The document discusses reactive dividing wall columns (R-DWC) for biodiesel production. There are four main ways to produce biodiesel, including transesterification. R-DWC combines reaction and distillation in one unit, allowing biodiesel production and methanol recovery/glycerol separation in a single integrated process. Using an R-DWC can provide significant capital and operating cost savings compared to conventional processes. Research shows R-DWCs allow the use of only 15% excess methanol for full conversion while achieving product specifications and potential energy savings up to 25%.

1. Understanding the Process of R-DWC for
Biodiesel Production

2. CONTENTS
BIODIESEL
INTRODUCTION
DIFFERENT WAYS
OF BIODIESEL
PRODUCTION
ABOUT DWC ABOUT R-DWC
R-DWC IN
BIODIESEL
PRODUCTION

3. INTRODUCTION
Biodiesel production is undergoing rapid
technological reforms in industries and
academia.
Four primary ways to make biodiesel
are:
○ Direct use and blending of
vegetable oils,
○ Micro-emulsions,
○ Thermal cracking (pyrolysis)
and
○ Transesterification .
● One of the most common methods
used to reduce oil viscosity in the
biodiesel industry is called
transesterification which take place
between a vegetable oil or animal fat
and an alcohol (methanol, ethanol,
butanol) in presence of a catalyst
(homogeneous, heterogeneous) or
without the application of catalysts

4. DIFFERENT
WAYS OF
PRODUCTION
RD (Reactive Distillation)
DWC (dividing wall column)
RDWC (reactive DWC)
Nowadays technologies such as reactive distillation (RD)
and dividing-wall column (DWC) are proven process
intensification technologies that offer significant capital
and operating costs savings

5. D
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6. Source:-Separation of Mixture by Divided Wall Column using ASPEN PLUS Kishore Khushalani1 , Akanksha Maheshwari2 , Nikita Jain3

7. Source:- Enhanced
methanol recovery and
glycerol separation in
biodiesel production – DWC
makes it happen Anton A.
Kiss a,⇑ , Radu M. Ignat

8. source:-Reactive DWC leading the way to FAME and fortune

9. REACTIVE -DWC
❖ Reactive DWC Combining reaction and
distillation in one shell proved to be, where
appropriate, a really great process
intensification success, which implemented
in conjunction with a DWC could lead to
something we could call a step toward
ultimate sustainability in process industries.
❖ The key factor that allows such an
integration of two columns in to one single
unit is the similar pressure and temperature
conditions in the stand alone columns.

10. source:-Optimal design, dynamics and control of a reactive DWC for biodiesel production Radu M. Ignat a,∗, Anton A. Kiss b

11.  The biodiesel process based on a reactive DWC offers significant
advantages such as the use of only ∼15% excess methanol to ensure the
completely conversion of FFA, and important capital and operating cost
savings.
From the research papers we have learnt
that feed streams thermal state plays a key role and is imperative
to use a vapor feed of alcohol in order to reach the product
specifications and also The tray arrangements and the most
important design variables for the base case and the optimal R-
DWC structures . Remarkably, energy savings of up to 25% can be
achieved, just by properly tuning the design of the reactive DWC