Exergetic and Economic Assessment of Distillation Hybrid Configurations for Bioethanol Refining

Authors : Bilyaminu SULEİMAN, Adegboyega OLAWALE, Saidu MOHAMMED

Pages : 221-231

Doi:10.5541/ijot.537

View : 8 | Download : 6

Publication Date : 2014-12-04

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Thermo-economics analysis was used to identify the most economic distillation hybrid configuration to dehydrate bioethanol mash insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(12 wt%); to fuel grade insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(99.5 wt%); based on economic objective of minimization of operating cost in this work. Three different hybrids of THIDC with azeotropic and, extractive distillation units were assessed using similar feed and product specifications of 1200 kmol/h insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(12 % by weight ethanol); and 55 kmol/h insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(99.5 % by weight ethanol); respectively . The six hybrid configurations were simulated using Aspen Plus ®. The hybrid of THIDC with conventional extractive distillation insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(THEX1); was shown to have the lowest irreversibility rate insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(lost work); and highest exergetic efficiency followed by the hybrid containing thermally extractive sequence insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(THEX3);. The latter also has the lowest energy consumption. However, economic evaluation showed that thermally coupled extractive distillation hybrid insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(with THIDC); is the most attractive hybrid configuration dehydrating bioethanol to fuel grade at commercial scale with the highest return on investment insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(ROI); and the least annual product cost. This indicates its economic attractiveness when compared with the other hybrids considered in this work. The trade-off existing between economic and exergy efficiency favours the selection of THEX3 as the preferred choice for bioethanol refining among all the six hybrids investigated.
Keywords : Bioethanol, lost work, exergy and energy, efficiency, exergetic economic analysis and hybrid configurations