Optimization and Control for Separation of Ethyl Benzene from C₈ Aromatic Hydrocarbons with Extractive Distillation

Extractive distillation has great significance for the separation of ethylbenzene from C₈ aromatic hydrocarbons. Herein, a distillation process for the separation of ethylbenzene was designed using methyl phenylacetate as an extractant. A genetic algorithm (GA) was used to evaluate the economic and environmental factors of the process, and Aspen Dynamic was used to assess the dynamic performance. The sequential optimization method was used to obtain the initial process parameters. Then, the total annual cost and CO₂ emissions were minimized by NSGA-III to increase the economic and environmental benefits. To enhance the search performance of GA, the mutation probability and crossover probability were studied and adjusted. The optimal total annual cost and CO₂ emissions were 11.7% and 23.7% lower than those of the initial process. Based on a steady process, two control strategies, which were the flow rate of the recycling solvent controlled by entrainer makeup flow rate (CS1) and the bottom flow rate of the extractant recovery column (CS2), were designed. The results showed that the temperature deviation of CS2 was smaller than that of CS1, and the temperature of the process was more stable under the control of CS2.