REFLUX SPLITTER AND CONTROL SYSTEM THEREFOR

• US 3,860,491 A
• Filed: 06/11/1973
• Issued: 01/14/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edmund L. Pessa, James C. Silk, James L. Baird
• Original Assignee: Edmund L. Pessa, James C. Silk, James L. Baird
• Inventors: Pessa, Edmund L., Baird, James L., Silk, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bascomb, Jr., Wilbur L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanders, D.
• Application Number:
  US05/368,482
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 202/161 203/97,98 196/99 137/612,624.11 91/40
• US Class Current: 202/161
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/14 Fractional distillation or use of a fractionation or rectification column
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/30 Fractionating columns with movable parts or in which centrifugal movement is caused

Abstract

A reflux splitter which includes within a process shell having nonmagnetic walls: a pivoting funnel to receive a liquid condensate stream; a magnetic material secured to the funnel and adapted for movement therewith; a permanent magnet external of the process shell; means to move the permanent magnet into and out of a close magnetic-flux relationship with the magnetic material, so as to move the funnel in a cyclic timed manner to a diverting and nondiverting position to achieve a desired reflux ratio; and fluid-actuating means to move the permanent magnet and to time the movement of the magnet in each position.

Claims

1. A reflux splitter which comprises in combination:

a. a process shell at least a portion of whose wall is composed of a nonmagnetic material, and characterized by a reflux outlet in the process shell wall to discharge reflux externally of the process shell;

b. means to discharge a liquid condensate into the process shell;

c. a reflux condensate-receiving element within the process shell adapted to direct liquid condensate therein to the reflux outlet;

d. movable means to direct liquid condensate discharged into the process shell between a first position wherein the condensate is directed into the reflux outlet, and a second position wherein the condensate is permitted to be discharged downwardly within the process shell;

e. a magnetic material secured to the movable means and adapted for movement therewith, the magnetic material adapted to be positioned in either the first or second position of the movable means in a close magnetic flux relationship with the nonmagnetic wall of the process shell;

f. a permanent magnet positioned externally of the process shell;

g. a source of air pressure;

h. means to move the permanent magnet between an actuating position and a nonactuating position, one of said positions placing the permanent magnet in a close magnetic flux relationship with the external nonmagnetic wall of the process shell which comprises, i. an actuating element adapted for pivotable movement externally of the process shell, the permanent magnet secured to the said element at one end thereof for movement therewith;

ii. a double-acting pneumatic cylinder having a piston thereon and a piston rod, one end of which is secured to the actuating element at the other end thereof to permit reciprocating movement of the element with the movement of the piston rod;

iii. means to supply air pressure from the air pressure source to the cylinder; and

iv. valve means to permit air pressure from the source to be introduced into the cylinder and to be exhausted from the piston; and

i. means to control the time periods at which the means to move the permanent magnet and the permanent magnet is maintained in the actuating and nonactuating positions which comprises an air-actuated cyclic timing means to permit the introduction and exhaustion of air pressure to the cylinder and induces movement of the piston rod, actuating element and permanent magnet between the actuating and nonactuating positions in a sequential predetermined time period, whereby, on movement of the permanent magnet to one of its positions, the magnetic flux of the magnetic force through the nonmagnetic wall of the process shell induces movement of the magnetic material and the means to direct the liquid condensate, so that a reflux ratio as desired may be arranged through the time period in each position.

2. The splitTer of claim 1 wherein the movable means comprises a funnel element having a wide open upper entrance and a narrow open lower outlet, and adapted for pivotable movement about a pivot point between the first position and the second position, the second position being one of an essentially vertical, free-hanging position of the funnel element.

3. The splitter of claim 1 wherein the cylinder at the one end is secured for pivotable movement to the external wall of the process shell, and the actuating element comprises a first extending element secured at the one end to the end of the piston rod, and, at the other end, pivotably secured at a pivot point to the external wall of the process shell, and a second extending element pivotably secured at one end to the same pivot point at the other end of the first element, and adapted for movement with the first element about the pivot to the permanent magnet at the other end, whereby, on movement of the piston rod, the first and second extending elements move to position the permanent magnet in actuating and nonactuating positions.

4. The splitter of claim 1 wherein the air-actuated, cyclic, timing means comprises:

first and second pneumatic timers, one of which controls the time period of the magnet in the actuating position, and one of which controls the time period of the magnet in the nonactuating position;

a pneumatic-logic means to sense the change in timing pressure in one timer and to actuate the other timer;

first valve means to direct low-pressure air from the source to the logic means; and

second valve means to direct air pressure to the cylinder, to the exhaust and to the first or second timer.

