Design method for the feasibility and technical evaluation of side-reactor column configurations

Abstract A distillation column with side-reactor column (SRC) configuration is recommended for intensifying the conventional chemical processes in which traditional process intensification (PI) techniques negate the overall economic benefits owing to operational and technical constraints. Existing methods, however, lack systematic approaches to quickly identify whether PI using SRC design is a viable alternative, and therefore requires extensive simulation studies to verify its technical feasibility. This paper presents guidelines that quickly provide insights into the applicability of SRC to a wide range of conventional or reactive distillation (RD) processes. The reported applicability of SRC to three chemical processes clearly demonstrates the reliability of the projected framework. This paper also summarizes basic design parameters to maximize PI benefits from a practical point of view, while considering the applicability of SRC.