(79b) Using a Dividing Wall Distillation Column to Isolate Trace Impurities

As part of an ongoing experimental study of dividing wall columns at The University of Texas at Austin, the control of a fixed design DWC isolating a middle-boiling impurity will be presented. The pilot plant column is six inches in diameter and approximately 30 feet tall. The column has 24 theoretical stages of structured packing and a welded wall in the horizontal and vertical middle of the column. A fourth trace component was added to the feed to mimic industrial systems in which trace impurities are present. Disturbance testing of the pilot column included changes in feed composition and operating variables such as the overhead reflux and the wall split. Experimental results were used to validate a comprehensive rigorous dynamic model that includes heat transfer and pressure drop calculations.