Heat Pump for High Purity Bottom Product
OwnerPaul A. Sechrist, David A. Wegererinventors
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Abstract
An apparatus for reducing the energy consumption of a distillation column is disclosed. The apparatus draws off an intermediate vapor stream from the rectification section of the distillation column, where the vapor stream is compressed and used to reboil a portion of the bottoms stream. The compressed vapor stream transfers energy to the bottoms stream, thereby condensing a portion of the vapor stream while vaporizing the bottoms stream.
Claims20
An apparatus for the distillation separation of a first component from a mixture comprising:
- a distillation column comprising a rectifying section having an outlet for an overhead vapor stream, a stripping section having an outlet for a bottoms liquid stream, and feed section having a feed inlet and disposed between the rectifying section and the stripping section;
- a bottoms reboiler section for reboiling the bottoms liquid stream entering from the stripping section;
- an overhead condensing section for condensing the overhead vapor stream from the rectifying section;
- a side vapor draw from the rectifying section;
- a heat pump compressor having an inlet in fluid communication with the side vapor draw, and an outlet;
- and
- a second reboiler heat exchanger having a fluid side in fluid communication with the bottoms stream from the stripping section, and having a vapor side in fluid communication with the outlet from the heat pump compressor.
An apparatus for the distillation separation of a first component from a mixture comprising:
- a distillation column comprising a rectifying section having an outlet for an overhead vapor stream, a stripping section having an outlet for a bottoms liquid stream, and feed section having a feed inlet and disposed between the rectifying section and the stripping section;
- an overhead condensing section for condensing the overhead vapor stream from the rectifying section;
- an overhead heat pump compressor having an inlet in fluid communication with the overhead vapor stream, and an outlet thereby generating an overhead compressed vapor stream;
- a bottoms reboiler section for reboiling the bottoms liquid stream entering from the stripping section, wherein the bottom reboiler section comprises a heat exchanger having fluid side in fluid communication with the bottoms stream from the stripping section, and having a vapor side in fluid communication with the overhead compressed vapor stream;
- a side vapor draw from the rectifying section;
- a side inlet in the rectifying section;
- a second heat pump compressor having an inlet in fluid communication with the side vapor draw, and an outlet in fluid communication with the side inlet to the rectifying section;
- and
- a second reboiler heat exchanger having a fluid side in fluid communication with the bottoms stream from the stripping section, and having a vapor side in fluid communication with the outlet from the second heat pump compressor.
An apparatus for the distillation of a first component from a mixture comprising:
- a distillation column comprising a rectifying section having an outlet for an overhead vapor stream, a stripping section having an outlet for a bottoms liquid stream, and feed section having a feed inlet and disposed between the rectifying section and the stripping section;
- a side draw;
- a first bottoms reboiler section comprising a means for reducing the pressure in the bottoms liquid stream, a first reboiler having a liquid side in fluid communication with the bottoms liquid stream and a vapor side in fluid communication with the overhead vapor stream, and a first heat pump compressor in fluid communication with the first reboiler liquid side;
- and
- a vapor-liquid separation drum having an inlet in fluid communication with the first reboiler vapor side and an outlet in fluid communication with the top of the rectifying section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.