Automatic controls in a fractionating column

Claim 1

A METHOD OF OPERATING AND CONTROLLING A FRACTIONATION ZONE WHICH IS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED TO AN OPERATION IN WHICH THE ZONE YIELDS A PREPONDERANT PROPORTION OF FEED THERETO AS BOTTOMS, WHILE TAKING OVERHEAD A SMALLER PROPORTION OF LIGHT MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES FEEDING MATERIAL TO BE FRACTIONED TO A MID-SECTION OF A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED ELONGATED FRACTIONATION ZONE, REMOVING A VAPOROUS PRODUCT AT THE TOP OF SAID ZONE, REMOVING A LIQUID PRODUCT FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID ZONE, PASSING SAID LIQUID PRODUCT INTO, THROUGH, AND FROM A HEATING ZONE EXTERNAL OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, AND BACK TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, CONTROLLING HEAT INPUT TO SAID HEATING ZONE TO MAINTAIN CONSTANT THE TEMPERATURE OF LIQUID PRODUCT EMANATING FROM SAID HEATING ZONE, CONTROLLING THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID LIQUID PRODUCT FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE TO SAID HEATING ZONE AND BACK TO SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE BOTTOM RESPONSIVE TO THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID LIQUID PRODUCT IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE TO MAINTAIN SAID LIQUID PRODUCT AT A PREDETERMINED DESIRED TEMPERATURE, HEAT EXCHANGING SAID MATERIAL BEING FED TO SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE WITH A FLOW OF A VARIABLE PORTION OF THE LIQUID PRODUCT EMANATING FROM SAID HEATING ZONE, AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF SAID VARIABLE PORTION OF THE LIQUID PRODUCT RESPONSIVE TO A CONDITION OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE AT A PREDETERMINED LOCUS THEREOF LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID ZONE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF OPERATING AND CONTROLLING A FRACTIONATION ZONE WHICH IS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED TO AN OPERATION IN WHICH THE ZONE YIELDS A PREPONDERANT PROPORTION OF FEED THERETO AS BOTTOMS, WHILE TAKING OVERHEAD A SMALLER PROPORTION OF LIGHT MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES FEEDING MATERIAL TO BE FRACTIONED TO A MID-SECTION OF A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED ELONGATED FRACTIONATION ZONE, REMOVING A VAPOROUS PRODUCT AT THE TOP OF SAID ZONE, REMOVING A LIQUID PRODUCT FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID ZONE, PASSING SAID LIQUID PRODUCT INTO, THROUGH, AND FROM A HEATING ZONE EXTERNAL OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, AND BACK TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, CONTROLLING HEAT INPUT TO SAID HEATING ZONE TO MAINTAIN CONSTANT THE TEMPERATURE OF LIQUID PRODUCT EMANATING FROM SAID HEATING ZONE, CONTROLLING THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID LIQUID PRODUCT FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE TO SAID HEATING ZONE AND BACK TO SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE BOTTOM RESPONSIVE TO THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID LIQUID PRODUCT IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE TO MAINTAIN SAID LIQUID PRODUCT AT A PREDETERMINED DESIRED TEMPERATURE, HEAT EXCHANGING SAID MATERIAL BEING FED TO SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE WITH A FLOW OF A VARIABLE PORTION OF THE LIQUID PRODUCT EMANATING FROM SAID HEATING ZONE, AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF SAID VARIABLE PORTION OF THE LIQUID PRODUCT RESPONSIVE TO A CONDITION OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE AT A PREDETERMINED LOCUS THEREOF LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID ZONE.