Thermodynamic and Managerial Analysis of Solvent Selection in Extractive Distillation for Azeotrope Separation: A Residue Curve Map Approach Using Aspen Plus Data

Selection of an appropriate solvent in extractive distillation of azeotropic mixtures requires simultaneous consideration of thermodynamic efficiency and economic viability. This study presents a combined framework using residue curve maps (RCMs) generated from Aspen Plus simulation data for the ethanol-water-ethylene glycol system. Thermodynamic analysis based on the NRTL model revealed that the solvent shifts the azeotrope point from ۸۹.۴ mol% ethanol to a distillate purity of ۹۹.۸ mol%. Managerial analysis using net present value (NPV) and payback period showed that despite a ۱۶.۷% higher initial investment, the selected solvent reduces total annual cost by ۲۹.۴% and improves NPV by ۳۲۰%. The RCM approach successfully identified feasible distillation regions. This interdisciplinary methodology provides a decision-support tool for engineers and managers, with potential integration of machine learning for solvent prescreening.

کلیدواژه ها:

Extractive Distillation ، Azeotrope ، Aspen Plus ، Residue Curve Map ، Solvent Selection ، Managerial Decision.