Process intensification (PI) of distillation using a microchannel distillation (MCD) device successfully reduced the height of a theoretical plate (HETP) in separating propane and propylene to 1.2 cm, representing 10 theoretical stages. Mass transfer is enhanced using thin wicking structures that are 0.17 mm thick in counterflow with vapor. Liquid is segregated in the wicks by applying a siphon relative to the vapor phase, which also enables the device to operate horizontally. A scalable device containing 11 wicks was operated cryogenically in total reflux. The HETP varied between 1.2 and 4.5 cm, representing a dramatic reduction over commercial structured packings and comparable to other PI approaches. Significant improvements are expected with further development. Potential application for intensified distillation processes include distributed manufacturing and difficult separations involving close boiling compounds and meeting high purity specifications. The ultimate application is isotopic enrichment, where the number of stages required is typically multiple thousands. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 3690–3699, 2018

中文翻译：

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使用微芯技术强化蒸馏过程以证明丙烷和丙烯的分离

使用微通道蒸馏（MCD）装置进行蒸馏的过程强化（PI）成功地将分离丙烷和丙烯的理论塔板（HETP）的高度降低至1.2 cm，代表10个理论阶段。使用薄的芯吸结构可增强质量传递，芯吸结构的厚度为0.17 mm，可与蒸气逆流。通过相对于气相施加虹吸管，使液体隔离在灯芯中，这也使设备可以水平运行。包含11个灯芯的可扩展设备在全回流下进行低温操作。HETP在1.2到4.5厘米之间变化，这表明它比商用结构填料显着减少，可与其他PI方法相提并论。随着进一步的发展，有望获得重大的改进。强化蒸馏过程的潜在应用包括分布式制造和难分离的过程，其中涉及到沸点高的化合物并满足高纯度要求。最终的应用是同位素富集，其中所需的阶段数通常为数千。©2018美国化学工程师学会AIChE J，64：3690-3699，2018