Potential Energy Savings by Using Alternative Technologies for the Separation of Fluid Mixtures

Abstract

The focus of this work is to analyze alternative processes and technologies for the separation of fluid mixtures with respect to energy consumption. In an effort to illustrate the dramatic potential energy savings of various alternative separation processes, evaluations of such processes for three industrially important fluid mixtures--ethanol-water, air, and ethylbenzene-styrene--are included. No specific attempt was made to cover all possible energy-saving alternatives in the cases studied. The ones chosen for the evaluations are some of the more conventional processes that appear to have possibilities of commercial application in the near future. In some cases commercial applications have already been successfully implemented. It is not the objective of this work to determine the optimum alternative from an economic standpoint. The evaluations address energy consumption only, since the purpose of the analysis is to determine the typical energy consumption per unit or product for the various technologies.