Apparatus for treating chemical production plant process condensate
First Claim
1. An apparatus for treating the process condensate of an ammonia or methanol chemical production plant, said apparatus comprising:
- a stripping section having a top and a closed bottom;
a feed supply line from said chemical production plant to said stripping section;
a stripping vapor delivery line for delivering stripping vapor to the bottom of the stripping section;
a stripping bottoms removal line for removing bottoms liquid from said bottom of said stripping section;
a rectification section having a closed top and a bottom in fluid flow contact with said stripping section;
a condenser;
a rectification overhead withdraw line from said rectification section to said condenser;
a reflux line from said condenser to said rectification section; and
a concentrated condensate removal line from said reflux line to a reformer within said chemical production plant.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for treating chemical production plant process condensate such that a contaminant-rich stream and a relatively pure aqueous stream is separately recoverable from the condensate, wherein the contaminants are substantially removed from the condensate by steam stripping and subsequent rectification in a relatively low pressure stripping/rectification tower. The tower overhead is then condensed with a portion of the condensed overhead being returned to the top of the rectification section of the tower as reflux and the balance being withdrawn as a concentrated stream for reuse in the plant. In a second embodiment, separate stripping and rectification towers operate in series whereby the overhead of the stripping tower is delivered to the lower section of the rectification tower and the rectification bottoms are returned to the top of the stripping tower. The overhead from the rectification tower is then condensed with a portion returned at its top for reflux and the remainder being withdrawn as a highly concentrated stream for recycling to the ammonia plant. The mass flow to the ammonia plant is low enough because of high concentration that ammonia plant modifications are not needed nor is there significant thermal impact. The apparatus may be used in conjunction with existing low pressure equipment, avoiding costly major modifications.
41 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An apparatus for treating the process condensate of an ammonia or methanol chemical production plant, said apparatus comprising:
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a stripping section having a top and a closed bottom; a feed supply line from said chemical production plant to said stripping section; a stripping vapor delivery line for delivering stripping vapor to the bottom of the stripping section; a stripping bottoms removal line for removing bottoms liquid from said bottom of said stripping section; a rectification section having a closed top and a bottom in fluid flow contact with said stripping section; a condenser; a rectification overhead withdraw line from said rectification section to said condenser; a reflux line from said condenser to said rectification section; and a concentrated condensate removal line from said reflux line to a reformer within said chemical production plant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for treating the process condensate of an ammonia or methanol chemical production plant, said apparatus comprising:
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a common tower having a closed top and closed bottom comprising a stripping section and a rectification section housed one above another respectively in said common tower permitting vapor from said stripping section to pass upwardly within said common tower to said rectification section above and condensate from each section to pass downwardly within said common tower; a feed supply line from said chemical production plant to said common tower; a stripping vapor delivery line for delivering stripping vapor to the bottom of said common tower; a stripping bottoms removal line for removing bottoms liquid from said bottom of said common tower; a bottoms removal pump on said bottoms removal line for pumping bottoms liquid from said common tower; a condenser; a rectification overhead withdraw line from said rectification section of the common tower to said condenser; a reflux line from said condenser to said rectification section of said common tower; a reflux return pump on said reflux return line between said condenser and said rectification section for pumping fluid from said condenser to said rectification section; a concentrated condensate removal line from said reflux line to a reformer within said chemical production plant; and a concentrated condensate removal pump on said concentrated condensate removal line for pumping concentrated condensate from said reflux return line to said reformer in said chemical plant at a controlled rate. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An apparatus for treating the process condensate of an ammonia or methanol chemical production plant, said apparatus comprising:
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a stripping section having a top and a closed bottom; a feed supply line from said chemical production plant to said stripping section; a stripping vapor delivery line for delivering stripping vapor to the bottom of the stripping section; a stripping bottoms removal line for removing bottoms liquid from said bottom of said stripping section; a rectification section having a closed top and a bottom in fluid flow contact with said stripping section; a bottoms removal pump for pumping bottoms liquid from said stripping section; a condenser; a rectification overhead withdraw line from said rectification section to said condenser; a reflux return line from said condenser to said rectification section; an overhead receiver on the reflux return line between said condenser and said rectification section; a reflux return pump on said reflux return line between said overhead receiver and said rectification section for pumping fluid from said overhead receiver to said rectification section; a concentrated condensate removal line from said reflux line to a reformer within said chemical production plant; and a concentrated condensate removal pump on said concentrated condensate removal line for pumping concentrated condensate from said reflux return line to said reformer within said chemical plant at a controlled rate. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification