Folded fractionation column and process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10792585-B2
Application number	US-201815940776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2018
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus and process doubles the number of trays in a single fractionation column. A dividing wall is used to isolate a first side from a second side and fractionation on trays on each side is independent of the other. A transition vapor stream is ducted from a top of a first side to the bottom of the second side, and a transition liquid stream is ducted from a bottom of the second side to the top of the first side.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fractionation system for fractionating a first material from a feed stream of the first material and a second material, the system comprising:
a column comprising a top, a bottom and a sidewall extending therebetween;
a dividing wall extending between the top and the bottom and between sides of the sidewall so as to divide a first side of the column from a second side of the column, each side of the column comprising a plurality of trays, wherein the first side comprises a first top tray and a first bottom tray, and the second side comprises a height between a second top tray and a second bottom tray;
a feed inlet in the sidewall for introducing the feed stream into the column on the first side at a feed inlet tray, wherein the feed inlet tray is between the first top tray and the first bottom tray, such that the first side comprises a first rectifying section disposed above the feed inlet and a stripping section disposed below the feed inlet;
a vapor discharge at the top of the column in the first side, a vapor duct having a first end at said vapor discharge, a second end of said vapor duct at a vapor entry at a bottom of the column in the second side, such that an entirety of the height of the second side comprises a second rectifying section, and wherein the second rectifying section is configured to operate at a lower temperature and pressure than the first rectifying section;
a liquid discharge at the bottom of the column in the second side, a liquid duct having a first end at said liquid discharge, a second end of said liquid duct at a liquid inlet at a top of the column in the first side and above the feed inlet in the sidewall;
a bottoms outlet in the bottom of the column in the first side, wherein a reboiler heater is in fluid communication with the bottoms outlet in the bottom of the column; and
an overhead outlet in the top of the column in the second side, wherein a cooler is in fluid communication with the overhead outlet.

2. The fractionation system of claim 1 wherein said dividing wall extends all the way from the top to the bottom, so the first side is not in fluid communication with the second side through the dividing wall.

3. The fractionation system of claim 1 wherein the bottoms outlet in the bottom of the column in the first side is in fluid communication with a bottoms product outlet line.

4. The fractionation system of claim 3 further comprising a reboil inlet in the bottom of the column on the first side in fluid communication with the reboiler heater.

5. The fractionation system of claim 1 wherein the overhead outlet in the top of the column in the second side is in fluid communication with an overhead outlet line.

6. The fractionation system of claim 1 further comprising a receiver in fluid communication with the overhead outlet.

7. The fractionation system of claim 6 further comprising a reflux inlet in the top of the column in the second side in fluid communication with the overhead outlet.

8. The fractionation system of claim 7 further comprising a net overhead liquid line in fluid communication with said receiver.

9. The fractionation system of claim 7 further comprising a net overhead vapor outlet line in fluid communication with said receiver.

10. The fractionation system of claim 1 further comprising pump in fluid communication with said liquid discharge and said liquid inlet is in fluid communication with said pump.

11. A fractionation system for fractionating a first material from a feed stream of the first material and a second material, the system comprising:
a column comprising a top, a bottom and a sidewall extending therebetween;
a dividing wall extending all the way from the top to the bottom and between sides of the sidewall so as to divide a first side of the column from a second side of the column, each side of the column comprising a plurality of trays, wherein the first side comprises a first top tray and a first bottom tray, and the second side comprises a height between a second top tray and a second bottom tray;
a feed inlet in the sidewall for introducing the feed stream into the column on the first side at a feed inlet tray, wherein the feed inlet tray is between the first top tray and the first bottom tray, such that the first side comprises a first rectifying section disposed above the feed inlet and a stripping section disposed below the feed inlet;
a vapor discharge at the top of the column in the first side, an uninterrupted vapor duct having a first end at said vapor discharge, a second end of said uninterrupted vapor duct at a vapor entry at a bottom of the column in the second side, such that an entirety of the height of the second side comprises a rectifying section, and wherein the first side of the column is not in fluid communication with the second side of the column through the dividing wall except by said uninterrupted vapor duct which extends a distance greater than the height of the second side, through the column, and through the dividing wall;
a liquid discharge at the bottom of the column in the second side, a liquid duct having a first end at said liquid discharge, a second end of said liquid duct at a liquid inlet at a top of the column in the first side;
a bottoms outlet in the bottom of the column on the first side; and
an overhead outlet in the top of the column on the second side.

12. The fractionation system of claim 11 further comprising a cooler in fluid communication with the overhead outlet, a receiver in fluid communication with the cooler, and a net overhead liquid outlet line in fluid communication with said receiver.

13. The fractionation system of claim 11 wherein the bottoms outlet in the bottom of the column in the first side is in fluid communication with a bottoms product outlet line.

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Nowak Brian J
• Richardson Kevin J

Classifications

• B01D3/141 Primary

  where at least one distillation column contains at least one dividing wall · CPC title

• B01D3/4277

  Side-, bottom- and feed stream · CPC title

• B01D3/4283

  Bottom stream · CPC title

• B01D3/324 Primary

  Tray constructions · CPC title

• B01D3/4261

  Side stream · CPC title