US 6,250,106 B1Granted

Process for separation of multicomponent fluids using a multizone distallation column

AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.

InventorRakesh Agrawal

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Abstract

A process uses a multizone distillation column for the separation of a multicomponent feed into one stream enriched in the most volatile component, one stream enriched in the least volatile component, and at least two other streams enriched in a component of intermediate volatility. The multizone distillation column has at least two vertical partitions, thereby creating a primary distillation zone and at least two secondary distillation zones. Each of the secondary distillation zones is fed with a mixture from another distillation zone, and a product stream enriched in a component of intermediate volatility is produced from each of the secondary distillation zones. At least one secondary distillation zone receives either at least a portion of the vapor boilup or a portion of the liquid reflux from a source external to the multizone distillation column or through heat exchange with a utility source that is external to the multizone distillation column.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A process for separation of a multicomponent fluid containing at least three components, each component having a different volatility, into at least four product streams, said process using at least one multizone distillation column having a top, a bottom, a primary distillation zone, and at least two secondary distillation zones, each secondary distillation zone having a top and a bottom, comprising the steps of:

feeding the multicomponent fluid into the primary distillation zone;
transferring a first mixture from the primary distillation zone to a first secondary distillation zone, said first mixture being lean in at least one component of the multicomponent fluid;
transferring a second mixture to a second secondary distillation zone from the first secondary distillation zone, said second mixture being lean in at least one other component of the multicomponent fluid or at least one component of the first mixture;
removing a first product stream rich in a first component having a highest volatility from the top of the multizone distillation column;
removing a second product stream rich in a second component having a lowest volatility from the bottom of the multizone distillation column;
removing from the first secondary distillation zone or the second secondary distillation zone a third product stream rich in a third component having an intermediate volatility between the highest volatility and the lowest volatility;
and
feeding to the first secondary distillation zone or the second secondary distillation zone at least a portion of (i) a vapor boilup stream, or (ii) a liquid reflux stream, wherein the at least a portion of (i) the vapor boilup stream, or (ii) the liquid reflux stream, is fed from a source external to the multizone distillation column or through heat exchange with a utility source external to the multizone distillation column.

5 more elements

feeding the multicomponent fluid into the primary distillation zone at a first location;
transferring a first mixture from the primary distillation zone to a first secondary distillation zone at a second location below the first location, said first mixture being lean in at least one component of the multicomponent fluid;
transferring a second mixture from the primary distillation zone to a second secondary distillation zone at a third location below the first location, said second mixture being lean in at least one other component of the multicomponent fluid or at least one component of the first mixture;
removing a first product stream rich in a first component having a highest volatility from the top of the multizone distillation column;
removing a second product stream rich in a second component having a lowest volatility from the bottom of the multizone distillation column;
removing from the first secondary distillation zone or the second secondary distillation zone a third product stream rich in a third component having an intermediate volatility between the highest volatility and the lowest volatility;
and
feeding to the first secondary distillation zone or the second secondary distillation zone at least a portion of (i) a vapor boilup stream, or (ii) a liquid reflux stream, wherein the at least a portion of (i) the vapor boilup stream, or (ii) the liquid reflux stream, is fed from a source external to the multizone distillation column or through heat exchange with a utility source external to the multizone distillation column.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.