Reboil

Latent heat of vaporization decreases i.e., reboiler and condenser duties become lower. 

Reboiler temperature increases with a limit often set by thermal decomposition of the material being vaporized, causing excessive fouling. 

Another variable that needs to be set for distillation is refiux ratio. For a stand-alone distillation column, there is a capital-energy tradeoff, as illustrated in Fig. 3.7. As the refiux ratio is increased from its minimum, the capital cost decreases initially as the number of plates reduces from infinity, but the utility costs increase as more reboiling and condensation are required (see Fig. 3.7). If the capital... 

Requires more heat in the reboiler but less cooling in the condenser... 

If decomposition in the reboilers contaminates the product, then this dictates that no finished products be taken from the bottoms of columns. 

These heuristics are based on observations made in many practical applications. In addition to being restricted to simple columns, the observations are based on no heat integration (i.e., all reboilers and condensers are serviced by utilities). Difficulties can arise when the heuristics are in conflict with each other, as the following example illustrates. 

A widening of the temperature differences across columns, since light nonkey components cause a decrease in condenser temperature and heavy nonkey components cause an increase in the reboiler temperature. 

Whether heat integration is restricted to the separation system or allowed with the rest of the process, integration always benefits from colder reboiler streams and hotter condenser streams. This point is dealt with in more general terms in Chap. 12. In addition, when column pressures are allowed to vary, columns with smaller temperature differences are easier to integrate, since smaller changes in pressure are required to achieve suitable integration. This second point is explained in more detail in Chap. 14. 

Large heat loads to be transferred result in large reboilers and condensers. 

The final restriction of simple columns stated earlier was that they should have a reboiler and a total condenser. It is possible to use materials fiow to provide some of the necessary heat transfer by direct contact. This transfer of heat via direct contact is known as thermal coupling. 

First consider thermal coupling of the simple sequences from Fig. 5.1. Figure 5.14a shows a thermally coupled direct sequence. The reboiler of the first column is replaced by a thermal coupling. Liquid from the bottom of the first column is transferred to the second as before, but now the vapor required by the first column is supplied by the second column instead of by a reboiler on the first column. The four column sections are marked as 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Fig. 5.14a. In... 

Consider now thermal coupling of the prefractionator arrangement from Fig. 5.116. Figure 5.16a shows a prefi-actionator arrangement with partial condenser and reboiler on the prefractionator. Figure 5.166 shows the equivalent thermally coupled prefractionator arrangement sometimes known as a Petlyuk column. To make the two arrangements in Fig. 5.16 equivalent, the thermally coupled prefractionator requires extra plates to substitute for the prefractionator condenser and reboiler. 

Consider again the simple process shown in Fig. 4.4d in which FEED is reacted to PRODUCT. If the process usbs a distillation column as separator, there is a tradeofi" between refiux ratio and the number of plates if the feed and products to the distillation column are fixed, as discussed in Chap. 3 (Fig. 3.7). This, of course, assumes that the reboiler and/or condenser are not heat integrated. If the reboiler and/or condenser are heat integrated, the, tradeoff is quite different from that shown in Fig. 3.7, but we shall return to this point later in Chap. 14. The important thing to note for now is that if the reboiler and condenser are using external utilities, then the tradeoff between reflux ratio and the number of plates does not affect other operations in the flowsheet. It is a local tradeoff. 

The column inventory also can be reducdd by the use of low-holdup column internals, including the holdup in the column base. As the design progresses, other features can be included to reduce the inventory. Thermosyphon reboilers have a lower inventory than kettle reboilers. Peripheral equipment such as reboilers can be located inside the column. ... 

If steam is used as stripping agent, either live steam or a reboiler can be used. The use of live steam increases the effluent volume. The volatile organics are taken overhead, condensed, and recycled to the process, if possible. If recycling is not possible, then further treatment or disposal is necessary. 

