Processes for multicomponent separation
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorRakesh Agrawal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An efficient and easier to operate distillation process separates mixtures containing three of more components into streams enriched in one of the components. The invention converts a two-way communication between two distillation columns of a prior art thermally coupled distillation system into a one-way communication. Either a distillation section is added to one of the two distillation columns or a new distillation column is added, and only a liquid stream is transferred from one distillation column to another distillation column thereby eliminating the implementation of the return vapor stream between the same locations of the two columns. More than one distillation column produces product streams of at least one of the most volatile or the least volatile major constituent components.
Claims35
A process for distillation of a multicomponent fluid containing at least three components, each component having a different volatility, into at least three product streams, said process using at least two distillation columns, including a first distillation column and a second distillation column, wherein each distillation column has a top, a bottom, and at least two distillation sections between the top and the bottom, comprising the steps of:
- feeding the multicomponent fluid into the first distillation column at a feed location between two of the at least two distillation sections of the first distillation column;
- separating at least a portion of at least one component from the other components of the multicomponent fluid in the first distillation column, thereby forming at least one mixture stream lean in the at least one component;
- transferring from the first distillation column to another distillation column at least one mixture stream chosen from (i) a mixture stream lean in a least volatile component in a one-way communication, wherein a distillation section adjacent the top of the first distillation column and a distillation section adjacent the top of the second distillation column each perform substantially similar tasks, or (ii) a mixture stream lean in a most volatile component in another one-way communication, wherein a distillation section adjacent the bottom of the first distillation column and a distillation section adjacent the bottom of the second distillation column each perform substantially similar tasks;
- and wherein at least one other communication occurs between any of the at least two distillation columns;
- and
- removing from the at least two distillation columns at least one stream chosen from a stream rich in the most volatile component at the top of the at least two distillation columns or a stream rich in the least volatile component at the bottom of the at least two distillation columns.
A process for distillation of a multicomponent fluid containing at least three components, each component having a different volatility, into multiple product streams, wherein the process uses at least two distillation columns that are thermally coupled, and each distillation column has a top and a bottom, the first distillation column and the second distillation column having at least one two-way communication wherein a liquid mixture stream withdrawn from the first or second distillation column is fed to the other distillation column at a first location and a vapor mixture stream is simultaneously withdrawn from the first location and fed to the distillation column from which the liquid mixture stream is withdrawn, the liquid mixture stream is at least lean in the least volatile component or the most volatile component, there being at least one other communication between any two of the at least two distillation columns when the liquid mixture is lean in the most volatile component, the improvement comprising the steps of:
- converting at least one two-way communication between the first distillation column and the second distillation column to a one-way communication between the first distillation column and the second distillation column;
- and
- removing from the first and second distillation columns at least three product streams, each product stream enriched in one of the components.
An apparatus for distillation of a multicomponent fluid containing at least three components of different volatilities, said apparatus comprising:
- a distillation column system comprising at least two distillation columns;
- conduit means for feeding the multicomponent fluid into one of said columns;
- conduit means for removing from a column of the distillation system a product stream rich in the most volatile component;
- conduit means for transferring from said one column to another column of the distillation system in a one-way communication a mixture stream lean in the least volatile component;
- conduit means for removing from a column of the distillation system other than said one column a product stream rich in the most volatile component;
- conduit means for removing from the distillation column system at least one product stream rich in the least volatile component;
- and
- conduit means for removing from the distillation column system at least one product stream rich in a component of intermediate volatility.
An apparatus for distillation of a multicomponent fluid containing at least three components of different volatilities, said apparatus comprising:
- a distillation column system comprising a first distillation column having at least two distillation sections and a second distillation column having at least two distillation;
- conduit means for feeding the multicomponent fluid into the first column at a feed location between said two distillation sections thereof;
- conduit means for removing from the first column a product stream rich in the most volatile component;
- conduit means for transferring from the first column to the second column in a one-way communication a mixture stream lean in the least volatile component;
- conduit means for removing from the second column a product stream rich in the most volatile component;
- conduit means for removing from the distillation column system at least one product stream rich in the least volatile component;
- and
- conduit means for removing from the distillation column system at least one product stream rich in a component of intermediate volatility.
An apparatus for distillation of a multicomponent fluid containing at least three components of different volatilities, said apparatus comprising:
- a distillation column system comprising at least two distillation columns;
- conduit means for feeding the multicomponent fluid into one of said columns;
- conduit means for removing from a column of the distillation system a product stream rich in the least volatile component;
- conduit means for transferring from said one column to another column of the distillation system in a one-way communication a mixture stream lean in the most volatile component;
- conduit means for removing from a column of the distillation system other than said one column a product stream rich in the least volatile component;
- conduit means for removing from the distillation column system at least one product stream rich in the most volatile component;
- conduit means for removing from the distillation column system at least one product stream rich in a component of intermediate volatility, and
- conduit means for transferring an additional mixture stream between the columns providing said product streams rich in the least volatile component.
An apparatus for distillation of a multicomponent fluid containing at least three components of different volatilities, said apparatus comprising:
- a distillation column system comprising a first distillation column and a second distillation column having at least two distillation sections;
- conduit means for feeding the multicomponent fluid into the first column at a feed location between said two distillation sections thereof;
- conduit means for removing from the first column a product stream rich in the least volatile component;
- conduit means for transferring from the first column to the second column in a one-way communication a mixture stream lean in the most volatile component;
- conduit means for removing from the second column a product stream rich in the least volatile component;
- conduit means for removing from the distillation column system at least one product stream rich in the most volatile component;
- conduit means for removing from the distillation column system at least one product stream rich in a component of intermediate volatility;
- and
- conduit means for transferring an additional mixture stream between the first and second columns.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.