Liquid-continuous column distillation
AssigneeCatalytic Distillation Technologies
InventorsLawrence A. Smith JR., Mitchell E. Loescher
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Abstract
Bubble columns fractionate with vapor-liquid mass transfer efficiencies approaching that of distillation towers when vapor velocities in excess of 50% of jet flood are used. If the vapor velocities are pushed above about 70% of jet flood then the distillation performance of a given column packing becomes similar for both liquid continuous operation (bubble column mode) and vapor continuous operation (ordinary distillation tower mode).
Claims26
An improvement in the distillation of mixtures comprising contacting a fractionatable liquid mixture in a distillation zone under conditions of temperature and pressure to fractionate said mixture vapor wherein the improvement comprises maintaining said distillation zone as liquid continuous and maintaining said vapor at a rate of greater than 50% of jet flood to less than 100% of jet flood.
The distillation according to claim 4 wherein said mixture comprises hydrocarbons.
The process of fractionating a liquid mixture comprising placing a liquid mixture in a fractionation zone under conditions of temperature and pressure to fractionate said mixture, maintaining a continuous liquid phase in said fractionation zone and a vapor having a rate through said fractionation zone of greater than 50% of jet flood to less than 100% of jet flood.
A process for the production of methanol comprising the steps of:
- (a) feeding solvent containing a methanol catalyst to a column containing a liquid continuous phase;
- (b) feeding a gas containing carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen to said column below the catalyst containing solvent feed at a rate such that the gas is flowing upward in said column at a rate equal greater than 50% of jet flood to less than 100% of jet flood;
- (c) withdrawing methanol from said column as overheads;
- and
- (d) withdrawing catalyst containing solvent from said column as bottoms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.