The dominant heating and cooling duties associated with a distillation column are the reboiler and condenser duties. In general, however, there will be other duties associated with heating and cooling of feed and product streams. These sensible heat duties usually will be small in comparison with the latent heat changes in reboilers and condensers. 

Both the reboiling and condensing processes normally take place over a range of temperature. Practical considerations, however, usually dictate that the heat to the reboiler must be supplied at a temperature above the dew point of the vapor leaving the reboiler and that the heat removed in the condenser must be removed at a temperature lower than the bubble point of the liquid. Hence, in preliminary design at least, both reboiling and condensing can be assumed to take place at constant temperatures. ... 

The consequences of placing distillation columns in different locations relative to the pinch will now be explored. There are two possible ways in which the distillation column can be integrated. The reboiler and condenser can be integrated either across the pinch or not across the pinch. 

Fig. 14.1a. The background process (which does not include the reboiler and condenser) is represented simply as a heat sink and heat source divided by the pinch. Heat Qreb is taken into the reboiler above pinch temperature and rejected from the condenser at a lower temperature, which is in this case below pinch temperature. Because the process sink above the pinch requires at least Q min to satisfy its...

If botb reboiler and condenser are integrated with the process, this can make the column difficult to start up and control. However, when the integration is considered more closely, it becomes clear that both the reboiler and condenser do not need td be integrated. Above the pinch the reboiler can be serviced directly from hot utility with the condenser integrated above the pinch. In this case the overall utility consumption will be the same as that shown in Fig. 14.16. Below the pinch the condenser can be serviced directly by cold utility with the reboiler integrated below the pinch. Now tlje overall utility consumption will be the same as that shown in Fig. 14.1c. 

Let us now consider a few examples for the use of this simple representation. A grand composite curve is shown in Fig. 14.2. The distillation column reboiler and condenser duties are shown separately and are matched against it. Neither of the distillation columns in Fig. 14.2 fits. The column in Fig. 14.2a is clearly across the pinch. The distillation column in Fig. 14.26 does not fit, despite the fact that both reboiler and condenser temperatures are above the pinch. Strictly speaking, it is not appropriately placed, and yet some energy can be saved. By contrast, the distillation shown in Fig. 14.3a fits. The reboiler duty can be supplied by the hot utility. The condenser duty must be integrated with the rest of the process. Another example is shown in Fig. 14.36. This distillation also fits. The reboiler duty must be supplied by integration with the process. Part of the condenser duty must be integrated, but the remainder of the condenser duty can be rejected to the cold utility. 

Another design option that can be considered if a column will not fit is use of an intermediate reboiler or condenser. An intermediate condenser is illustrated in Fig. 14.5. The shape of the box is now altered because the intermediate condenser changes the heat flow through the column. The particular design shown in Fig. 14.5 would require that at least part of the heat rejected from the intermediate condenser be passed to the process. An analogous approach can be used to evaluate the possibilities for use of intermediate reboilers. Flower and Jackson," Kayihan, and Dhole and Linnhofl have presented procedures for the location of intermediate reboilers and condensers. 

Establish the heat integration potential of simple columns. Introduce heat recovery between reboilers, intermediate reboilers, condensers, intermediate condensers, and other process streams. Shift the distillation column pressures to allow integration, where possible, using the grand composite curve to assess the heat integration potential. 

The composite curves for this flowsheet are shown in Fig. 14.86. The composite curves are dominated by the reboilers and condensers of the two distillation columns and the feed vaporizer for the acetone feed. It is immediately apparent that the two distillation columns are both inappropriately placed across the pinch. Linnhoflf and Parker ... 

Kayihan, F., Optimum Distribution of Heat Load in Distillation Columns Using Intermediate Condensers and Reboilers, AfC/iS Symp. Ser., 192(76) 1, 1980. 

Example A.4.1 The purchased cost of a distillation column is 1 million, and the reboiler and condenser are 100,000. Calculate the annual cost of installed capital if the capital is to be annualized over a 5-year period at a fixed rate of interest of 5 percent. 

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