Enhancement of esterification conversion using pervaporation membrane reactor

AbstractIn the present study, the esterification reaction of propionic acid with isobutyl alcohol to produce isobutyl propionate and water was studied. The performance of esterification reaction was compared by using the batch process and the pervaporation assisted hybrid process which performs the reaction and separation simultaneously. A polyvinyl alcohol–polyethersulphone (PVA–PES) hydrophilic polymeric membrane was used in the study to separate water and also to shift the equilibrium. The influence of process parameters such as catalyst loading, molar ratio of acid to alcohol, reaction temperature and ratio of membrane area to initial reaction volume (S/V) was studied. The results showed that the pervaporation assisted esterification process gave more conversion than the batch process of esterification. The membrane showed high selectivity to the removal of water in the propionic acid, isobutyl alcohol, isobutyl propionate and water mixture. Moreover, the conversion of propionic acid was enhanced by enhancing the catalyst amount, molar ratio of acid to alcohol, reaction temperature and S/V ratio

Performance evaluation and optimisation of post combustion CO2 capture processes for natural gas applications at pilot scale via a verified rate-based model

CO2 absorption based on chemical reactions is one of the most promising technologies for post combustion CO2 capture (PCC). There have been significant efforts to develop energy efficient and cost effective PCC processes. Given that PCC is still maturing as a technology, there will be a continuing need for pilot scale facilities to support process optimisation, especially in terms of energy efficiency. Pilot scale PCC facilities, which are usually orders of magnitude smaller than those that will be used in future in large scale fossil power plants, make it possible to study details of the PCC process at an affordable scale. However, it is essential that pilot scale studies provide credible data, if this is to be used with confidence to envisage the future large-scale use of the PCC process, especially in terms of energy consumption. The present work therefore establishes and experimentally verifies (using a representative pilot plant as a case study) procedures for analysing the energy performance of a pilot scale amine based CO2 capture plants, focusing on natural gas fired applications. The research critically assesses the pilot plant’s current energy performance, and proposes new operating conditions and system modifications by which the pilot plant will operate more efficiently in terms of energy consumption. The methodology developed to assess and improve the energy performance of the PCC process is applicable, with appropriate inputs, to other plants of this type that employs aqueous 30 wt. % monoethanolamine (MEA) solution as the solvent. A rate based model of the post combustion CO2 capture process using an aqueous solution of 30 wt. % MEA as the solvent was developed in Aspen Plus® V.8.4, and verified using the results of experimental studies carried out using the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre / Pilot-scale Advanced Capture Technology (UKCCSRC/PACT) pilot plant, as a representative pilot-scale capture plant, and employed for parametric sensitivity studies. Several parameters have been identified and varied over a given range of lean solvent CO2 loading to evaluate their effects on the pilot plant energy requirement. The optimum lean solvent CO2 loading was determined using the total equivalent work concept. Results show, for a given packing material type, the majority of energy savings can be realised by optimising the stripper operating pressure. To some extent, a higher solvent temperature at the stripper inlet has the potential to reduce the regeneration energy requirement. A more efficient packing material, can greatly improve the pilot plant overall energy and mass transfer efficiency

Numerical determination of distillation boundaries for multicomponent homogeneous and heterogeneous azeotropic systems

Comunicación presentada en ESCAPE-20, Ischia, Naples, Italy, 6-9 June 2010.This presentation introduces the main tools developed for the topological analysis of liquid-liquid and liquid-vapour equilibrium surfaces, including the study of the existence of distillation boundaries.Generalitat Valenciana of Spain (project GV/2007/125, Consellería de Empresa, Universidad y Ciencia), Universidad de Alicante