Design strategies process step separation

The expected significant process simplification and intensification would capitalize on a new industrial paradigm offered by equipments combining reaction and separation in one step. New reactors and overall plant design strategy have to be defined. 

Synthesis is the step in design where one conjectures the building blocks and their interconnection to create a structure which can meet stated design requirements. This review paper first defines chemical process synthesis and indicates the nature of the research problems—to find representations, evaluation functions and search strategies for a potentially nearly infinite problem. It then discusses synthesis research and the most significant results in each of six areas—heat exchanger networks, separation systems, separation systems with heat integration, reaction paths, total flowsheets and control systems. 

Chemistry generally constitutes the first step in hierarchical process design. This relates to process synthesis, specifically the selection of reaction routes and separation agents (Chen et al., 2003). Anastas and Allen (2002) proposed a set of strategies based on the Green Chemistry principles discussed above, which include ... 

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