A computer-aided approach for achieving sustainable process design by process intensification

Process intensification can be applied to achieve sustainable process design. In this paper, a systematic, 3-stage synthesis-intensification framework is applied to achieve more sustainable design. In stage 1, the synthesis stage, an objective function and design constraints are defined and a base case is synthesized.

In stage 2, the design and analysis stage, the base case is analyzed using economic and environmental analyses to identify process hot-spots that are translated into design targets. In stage 3, the innovation design stage, phenomena-based process intensification is performed to generate flowsheet alternatives that satisfy the design targets thereby, minimizing and/or eliminating the process hot-spots.

The application of the framework is highlighted through the production of para-xylene via toluene methylation where more sustainable flowsheet alternatives that consist of hybrid/intensified unit operations are generated from the application of phenomena-based process intensification.