Distillation tower management system, distillation tower state analysis method and distillation tower management method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12201927-B2
Application number	US-202017642952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2020
Priority date	Dec 13, 2019
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

Provide is a distillation tower management system, a distillation tower state analysis method, and a distillation tower management method that are capable of predicting abnormality in distillation towers before the abnormality becomes apparent and capable of taking preventive actions. The distillation tower management system includes a measurement unit 10 that is at least one selected from the group consisting of a pressure measurement unit 11 , a temperature measurement unit 12 and a chlorine measurement unit 13 , an operation data unit 20 for producing operation data containing measurement data measured with the measurement unit 10 , an analysis unit 30 for analyzing the state of a distillation tower 103 from the operation data and producing analysis data regarding the state of the distillation tower 103 , and a control unit 40 for producing, based on the analysis data, control data regarding a differential pressure-eliminating agent that is added to the distillation tower 103.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A distillation tower management system comprising:
a distillation tower;
a chlorine measurement unit that measures a feed rate of chlorine fed to the distillation tower and a discharge rate of chlorine discharged from the distillation tower;
an operation data unit that produces operation data containing measurement data measured with the measurement unit;
an analysis unit that analyzes a state of the distillation tower from the operation data and produces analysis data regarding the state of the distillation tower;
a control unit that produces, based on the analysis data, control data regarding a differential pressure-eliminating agent that is added to the distillation tower;
a differential pressure-eliminating agent tank that connect the distillation tower and the control unit,
wherein the analysis unit produces the analysis data comprising:
the operation data unit produces operation data containing chlorine rate difference data regarding a difference in chlorine rate between the chlorine feed rate and the chlorine discharge rate measured with the chlorine measurement unit,
the analysis unit graphs a chlorine difference alteration that is obtained from the chlorine rate difference data with a horizontal axis representing a number of operation days and a vertical axis representing amounts of chlorine,
the analysis unit analyzes a predicted alteration of future chlorine rate difference from a slope of a graph showing the chlorine rate difference alteration that is obtained from the chlorine rate difference data, and
the analysis unit generates the analysis data by determining whether determining whether the predicted alteration of the future chlorine rate difference reaches a first hindrance threshold, wherein reaching the first hindrance threshold indicate that operation of the distillation tower is hindered, wherein alteration of current chlorine rate difference does not reach the first hindrance threshold,

wherein the control unit determines whether the operation of the distillation tower is predicted to be hindered according to the analysis data,
wherein in response to determining that the operation of the distillation tower is predicted to be hindered, the control unit produces and transmits control data to the differential pressure-eliminating agent tank to perform at least one of the following operations:
changing the kind of the differential pressure-eliminating agent that is added to the distillation tower; and
increasing the amount of the differential pressure-eliminating agent that is added to the distillation tower,

such that hindrance of the operation of the distillation tower and corrosion of the distillation tower due to the hindrance of the operation of the distillation tower are prevented.

2. The distillation tower management system according to claim 1 , the system further comprises:
a pressure measurement unit that measures pressures at a plurality of different sites in a height direction of a distillation tower,
wherein the analysis unit produces the analysis data comprising:
the operation data unit produces operation data containing differential pressure data regarding a differential pressure between pressures at a plurality of sites measured with the pressure measurement unit,
the analysis unit graphs a differential pressure alteration that is obtained from the differential pressure data with a horizontal axis representing a number of operation days and a vertical axis representing differential pressures,
the analysis unit analyzes a predicted alteration of future differential pressure from a slope of a graph showing the differential pressure alteration that is obtained from the differential pressure data, and
the analysis unit generates the analysis data by determining whether the predicted alteration of the future differential pressure reaches a second hindrance threshold, wherein reaching the second hindrance threshold indicates that operation of the distillation tower is hindered.

3. The distillation tower management system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the differential pressure-eliminating agent is at least one of a salt remover and a salt dispersant.

4. The distillation tower management system according to claim 1 , the system further comprises:
a temperature measurement unit that measures a tower top portion temperature of the distillation tower,
wherein the analysis unit produces the analysis data comprising:
the operation data unit produces operation data containing temperature difference data regarding a temperature difference between the tower top portion temperature measured with the temperature measurement unit and a salting-out temperature obtained by calculation,
the analysis unit graphs a temperature difference alteration between the tower top portion temperature and the salting-out temperature with a horizontal axis representing a number of operation days and a vertical axis representing temperatures,
the analysis unit analyzes a predicted alteration of future temperature difference from a slope of a graph showing the temperature difference alteration that is obtained from the temperature difference data, and
the analysis unit generates the analysis data by determining whether the predicted alteration of the future temperature difference reaches a third hindrance threshold, wherein reaching the third hindrance threshold indicates that operation of the distillation tower is hindered.

Assignees

• Kurita Water Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Karaki Keisuke
• Emori Kenta
• Minami Hiroaki

Classifications

• C10G7/12

  Controlling or regulating · CPC title

• B01D3/34

  with one or more auxiliary substances · CPC title

• G01N7/16

  by heating the material · CPC title

• C10G75/02

  by addition of corrosion inhibitors · CPC title

• C10G7/10

  Inhibiting corrosion during distillation · CPC title