For an existing distillation tower such as the propylene splitter in this study, the number of trays is fixed and there are very few degrees of freedom that can be manipulated to maximize operating profit; the reflux ratio can be used to influence the steady-state operating point and thus the daily profit. Also, in the debutanizer design, we have discussed the trade-offs between reflux ratios (energy costs) and annualized capital costs.
Relation:
Tamkang Journal of Science and Engineering 4(2), pp.105-110
