Steady-state simulation of a reactive internally heat integrated distillation column (R-HIDiC) for synthesis of tertiary-amyl methyl ether (TAME)

Tertiary-amyl methyl ether (TAME) is a very important fuel additive, which has attracted the attention of many researchers. In this article, the synthesis of TAME by a reactive internally heat integrated distillation column (R-HIDiC) is investigated. A complex mathematical formulation is developed for simulating the proposed reactive heat integrated distillation column (R-HIDiC), based on material balance, equilibrium, summation of mole fractions and enthalpy balance (MESH) equations. The suggested model is used for simulating an R-HIDiC for industrial production of TAME. The performance of the proposed R-HIDiC is compared to the conventional reactive distillation column which is usually used in TAME production plants. The model verification has been performed using industrial data of the conventional TAME reactive distillation. The simulation results show that the total energy consumption of the proposed R-HIDiC is about 22% less than that of the conventional reactive distillation column.

► A reactive internally heat integrated distillation column (R-HIDiC) is designed and simulated for TAME synthesis
► The proposed model and the solution algorithm were verified by using the industrial data of the TAME production process
► The total energy consumption of the proposed TAME R-HIDiC is about 22% less than that of the conventional TAME reactive distillation.