Energy consumption

Process (computing)

Engineering

MATLAB

Distillation

Fractionating column

Operating system

Telecommunications

Column (typography)

Computer science

Mechanical engineering

Software

Organic chemistry

Work (physics)

Process engineering

Chemistry

Programming language

Process integration

Electrical engineering

Frame (networking)

The present work deals with the methodology which creates the integration and the communication between different software; we focus on the Aspen Plus ® simulator, MATLAB ® and Excel ® case. Such software interconnection represents an important objective, since it is not possible to find all the desired features in single software. As a study case, we are considering the reduction of energy consumption in the separation of a benzene-toluene mixture; a comparison between a classic distillation column and a Heat Integrated Distillation Column (HIDiC) is performed. Simulations of HIDiC and conventional columns were carried out in Aspen Plus and energy optimization of HIDiC was implemented in MATLAB. Excel is used only for communication purposes between software. As a result, the required energy in the HIDiC case is reduced by 31.25 % in respect to a conventional column with the same number of theoretical plates.

MODELING AND PROCESS OPTIMIZATION: AN APPROACH USING ASPEN PLUS AND MATLAB IN THE ENERGY INTEGRATION STUDY OF DISTILLATION COLUMNS