Distillation column, residence time distribution

Continuous Multicomponent Distillation Column 501 Gas Separation by Membrane Permeation 475 Transport of Heavy Metals in Water and Sediment 565 Residence Time Distribution Studies 381 Nitrification in a Fluidised Bed Reactor 547 Conversion of Nitrobenzene to Aniline 329 Non-Ideal Stirred-Tank Reactor 374 Oscillating Tank Reactor Behaviour 290 Oxidation Reaction in an Aerated Tank 250 Classic Streeter-Phelps Oxygen Sag Curves 569 Auto-Refrigerated Reactor 295 Batch Reactor of Luyben 253 Reversible Reaction with Temperature Effects 305 Reversible Reaction with Variable Heat Capacities 299 Reaction with Integrated Extraction of Inhibitory Product 280... 

The last step regards the detailed design of the reactive-distillation column and of other operational units. The hydraulic design is consolidated taking into account the optimal traffic of liquid and vapor. Additional internals are provided to ensure uniform distribution of fluids and a sharp residence-time distribution. 

An issue that is not adequately addressed by most models (EQ and NEQ) is that of vapor and liquid flow patterns on distillation trays or maldistribution in packed columns. Since reaction rates and chemical equilibrium constants are dependent on the local concentrations and temperature, they may vary along the flow path of liquid on a tray, or from side to side of a packed column. For such systems the residence time distribution could be very important, as well as a proper description of mass transfer. On distillation trays, vapor will rise more or less in plug flow through a layer of froth. The liquid will flow along the tray more or less in plug flow, with some axial dispersion caused by the vapor jets and bubbles. In packed sections, maldistribution of internal vapor and liquid flows over the cross-sectional area of the column can lead to loss of interfacial area. 

Column hardware choice can have a significant influence on the conversion and selectivity such aspects can be properly described only by the NEQ cell model, or by a still more sophisticated model based on computational fluid mechanics (such models have yet to be developed). It is insufficiently realized in the literature that, say, for tray RD columns, the tray design can be deliberately chosen to improve conversion and selectivity. Even less appreciated is the fact that the design methodology for RD tray columns is fundamentally different from that of conventional trays. Liquid residence time and residence time distributions are more important in RD. The froth regime is to be preferred to the spray regime for RD applications this is opposite to the design wisdom normally adopted for conventional distillation. For relatively fast reactions, it is essential to properly model intra-particle dif... 

In this chapter we present the three major techniques used in petrochemicals. Gammascanning is a very effective non-invasive technique used for on-line troubleshooting of distillation columns and pipes. Neutron backscattering is applied for level and interface detection in storage tanks and other reservoirs. Radiotracers are employed to establish the residence time distribution which is an important mean of analysis of the petrochemical units. 

From general considerations it follows that concentration plate efficiencies for distillation reactors will have values similar to those for ordinary distillation columns modified slightly by thermal distillation effects. Thus, they will be higher for exothermic than for endothermic reactions under otherwise similar conditions. Prediction of reaction efficiencies is an uncharted field. It requires the knowledge of residence time distributions with modification of reactor behaviour by continuous exchange of components with the vapour phase. 

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