A Systematic Approach on the Dynamic Modeling of Reactive Distillation Processes The standard mathematical model (NPHSP)

This work addresses the major problem of reactive distillation (RD) processes mathematical modeling, revealing also why detecting the presence of a three-phase regime (vapour-liquid-liquid) on the column stages is of utmost importance. In this paper, the authors present in detail their starting modeling approach, which describes the behaviour of a "classic" RD process (where the potential liquid phase splitting is not taken into account). This "no-phase-splitting" (NPHSP) model is suitable to be used, in connection with a robust phase splitting (PHSP) algorithm, in order to accurately simulate a real RD process where the three phase regime may appear in some conditions.