Exergy loss analysis of heat transfer across the wall of the dividing-wall distillation column

The dividing-wall distillation column is thermodynamically equivalent to the Petlyuk column on the condition that no heat transfer is allowed across the dividing wall. However, better energy efficiency of the column may be obtained if heat transfer occurs within a certain part of the wall. The effects of heat transfer across the dividing wall can be analyzed by using the column grand composite curve (CGCC). The heat transfer potential across the wall can be observed by looking at the CGCC of both column sections alongside the dividing wall. However, the possibility of whether heat should be added or rejected at any stage is not clearly known ahead of the CGCC. Consequently, in this work, the exergy analysis is applied to the dividing-wall column in order to determine whether heat should be added or rejected at any particular stage. Also, the minimum exergy loss value in the column is set as the criterion for determining the heat load targets at any stage. These load targets can then be plotted as a T–H profile similar to the CGCC. This methodology was reported to successfully apply to the column with multiple feeds and products. After having identified the locations and quantities of the feasible heat transfer across the dividing wall, the benefits are discussed via three case studies.