Distillation column minimum flow arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024350940-A1
Application number	US-202318303876-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 20, 2023
Priority date	Apr 20, 2023
Publication date	Oct 24, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A distillation system operating below minimum flow. The distillation column is configured for separating a mixed feed into one or more fractional mixtures, producing an overhead product and a bottom product. A bottom return line is provided for returning at least a portion of the bottom product to supplement the mixed feed to the distillation column. A control valve is configured for controlling a flow rate in the bottom return line. A feed surge drum is configured for receiving a feed from the bottom return line and fresh feed, producing the mixed feed.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A distillation system comprising:
a distillation column configured for separating a mixed feed into one or more fractional mixtures, producing an overhead product and a bottom product; a bottom return line configured for returning at least a portion of the bottom product to supplement the feed; a control valve configured for controlling a flow rate in the bottom return line; and a feed surge drum configured for receiving a feed and the bottom product from the bottom return line, producing a mixed feed.

2 . A system of claim 1 , comprising:
an overhead vapor line for collecting one or more light components from a top of the distillation column and an overhead vapor line for transferring the overhead product to one or more downstream processes.

3 . A system of claim 1 comprising:
a reboiler configured for heating at least a portion of the distillation column bottom product, to generate a hot vapor return;
a hot vapor return line configured for redistributing the hot vapor from the reboiler to the distillation column as a stripping medium and;
a bottom product cooler, and
wherein the bottom product line is configured for transferring at least a portion of the bottom product from the bottom product cooler to the feed surge drum as the bottom product.

4 . A system of claim 2 , comprising:
a vent line configured for venting one or more light components from the feed surge drum to the overhead vapor line and; a feed surge drum sump configured for removing an aqueous or emulsion phase from the feed surge drum.

5 . A system of claim 1 , wherein;
a bottom product cooler is configured to reduce the temperature of the bottom product return line before it is mixed with the feed.

6 . A system of claim 2 , wherein;
at least a portion of the overhead product may be cooled and returned to the distillation column as reflux.

7 . A distillation system configured as an NGL stripper, comprising:
a distillation column configured for separating a mixed feed of NGL into one or more fractional mixtures, producing an overhead product and an NGL bottom product; a bottom return line configured for returning at least a portion of the NGL bottom product to a feed surge drum; a control valve configured for controlling a flow rate in the bottom return line; and wherein the feed surge drum is configured for receiving a feed and a portion of the bottom product from the bottom return line, producing the mixed feed of NGL.

8 . A system of claim 7 , comprising:
an overhead vapor line configured for collecting the overhead product from a top of the distillation column, and transferring the overhead product including one or more light components to one or more downstream processes.

9 . A system of claim 7 comprising:
a reboiler configured for heating a portion of the NGL bottom product;
a hot vapor return line configured for returning a hot vapor from the reboiler to the distillation column as a stripping medium; and
a bottom product cooler, and
wherein the bottom product line is configured for transferring a portion of NGL bottom product from the bottom product cooler to the feed surge drum as the bottom product.

10 . A system of claim 8 , comprising:
a vent line configured for venting one or more light components from the feed surge drum to the overhead vapor line; and a feed surge drum sump configured for removing an aqueous phase or emulsion phase from the feed surge drum.

11 . A system of claim 9 , wherein the bottom product cooler is configured to reduce the temperature of the NGL bottom product return line.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Prasetiyo Soelistiono Koesoemo
• Alghamdi Ibrahim Saeed
• Almansour Moath Khalid

Classifications

• F25J2200/74

  Refluxing the column with at least a part of the partially condensed overhead gas · CPC title

• F25J3/0233

  separation of CnHm with 1 carbon atom or more · CPC title

• F25J3/0209

  Natural gas or substitute natural gas · CPC title

• F25J3/0238

  separation of CnHm with 2 carbon atoms or more · CPC title

• F25J3/0266

  separation of carbon dioxide (production of carbon dioxide in general C01B32/00) · CPC title