(139c) Dividing Wall Column - Design for a Retrofit
AIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process Safety
2016
2016 AIChE Spring Meeting and 12th Global Congress on Process Safety
19th Topical Conference on Refinery Processing
Process Intensification of Divided Wall Column II
Tuesday, April 12, 2016 - 4:30pm to 5:00pm
It was noted that an isomer separation column upstream of the product column could be de-bottlenecked by replacing trays with structured packing. This prompted the question whether the resulting extra hydraulic capacity could be used to facilitate the production of high-purity products by converting the tower into a dividing wall column (DWC), effectively combining the purification tower functionality with the isomer separator tower, obviating the need for a new product tower and foundation, reducing the capital investment.
Process simulation studies and indicated this was feasible. A further benefit was ~ 20% less energy requirement, compared to the conventional separation sequence. Consultations with column vendors with experience in DWC confirmed the project was an excellent candidate for a DWC retrofit. However, because the tower was small diameter, it was more cost-effective and required less down-time to replace the column shell with a new vessel, rather than modifying the internals of the original column.
This case study illustrates the advantages and trade-offs to be considered when contemplating retrofitting an existing unit as a DWC.
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2016 AIChE Spring Meeting and 12th Global Congress on Process Safety
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