Since N2 is very
difficult to condense, it will all be separated in the flash drum
following the condenser at outlet of the methanol synthesis
reactor [30]. Two separators were used to separate the liquid
from waste gas as the change of pressure. A distillation column
was used to separate methanol from water. Operating
conditions for methanol production are listed in Table 3. A
distillation column was chosen here for ease of modeling a
steady state system; however, an adsorption column, an unsteady
state device, would be a practical solution for the purification
of methanol from 99 wt% to 99.5 wt%.