Method of column control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11225444-B2
Application number	US-201716471063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2017
Priority date	Dec 20, 2016
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A method of column control includes: passing a feed stream and a make-up stream through a column; withdrawing an overhead fraction from the column; purging at least a portion of the overhead fraction; cooling at least a portion of the overhead fraction in a heat exchanger and passing it through a reflux drum; withdrawing a purge stream and a distillate stream from the reflux drum, wherein the distillate stream has a constant flow rate; recycling at least a portion of the distillate stream back to the column; and passing at least a portion of the distillate stream to a downstream process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of column control, comprising:
passing a feed stream and a make-up stream through a column;
withdrawing an overhead fraction from the column;
purging at least a portion of the overhead fraction to control the pressure of the column;
cooling at least a portion of the overhead fraction in a heat exchanger and passing it through a reflux drum to control reflux drum fluid levels;
withdrawing a purge stream and a distillate stream from the reflux drum, wherein the distillate stream has a constant flow rate;
recycling at least a portion of the distillate stream back to the column; and
passing at least a portion of the distillate stream to processing equipment;
wherein the make-up stream comprises linear alpha olefins.

2. A method of column control, comprising:
passing a feed stream and a make-up stream through a column;
withdrawing an overhead fraction from the column;
purging at least a portion of the overhead fraction;
cooling at least a portion of the overhead fraction in a heat exchanger and passing it through a reflux drum;
withdrawing a purge stream and a distillate stream from the reflux drum, wherein the distillate stream has a constant flow rate;
recycling at least a portion of the distillate stream back to the column; and
passing at least a portion of the distillate stream to processing equipment, wherein the feed stream comprises linear alpha olefins, solvent, spent catalyst, catalyst deactivation agent, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the feed stream comprises C2-C20 linear alpha olefins.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the make-up stream comprises C4 linear alpha olefins.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the column is a distillation column.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overhead fraction comprises C4− linear alpha olefins.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the overhead fraction comprises ethylene and/or butene.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reflux drum is in communication with a split-range controller.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overhead fraction is in communication with a split-range controller.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the purged portion of the overhead fraction comprises C4− linear alpha olefins.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a coolant fluid.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the purged stream from the reflux drum comprises C4− linear alpha olefins.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising withdrawing a bottoms fraction from the column.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the bottoms fraction comprises C6+ linear alpha olefins, solvent, spent catalyst, catalyst deactivation agent, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pressure within the column is 0 kiloPascals to 3000 kiloPascals.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein a temperature within the column is −100° C. to 300° C.

17. A method of column control, comprising:
passing a feed stream comprising C2-C20 linear alpha olefins, solvent, spent catalyst, and catalyst deactivation agent, and a make-up stream comprising C4 linear alpha olefins through a C4/C6 distillation column;
withdrawing an overhead fraction comprising C4− linear alpha olefins from the column, wherein the overhead fraction is in communication with a split-range controller;
purging at least a portion of the overhead fraction, wherein the purged portion of the overhead fraction comprises C4− linear alpha olefins;
cooling at least a portion of the overhead fraction in a heat exchanger and then passing it through a reflux drum, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a coolant fluid;
withdrawing a purge stream comprising C4− linear alpha olefins and a distillate stream from the reflux drum, wherein the distillate stream has a constant flow rate;
recycling at least a portion of the distillate stream back to the column;
intermittently using at least a portion of the distillate stream as a liquid condensate supply for processing equipment; and
withdrawing a bottoms fraction comprising C6+ linear alpha olefins, solvent, spent catalyst and catalyst deactivation agent from the column.

Assignees

• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Al-Dughaiter Abdullah Saad
• Azam Shahid
• Al-Hamdan Abdulmajeed Mohammed
• Alshahrani Dafer Mubarak
• Noack Ralf
• Meier Tobias
• Waurick Gabriel
• Bolt Heinz
• Meiswinkel Andreas
• Müller Wolfgang
• Wohl Anina
• Zander Hans-Jorge

Classifications

• C07C7/04 Primary

  by distillation · CPC title

• B01D3/4205

  Reflux ratio control splitter · CPC title

• C07C11/08

  with four carbon atoms · CPC title

• B01D3/4233

  Head- and feed stream · CPC title