Improvements in configuration of a middle vessel batch distillation by means of rigorous dynamic modelling and simulation

The objective of this contribution is to compare various column configurations for the practical realisation of a middle vessel batch distillation column (MVBD). By means of extensive simulations, the entire process, beginning from a column at ambient conditions, has been analysed for the first time. Three column configurations have been investigated. Physical phenomena, such as condensation at the column wall and internals, have been considered. The results exhibit that a liquid bypass of the middle vessel during startup can decrease the process time by 20%. Industrial engineers are now capable of considering these new facts during the design and redesign phase of a new and existing columns, respectively.