Method and apparatus for producing a purified liquid

A method for producing a purified ammonia liquid comprising:

• providing an ammonia feed stream source;
• introducing under pressure an ammonia feed stream from the source to a distillation column;
• supplying boilup heat to the distillation column by heat exchange with a compressed refrigerant vapor stream in a first heat exchanger;
• distilling the ammonia feed stream to form a purified ammonia vapor;
• condensing the purified ammonia vapor to form purified ammonia liquid by heat exchange with a refrigerant liquid stream in a second heat exchanger;
• wherein the refrigerant liquid stream and the compressed refrigerant vapor stream are provided in a refrigerant flow network comprising the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger and a third heat exchanger;
• removing heat from the refrigerant flow network using the third heat exchanger;
• and
• withdrawing the purified ammonia liquid from the distillation column.

A method for producing purified ammonia liquid comprising:

• providing an ammonia feed stream source;
• introducing under pressure an ammonia feed stream from the source to a distillation column;
• supplying boilup heat to the distillation column by heat exchange with a compressed refrigerant vapor stream in a first heat exchanger;
• distilling the ammonia feed stream to form a purified ammonia vapor;
• condensing the purified ammonia vapor to form purified ammonia liquid by heat exchange with a refrigerant liquid stream in a second heat exchanger;
• wherein the refrigerant liquid stream and the compressed refrigerant vapor stream are provided in a refrigerant flow network comprising the first and second heat exchangers;
• and
• withdrawing the purified ammonia liquid from the distillation column;
• wherein at least a portion of the heat supplied to the ammonia feed stream at the first heat exchanger is generated from the condensation of the purified ammonia vapor at the second heat exchanger.

A method for producing purified ammonia liquid comprising:

• providing an ammonia feed stream source;
• introducing under pressure an ammonia feed stream from the source to a distillation column;
• supplying boilup heat to the distillation column by heat exchange with a compressed refrigerant vapor stream in a first heat exchanger;
• distilling the ammonia feed stream to form a purified ammonia vapor;
• condensing the purified ammonia vapor to form purified ammonia liquid by heat exchange with a refrigerant liquid stream in a second heat exchanger;
• wherein the refrigerant liquid stream and the compressed refrigerant vapor stream are provided in a refrigerant flow network comprising the first and second heat exchangers;
• and
• withdrawing the purified ammonia liquid from the distillation column wherein withdrawing the purified ammonia liquid from the distillation columns is carried out while maintaining substantially similar pressures within the purified ammonia liquid and within the distillation column.

A method for producing a purified ammonia liquid stream comprising:

• providing an liquid ammonia source;
• introducing under pressure a liquid ammonia feed stream from the liquid ammonia source to a distillation column assembly comprising a distillation column and a collection chamber positioned substantially annularly about the distillation column;
• purifying the liquid ammonia feed stream in the distillation column assembly to produce a purified liquid ammonia;
• and
• collecting the purified liquid ammonia in the collection chamber and further comprising
• condensing a low pressure recycle ammonia vapor stream to form a low pressure recycle ammonia liquid stream;
• pumping the low pressure recycle ammonia liquid stream and the distillation column assembly to substantially the same pressure;
• and
• delivering the pumped recycle ammonia liquid stream to the distillation column assembly in the purification vessel.

A method for producing a purified liquid ammonia stream comprising:

• providing a liquid ammonia source;
• introducing under pressure a liquid ammonia feed stream from the liquid ammonia source to a purification vessel, the purification vessel comprising a distillation column assembly and a collection chamber in communication with the distillation column assembly;
• directing the liquid ammonia feed stream to a distillation column in the distillation column assembly;
• vaporizing liquid bottoms from the distillation column and returning this vapor to a bottom section of the distillation column as boilup;
• recovering a purified vapor from a top section of the distillation column;
• condensing the purified vapor into a purified liquid ammonia;
• collecting the purified liquid ammonia in the collection chamber to a predetermined volume;
• and
• returning a portion of the purified liquid ammonia from the bottom of the collection chamber to the distillation column assembly when the predetermined volume has been exceeded.

An apparatus for producing a purified liquid ammonia stream comprising:

• a purification vessel in communication with a liquid ammonia source, the vessel comprising an intake for admitting an liquid ammonia feed stream from the liquid ammonia source, a distillation assembly comprising a distillation column for forming a purified ammonia vapor from the liquid ammonia feed stream, and a condenser for condensing the purified ammonia vapor into a purified liquid ammonia;
• a refrigerant flow network in communication with the liquid ammonia feed stream and the purified ammonia vapor for providing heat to the liquid ammonia feed stream and cooling to condense the purified ammonia vapor into the purified liquid ammonia, after the purified liquid ammonia exits the distillation column and
• a collection chamber for collecting the purified liquid ammonia
• wherein a heat byproduct is produced from the refrigerant flow network, the heat byproduct directed to increase the temperature of the purified liquid ammonia.

An annular chamber for collecting purified liquid ammonia from a distillation column comprising:

• a substantially cylindrical vertical inner wall;
• and
• a chamber bottom extending radially outward a predetermined distance from the inner wall to a substantially cylindrical vertical outer wall, the inner wall having a diameter dimensioned to substantially surround a packed distillation column
• wherein the chamber is an open top vessel.