Distillation apparatus

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of chemical separation technology and discloses a distillation apparatus. The distillation apparatus includes: a first distillation column, comprising at least a first reboiler and a first column body, with a discharge port extending axially along the side wall of the first column body; a discharge pipe, one end of which communicates with the first column body through the discharge port and is movable up and down along the discharge port; and a sealing mechanism configured to seal the remaining portion of the discharge port as the one end of the discharge pipe moves up and down. This distillation apparatus allows for flexible and precise adjustment of the position of the side-stream sampling outlet, thereby accurately controlling the composition of the side-stream sampled product without changing the process conditions, thus expanding the process window of the distillation process and reducing the difficulty of obtaining products with different compositions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of chemical separation technology, specifically to a distillation apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] A distillation column is a tower-type gas-liquid contact device used for distillation. It utilizes the different volatility of components in a mixture—that is, the different vapor pressures of each component at the same temperature—to transfer lighter components (low-boiling substances) from the liquid phase to the gas phase, while heavier components (high-boiling substances) from the gas phase transfer to the liquid phase, thus achieving separation. In the field of chemical separation technology, the distillation column is one of the core pieces of equipment.

[0003] A distillation column can separate two components, yielding two different products at the bottom and top of the column. In practical applications, side-streaming can be used in distillation columns, where materials are collected from each tray to obtain side-stream products, thus yielding a wider range of different components. Each tray corresponds to a different component and a different side-stream. The composition of the side-stream product is closely related to the location of the side-stream outlet. For example, the closer the side-stream outlet is to the top, the higher the proportion of light components in the product; the closer the side-stream outlet is to the bottom, the higher the proportion of heavy components. In engineering, the location and number of side-stream outlets are typically determined by the construction of the distillation column. Due to the high cost of modification and construction, or the limitation of a large number of side-stream outlets in practical applications, the number of side-stream outlets is usually limited to no more than four. With fixed locations and a limited number of side-stream outlets, it is difficult to precisely control the composition of the side-stream products. In existing technologies, to obtain products with the desired composition from the side-stream outlet, precise control of process parameters is required. This undoubtedly reduces the process window of the distillation process, thereby lowering product quality. Furthermore, the purity of side-stream products typically has an upper limit, failing to meet high-purity requirements.

[0004] For example, Chinese patent document CN104492176A discloses a vacuum intermittent distillation process and apparatus for purifying peach aldehyde by side-stream extraction. This invention uses vacuum intermittent distillation to set two sets of process conditions during distillation, changing the product composition of the two side-stream outlets on the distillation column to obtain peach aldehyde product with the desired composition. This invention can reduce operating time, lower energy consumption, and increase product yield. However, this invention requires precise control of process conditions to obtain qualified products from the sidestream, resulting in a small process window for the distillation process; at the same time, since the sidestream outlet positions are fixed at low and high points respectively, there is an upper limit to the purity of the sidestream product. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the problem in the prior art of accurately controlling the composition of products extracted from side streams.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a distillation apparatus, which includes at least:

[0007] The first distillation column includes at least a first reboiler and a first column body, and the side wall of the first column body has a discharge port extending along the axial direction of the first column body;

[0008] The discharge pipe, one end of which is connected to the first tower body through the discharge port and can move up and down along the discharge port; and

[0009] A sealing mechanism is configured to seal the rest of the discharge port as one end of the discharge pipe moves up and down.

[0010] Preferably, one end of the discharge pipe is connected to the discharge port via a slide rail mechanism. The slide rail mechanism includes two slide rails respectively disposed on both sides of the discharge port and extending along the axial direction of the first tower body. One end of the discharge pipe is slidably connected to the two slide rails.

[0011] Preferably, the sealing mechanism includes an upper coil plate, a lower coil plate, an upper storage plate, and a lower storage plate. The upper and lower coil plates are slidably connected between two slide rails and clamp the discharge pipe from above and below, respectively. The upper end of the upper coil plate and the lower end of the lower coil plate are respectively wound and stored in the upper and lower storage plates. The upper and lower storage plates fix the two ends of the slide rail mechanism and form a seal on the two ends.

[0012] Preferably, the discharge pipe is provided with an upper buckle and a lower buckle on its side; the upper and lower coil plates are respectively engaged with the upper and lower buckles to clamp the discharge pipe.

