

For operability improvement in a fully thermally coupled distillation column (FTCDC), a new configuration of a separated main column system was proposed and its performance was examined with an industrial BTX fractionation process. The main column of an original FTCDC was divided into two sections, and the three sections including a prefractionator and the two main columns were operated at different pressures resulting in easy vapor transfer between the sections. The section pressure can be independently manipulated according to product volatility. In addition, the separate adjustment of liquid flow at the sections makes the control of product specification easier than that of the original FTCDC as exhibited in the simulation study of a step response test.