Purification of Butanol from the ABE Mixture: Effect of Intensification on the Dynamic Behavior

Process intensification is a strategy that has reduced costs and equipment while improving on the energy efficiency, safety, and environmental impact of processes. There is a widespread belief in the community that a more intensified process is better; however, the higher the level of process intensification, the more complex its operation becomes. In this paper, we will evaluate how the degree of intensification and the position of the intensification equipment affect the control dynamics. As a case study, the separation of butanol from the acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) mixture has been considered due to the thermodynamic complexity of the mixture and the several intensification alternatives that the process can have. On the one hand, the results indicate that the most intensified equipment is not necessarily the best alternative from the operation and control point of view. On the other hand, a strong impact of the location of the intensified equipment on controllability is observed. The configurations with the intensified equipment at the end of the separation were the alternatives with the best dynamic responses.