Simulation and optimization of three-column triple-effect methanol distillation scheme

[Display omitted] •A novel three-column triple-effect methanol distillation scheme was developed.•The optimal operating conditions were achieved.•The energy consumption is reduced by 20.91 % after process improvement.•The consumption of saturated steam in industrial application was decreased by 21.93 %. The distillation of methanol is a high energy consumption task through methanol production process. In order to reduce such energy consumption, a novel technology of three-column triple-effect methanol distillation was developed, simulated and analyzed by PRO/Ⅱ process simulation software. The appropriate operating parameters (the washing water flow rate of the light ends column was 8000 kg/h, the reflux ratio of the atmospheric column was 1.64, the fusel oil side-draw stage of the atmospheric column was 53rd, the top operating pressure of the pressurized column was 735 K Pa and the flow rate of methanol produced by pressurized column and atmospheric column were 53.96 % and 46.04 %, respectively) were achieved. The results show that the energy consumption of three-column triple-effect methanol distillation scheme was decreased by 20.91 % compared to the three-column double-effect methanol distillation. The novel technology has been successfully applied in industrial methanol production and the results demonstrate that this developed technology would have promising future applications due to its low energy consumption.