Annular divided wall column

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10928129-B2
Application number	US-202016740892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2020
Priority date	Aug 25, 2017
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.

First claim

We claim:

1. An annular divided wall column for distillation or rectification of fluids, said column comprising:
a first annular column wall;
a second annular column wall radially spaced from the first annular column wall and disposed within a first interior space of the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region between the first annular column wall and the second annular column wall and to define an interior core column region as part or all of a second interior space of the second annular column wall;
a conical shaped transition wall rigidly connected to the first annular column wall and an upper end of the second annular column wall, wherein the conical shaped transition wall is configured to isolate the annulus column region from the interior core column region proximate the upper end of the second annular column wall;
a first plurality of structured packing elements or trays disposed within the interior core column region and a second plurality of structured packing elements disposed within the annulus column region;
wherein the second annular column wall is hung from the first annular column wall via the conical shaped transition wall and a lower end of the second annular column wall is supported by the first annular column wall using a plurality of pivoting arms disposed around the periphery of the second annular column wall at a location proximate the lower end; and
wherein thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial direction and in the axial direction.

2. The annular divided wall column of claim 1 , wherein a vertical height of the first annular column wall is greater than a vertical height of the second annular column wall.

3. The annular divided wall column of claim 1 , wherein the annular divided wall column is configured for the cryogenic distillation or rectification of air or constituents of air, and wherein the annulus column region is configured for rectification of an argon-oxygen containing stream to separate it into an argon-rich overhead stream and an oxygen-rich stream.

4. The annular divided wall column of claim 1 , wherein the annular divided wall column is configured for the cryogenic distillation or rectification of air or constituents of air, and wherein the annulus column region is configured for rectification of a nitrogen-oxygen containing stream to separate it into a nitrogen rich overhead stream and an oxygen-rich stream.

5. The annular divided wall column of claim 1 , wherein the annular divided wall column is configured for the cryogenic distillation or rectification of air or constituents of air, and wherein the interior core column region is configured for rectification of an argon-oxygen containing stream to separate it into an argon-rich overhead stream and an oxygen-rich stream.

6. The annular divided wall column of claim 1 , wherein the annular divided wall column is configured for the cryogenic distillation or rectification of air or constituents of air, and wherein the interior core column region is configured for rectification of a nitrogen-oxygen containing stream to separate it into a nitrogen rich overhead stream and an oxygen-rich stream.

7. The annular divided wall column of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of structured packing elements and the second plurality of structured packing elements are constructed of materials selected from a group consisting of: aluminum sheet metal, stainless steel sheet metal, stainless steel gauze, silicon carbide; and plastic.

8. The annular divided wall column of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of structured packing elements disposed within the interior core column region are of a first type and the second plurality of structured packing elements disposed within the annulus column region are of a second type; and
wherein the first type of structured packing elements and the second type of structured packing elements have different surface area densities.

9. The annular divided wall column of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of structured packing elements of the first type and of the second type have a surface area density between about 100 m 2 /m 3 to 1200 m 2 /m 3 .

10. The annular divided wall column of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of structured packing elements disposed within the annulus column region are of a first type and the plurality of structured packing elements disposed within the interior core column region are of a second type; and
wherein the first type of structured packing elements and the second type of structured packing elements have different geometries.

11. The annular divided wall column of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of structured packing elements of the first type and of the second type have a geometry that includes a nominal inclination angle of corrugations to the horizontal axis of between about 35° to 70°.

12. The annular divided wall column of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of structured packing elements disposed within the interior core column region are of a first type and the second plurality of structured packing elements disposed within the annulus column region are of a second type; and
wherein the first type of structured packing elements and the second type of structured packing elements have different surface area densities and different geometries.

13. The annular divided wall column of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more ring-shaped cantilevered collectors disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements, the one or more ring-shaped cantilevered collectors having a first collector wall rigidly attached to the first annular column wall, a second collector wall disposed proximate to but unattached to the second annular column wall, and a collector deck disposed between the first collector wall and the second collector wall, and wherein the one or more ring-shaped cantilevered collectors are unattached to the second annular column wall; and
one or more ring-shaped distributors disposed in the annulus column region above or below the second plurality of structured packing elements, rigidly attached to the first annular column wall via a plurality of distributor support beams and the one or more ring-shaped distributors being unattached to the second annular column wall, the distributor support beams configured to support the one or more ring-shaped distributors;
wherein thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the ring-shaped distributors, the one or more ring-shaped collectors, and the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.

14. The annular divided wall column of claim 1 , further comprising:
a ring-shaped support grid having an outer annular edge member, a plurality of rigid bars radially disposed within the ring-shaped support grid and connecting the outer annular edge member, and a plurality of arcuate support ribs, each arcuate support rib attached to at least one of the rigid bars;
the ring-shaped support grid disposed in the annulus column region with the outer annular edge member rigidly attached to the first annular column wall and the ring-shaped support grid being unattached to the second annular column wall, and
wherein the second plurality of structured packing elements disposed within the annulus column region are disposed on the ring-shaped support grid within the annulus column

Assignees

• Saboda Kevin J
• Belanger Paul W
• Lenz Richard D
• Larson Kirk F
• Brown Steven C
• Ricotta John P
• Chen Guang X
• Faust Jeremy D
• Praxair Technology Inc

Inventors

• Saboda Kevin J
• Belanger Paul W
• Lenz Richard D
• Larson Kirk F
• Brown Steven C
• Ricotta John P
• Chen Guang X
• Faust Jeremy D

Classifications

• F25J2290/44

  Particular materials used, e.g. copper, steel or alloys thereof or surface treatments used, e.g. enhanced surface · CPC title

• F25J2205/02

  using simple phase separation in a vessel or drum · CPC title

• F25J3/04939 Primary

  Vertical, e.g. dividing wall columns (details of dephlegmators F25J5/007) · CPC title

• F25J3/04927

  Liquid or gas distribution devices · CPC title

• F25J3/04921

  within the same column · CPC title