Synthesis of Efficient Multicomponent Separation Processes

Separation processes find application in a variety of industries like the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, gas separation and semiconductor industries. It is estimated that separation processes account for nearly 40-70% of chemical plant costs. One reason for the associated high costs is that the industry relies on the experience and intuition of a few expert engineers to build separation sequences for any given application. In this work, we present a systematic method to design a separation system that is up to 50% cost-effective and energy-efficient over existing systems. Our focus is on distillation configuration design. First, we enumerate all useful distillation sequences that are possible for separating a given mixture, and then incorporate them into an optimization framework which produces a rank-list of distillation sequences based on a desired criterion (energy consumption/overall cost/thermodynamic efficiency). Such a tool in the hands of an industrial practitioner will allow the person to focus on a certified small subset of useful configurations. Furthermore, we present some exciting recent progress made in process intensification for distillation, in areas of dividing wall columns and simultaneous heat and mass integration.