[0013] Preferably, the first distillation column further includes a first condenser, a first reflux condenser, and a storage tank. The storage tank is connected to the first column body and is used to introduce the material to be separated into the first column body. The first condenser is used to collect and condense the components separated from the top of the first column body. The first reflux condenser is used to return the components to the first column body or to collect them as a product.

[0014] Preferably, the distillation apparatus further includes a second distillation column, which includes at least a second reboiler and a second column body, with the other end of the discharge pipe fixedly connected to the second reboiler; the second distillation column is used to collect and purify the side-stream product from the first distillation column.

[0015] Preferably, the second distillation column further includes a second condenser and a second reflux condenser. The second condenser is used to collect and condense the components separated from the top of the second column, and the second reflux condenser is used to reflux the components back into the second column or extract them as a product.

[0016] Preferably, a lifting mechanism is installed at the bottom of the second distillation column. The lifting mechanism is used to adjust the height of the second distillation column and drive one end of the discharge pipe to move up and down along the discharge port.

[0017] Preferably, the discharge pipe is a rigid pipe.

[0018] Preferably, a scale is provided on the sidewalls on both sides of the discharge port, and the scale is used to indicate the position of one end of the discharge pipe.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention through the above technical solution are as follows:

[0020] This invention provides a distillation apparatus in which a discharge port extending axially along the side wall of a first column is provided. One end of a discharge pipe is connected to the first column through the discharge port and can move up and down along the discharge port. A sealing device can maintain a seal at the discharge port while the discharge pipe moves up and down. This distillation apparatus allows for flexible and precise adjustment of the position of the side-stream outlet, thereby accurately controlling the composition of the side-stream product without changing the process conditions. This expands the process window of the distillation process and reduces the difficulty of obtaining products with different compositions. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the distillation apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the slide rail mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the combined structure of the slide rail mechanism and the discharge pipe in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the exploded structure of the slide rail mechanism and the discharge pipe in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0026] 1-First distillation column; 11-First column reboiler; 12-First column body; 121-First column body sidewall; 122-Discharge port; 13-First condenser; 14-First reflux unit; 15-Storage tank;

[0027] 2-Second distillation column; 21-Second column reboiler; 22-Second column body; 23-Second condenser; 24-Second reflux unit; 25-Lifting mechanism;

[0028] 3-Discharge pipe; 31-Upper buckle; 32-Lower buckle; 33-Pipe body;

[0029] 4-Sealing mechanism; 41-Upper coil plate; 42-Lower coil plate; 43-Upper storage plate device; 44-Lower storage plate device;

[0030] 5-Slide rail mechanism; 51-Slide rail. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0032] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with “first,” “second,” etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features.

[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the directional terms are based on the orientation of the distillation apparatus. For example, the terms "up," "down," "left," and "right" refer to the up, down, left, and right directions of the distillation apparatus. The orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0035] This invention provides the distillation apparatus described above, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the distillation apparatus includes at least:

[0036] The first distillation column 1 includes at least a first reboiler 11 and a first column body 12, and the side wall 121 of the first column body 12 is provided with a discharge port 122 extending along the axial direction of the first column body 12.

[0037] The discharge pipe 3, one end of which is connected to the first tower body 12 via the discharge port 122 and can move up and down along the discharge port 122; and

[0038] The sealing mechanism is configured to seal the rest of the discharge port 122 as one end of the discharge pipe 3 moves up and down.

[0039] Please see Figures 1-4In one embodiment, one end of the discharge pipe 3 is connected to the discharge port 122 via a slide rail mechanism 5. The slide rail mechanism 5 includes two slide rails 51 respectively disposed on both sides of the discharge port 122 and extending along the axial direction of the first column body 12. One end of the discharge pipe 3 is slidably connected to the two slide rails 51. The two slide rails can be disposed on the outer surface of the side wall 121. One end of the discharge pipe 3 forms a dynamic sealing contact with the side of the two slide rails 51, that is, the two maintain a sealed contact when sliding relative to each other. As a preferred embodiment, this dynamic sealing contact is achieved by a sealing element between the two. The sealing element can be a rubber gasket, and the elasticity of the rubber gasket is used to improve the effect of the dynamic seal. The discharge port 122 is the side stream outlet of the first distillation column 1. By setting the slide rail mechanism 5, the distillation device can flexibly and precisely adjust and control the position of the side stream outlet, thereby accurately controlling the composition of the side stream product without changing the process conditions, reducing the difficulty of obtaining products with different compositions, and is particularly suitable for occasions that require products with multiple purities.

[0040] Furthermore, the sealing mechanism includes an upper coil plate 41, a lower coil plate 42, an upper storage plate 43, and a lower storage plate 44. The upper coil plate 41 and the lower coil plate 42 are slidably connected between two slide rails 51 and clamp the discharge pipe from above and below, respectively. The upper end of the upper coil plate 41 and the lower end of the lower coil plate 42 are wound and stored in the upper storage plate 43 and the lower storage plate 44, respectively. The upper storage plate 43 and the lower storage plate 44 are fixed to both ends of the slide rail mechanism 5 and form a seal at those ends. Specifically, the upper coil plate 41 and the lower coil plate 42 are in sealed contact with the two slide rails 51. The upper storage plate 43 is in sealed contact with the upper end surfaces of both slide rails 51, and the lower storage plate 44 is in sealed contact with the lower end surfaces of both slide rails 51. At the same time, the upper storage plate 43 and the lower storage plate 44 are also in sealed contact with the side wall 121. Furthermore, the aforementioned sealing contacts can be achieved through direct interference fit or with the assistance of sealing elements. The upper coil plate 41 and the lower coil plate 42 are made of thin steel plates with bending properties. The upper end of the upper coil plate 41 and the lower end of the lower coil plate 42 are stored in a wound form on the horizontal shafts in the upper plate holder 43 and the lower plate holder 44, respectively. The upper end of the upper coil plate 41 and the lower end of the lower coil plate 42 can be pulled to a designated position on the slide rail 51 as needed.

[0041] Furthermore, the discharge pipe 3 includes a pipe body 33 and an upper latch 31 and a lower latch 32 disposed on the side of the pipe body 33; the upper coil plate 41 and the lower coil plate 42 are respectively engaged with the upper latch 31 and the lower latch 32 to clamp the discharge pipe 3, while ensuring a seal between the upper coil plate 41 and the lower coil plate 42 and the discharge pipe 3. The pipe body 33 is preferably a square pipe, that is, the outer wall cross-section of the discharge pipe 3 is rectangular, so that the discharge pipe 3 can make tight contact with the slide rail 51 to form a seal. The upper latch 31 and the lower latch 32 are "door" shaped. When the coil plate is inserted into the "door" shaped latch, the coil plate can be clamped on both sides of the latch by turning the latch knob.

[0042] Please continue reading. Figure 1 In one embodiment, the first distillation column 1 further includes a first condenser 13, a first reflux 14, and a storage tank 15. The storage tank 15 is connected to the first column body 12 and is used to introduce the material to be separated into the first column body 12. The first condenser 13 is used to collect and condense the components separated from the top of the first column body 12. The first reflux 14 is used to reflux the components back into the first column body 12 or to collect them as a product. The storage tank 15 can be connected to the first column body 12 via a pipeline, on which a power pump can be installed to pump the material in the storage tank 15 into the first column body 12. The first condenser 13 is connected to the top of the first column body 12, and the first reflux 14 is connected to the first condenser 13. The first reflux 14 is provided with a first reflux pipeline and a first top collection pipeline. The first reflux pipeline is connected to the top of the first column body 12. Part of the components are refluxed back into the first column body 12 through the first reflux pipeline, and another part of the components are collected through the first top collection pipeline. The first distillation column 1 can distill the material, collect the light component product from the top of the column, and send the product out of the discharge port 122 via a side stream.

[0043] Please continue reading. Figure 1 In one embodiment, the distillation apparatus further includes a second distillation column 2, which includes at least a second reboiler 21 and a second column body 22. The other end of the discharge pipe 3 is fixedly connected to the second reboiler 21. The second distillation column 2 is used to collect and purify the side-stream product from the first distillation column 1 through the discharge pipe 3. The second distillation column 2 can further distill and purify the collected side-stream product to obtain a high-purity side-stream product, thus meeting the requirements for high-purity fine separation.

