Dynamic performance comparison of two configurations of middle vessel batch distillation column for the separation of ethanol/propanol/butanol mixture

Abstract

This paper deals with Aspen Plus and Aspen Dynamics of the middle vessel batch distillation for the separation of mixtures of ethanol/propanol/butanol. Two configurations of middle vessel batch distillation have been considered, namely, the conventional middle vessel batch distillation (Configuration 1) and the modified middle vessel batch distillation column (Configuration 2). Steady-state simulations have been performed in Aspen Plus and exported to Aspen Dynamics for dynamic simulation. Dynamic studies show that Configuration 1 requires less time than Configuration 2 to obtain more than 95% of the compositions of ethanol, propanol, and butanol. The efficacy of the two controllers is assessed by the performance indices of integral of square error, integral of absolute error, and integral of time-weighted absolute error. Configuration 1 is found to have better performance than Configuration 2. © 2020 Curtin University and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.