(88d) Debottlenecking an Acn Heads & Dry Column with Vg Af (V-Grid Anti-Fouling) Trays

One of the major problems in many Refinery and Petrochemical Plants is the deposition of heavy organic solids dissolved in the process fluid or generated via polymerization of unstable components contained in the process fluid as well. Fouling is a leading cause of decreased capacity, excessive energy consumption, and or unexpected plant's shoutdown with consequent loss of production. Sulzer Chemtech has developped a new type of fractionation tray especially suitable for fouling-prone applications. The new VGAF (V-Grid Anti Fouling) tray provides high fouling resistance, high hydraulic capacity, and high fractionation efficiency as well. A great contribution has come from the experience of Reliance-IPLC at their petrochemical complex in Vadodara, India, where a successful revamp project was implemented at the Heads & Dry column of the Acrylonitrile plant. The upgrading of the operating procedure and the use of the VGAF trays allowed doubling the run length of the unit, while maximizing the capacity and the ACN recovery as well.