Steady state multiplicity in esterification distillation columns
The main focus of this presentation is the application of the geometric infinity/infinity -analysis method to esterification reactions in distillation columns and the transferability of the findings to rigorous reactive column models when assumptions of infinite length, infinite reflux or reaction equilibrium are weakened. Since the boundaries of the transformed composition space are parallel for typical esterification reaction systems, infinity/infinity -analysis often predicts an infinite number of steady states for a certain value of the bottom or distillate flow rate. Numerical bifurcation studies with a rigorous column model show, that the infinite number of steady states reduces to a finite number of steady states when infinity/infinity -conditions are weakened. Only when reaction rate, column length or reflux rate are lowered to comparatively small values, the multiplicity finally reduces to a unique solution with high sensitivity.
esterification multiple steady states infinity/infinity-analysis reactive distillation bifurcation analysis