Fractionator control system for reboiling narrow boiling range liquids

Abstract

Abstract METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING THE REBOILING FUNCTION OF A FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION COLUMN. MEANS IN PROVIDED FOR PASSING REBOILER LIQUID FROM A LOWER SECTION OF THE COLUMN TO THE REBOILER AT A CONSTANT PREDETERMINED RATE OF FLOW. OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE REBOILER, IS A MEANS TO VARY THE HEAT INPUT THERETO. OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE REBOILER VAPOR RETURN LINE IS A MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING A FLOW SIGNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE OF FLOW OF HEATED FLUID PASSING THERETHROUGH. ALTHROUGH THE FLOW SIGNAL IS NOT DIRECTLY CORRELATABLE WITH THE RATE OF FLOW OF THE HEATED FLUID, SINCE THE HEATED FLUID NORMALLY LEAVING THE REBOILER IS A VAPOR-LIQUID MIXTURE, THE FLOW SIGNAL IS PASSED TO THE HEAT INPUT VARYING MEANS, WHEREBY HEAT INPUT IS REGULATED RESPONSIVE TO THE FLOW SIGNAL. THE PHASE DISTRIBUTION OF THE VAPOR-LIQUID MIXTURE IS THEREBY HELD CONSTANT, THUS MAINTAINING THE COLUMN UNDER CONDITIONS OF THERMAL EQUILIBRIUM. THE INVENTION HAS PARTICULAR APPLICA- TION WHERE THE REBOILER LIQUID IS A SUBSTANTIALLY PURE COMPOUND OR A COMPONENT MIXTURE HAVING A BOILING RANGE OF ABOUT 10*F, OR LESS.

Inventors

• 👤 D Boyd
• 👤 C Wood

Bibliographic Details