5. The splitter of claim 1 which includes:

first and second pneumatic timers, one of which controls the time period of the magnet in the actuating position, and one of which controls the time period of the magnet in the nonactuating position;

first and second three-way valves, the valves each adapted to direct the flow of air from the source to the upper and lower parts of the cylinder, to the exhaust or to the source;

first and second pneumatic actuators to actuate the three-way valves; and

pneumatic-logic means to sense the change in pneumatic pressure of the first or second timer, and to actuate the other timer, whereby, on selection of the desired time period, air flows through the logic-means timer to provide for the timed reciprocating action of the piston rod which places the magnet in actuating and nonactuating positions.

6. A reflux splitter which comprises in combination:

a. a cylindrical process shell, the wall of which is composed of a nonmagnetic material, the shell characterized by a reflux outlet in the process shell wall to discharge liquid condensate reflux externally of the process shell;

b. means to collect a liquid condensate from a condenser and to discharge the liquid condensate into a stream within the process shell;

c. a reflux condensate-receiving elbow element within the process shell adapted to direct liquid condensate toward the internal wall of the process shell;

d. a movable funnel element to direct liquid condensate discharged into the process shell in a stream between a diverting first position wherein the liquid condensate is directed by the element into the reflux outlet, and a second nondiverting position wherein the liquid condensate is directed downwardly within the process shell, the funnel element adapted for pivotable movement at the upper end thereof, the upper end of the funnel element adapted to receive the liquid condensate stream, and the lower discharge end of the funnel element being of narrower construction;

e. a magnetic material secured to the pivotable funnel element and adapted for movement therewith, the magnetic weight material adapted in its first diverting position to move toward and close to the internal nonmagnetic wall of the process shell in response to a magnetic flux, and in the second position to permit the funnel element to havE an essentially vertical, free-hanging position within the process shell;

f. a permanent magnet positioned externally of the process shell;

g. an actuating element external of the process shell secured to the permanent magnet, the actuating element adapted for movement external of the process shell and to move the permanent magnet between an actuating positon and a nonactuating position;

h. the actuating position placing the permanent magnet in a close magnetic flux relationship with the external wall of the process shell, so as to attract the magnetic weight material secured to the pivotable funnel element;

i. a double-acting pneumatic cylinder having a piston rod, one end of said piston rod secured to the actuating element and adapted to induce movement of the actuating element between an actuating and a nonactuating position;

j. a source of air pressure;

k. a means to supply air pressure from the source to the double-acting pneumatic cylinder;

l. a valve means to direct air pressure from the source in a time-sequential sequence to the cylinder, so as to induce, for desired times and periods, the reciprocating action of the piston rod in the double-acting cylinder, and, therefore, the actuating element and the permanent magnet between an actuating and a nonactuating position; and

m. a cyclic timing means to control the time periods at which air pressure is supplied to the double-acting cylinder, whereby, on setting the desired time periods between the actuating and nonactuating positions, movement of the permanent magnet to the actuating and nonactuating positions in a desired time sequence is effected, and, thereby a reflux ratio as desired is obtained by the movement of the pivotal funnel within the process shell from a diverting to a nondiverting position.

7. The reflux splitter of claim 6 wherein the actuating element is secured for pivotable movement at the one end thereof, and the permanent magnet and piston rod secured to the other end thereof, the actuating element and magnet so secured and formed to place the face of the magnet in a close generally parallel relationship with the external wall of the process shell in the actuating position.

8. The reflux splitter of claim 6 wherein the magnetic material is so secured and formed to place the face of the material in a close generally parallel relationship with the internal wall of the process shell when the funnel element is in its diverting position.

9. The reflux splitter of claim 6 wherein the cyclic means to control the time period includes a valve means in fluid-flow communication to the source of air pressure, to an upper and a lower cylinder port of the cylinder and to exhaust, and wherein the timing means is a cyclic pneumatic timer.

10. A distillation system which includes:

a. a distillation column;

b. an internal reflux condenser; and

c. the reflux splitter of claim 6 wherein the reflux splitter is positioned and secured on top of the distillation column and directly beneath the reflux condenser, whereby the condensate stream comprises a vapor stream from the distillation column which has been condensed by the condenser.

11. A distillation system which includes:

a. a distillation column;

b. an external condenser adapted to receive vapor from the distillation column and to condense such vapor; and

c. the reflux splitter of claim 6 wherein the reflux splitter receives the liquid condensate stream of the condenser free of vapor from the distillation column.