Optimization-Based Approach to Process Synthesis for Process Intensification: Synthesis of Reaction-Separation Processes

Process synthesis and intensification are powerful tools for the development of cost- and energy-efficient chemical processes. However, even though their combination maximizes the potential for improvements, they are mostly applied separately. The current article presents the extension of a phenomena-based process synthesis method by an aditional building block for reactor network synthesis and reactive separations. The method facilitates the automatic generation of thermodynamically feasible phenomena-based flowsheet variants by means of superstructure optimization, which are subsequently translated into equipment-based flowsheets taking into account classical as well as intensified equipment. By composing a flowsheet from mass and energy transfer phenomena instead of predefined unit operations, counterintuitive solutions and significant improvements can be achieved. In the current contribution, the capabilities of the method are demonstrated using the transesterification of propylene carbonate with methanol as a case study. The resulting optimal flowsheet represents a combination of integrated and hybrid separation steps for overcoming the intrinsic limitations of this system. The obtained result presents significant cost saving potential compared to those flowsheet variants previously generated by an alternative process synthesis method.

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Optimization-Based Approach to Process Synthesis for Process Intensification: Synthesis of Reaction-Separation Processes