Robust Initialization of Rigorous Process Simulations of Multiple Dividing Wall Columns via Vmin Diagrams

Dividing Wall Columns (DWCs) allow the separation of a ternary mixture in one column shell by applying a vertical partition wall, yielding a reduction of operational and capital costs of up to 30%. Multiple DWC (mDWC), the consequent advancement of standard DWC, makes use of more than one partitioning wall, allowing the separation of quaternary or even higher mixtures in one column shell accompanied by a further reduction of energy consumption. Since no dedicated models for these columns are available in commercial process simulators, thermodynamic consistent flowsheets have to be designed and implemented. The thermally fully coupled Petlyuk arrangement is one important example. However, the initial convergence of these substituting flowsheets is demanding, since a large number of meaningful initial guesses have to be provided. A promising method for generating these first estimates are minimum vapor (Vmin) diagrams. All internal flows can be extracted from these diagrams and used for robust initialization of the simulation. The goal of this work is to present the Vmin method in a comprehensive way in order to initialize mDWC simulations to predict the separation of four component mixtures. Additionally, the adaptation of the diagram to configurations different than Petlyuk arrangements for mDWC is evaluated and a systematic procedure to obtain them is presented. In the end, an example of a converging simulation is given, which was obtained with the values from the Vmin diagram.