LAPSE:2018.0135
Preprint
LAPSE:2018.0135
Space-constrained purification of dimethyl ether through process intensification using semicontinuous dividing wall columns
Sarah E. Ballinger, Thomas A. Adams II
June 12, 2018
In this work, a distillation system is designed to purify dimethyl ether (DME) from its reaction by-products in the conversion of flare gas into a useful energy product. The distillation equipment has a size constraint for easy transportation, making process intensification the best strategy to efficiently separate the mixture. The process intensification distillation techniques explored include the dividing wall column (DWC) and a novel semicontinuous dividing wall column (S-DWC). The DWC and the S-DWC both purify DME to fuel grade purity along with producing high purity waste streams. An economic comparison is made between the two systems. The DWC is a cheaper method of producing DME however the purity of methanol, a reaction intermediate, is not as high as the S-DWC. Overall, this research shows that it is possible to purify DME and its reaction by-products in a 40-foot distillation column at a cost that is competitive with Diesel.
Keywords
Aspen Plus, Dimethyl Ether, Dividing wall column, Mobile Plant, Plant-on-a-truck, Process Intensification, Semicontinuous Distillation, Simulation
Suggested Citation
Ballinger SE, Adams TA II. Space-constrained purification of dimethyl ether through process intensification using semicontinuous dividing wall columns. (2018). LAPSE:2018.0135
Author Affiliations
Ballinger SE: McMaster University
Adams TA II: McMaster University [ORCID] [Google Scholar]
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Journal Name
Computers and Chemical Engineering
Volume
105
First Page
197
Last Page
211
Year
2017
Publication Date
2017-01-27
Version Comments
Original Submission
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Preprint

LAPSE:2018.0135
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doi:10.1016/j.compchemeng.2017.01.037
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Jun 12, 2018
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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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Thomas A. Adams II
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