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CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION

Research methodology is the most important aspects in conducting a research. It provides


guidelines on how to achieve the objectives of a research. In this research project, there are
several procedure or method to be follow to achieve the objective.

3.2 PROCEDURES

The procedures to conduct this research will include the following:

1. Data collection
2. Data analysis
3. Simulation on Aspen HYSYS
4. Result analyse
5. Conclusion

3.3 DATA COLLECTION

It is necessary to have reliable data regarding separation of CO2 ethane azeotrope in process
industry as they will be further analyzed and used to select the optimize separation process.
In this research, the data are randomly obtained from various sources such as workbook from
petrochemical industries around the world, and many other databases. The collected data
should include information on the method on separation of azeotrope mixture, working process
for each separation process, optimization of the method or technique, and entrainer selection
and any other parameter to be concerned. These data will be analyzed and results from the
analysis will be used to separate the azeotrope mixture in petrochemical industry.

3.4 DATA ANALYSIS

The data obtained will be analyzed using simulation on Aspen HYSYS. There are three thing
need to be consider in analyse the data.
1. Thermodynamic process

Before starting with the simulation, the thermodynamic of the process must be analyse.
Thermodynamic and process analyses indicate the preferred separation method. The
separation method considered in this analysis includes a ternary mixture of ethane,
carbon dioxide, and n-butane. Carbon dioxide and ethane have normal boiling points of
194.5 and 184.5 K, and molecular weights of 44 and 30 kg/kmol, respectively. The
addition of n-butane will decreases the CO2 freezing point to −71.6 °C, avoiding solid
formation in the column at cryogenic temperatures. CO2 and ethane behave similarly
with most heavier alkane hydrocarbons.

2. Process studied

A typical feed to the CO2 recovery column is the methane-free product of the
demethanizer column, which contains CO2, ethane, and higher molecular weight
hydrocarbons. This analysis considers the separation of a typical multi-component
mixture. For the base case (two-column sequence) and the new alternative (three-
column scheme), the feed basis is 4 kmol/s with a composition of 32.25 mol % CO2 and
46.23 mol % C2. The remainder consists of hydrocarbons ranging from propane (C3) to
n-pentane (nC5). The desired product purities are 95.6 mol % CO2 and 99.7 mol %
ethane in the extractive and recovery columns, respectively. Aspen Plus with the Peng–
Robinson equation of state provides predicted thermodynamic data.

3. Conventional direct sequence

Illustrates a direct sequence of extractive distillation columns (conventional scheme)


used to separate CO2 from ethane is shown in figure 1, and is based on the information
provided by Tavan and Hosseini, and Luyben. CO2 collects as the top distillate from the
first distillation column (extraction column), while the bottom product – consisting of
ethane and heavier hydrocarbons (C3+) – feeds the second distillation column (solvent
recovery column). High purity ethane is obtained as the distillate product, and heavier
hydrocarbons (NGL) as the bottom product of the solvent recovery column. The
recovered NGL is divided into two parts, one of which is pumped back into the first
column for breaking the azeotrope, and the second part goes to a sequence of distillation
column for separation into C3, iC4, nC4, iC5, and nC5 product streams.
3.5 DRAWING CONCLUSION

A conclusion should be made from the simulation analysis. The conclusion should include why
and how the separation method is select, what are the most suitable solvent use and why the
solvent is select for this separation.

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