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Dedication |
| |
Preface |
| Chapter 1. |
The Origin of Distillation Technology: Conversion of Wine to Brandy / The basic Idea of Distillation / How Distillation Works / Vaporization of Wine / Partial Condensation / Distillation Technology / Function of Reflux / Function of Reboiler / Function of Trays / Balance Between Product Purity and Product Recovery / The Distillation Tower / Improving Fractionation / The Problem of Entrainment |
| Chapter 2. |
Vapor Pressure – Alcohol vs. Water: Meaning of Relative Volatility / Vapor Pressure Charts / Mole Percent of Components in Liquid / The Partial Condenser / Relative Volatility of Key Components / Effect of Concentration / Progression of Distillation |
| Chapter 3. |
The Distillation Tower Tray: Bubble Cap Trays / Tray Flooding / Tray Dumping or Weeping / Origin of the Reflux Flow / Sampling vs. Time / Optimizing Tower Pressure / My Lesson / Tray Deck Thickness vs. Pressure Drop |
| Chapter 4. |
Vapor Pressures and Relative Volatility: Relative Volatility / Vapor Pressure and Pure Hydrocarbons / Distillation Tower Operating Pressure / Optimizing a Distillation Tower’s Operating Pressure / Energy Efficiency / Top Tray Flooding / Crude Oil Distillation / Distillation Efficiency & Relative Volatility / Ease of Separation / Reducing Tower Pressure: Benefits and Limits |
| Chapter 5. |
The Meaning of a Theoretical Separation Stage: Temperature Profile Refines Tray Efficiency / Pressure Profile / Using Temperature to Evaluate Tray Efficiency / Direct Field Observations / Common Causes of Distillation Tower Premature Flooding due to Mis-Assembly or Design Errors |
| Chapter 6. |
Distillation Process Correlations and Calculations: General Correlations / Gas Volume / Pressure Drop / Vapor Pressure / The Ideal Gas Law / Downside of Reliance On Computer Calculation and Simulations / Pump Around Heat Extraction Duty / Benefit of Manual Calculations / Selection of “Equation of State” |
| Chapter 7. |
Multi-Component Distillation: Effect of Non-Key Components / Effect of Non-Key Components in Distillation Towers / Optimizing Pumparound Heat Removal / Water in Relux |
| Chapter 8. |
How Distillation Trays Work: Tray Dumping (Weeping) / Tray Flooding / Why Fractionation Efficiency is Lost / Temperature Difference / Calculating Tray Efficiency / Total Trap-Out Chimney Tray |
| Chapter 9. |
Distillation Tray Design and Vortex Breaker Fouling: Fractionation Tray Design / Tray Deck Perforations / Downcomer Design and Flow / Effect of Flow Path Length / Tray Deck Spacing / Tray Deck Levelness / Tray Efficiency / Downcomer Loading / Low Weir Loading / Draw-Off Nozzle Plugging Due to Fouled Vortex Breakers |
| Chapter 10. |
Tray Types – Tray Deck Leakage: Types of Distillation Trays / Valve Tray Operation / Fixed-Type Valve Caps / Lift Specification / Trayed vs. Packed Distillation Towers |
| Chapter 11. |
Picket Weirs and Low Weir Loading: Pumparound and Factionation Trays / Picket Weir Description / Result of Picket Weirs / Reviewing Tray Design |
| Chapter 12. |
Tray Pressure Drop Survey & Analysis Origin of Table 12.1: Pressure Drop Distribution / The Safe Way to Make a Pressure Reading with a Pressure Gauge |
| Chapter 13. |
Mechanical Aspects of Tray Efficiency: Tray Deck Design / Inspecting the Tray for Tray Deck Levelness / Improving Tray Deck Levelness / Fixed Valve Cap Tray Decks / Replacing Tray Deck Manways / Field Testing for Tray Decks Out-of Levelness / Conclusions for the Above Test / Downcomer Bracing Brackets / Tray Levelness Upgrade – Mechanical Specification Details Summary |
| Chapter 14. |
Distillation Tray – Flow Path Length Problems: Weir Loading Limit / Result of Revamp / What Had Gone Wrong? / My Published Paper / Minimum Fow Path Length / A Lesson Learned / Improving Efficiency in Small Diameter Towers |
| Chapter 15. |