[0044] Furthermore, the second distillation column 2 also includes a second condenser 23 and a second reflux 24. The second condenser 23 is used to collect and condense the components separated from the top of the second distillation column 2, and the second reflux 24 is used to reflux the components back into the second column body 22 or collect them as product. The second condenser 23 is connected to the top of the second column body 22, and the second reflux 24 is connected to the second condenser 23. The second reflux 24 is provided with a second reflux pipeline and a second top collection pipeline. The second reflux pipeline is connected to the top of the second column body 22. Part of the components are refluxed back into the second column body 22 through the second reflux pipeline, and another part of the components are collected through the second top collection pipeline. The second column reboiler 21 may also be provided with a column reboiler outlet to collect the expected side stream product in a timely manner. Furthermore, both the first column reboiler 11 and the second column reboiler 21 are provided with heating devices. The heating devices cause the low-boiling-point components of the light components in the column reboiler to vaporize and then separate from the column reboiler material by heating.

[0045] Please continue reading. Figure 1In one embodiment, a lifting mechanism 25 is installed at the bottom of the second distillation column 21. The lifting mechanism 25 is used to adjust the height of the second distillation column 2 and drive one end of the discharge pipe 3 to move up and down along the discharge port 122. The lifting mechanism 25 may include a lifting support or a lifting platform, which can precisely adjust and control the height of the second distillation column 2. Further, the discharge pipe 3 is a rigid pipe, such as a rigid metal pipe or a glass pipe. While the lifting mechanism 25 adjusts the height of the second distillation column 2, it drives both ends of the rigid discharge pipe 3 to move up and down synchronously, thereby achieving precise control of the side stream outlet position. The side walls 121 on both sides of the discharge port 122 may also be provided with scales, which are used to indicate the position of the end of the discharge pipe 3 that moves up and down along the discharge port 122, thereby improving the control accuracy of the side stream outlet position. In other embodiments, the discharge pipe 3 can be a flexible hose, such as one with good flexibility and suppleness, ensuring that adjusting the position of one end of the discharge pipe 3 does not require adjusting the position of the other end, and thus does not require adjusting the height of the second distillation column 2. Furthermore, the end of the discharge pipe 3 that moves vertically along the discharge port 122 is not lower than the other end, ensuring that the discharge pipe 3 can smoothly deliver the side-stream product into the second column reboiler 21. A control valve can be installed on the discharge pipe 3 to control the communication between the first distillation column 1 and the second distillation column 2.

[0046] In one embodiment, the parameters of the distillation apparatus include: the volume of the first reboiler 11 is 1000ml-2500ml, the volume of the second reboiler 21 is 500ml-1000ml, the height of the first column body 12 is 1000mm-2000mm, the height of the second column body 22 is 800mm-1500mm, the length of the discharge pipe 3 is 200mm-400mm, the length of both slide rails 51 is 800mm-1600mm, the width between the two slide rails 51 is 5mm-20mm, and the lengths of the upper coil plate 41 and the lower coil plate 42 are both 400mm-800mm. These parameters are based on conventional distillation column settings. Thus, the distillation apparatus can be obtained by modifying a conventional distillation column, and it can be easily used in conjunction with conventional distillation columns, improving the compatibility of the distillation apparatus. The above provides some preferred values ​​for the parameters of the distillation apparatus, but the parameters of the distillation apparatus are not limited to these.

[0047] The aforementioned distillation apparatus can flexibly and precisely adjust and control the position of the side-stream outlet and continue to distill the side-stream product. Its working principle is as follows: First, adjust the lifting mechanism 25 and drive one end of the rigid discharge pipe 3 to slide along the slide rail mechanism 5 to the predetermined position; then, pull the upper coil plate 41 and the lower coil plate 42 respectively and make them tightly adhere to the upper and lower sides of the discharge pipe 3, and fix the upper coil plate 41 and the lower coil plate 42 with the upper buckle 31 and the lower buckle 32 respectively to fix the end and seal the discharge port 122; then, input the raw material into the first column reboiler 11 and carry out the first distillation process in the first distillation column 1. The side-stream product enters the second column reboiler 21 through the discharge pipe 3 and is collected; finally, according to the requirements, carry out the second distillation process on the product collected in the second column reboiler 21 in the second distillation column 2 to obtain a high-purity product.

