Dynamic behaviour of reactive distillation tray columns described with a nonequilibrium cell model

Citation
R. Baur et al., Dynamic behaviour of reactive distillation tray columns described with a nonequilibrium cell model, CHEM ENG SC, 56(4), 2001, pp. 1721-1729
Citations number
28
Categorie Soggetti
Chemical Engineering
Journal title
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
ISSN journal
00092509 → ACNP
Volume
56
Issue
4
Year of publication
2001
Pages
1721 - 1729
Database
ISI
SICI code
0009-2509(200102)56:4<1721:DBORDT>2.0.ZU;2-V
Abstract
In this paper we develop a generic, dynamic, nonequilibrium (NEQ) cell mode l for reactive distillation (RD) tray columns. The features of our model ar e (1) the use of Maxwell-Stefan equations for describing mass transfer betw een fluid phases, (2) the reaction is assumed to take place in the liquid p hase, both within the diffusion layer and in the bulk, (3) the coupling bet ween mass transfer and chemical reactions within the diffusion layer is acc ounted for, and (4) the use of multiple well-mixed cells in the liquid and vapour flow directions in order to account for staging in either fluid phas e. The utility of the developed model is demonstrated by carrying out simul ations of a RD column for production of ethylene glycol (EG) by hydration o f ethylene oxide. The introduction of staging in the vapour and liquid phas es improves the conversion to EG and also reduces the formation of the unwa nted di-ethylene glycol. Furthermore, there are marked differences between the dynamic column response to feed perturbations between the developed NEQ model and the more commonly used equilibrium (EQ) stage model. (C) 2001 El sevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.