Modelling, Simulation and Sensitivity Analysis of a Fatty Acid Methyl Ester Reactive Distillation Process Using Aspen Plus

Reactive distillation, being an intensified process of combining reaction and distillation in a single vessel, is an ongoing research. This work considered the use of this novel process to investigate how the purity of a fatty acid methyl ester (oleic acid methyl ester - methyl oleate), which is an alternative fuel that has a potential economic bedrock, vary with variations in reflux ratio and reboiler duty with the aid of Aspen Plus model of the process. The column employed in developing the model of the process was a RadFrac type having 29 stages, which was divided into five sections, namely condenser (top), rectifying, reaction, stripping and reboiler (bottom) sections. After the development, the model was simulated using UNIversal QUAsiChemical model (UNIQUAC) base method. In order to investigate the sensitivity of the system, reflux ratio and reboiler duty were varied from 2.0-5.5 and 1350-1800 W, respectively. The results obtained from the steady-state simulation of the process revealed that the developed Aspen Plus model of the system was table because it was able to converge when simulated. Furthermore, it was discovered from the sensitivity analysis carried out that a methyl oleate having a mole fraction of approximately 0.7627 could be obtained from the process when the reflux ratio and the reboiler duty were 2.0 and 1800 W respectively. Also, it was observed that the mole fraction of methyl oleate was sensitive to both reflux ratio and reboiler duty because the variations in them (reflux ratio and reboiler duty) resulted in corresponding variation in the methyl oleate mole fraction obtained from the system.