Patent GB-1023294-A (GB)
Title: Method of, and apparatus for, controlling a continuously operating distillation process
IPC: B01D3/42
Filed: 1964-02-25
Abstract: 1,023,294. Distillation columns; control systems. SHELL INTERNATIONALE RESEARCH MAATSCHAPPIJ N.V. Feb. 25, 1964 [Feb. 27, 1963], No. 7866/64. Heading BIB. In the continuous distillation of a variable stream of feed mixture in a fractionating column I which is heated by reboiler 12, the column being operated at a pressure above atmospheric and the mixture being preheated before it is introduced into the column through pipe 2, the degree of separation of the components of the mixture by the column is maintained at a required value by automatic adjustment of the reflux ratio of the top fraction and of the proportion of the bottom fraction which is reboiled, the valve 29 governing the supply of cooling-medium to the condenser 7 is kept as wide open as possible except when the pressure in the column falls below a prescribed minimum value P min. , a valve governing the supply of heating-medium to the preheater is kept as wide open as possible, the degree of reboiling is decreased if the pressure in the column rises above a prescribed maximum P max. , and the reboiling is also decreased if the maximum permissible load on one or more trays of the stripping section is exceeded, and the degree of preheating and/or the degree of reboiling are decreased if the load on one or more of the trays of the rectifying section is exceeded. Only one preheater need be employed, but in the embodiment shown there are two preheaters 5 and 6 which are supplied, via valves 35 and 36 respectively, with the same or different heating-media. If the costs of these media are equal, valves 35 and 36 are adjusted simultaneously as shown, but if the costs are different, the control takes place so that the supply of the more expensive medium is decreased first. The load on a rectifying tray is measured by gauge 33 from which a signal passes to controller 34 where the measured value is compared with the maximum permissible value. As long as the measured value is smaller than this maximum, the output signal of controller 34 is a maximum, but if the load becomes larger than the permissible maximum, the output signal from controller 34 becomes smaller, as a result of which valves 35 and 36 are closed sufficiently to reduce the load to approximately the maximum permissible value. The withdrawal of the top and bottom fractions from the system is controlled by valves 14 and 19, respectively, which are controlled so as to maintain substantially constant the liquid-level in condensateaccumulator 8 and in the base of the column. Meters 20 and 23 measure the composition of the top and bottom fractions, respectively. Pressure-gauge 30 is connected to two controllers 31 and 32, which compare the measured pressure in the column with P min.  and P max. , respectively. The reflux valve 22 is opened or closed by controller 21 in accordance with signals transmitted from meter 20. In general, valve 29 is open as wide as possible, but if the pressure becomes lower than P min. , controller 31 adjusts valve 29 so that the pressure again becomes equal to P min. . The valve 26 governing the supply of heating- medium to the reboiler is connected to maximum-pressure controller 32 via two selectors 28 and 25, each of which gives an output signal equal to the lower value of two input signals. Selector 28 is also connected to control-instrument 38 which is itself connected to the gauge 37 which measures the load on a stripping tray. As long as the pressure in the column is lower than P max. , the output signal from controller 32 is a maximum, so that the output signal from controller 24 is transferred to valve 26 where the degree of reboiling is controlled by the composition of the bottoms fraction ; but if the pressure becomes higher than P max.  the output signal from controller 32 becomes smaller and is transferred by the selector 25 to valve 26, which is thereby closed sufficiently to reduce the pressure to approximately P max. . If the load on the stripping tray becomes larger than the maximum permissible value, the output signal from controller 38 becomes smaller, as a result of which valve 26 is further closed until the load has decreased to the desired value. The tray load can be measured with a meter for the pressuredifference across one or more trays, or with a heat-conductivity meter in the space over a tray. Various systems are described whereby large, rapid changes of the load on the trays can be corrected, and sudden pressure fluctuations in the column can be suppressed.