(130b) Advancements in C2 Recovery Distillation

ADVANCEMENTS IN C2 RECOVERY DISTILLATION  

In today’s competitive market, continuous improvements in process technology are essential.  The ethylene recovery section of the plant is one of the most capital and energy intensive areas of the recovery section, so technology improvements in this area can lead to significant competitive advantages. 

In this paper, KBR will present two unique and patented new distillation processes for the recovery of ethylene:

• Advanced Deethanizer – a patented and commercialized distillation process in which a portion of the ethylene product is produced directly from the Deethanizer, applicable in either grass roots or revamp scenarios.  The paper will also include the description of a further refinement in the process, also patented and commercialized, in which several equipment items are deleted for lower cost
• Divided Wall Column (DWC) – a brief description of DWC concepts along with an application for ethylene recovery and purification will be provided