Premium
Improved simulation of a vapour permeation module
Author(s) -
Brinkmann Torsten,
Dijkstra Marga,
Ebert Katrin,
Ohlrogge Klaus
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.781
Subject(s) - permeation , mass transfer , process (computing) , membrane , process engineering , process simulation , dependency (uml) , chemistry , engineering , materials science , computer science , simulation , chromatography , systems engineering , biochemistry , operating system
Abstract An increasing number of hybrid processes consisting of conventional unit operations and vapour permeation modules have been suggested in recent years. To facilitate accurate process design, rigorous models of this novel membrane process are essential. By comparing experimental results obtained from a pilot plant, it was shown that simply solving the material balances and assuming constant permeances is not sufficient to predict the operating behaviour of a vapour permeation module. In order to reflect the experimental results it was necessary to consider the concentration, temperature and pressure dependency of the permeation process through the membrane as well as the mass transfer restriction in the boundary layer on the feed side. The introduced model is capable of taking account of these effects and predicts the experimental results satisfactorily. The model was written using the commercial, equation‐oriented process simulator Aspen Custom Modeler™ and hence can easily be integrated with commercial process simulation packages. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry