Method for controlling the reboiler section of a dual reboiler distillation column
AssigneeUniversal Oil Products Company
InventorR. Gene Fickel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A control method and system for regulating the heat input to the reboiler section of a distillation column having attendant thereto a first external heat-recovery reboiler. Flow-measuring means, disposed within a substantially liquid-free environment, produces a signal which is representative of the quantity of vapor flowing from the reboiler section upwardly into the fractionation section of the column. This signal is transmitted to heat-varying means whereby the heat input to a second external reboiler heater is regulated in response to the quantity of vapor flow.
Claims3
A method for controlling heat input to the reboiler section of a distillation column comprising a reboiler section and a fractionation section, said column having two external heat-recovery reboiler heaters appurtenant thereto, which method comprises the steps of:
- a. withdrawing a liquid bottoms stream from said reboiler section;
- b. regulating the quantity of a first portion of said bottoms stream removed from said distillation column as a bottoms product, in response to the level of liquid in said reboiler section;
- c. introducing a second portion of said bottoms stream into a first of said external heaters, and therein heating and partially vaporizing said second portion via indirect contact therein with an external process stream;
- d. passing the heated, mixed-phase second portion of said bottoms stream into a substantially liquid-free area of said reboiler section, and therein disengaging liquid from said heated mixed-phase;
- e. introducing a third portion of said bottoms stream into the second of said external heaters, and therein heating and partially vaporizing said third portion;
- f. passing the heated, mixed-phase third portion of said bottoms stream into said substantially liquid-free area of the reboiler section, and therein disengaging liquid therefrom;
- g. measuring, within said reboiler section, the quantity of vapor passing upwardly from the reboiler section into said fractionation section of said distillation column;
- and
- h. regulating the heat input to said second external reboiler heater in response to a signal representative of the measured quantity of vapor passing into said fractionation section, thereby regulating the heat input to said reboiler section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.