Dividing-wall columns (DWCs)-also called partitioned-wall columns-have been introduced as an attractive option to reduce energy consumption and capital costs in distillation processes. However, risks and worries associated with the implementation of DWCs hamper the expansion of this technology in conservative process industries. This article introduces a real implementation case in which a conventional column was upgraded to a DWC. It also discusses how the risks in DWC implementation can be mitigated by establishing contingencies and predicting the column performance via modeling.
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