Process for fractionating close boiling components of a multi-component system
AssigneeThe Lummus Company
InventorUtah Tsao
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Abstract
There is disclosed a process and apparatus for the fractionation of close boiling components of a multi-component system and comprised of at least two fractionation columns having a plurality of equilibrium stages wherein the vapor from a down-stream fractionation column is compressed and passed into a lower portion of a preceding fractionation column. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the compressed overhead vapor stream is passed in heat transfer relationship to a liquid stream withdrawn from the preceding fractionation column prior to introduction into the lower portion of such preceding fractionation column.
Claims5
In a process for fractionating close-boiling components of a multi-component system wherein such multi-component system is sequentially passed through at least two fractionation columns operating in series at the same or like pressures and wherein a higher boiling component of said multi-component system is withdrawn as a liquid from a last fractionation column and wherein the lower boiling component is separated as a vapor from a fractionation column, the improvement comprising:
- (a) withdrawing a liquid bottom stream from one of said columns in series except the last of said columns and effecting expansion of said liquid bottom stream at a liquid head of a height sufficient to eliminate the requirement of a pump to pass the resulting liquid-vapor mixture to the next fractionation columns and to eliminate the liquid surge requirements in the bottom of said one column immediately preceding said next column;
- (b) compressing a vapor stream withdrawn from an upper portion of said next fractionation column;
- and
- (c) introducing the compressed vapor stream of step (b) into a lower portion of said fractionation column immediately preceding said next fractionation column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.