Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Energy efficiency improvement of dimethyl ether purification process by utilizing dividing wall columns

  • Process Systems Engineering, Process Safety
  • Published:
Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The alternative fuel, dimethyl ether (DME), which can be synthesized from natural gas, coal or biomass syngas, has been traditionally used as a diesel substitute or additive. DME purification processes with a conventional distillation sequence consume a large amount of energy. We used dividing wall columns (DWCs) to improve the energy efficiency and reduce the capital cost of the DME purification process. Various possible DWC arrangements were explored to find the potential benefits derived from thermally coupled distillations. The results show that utilizing DWCs can significantly reduce both the energy consumption and investment cost of the DME purification process. The lower energy consumption also results in the reduction of the CO2 emission.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. H. D. Ng, J. Chao, T. Yatsufusa and J. H. S. Lee, Fuel, 88, 124 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. J. Hu, Y. Wang, C. Cao, D.C. Elliott, D. J. Stevens and J. F. White, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 44, 1722 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. E. D. Larson and H. Yang, Energy Sustain Dev., 8, 115 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. T. H. Fleisch, Diesel Prog. Engines Drives, 61, 42 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  5. V.V. Galvita, G. L. Semin, T. M. Belyaev, T.M. Yurieva and V. A. Sobyanin, Appl. Catal. A: Gen., 216, 85 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. T.A. Semelsberger, R.L. Borup and H.L. Greene, J. Power Sources, 156, 497 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. R. Vakili, E. Pourazadi, P. Setoodeh, R. Eslamloueyan and M. R. Rahimpour, Appl. Energy, 88, 1211 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. M. Stiefel, R. Ahmad, U. Arnold and M. Döring, Fuel Process. Technol., 92, 1466 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. A. Hadipour and M. Sohrabi, Chem. Eng. J., 137, 294 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. M. A. Gadalla, Z. Olujic, P. J. Jansens, M. Jobson and R. Smith, Environ. Sci. Technol., 39, 6860 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. R.G. Guerra, J.G. S. Hernandez and S. Hernandez, Chem. Eng. Res. Des., 87, 145 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. R. Agrawal and Z. T. Fidkowski, AIChE J., 44, 2565 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. I. Dejanovic, Lj. Matijasevic and Z. Olujic, Chem. Eng. Process., 49, 559 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. M. Emtir, E. Rev, P. Mizsey and Z. Fonyo, Comput. Chem. Eng., 23, 799 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Z. T. Fidkowski and L. Krolikowski, AIChE J., 33, 654 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. K. Muralikrishna, V. K. P. Madhavan and S. S. Shah, Trans IChemE, 80, 155 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. R. C. van Dieggelen, A. A. Kiss and A.W. Heemink, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 49, 288 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. R. Agrawal and Z. T. Fidkowski, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 37, 3444 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. K.A. Ammidunin, R. Smith, D.Y.-C. Thong and G. P. Towler, Trans IChemE, 79, 701 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. C. Bravo-Bravo, J.G. Segovia-Hernández, C. Gutiérrez-Antonio, A. L. Duran, A. Bonilla-Petriciolet and A. Briones-Ramírez, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 49, 3672 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. A. E. Karlsen, A. Esmaelpour, K. Osmani, K. S. B. Plünnecke (cosupervisor: Mehdi Panahi) and Sigurd Skogestad, DME from natural gas (Autumn project) (2009), http://www.nt.ntnu.no/users/skoge/diplom/prosjekt09/dme-project/

  22. E. Chang, J. C.G. Calado and W. B. Streett, J. Chem. Eng. Data, 27, 293 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. C.Y. Tsang and W. B. Streett, J. Chem. Eng. Data, 26, 155 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. M. Teodorescu and P. Rasmussen, J. Chem. Eng. Data, 46, 640 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. R. Premkumar and G. P. Rangaiah, Chem. Eng. Res. Des., 87, 47 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. L. T. Biegler, I. E. Grossmann and A.W. Westerberg, Systematic methods of chemical process design, Prentice Hall Inc.: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 110 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  27. N.V.D. Long, S. H. Lee and M.Y. Lee, Chem. Eng. Proc., 49, 825 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. N.V. D. Long and M.Y. Lee, Asia-Pac. J. Chem. Eng., 6, 338 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. M. Emtir, E. Rev and Z. Fonyo, Appl. Therm. Eng., 21, 1299 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. C. Triantafyllou and R. Smith, Chem. Eng. Res. Des., 70, 118 (1992).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. S. H. Lee, M. Shamsuzzoha, M. Han, Y. H. Kim and M. Y. Lee, Korean J. Chem. Eng., 28, 348 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. A. J. Finn, Gas Sep. Purif., 10, 169 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. N.V. D. Long and M.Y. Lee, Comput. Chem. Eng., 37, 119 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 712-749, Korea

    Le Quang Minh, Nguyen Van Duc Long & Moonyong Lee

Authors
  1. Le Quang Minh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nguyen Van Duc Long
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Moonyong Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Moonyong Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Minh, L.Q., Van Duc Long, N. & Lee, M. Energy efficiency improvement of dimethyl ether purification process by utilizing dividing wall columns. Korean J. Chem. Eng. 29, 1500–1507 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-012-0048-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-012-0048-6

Key words

Search

Navigation