On-Stream Water Washing of Distillation Towers: Sublimation of Ammonia / Water Washing FCU Fractionators / Water Wash Frequency / Desalter Operation |
| Chapter 16. |
Understanding Vapor Flow in Distillation Towers: Effect on Tray Flooding / Tray Fouling Distribution / Effect on Pressure Drop Survey / Loss of Downcomer Seal |
| Chapter 17. |
Distillation Problems Using Structured Packing: The Advantages of Structured Packing / Liquid Distribution / Spray Nozzle Distribution / Use of Spray Nozzles in Fractionation Services / Height Equivalent to a Theoretical Tray or Stage or Plate (H.E.T.P.) / Pressure Drop & Capacity / What Then Is The Problem / Reflux Maldistribution |
| Chapter 18. |
Packed Tower Problems: Theoretical Advantages of Packing in Distillation Services / Packing Fractionation Problems / Reflux Distributor Levelness / Fouling / Layers of Structured Packing / Packing Support Open Area |
| Chapter 19. |
Structured Packing – Problems and Advantages: Reflux Distribution / The “Bubble Effect” in Structured Packing / Structured Packing Installation |
| Chapter 20. |
Wash Oil Grid: Past History of the Problem / Direct Field Observations / Differential Rate of Thermal Expansion / Final Outcome / Moral of This True Story / Dangers of Pyrophoric Iron / A Lesson Learned |
| Chapter 21. |
Distillation Tower Pressure Profile: Reflux Drum Pressure / Tower Top Pressure / Reflux Drum Evaluation / Tray Pressure Drop / Tower Bottoms Pressure / Reboiler Pressure / Bottoms Liquid Level |
| Chapter 22. |
Reflux and Reboiler Heat Flows: Effect of Feed Preheat / Entrainment or Vapor Flood / Temperature Difference / Fractionation in Condensers and Reboilers |
| Chapter 23. |
Thermosyphon Circulation Reboilers and Steam Stripping: Circulating Reboiler / Once-Thru Reboilers / Reboiler Pressure Drop / Function of the Reboiler / Improving Reboiler Capacity / A True Story / Steam Strippers / Moisture in Stripping Steam / Steam Stripping Efficiency |
| Chapter 24. |
Once-Thru Thermosyphon Reboilers – Case History: Super Fractionation Stage / The Function of Valve “A” / Restoring Fractionation Efficiency / Origin of Start-Up Line / Bottom Tray Leakage |
| Chapter 25. |
Reboiler Steam Quality: Level Control / Internal vs. External Boiler Level Measurement / Silicates / Reboiler Steam Condensate Drainage |
| Chapter 26. |
Water Cooled Condensers: Condensate Backup / Non-Condensables / Shell-side Fouling Tube-Side Fouling / Chlorine Shocking / Hot Vapor Bypass Control / Tube-Side Water Velocity / Approach to “Wet- Bulb” Temperature / Recent Experience with Overheating of Cooling Water |
| Chapter 27. |
Fin-Fan Air Condensers: Tube-Side Passes / Increasing Air Flow / Fin Tube Fouling / Restoring Air Flow / Water Mist / Tube-Side Pass Configuration / A True Story from Mumbai, India |
| Chapter 28. |
Pumparound Heat Exchangers: Effect of Pumparound on Fractionation Efficiency / Computor Simulation vs. Field Observations / Pumparound Heat Removal / Effect of Increasing Pumparound Flow Rate / Panel Board Operator Error / Pumparound Exchanger Problems / Industry Standard Configuration |
| Chapter 29. |
Optimizing Pumparounds to Save Energy: Stripper Feed Side Draw-Off Location / Effect on Fractionation / Pumparound Fractionation Efficiency |
| Chapter 30. |
Computer Simulation to Design a Distillation Tower: My Current Practice / Naphtha Side Draw-Off Product Water Contamination |
| Chapter 31. |
Troubleshooting Using Radiation Scans: How it Works / Why I Do Not Initiate Use of Radiation Scans / Typical Scan Results / Radiation in Level Control |
| Chapter 32. |
Saving Energy in Distillation: Tower Temperature Profile / Entrainment / Using Temperature Profile to Save Energy / Condenser Capacity Limits / Saving Energy in Distillation Towers - Checklist |
| Conclusion: |
CONCLUSION |
| Glossary: |
GLOSSARY |
| Index: |
INDEX |
| About: |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR |
