Hydraulic design, technical challenges and comparison of alternative configurations of a four-product dividing wall column

This study addresses technical feasibility related aspects of multi-partition wall alternatives for a four-product dividing wall column, which, although highly beneficial, have not been yet attempted in industrial practice. Utilizing an industrially relevant aromatics processing plant case as basis for design and evaluation of cost-effectiveness of alternative configurations, this paper focuses on the hydraulic design and dimensioning of a minimum energy configuration with two overhead product streams. DWC technology related issues are discussed, which can help to distinguish what makes sense and what not when dealing with practical implementation of multi-partition wall configurations.