[0048] In summary, the distillation apparatus provided by this invention includes a discharge port extending axially along the side wall of a first column. One end of a discharge pipe is connected to the first column via the discharge port and can move up and down along the discharge port. A sealing device maintains a seal at the discharge port while the discharge pipe moves up and down. This distillation apparatus allows for flexible and precise adjustment of the position of the side-stream outlet, thereby accurately controlling the composition of the side-stream product without changing the process conditions. This expands the process window of the distillation process and reduces the difficulty of obtaining products with different compositions. Furthermore, the distillation apparatus may also include a second distillation column connected to the other end of the discharge pipe. The second distillation column collects the side-stream product from the first distillation column via the discharge pipe and purifies the product through distillation to obtain a high-purity side-stream product, meeting the requirements for high-purity fine separation.

[0049] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the scope of the inventive concept, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, including combinations of various specific technical features in any suitable manner. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not describe the various possible combinations separately. However, these simple modifications and combinations should also be considered as the content disclosed in the present invention and are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A distillation apparatus, characterized in that, At least including: The first distillation column (1) includes at least a first reboiler (11) and a first column body (12), and the side wall (121) of the first column body (12) is provided with a discharge port (122) extending axially along the first column body (12). A discharge pipe (3), one end of which is connected to the first tower body (12) through the discharge port (122) and can move up and down along the discharge port (122); and A sealing mechanism (4) is configured to seal the remainder of the discharge port (122) as one end of the discharge pipe (3) moves up and down.

2. The distillation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the discharge pipe (3) is connected to the discharge port (122) via a slide rail mechanism (5). The slide rail mechanism (5) includes two slide rails (51) respectively disposed on both sides of the discharge port (122) and extending along the axial direction of the first tower body (12). One end of the discharge pipe (3) is slidably connected to the two slide rails (51).

3. The distillation apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sealing mechanism (4) includes an upper coil plate (41), a lower coil plate (42), an upper storage plate (43), and a lower storage plate (44). The upper coil plate (41) and the lower coil plate (42) are slidably connected between the two slide rails (51) and clamp the discharge pipe (3) from above and below, respectively. The upper end of the upper coil plate (41) and the lower end of the lower coil plate (42) are respectively wound and stored in the upper storage plate (43) and the lower storage plate (44). The upper storage plate (43) and the lower storage plate (44) are fixed to both ends of the slide rail mechanism (5) and form a seal on both ends.

4. The distillation apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The discharge pipe (3) is provided with an upper buckle (31) and a lower buckle (32) on its side; the upper coil plate (41) and the lower coil plate (42) are respectively engaged with the upper buckle (31) and the lower buckle (32) to clamp the discharge pipe (3).

5. The distillation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first distillation column (1) further includes a first condenser (13), a first reflux device (14), and a storage tank (15). The storage tank (15) is connected to the first column body (12) and is used to introduce the material to be separated into the first column body (12). The first condenser (13) is used to collect and condense the components separated from the top of the first column body (12). The first reflux device (14) is used to return the components to the first column body (12) or to collect them as a product.

6. The distillation apparatus according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The distillation apparatus further includes a second distillation column (2), which includes at least a second reboiler (21) and a second column body (22). The other end of the discharge pipe (3) is fixedly connected to the second reboiler (21). The second distillation column (2) is used to collect and purify the side-stream product of the first distillation column (1).

7. The distillation apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second distillation column (2) also includes a second condenser (23) and a second reflux condenser (24). The second condenser (23) is used to collect and condense the components separated from the top of the second column body (22), and the second reflux condenser (24) is used to reflux the components back into the second column body (22) or extract them as a product.

8. The distillation apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The bottom of the second distillation column (21) is equipped with a lifting mechanism (25), which is used to adjust the height of the second distillation column (2) and drive one end of the discharge pipe (3) to move up and down along the discharge port (122).

9. The distillation apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The discharge pipe (3) is a rigid pipe.

10. The distillation apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sidewalls (121) on both sides of the discharge port (122) are provided with scales, which are used to indicate the position of one end of the discharge pipe (3).

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