Distillation and Absorption Research Group
Horizon Europe keywords:
· Circular economy
· Climate change mitigation and adaptation
· Pharmaceutical technologies
· Raw materials
· Transformation of industry
Introduction of the Research Group
The main research area of the research group is modeling and optimization of distillation and absorption processes. Distillation is the most commonly used method for the separation of liquid mixtures, but its energy demand - and thus its environmental impact - is very high. The optimal design and operation of distillation technologies is therefore of great importance. The group focuses on special distillation methods applied for the separation of azeotropic mixtures (eg pressure-swing and extractive distillation) and on batch distillation, typically used in the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The capture of CO2 from flue gas by absorption is also investigated. The research group has been awarded several K-type OTKA grants and its members have been awarded three MTA János Bolyai Research Scholarships. The research work has resulted in 2 DSc and 5 PhD theses, 3 of which were under joint supervision with our French partners (INSA Lyon, INP Toulouse). Members of the research team have extensive international experience and have been involved in several industrial projects.
Achievements
'- Development of the basic operational policy for batch extractive distillation with French co-authors
- Development of new batch distillation configurations (double-column batch rectifier and stripper).
- Minimization of compressor work in heat pump-assisted distillation by recycling the working fluid or partial bypass of the compressor.
- Development of a new algorithm to determine the product sequence of batch distillation.
- Development of general models for batch heteroazeotropic and heteroextractive distillation.
- Development of new semi-batch distillation policies.
- Increasing the processing capacity of batch distillation with two-column operation.
- Participation in a large number of industrial projects (eg design of new distillation technologies).
Publications
-Ferchichi M., Hegely L., Lang P.: Economic and environmental evaluation of heat pump-assisted pressure-swing distillation of maximum-boiling azeotropic mixture water-ethylenediamine, Energy 239: 122608, 2022. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.energy.2021.122608
-Nemeth Bence, Lang Peter, Hegely Laszlo: Optimization of solvent recovery in two batch distillation columns of different size, Journal of Cleaner Production 275: 122746, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122746
-Gerbaud Vincent, Rodriguez-Donis Ivonne, Laszlo Hegely, Lang Peter, Denes Ferenc, You Xinqiang: Review of Extractive Distillation. Process design, operation, optimization and control, Chemical Engineering Research and Design 141: pp. 229-271., 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2018.09.020
-Modla G, Lang P: Heat pump systems with mechanical compression for batch distillation, Energy 62: pp. 403-417, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2013.09.036
-Lang P, Yatim H, Moszkowicz P, Otterbein M: Batch Extractive Distillation under Constant Reflux Ratio, Computers & Chemical Engineering 18: pp. 1057-1069., 1994. https://doi.org/10.1016/0098-1354(94)E0017-H
Patents
Process for the recovery of methanol from multicomponent solvent mixtures
The subject of the invention is a process for recovering methanol from multicomponent solvent mixtures, comprising the following steps:
1. heating the solvent mixture to be separated to its boiling point,
2. heating up the column without product removal,
3. removal of the polluting components in the form of fore-cut,
4. removal of pure methanol in the form of a main cut,
5. removal of aqueous methanol in the form of a first after-cut,
6. removal of the organic components from the residue, if applicable, in the form of a second after-cut.
A characteristic feature of the invention is that the heating-up of the column is (Step 2) carried out with continuous water feeding.
Date of application: 25.04.2012.
Dr. Péter Láng, Dr. László Hégely
Journals
Journal of Cleaner Production, Energy, Separation and Purification Technology, Chemical Engineering Research and Design, AIChE Journal, IECR
Infrastructure
Laboratory batch distillation column filled with structured packingProjects
-Economic and environmental optimization of distillation processes and configurations, 01.09.2022. – 31.08.2025, National Research and Development Fund OTKA FK
-Optimization of batch distillation technologies by derivative-free methods, 2020.09.01. – 31.08.2023, János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
-Increase of the efficiency of distillation and absorption separation processes, principal investigator, 01.10.2016-30.09.2021, National Research and Development Fund OTKA K
-Improvement, optimization of rectifying and absorber desorber system, 01.01.2013-06.30.2016, National Research and Development Fund OTKA K
Industry relations
Euroapi (Sanofi-Chinoin), EGIS, Gedeon Richter, MOL, EvathermConferences
Distillation & Absorption 2022, Toulouse, France, 18-21 September 2022, Dr. László Hégely, oral and poster presentation
Distillation & Absorption 2022, Toulouse, France, 18-21 September 2022, Dr. Péter Láng, poster presentation
PRES'22, Bol, Croatia, 5-8 September 2022, Dr. László Hégely, keynote presentation, session chair
PRES'21, Brno, Czech Republic, 31 October- 3 November 2021, Dr. László Hégely, oral presentation
PRES'21, Brno, Czech Republic, 31 October- 3 November 2021, Dr. Péter Láng, oral presentation
PRES'20, Xi'an, China, 17-21 August 2020, Dr. Péter Láng, keynote presentation
PRES'20, Xi'an, China, 17-21 August 2020, Dr. László Hégely, oral presentation
PRES'19, Vathi, Agios Nikolaos, Greece, 20-23 October 2019, Dr. László Hégely, oral presentation
PRES'19, Vathi, Agios Nikolaos, Greece, 20-23 October 2019, Dr. Péter Láng, oral presentation, session chair, poster presentation
Distillation & Absorption 2018, Florence, Italy, 16-19 September 2018, Dr. László Hégely, poster presentation
Distillation & Absorption 2018, Florence, Italy, 16-19 September 2018, Dr. Péter Láng, poster presentation
ESCAPE-28, Graz, Austria, 10-13 June 2018, Dr. László Hégely, poster presentation
Other activities
Léopold Escande Prize, 2013, Dr. László Hégely
Gruber Prize (BME GPK, 2016), Dr. Péter Láng
Albert Szent-Györgyi Prize, 2017, Dr. Péter Láng
Honorary Member of the Hungarian Chamber of Engineers, 2017, Dr. Péter Láng
József Nádor Memorial Medal, 2019, Dr. Péter Láng
Officer's Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit, 2020, Dr. Péter Láng
BME GPK Lifetime Achievement Award, 2021, Dr. Péter Láng