IDEAS approach to process network synthesis: minimum utility cost for complex distillation networks

Abstract This work aims at quantifying the minimum utility cost necessary to complete a given separation task using vapor–liquid equilibrium (distillation) operations. The Infinite DimEnsionAl State-space (IDEAS) process is introduced as a new paradigm for this process synthesis activity. The IDEAS conceptual framework includes all possible process configurations, and yields mathematical programs that are convex (linear), thereby guaranteeing the global optimality of the obtained solution. A case study, on nitrogen/oxygen mixture separation, is employed to illustrate the power of the proposed approach. The obtained IDEAS designs are compared with the corresponding McCabe–Thiele (conventional) minimum utility designs, and are shown to be as much as 50% more thermodynamically and economically efficient.

[1]  Ernest J. Henley,et al.  Equilibrium-Stage Separation Operations in Chemical Engineering , 1981 .

[2]  T. W. Mix,et al.  Energy conservation in distillation , 1981 .

[3]  Vasilios Manousiouthakis,et al.  Best achievable performance: non‐switching compensation for multiple models , 1999 .

[4]  E. G. Hohmann,et al.  A NEW APPROACH TO THE SYNTHESIS OF MULTICOMPONENT SEPARATION SCHEMES , 1982 .

[5]  Mahmoud M. El-Halwagi,et al.  Synthesis of mass exchange networks , 1989 .

[6]  F. Petlyuk.  Thermodynamically Optimal Method for Separating Multicomponent Mixtures , 1965 .

[7]  V. Manousiouthakis,et al.  Best achievable decentralized performance , 1995, IEEE Trans. Autom. Control..

[8]  J. Smith,et al.  Introduction to chemical engineering thermodynamics , 1949 .

[9]  William L. Luyben,et al.  Economics of Alternative Distillation Configurations for the Separation of Ternary Mixtures , 1978 .

[10]  I. Grossmann,et al.  A systematic modeling framework of superstructure optimization in process synthesis , 1999 .

[11]  Miguel J. Bagajewicz,et al.  Mass/heat‐exchange network representation of distillation networks , 1992 .

[12]  L. T. Fan,et al.  Recycling in a separation process structure , 1993 .

[13]  D. Commerce.  Statistical abstract of the United States , 1978 .

[14]  Ignacio E. Grossmann,et al.  A structural optimization approach in process synthesis. II: Heat recovery networks , 1983 .

[15]  Arthur W. Westerberg,et al.  A Simple Synthesis Method Based on Utility Bounding for Heat‐Integrated Distillation Sequences , 1985 .