Vapor and liquid flow control in a dividing wall fractional distillation column
First Claim
1. A dividing wall distillation column comprising:
- a) a dividing wall separating a column into interior, parallel feed and product sections;
b) an upper liquid collection system comprising a first solid tray portion for blocking downward liquid flow across all or substantially all of an upper cross section of the column;
c) a vapor isolation system located below the upper liquid collection system and comprising a blind tray portion for blocking upward vapor flow across all or substantially all of a lower cross section of the column;
d) one or more upper liquid conduits providing fluid communication from above the upper liquid collection system to either or both of the feed and product sections of the column;
e) one or more vapor conduits providing fluid communication from below the vapor isolation system to either or both of the feed and product sections of the column; and
f) a lower liquid collection system comprising a second solid tray portion for maintaining a liquid level within a liquid downcomer of the blind tray portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Dividing wall fractional distillation columns and methods of operating these columns with greater flexibility, especially in terms of the ability to adjust the composition of the heartcut, intermediate or sidecut product fraction, are described. In particular, this composition may be advantageously “biased” toward higher or lower molecular weight components, depending on operating needs. Changes in feedstock composition may also be managed more effectively. These benefits are obtained by varying the flow rate of vapor and liquid to each side of the dividing wall. The vapor flowrate rising from an undivided portion of the column interior below the dividing wall is varied to the feed and/or product sections on opposite sides of the dividing wall. Also, the liquid flowrate falling from an undivided portion of the column interior above the dividing wall is varied to the feed and/or product sections on opposite sides of the dividing wall.
27 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A dividing wall distillation column comprising:
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a) a dividing wall separating a column into interior, parallel feed and product sections; b) an upper liquid collection system comprising a first solid tray portion for blocking downward liquid flow across all or substantially all of an upper cross section of the column; c) a vapor isolation system located below the upper liquid collection system and comprising a blind tray portion for blocking upward vapor flow across all or substantially all of a lower cross section of the column; d) one or more upper liquid conduits providing fluid communication from above the upper liquid collection system to either or both of the feed and product sections of the column; e) one or more vapor conduits providing fluid communication from below the vapor isolation system to either or both of the feed and product sections of the column; and f) a lower liquid collection system comprising a second solid tray portion for maintaining a liquid level within a liquid downcomer of the blind tray portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for fractionating a hydrocarbon-containing feed, the method comprising:
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a) passing the feed into a feed section of a dividing wall distillation column having an interior separated into the feed section and a parallel product section by a vertically extending dividing wall, b) blocking downward liquid flow across all or substantially all of an upper cross section of the column with an upper liquid collection system; c) flowing liquid from above the upper liquid collection system to both feed and product sections of the column; d) blocking upward vapor flow across all or substantially all of a lower cross section of the column with a vapor isolation system located below the upper liquid collection system; e) flowing vapor from below the vapor isolation system to both the feed and product sections of the dividing wall fractional distillation column; f) withdrawing an overhead product, enriched in low boiling hydrocarbons, from the column above the upper liquid collection system; g) withdrawing a sidecut product, enriched in intermediate boiling hydrocarbons, from the product section of the column; h) withdrawing a bottoms product, enriched in high boiling hydrocarbons, from the column below the vapor isolation system of the column. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification