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US 2026/0225003 A1Published application
High temperature solvent separation with advanced stripper and direct contact condenser
OwnerGary Rochelle, Athreya Suresh Babuinventors
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Abstract
Methods and systems described herein improve energy efficiency and costs of separating components from high temperature solvents. A heat exchanger used to capture heat from a stripper before a final condensation step may be replaced with an additional section of packing. This additional section of packing may be at the top of the stripper column and may act as a direct contact condenser. Additionally, a cold rich split may flow into the additional section of packing rather than be mixed with a warm rich bypass. This direct contact condenser configuration may increase energy efficiency and reduce capital costs.
Claims23
A system comprising:
- a stripper column, the stripper column comprising a first section of packing and a first inlet;
- a second section of packing;
- a bypass inlet configured to deliver a fluid to a top of the second section of packing;
- a first heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger comprising a first inlet and a first outlet;
- a first flow path from the first heat exchanger to the stripper column, the first flow path comprising the first outlet of the first heat exchanger and the first inlet of the stripper column;
- and
- a second flow path from a location upstream of the first inlet of the first heat exchanger to the bypass inlet.
4 more elements
A method of separating a component from a stream, the method comprising:
- flowing a first portion of a first stream to the top of a first section of packing, the first portion of the first stream being at a first temperature, the first stream comprising the component, the first stream being a first liquid stream at the first temperature;
- flowing a second portion of the first stream to a first inlet of a stripper column, the second portion of the first stream being at a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature, the first inlet being below the top of the first section of packing;
- flowing a third portion of the first stream to a second inlet of the stripper column, the third portion of the first stream being at a third temperature, the third temperature being higher than the second temperature, the second inlet being below the first inlet, the third portion of the first stream being a first vapor stream at the third temperature;
- flowing the first vapor stream up through the stripper column and through the first section of packing;
- flowing the first liquid stream down through the first section of packing and through the stripper column;
- transferring the component from the first liquid stream into the first vapor stream;
- and
- condensing the first vapor stream to a second liquid stream to obtain a second vapor stream comprising the component, thereby separating the component.
5 more elements
-21. (canceled)
A system comprising:
- a stripper column, the stripper column comprising a first section of trays and a first inlet;
- a second section of trays;
- a bypass inlet configured to deliver a fluid to a top of the second section of trays;
- a first heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger comprising a first inlet and a first outlet;
- a first flow path from the first heat exchanger to the stripper column, the first flow path comprising the first outlet of the first heat exchanger and the first inlet of the stripper column;
- and
- a second flow path from a location upstream of the first inlet of the first heat exchanger to the bypass inlet.
4 more elements
-30. (canceled)
A method of separating a component from a stream, the method comprising:
- flowing a first portion of a first stream to the top of a first section of trays, the first portion of the first stream being at a first temperature, the first stream comprising the component, the first stream being a first liquid stream at the first temperature;
- flowing a second portion of the first stream to a first inlet of a stripper column, the second portion of the first stream being at a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature, the first inlet being below the top of the first section of trays;
- flowing a third portion of the first stream to a second inlet of the stripper column, the third portion of the first stream being at a third temperature, the third temperature being higher than the second temperature, the second inlet being below the first inlet, the third portion of the first stream being a first vapor stream at the third temperature;
- flowing the first vapor stream up through the stripper column and through the first section of trays;
- flowing the first liquid stream down through the first section of trays and through the stripper column;
- transferring the component from the first liquid stream into the first vapor stream;
- and
- condensing the first vapor stream to a second liquid stream to obtain a second vapor stream comprising the component, thereby separating the component.
5 more elements
-40. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.