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Abstracto

Olefin metathesis reactive distillation process dynamics with respect to product temperatures

Abdulwahab Giwa and Saidat Olanipekun Giwa

This work has been carried out to study the dynamics of reactive distillation process used for the production ofcis-2- butene and cis-2-hexene from the metathesis reaction of cis-2-pentene. The dynamics was investigated using the 2 x 2 transfer function model of the process developed, with the aid of System Identification Toolbox of MATLAB, from the data generated, through the use of Parametric Utility, by employing the prototype plant of the process modelled with the aid of Aspen HYSYS. The input parameters of the process transfer function model were reflux ratio and reboiler duty while the output parameters were top stage and bottom stage temperatures of the column, which were the temperatures of the products obtained from the reactive distillation column. In order to study the dynamics, step changes of 1 and 0.1 units were applied to the reflux ratio and the reboiler duty respectively, both separately and simultaneously, and the dynamic responses of the output variables were recorded and plotted. The results obtained revealed that both the top and the bottom stage temperatures were able to respond to the step changes applied to the input variables. The response given by the bottom stage temperature upon the application of a unit step change to the reflux ratio was found to be slower than that of the top stage temperature, but both of them were able to get to their steady states within the simulation time used. In addition, the two output variables were found to respond very well in a smooth manner to the simultaneous application of step changes to the input variables, indicating that the chosen input variables were actually having effects on the selected output variables