ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF ANETHANOL- TO -HYDROCARBON PROC ESSSET -UP THROUGH MODELLING AND SIMULATION USING ASPEN PLUS

GIWA, Abdulwahab ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF ANETHANOL- TO -HYDROCARBON PROC ESSSET -UP THROUGH MODELLING AND SIMULATION USING ASPEN PLUS. ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences. ISSN 1819- 6608

Text jeas_0418_6999.pdf - Published Version Download (455kB)

Abstract

This research work has been carried out to develop and simulate the reactive distillation and conventional models for production of hydrocarbon ether (diethyl ether) from ethanol for the purpose of economic analyses. The development of the models for the two process methods were achieved with the aid of Asp en Plus using RadFrac as the column for the reactive distillation process and an equilibrium reactor in addition to RadFrac fo r the conventional process method. The column used in both cases had 21 stages including a total condenser and a k ettle reboiler, and the feed entered the column at the 11th stage of the column. For the two processes, Non-Random Two-Liquid activity coefficient model was used as the Property Method. From the results obtained, it was discovered that the p erformance of reactive distillation process was better than that of the conventional method of diethyl ether production fr om ethanol. This was because the mole fraction of liquid product given by the reactive distillation process was higher than the one obtained from the conventional method of production when the two of them were operated at approximately the sam e conditions. Furthermore, the observations made from the economic analyses of the two approaches of the production in dicated that reactive distillation was a cheaper process to set up and operate because its total capital cost, operating cost, utilities cost, equipment cost and equipment installation cost were estimated to be less than those of the conventional method of the ethanol- to -diethyl ether process.

Actions (login required)

View Item