MODELING OF A REACTION-DISTILLATION-RECYCLE SYSTEM TO PRODUCE DIMETHYL ETHER THROUGH METHANOL DEHYDRATION (paper qir move to proceeding)

This study aims to predict the increase in the dimethyl ether yield due to recycle integration to a reaction-distillation system for the production of dimethyl ether through methanol dehydration. A one-dimensional phenomenological model of an isothermal methanol dehydration reactor and a shortcut model of distillation columns were used to achieve the aim. Simulation results show that 10.7 moles/s of dimethyl ether is produced in a reaction-distillation system with the reactor length being 4 m, the reactor inlet pressure being 18 atm, the reactor inlet temperature being 533 K, the reactor inlet velocity being 0.408 m/s, and the distillation pressure being 8 atm. Under these parameters, the methanol conversion is 90% and the dimethyl ether yield is 48%. The integration of the recycle stream to the system increases the dimethyl ether yield by 8%.

dimethyl ether, methanol, fixed-bed reactor, distillation column, recycle

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