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US 10,792,583 B2Granted
Process and apparatus for controlling the split of liquid reflux in a divided wall column
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorsRussell C. Schulz, Chad A. Williams, James W. Harris, Nikunj Manubhai Patel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the fractionation technology that is used to create purified phenol and acetone products. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fractionation technology that is used to create crude acetone and crude phenol streams using a dividing wall column intended to remove cumene, alpha-methyl styrene and water from the product side of the wall.
Claims12
A fractionation process, comprising:
- feeding crude phenol to a dividing wall column, the dividing wall column having a dividing wall forming a feed side and a product side, the crude phenol being fed to the feed side at a point lower than a top of the dividing wall and above a bottom of the dividing wall;
- collecting liquid reflux from a tray above the dividing wall, the liquid reflux forming an aqueous phase and an organic phase, wherein the liquid reflux is at least a portion of condensed vapor from the column;
- separating the liquid reflux into two streams above the dividing wall, a first stream comprising primarily the aqueous phase and a second stream comprising primarily the organic phase;
- passing at least a portion of the first stream to the product side of the dividing wall column at a point lower than the top of the dividing wall and above a bottom of the dividing wall;
- dividing the second stream into a first portion and a second portion;
- passing the first portion of the second stream to the feed side of the dividing wall column at a point lower than the top of the dividing wall and above the point where the crude phenol is fed;
- passing the second portion of the second stream to the product side of the dividing wall column at a point lower than the top of the dividing wall and above the bottom of the dividing wall;
- and
- removing a liquid sidecut stream from an outlet on the product side of the dividing wall column at a point lower than where the first stream and the second portion of the second stream are introduced and above a bottom of the dividing wall, the liquid sidecut stream forming two phases.
6 more elements
A fractionation process, comprising:
- feeding crude phenol to a dividing wall column, the dividing wall column having a dividing wall forming a feed side and a product side, the crude phenol being fed to the feed side at a point lower than a top of the dividing wall and above a bottom of the dividing wall;
- collecting liquid reflux from a tray above the dividing wall, the liquid reflux forming an aqueous phase and an organic phase, wherein the liquid reflux is at least a portion of condensed vapor from the column;
- separating the liquid reflux into two streams above the dividing wall, a first stream comprising primarily the aqueous phase and a second stream comprising primarily the organic phase;
- passing at least a portion of the first stream to the product side of the dividing wall column at a point lower than the top of the dividing wall and above a bottom of the dividing wall;
- dividing the second stream into a first portion and a second portion;
- passing the first portion of the second stream to the feed side of the dividing wall column at a point lower than the top of the dividing wall and above the point where the crude phenol is fed;
- passing the second portion of the second stream to the product side of the dividing wall column at a point lower than the top of the dividing wall and above the bottom of the dividing wall;
- controlling a flow rate of the first stream, a flow rate of the first portion of the second stream, and a flow rate of the second portion of the second stream to maintain a desired flow rate to the feed side of the dividing wall column and a desired flow rate to the product side of the dividing wall column;
- removing a liquid sidecut stream from an outlet on the product side of the dividing wall column at a point lower than where the first stream and the second portion of the second stream are introduced and above a bottom of the dividing wall, the liquid sidecut stream forming two phases;
- and
- separating the liquid sidecut stream into a higher density stream having a first density and a lower density stream having a second density less than the first density.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.