Rectification Tower with Internal Heat and Mass Exchange and Method for Separation of Multi-Component Mixtures into Fractions Using a Rectification Tower with an Internal Heat and Mass Exchange

A method for the separation of multi-component mixtures into fractions using a rectification tower with an internal heat and mass exchange, comprising the steps of

• providing an enriching section made in the form of a vertical tubular heat exchanger (HE) that comprises heat and mass exchange tubes, said enriching section further comprising a body and tube plates, said tube plates being connected to said body, thus providing said tubular spaces and an annular space, an upper heat carrier inlet into said annular space, an upper heat carrier steam outlet from said annular space being located below said upper inlet, a lower heat carrier outlet, a heat carrier distributor that distributes fluid from upper heat carrier fluid inlet into the annular space and provides for fluid flowing along external surfaces of tubes, said the heat and mass exchange tubes extending through orifices in said heat carrier distributor, said orifices leaving clearances between said heat carrier distributor and external surfaces of tubes, heat and mass exchange surfaces in the annular space are made by the external surfaces of the tubes between said lower tube plate up to said heat carrier distributor, heat and mass exchange surfaces in the tubular space are made by the internal surfaces of the tubes between said lower tube plate up to said heat carrier distributor, said rectification tower further comprises a feed supply to and a vapors extraction as well as a device for discharging of liquid fraction from the tubular spaces),
• supplying a steam of said multi-component mixture which is to be rectified to said tubular spaces of said tubes and removing from the tubular spaces a rectified vapor portion;
• characterised by, the steps of
• using vapor to tightly connect said heat carrier fluid distributor to the body thus defining a distribution chamber that includes an annular space confined by the upper tube plate and the heat carrier fluid distributor,
• providing fluid outlets to the distribution chamber in the form of said clearances between said distributor orifices and the external surfaces of tubes,
• pressurizing the heat carrier fluid within said distribution chamber, and
• holding the fluid pressure in the distribution chamber above the fluid distributor higher than the pressure in the annular space below of the fluid distributor.