Application of the Bottom Flashing Method for Heat Integration of Azeotropic Distillation Column

Complete separation of azeotropic mixtures typically requires at least two distillation columns. Consequently, due to the use of two columns and the inherent difficulty of separation, these processes are highly energy-intensive. Unlike extractive and azeotropic distillation processes, the pressure-swing distillation (PSD) process does not require the addition of entrainer. This advantage makes PSD more environmentally friendly compared to the other two methods. However, the energy consumption of PSD remains significant. In this study, the separation of an ethanol and ethyl acetate mixture is investigated. This mixture forms a minimum boiling azeotrope. In this work, the bottom flashing method is employed for the heat integration of the process. Through the implementation of this method, the condenser and reboiler of the distillation column are eliminated by incorporating a heat exchanger and a compressor. The results demonstrate that, if properly implemented, the bottom flashing method can reduce energy consumption by up to ۷۲%.

Keywords:

Azeotrope , pressure swing distillation , heat integration , bottom flashing