Fructose–glucose separation in a SMB pilot unit: Modeling, simulation, design, and operation

Abstract

Abstract Glucose was separated from fructose experimentally using a simulated moving‐bed (SMB) adsorber. A strongly acid cationic resin of gel type (Ca 2+ form) Dowex Monosphere (d p = 320 μm) was used in a pilot SMB unit of twelve 26 × 300 mm (ID × length) columns. A recently proposed design procedure was applied to overcome the inherent strong mass‐transfer resistance present in this kind of adsorbent. The fluid/solid velocity ratios in SMB sections 1, 2 and 3 leading to at least 90% product purity were followed by simulation and plotted in a 3‐D parameter space. The design methodology, called “separation volume analysis,” also considered the geometric parameters, as well as allowable working flow rates, temperature and pressure of the plant. Operating conditions from this procedure were used to operate the SMB unit, and the expected performance was achieved experimentally. Simulation strategies based on a true countercurrent and a real SMB were used and the predicted performance of both agreed well with experimental data. Furthermore, experimental results confirmed predictions of the separation volume analysis, which shows the potential of the technique for optimizing existing SMB equipment.