High pressure-driven batch distillation optimal control for ethylacetate-ethanol separation

The pressure-swing distillation process with high-pressurized batch columns (HHP), with and without a recycling stream, in double stripper configuration for separating ethylacetate-ethanol is under investigation. With the aim of productivity maximization, the optimal control patterns are found for both ethanol and ethylacetate purification. It is discovered that with the increase of top pressure, the maximum recovery rate is achieved faster. Moreover, the proposed process also gives rise to energy expenditure minimization, due to the temperature gap that is to be more broadened with pressure gap increase.