Dividing wall column with vapor separation
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorsAmit Goyal, Sudipta Ghosh, Joe R. Haas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for separating a feed stream into product streams. The apparatus includes an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section. The middle section has a dividing wall separating it into two portions. A liquid barrier blocks the flow of liquid from the upper section into the middle section and allows vapor to flow from the middle section to the upper section. A vapor and liquid barrier blocks both the flow of both vapor from the lower section to the middle section and the flow of liquid from the middle section to the lower section. Vapor conduits allow vapor to flow from the lower section to each of the middle portions in varying amounts. Also processes for separating a feed stream.
Claims20
An apparatus for separating a feed composition comprising a plurality of components, the apparatus comprising:
- an upper section;
- a middle section, the middle section comprising a dividing wall separating the middle section into two portions, each of the two portions of the middle section being separated from the upper section by a liquid barrier configured to block a flow of liquid from the upper section into the middle section and the liquid barrier configured to allow for vapor to flow from the middle section to the upper section;
- and,
- a lower section, the lower section separated from the middle section by a vapor and liquid barrier configured to block both a flow of vapor from the lower section to the middle section and a flow of liquid from the middle section to the lower section such that a pressure in a first portion of the middle section is independent of a pressure in a second portion of the middle section,
- wherein the dividing wall precludes liquid accumulating on a top of the vapor and liquid barrier within the two portions of the middle section from mixing.
A dividing wall distillation column comprising:
- a first section having a tray for collecting a first liquid;
- a second section disposed below the first section, the second section comprising two portions separated from each other by a wall, wherein the tray of the first section is configured to block the first liquid from flowing from the first section into either of the two portions of the second section;
- and,
- a third section separated from the second section by a solid vapor and liquid barrier configured to block a flow of vapor from the third section to the second section and block a flow of liquid from the second section to the third section such that a pressure in a first portion of the second section is independent of a pressure in a second portion of the second section,
- wherein the dividing wall precludes liquid accumulating on a top of the vapor and liquid barrier within the two portions of the middle section from mixing.
A process for separating a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising at least three different components into at least three product streams, the process comprising:
- passing the hydrocarbon feed stream into a middle section of a dividing wall distillation column, the dividing wall distillation column further comprising an upper section disposed above the middle section and a lower section disposed below the lower section, and the middle section separated into two portions by a wall extending through the middle section from the upper section to the lower section;
- blocking a flow of liquid from the upper section to the middle section with a liquid barrier;
- blocking both a flow of liquid from the middle section to the lower section and a flow of vapor from the lower section to the middle section with a vapor and liquid barrier such that a pressure in a first portion of the middle section is independent of a pressure in a second portion of the middle section;
- recovering a first product stream from the upper section;
- recovering a second product stream from the middle section;
- and,
- recovering a third product stream from the lower section,
- wherein the dividing wall precludes liquid accumulating on a top of the vapor and liquid barrier within the two portions of the middle section from mixing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.