PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
CONTENTS
Introduction
Process Intensification?
Objectives
History
Principles
Approaches to achieve Process Intensification
Process Intensification of a Distillation Column
Process Intensification of a Multi-component Distillation Column
Barriers
Summary
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INTRODUCTION
Process Intensification is one of the most important progress areas for modern chemical
engineers.
It is seen as the most promising developing paths for chemical process industry.
Process Intensification is a revolution in chemical engineering design that could replace our
traditional chemical process plants.
The concept arose from the question that if a dramatic reduction in the size and/or volume
of all the process plant components could be made without compromising output, would
there be a significant impact on the total plant capital cost?
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PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
“Physical miniaturization of process equipment while retaining throughput and
performance”
A strategy for making dramatic reductions in the size of a chemical plant so as to reach a given
production objective – C. Ramshaw
Process Intensification aims to shrink the size of a chemical plant but at the same time increases
their efficiency.
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OBJECTIVES
Downsizing the equipment
Merging of equipment
Reducing waste
Lowering the cost
Increasing efficiency
Usage of alternative energy sources
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HISTORY
In 16th century, a book by Georgius Agricola explained a process on retrieving gold from
gold ores and it was all related to stirrers. This gave the world a vision of process
intensification.
The words Process Intensification got recognition in 1995 at first International Conference
on Process Intensification in the Chemical Industry.
C. Ramshaw presented the world with defining Process Intensification and stamped its
beginning in chemical process industries.
In the late 1970s, the PI strategy was implemented by the Process Technology Group at
ICI's New Science Laboratory. At the time the company was reviewing its capital
development, it concluded major capital cost savings of the plant.
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EXAMPLE OF PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
Granule storage Solvent buffer
Granule dosage Liquid dosage
Crushing/Grinding Over heating
Fine grain dosage Pressure dosage
Filtration Extraction
Filter cake
discharge
Product
Residue storage
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PRINCIPLES OF PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
Maximizing the effectiveness of intra and intermolecular events
Uniform treatment for every single molecule in the process
Optimizing the driving forces and maximizing the specific surface areas to which these
forces apply
Maximizing synergetic effects from partial processes
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APPROACHES TO ACHIEVE PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
STRUCTURE (spatial domain)
ENERGY (thermodynamic domain)
SYNERGY (functional domain)
TIME (temporal domain)
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STRUCTURE (SPATIAL DOMAIN)
“Structured Environment”
Well-defined geometry
Creation of maximum specific surface area at minimum energy expenses
Creation of high mass and heat transfer rates
Easy understanding, simple scale-up
Precise mathematical description
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ENERGY (THERMODYNAMIC DOMAIN)
“Alternative forms and transfer mechanisms of energy”
Manipulation of molecular orientation
Activating/moving targeted molecules
Selective, gradient less, and local energy supply
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SYNERGY (FUNCTIONAL DOMAIN)
“Integration of functions/steps”
Synergistic effects
Better energy management
Increase of overall efficiency
More compact equipment
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TIME (TEMPORAL DOMAIN)
“Timing of the events, introducing dynamics (pulsing)”
Controlled energy input
Influencing hydrodynamic behavior
Increased energy efficiency
Minimization of unwanted phenomena, such as fouling
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INTENSIFICATION OF DISTILLATION COLUMN
High Gravity Rotary Packed Bed
Conventional Distillation Column
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CONTD.
Rotating packed bed is a chemical reactor
which used the effect of rotating centrifugal
force to be equivalent in the gravity field.
Its core component is the internal rotor which
filled with porous mediums.
The fluid, running through the porous medium
which rotates around rotor with high-speed, is
crushed and teared into nanoscale wires,
droplets and liquid membranes resulting in a
huge phase interface which enforces gas-liquid
contact and micro-mixing in a great extent.
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INTENSIFICATION OF MULTI-COMPONENT DISTILLATION
COLUMN
Conventional distillation column Divided wall distillation column
A 3-component distillation column configuration
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MERITS OF PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
Miniaturization of plant
Reduction in operating and capital cost
Improved process safety
Higher selectivity or product purity
Wider process conditions
Less energy consumption
Reduced waste
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BARRIERS OF PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
R&D in process industries mainly focus on new products rather than on ne synthesizing
methods.
Many methods are not proven on an industrial scale as a plant managers avoids risk.
There is a lack of simulation and process scale up capability.
Many chemical engineers in the industries are not aware of process intensification.
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SUMMARIZING…
Process Intensification has been described as the key to survival of the fittest in international
competition.
Reactive distillation is one of the oldest and most widely implemented intensified operations. The static
mixer is a significant improvement over mechanical agitation due to its lower energy costs and
uncomplicated design with no moving parts. Other important examples include monolithic reactors,
compact/ microchannel process units, divided wall column (DWC) distillation, ultrasonic and microwave
units, and reverse flow reactors. These designs can lead to significant improvements in capital costs,
energy usage, and process footprint.
PI has the potential of reducing energy usage, lowering equipment costs, and shrinking the required
footprint of a given production facility.
It must be recognized that significant effort is required to implement the Process Intensification
methodology and validate the use of new technologies.
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REFERENCES
Andrzej Górak and Andrzej Stankiewicz; Intensified Reaction and Separation Systems; Annual
Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (Vol. 2:431-451, July 2011).
Andrzej I. Stankiewicz, Jacob A. Moulijn; Process Intensification: Transforming Chemical
Engineering; Chemical Engineering Progress (22-34, January 2000).
Becht, R. Franke, A. Geißelmann, H. Hahn; An industrial view of process intensification; Chemical
Engineering Process (Vol.48: 329, 2009).
Chongpeng Zhang, Zhiqiang Dong, Bianhua HE; Test-bed’s Development of the Packed Bed with
both Revolution & Rotation’s High Gravity; Materials Science and Engineering (212, 2017).
Zheyu Jianga, Gautham Madenoor Ramapriyaa, Mohit Tawarmalanib, Rakesh Agrawal; Process
Intensification in Multicomponent Distillation; Chemical Engineering Transactions (Vol. 69:1-6,
2018).
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