Reactive distillation in a dividing-wall column: Model development, simulation and error analysis

A process model of a reactive dividing wall column process is developed and tested by comparing simulation results to data from pilot-plant experiments. In general, the experimental data and the model prediction agree well in a simple comparison. By means of a sensitivity and error analysis both the influence of the choice of the model and the influence of uncertainties of the input parameters on the simulation results are studied. It is shown that the insight gained by such an enhanced analysis by far exceeds that from a simple comparison, and that such a simple comparison can easily lead to erroneous conclusions.