Apparatus and method for distillation and distillation column assembly

Abstract

An apparatus and method for distillation column fabrication may include forming a plurality of distillation column packing units positionable in a column to define a single packing section such that a plurality of packed columns may be positioned parallel to each other within a single distillation pressure vessel. Each of the plurality of columns may have a pre-selected cross-sectional shape, such as a hexagonal shape, and each packing unit may have the same cross-sectional shape (e.g., hexagonal). Each tower may include a riser or distributor attached to an upper or top portion thereof. A plurality of external plug-in sealing elements may be disposed between the outer portion of the tower and the inner wall of the pressure vessel. Each packing unit may include a plurality of layered corrugated sheets provided in a preselected arrangement to facilitate gas and liquid separation via the packing.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications This application claims priority to U.S. nonprovisional application No. 18 / 491,968, filed on October 23, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to methods and systems for operating and manufacturing distillation columns, and methods for manufacturing and using them. Background Technology

[0003] One form of distillation is continuous separation, in which a mixture is continuously fed into the process and the separated fractions are removed as output streams. A distillation process can produce at least two output fractions, which may include a volatile distillate fraction that has already boiled and is captured separately as vapor; and a residuum fraction, which is the least volatile residue that has not yet been captured separately as vapor. In some arrangements, the residuum fraction is sometimes referred to as the bottom fraction, and the more volatile distillate fraction may be referred to as the top fraction.

[0004] Examples of distillation columns and packing for distillation columns can be understood from U.S. Patent Nos. 7,025,339, 6,250,106, 5,984,282, 5,700,403, 3,402,105 and 2,804,292, U.S. Patent Application Publications Nos. 2013 / 0233016, 2003 / 0116871 and 2002 / 0121711, European Patent Application Publications Nos. EP 3 424 590 A1 and EP 0 858 830 A1 and UK Patent Application Publication No. GB ​​931,591A. Summary of the Invention

[0005] We have determined that the conventional approach of connecting multiple small-diameter distillation columns together to replace a single large-diameter distillation column typically results in high manufacturing costs, making multi-column packing arrangements for distillation impractical and infeasible. Generally, such methods result in significantly increased component weight and reduced processing area, which, for example, increases manufacturing costs and reduces processing efficiency.

[0006] We have developed implementation schemes for methods and apparatus for distillation that allow the use of a single, elongated pressure vessel with a relatively large diameter to house multiple columns, which can operate in parallel to provide improved distillation capabilities. This also allows for the more efficient manufacture of such components, avoiding significant overweight issues, making the implementation feasible and usable in industrial environments. In addition to reduced manufacturing costs and improved manufacturing flexibility that allow for manufacturing and use, the implementation schemes also provide improved distillation performance.

[0007] Implementation schemes for systems or distillation column components and implementation schemes for methods used in distillation column components are also provided, which can facilitate the manufacture of our distillation column implementation schemes and the use of our methods for distillation. Our implementation schemes for systems and methods used in distillation column components can allow manufacturing to occur more quickly, while also providing improved operational flexibility to manufacture columns of different sizes for different design objectives. Implementation schemes may include automated processes to further facilitate efficient manufacturing, which can also occur faster and more efficiently.

[0008] In a first aspect, an apparatus for distillation includes a pressure vessel having a chamber. The apparatus also includes a first multi-tower assembly positioned within the chamber. The first multi-tower assembly may include a plurality of interconnected towers. Each tower may have a plurality of packing units positioned linearly aligned with each other within a channel of the tower. Each packing unit may have a plurality of corrugated material sheets surrounded by at least one banding element, such that the at least one banding element is positioned between the corrugated material sheets and the wall of a defined channel of the tower, in which the packing unit is positioned.

[0009] Secondly, the tower can have a hexagonal cross-sectional shape, and the packing unit can have a corresponding hexagonal cross-sectional shape. The tower of the first multi-tower assembly can also define a honeycomb patterned structure for the multi-tower assembly. In other embodiments, the tower can have another type of shape (e.g., other polygonal shapes, octagonal shapes, etc.).

[0010] In the third aspect, the corrugated material sheet may be a corrugated metal sheet, or a corrugated metal sheet having perforations defined therein and / or textures defined thereon.

[0011] In the fourth aspect, each binding element may include at least one sealing element and multiple protuberances.

[0012] In a fifth aspect, one or more binding elements may include a first portion having a first end and a second end; and a second portion having a first end and a second end. A connecting mechanism for the first end of the first portion may be connected to a connecting mechanism for the first end of the second portion. A connecting mechanism for the second end of the first portion may be connected to a connecting mechanism for the second end of the second portion.

[0013] In some embodiments, the connecting mechanism at the first end of the first part may have a groove, and the connecting mechanism at the first end of the second part may have a projection located within the groove of the connecting mechanism at the first end of the first part. The connecting mechanism at the second end of the first part may also have a groove, and the connecting mechanism at the second end of the second part may have a projection located within the groove of the connecting mechanism at the second end of the first part.

[0014] Each binding element may also have other features. For example, each binding unit may have at least one sealing element and / or multiple protrusions.

[0015] In a sixth aspect, the device may further include a plurality of hangers positioned within the chamber to support the first multi-tower assembly within the chamber. In some embodiments, each hanger may include an elongated member positioned within the chamber, a plurality of spaced-apart fastener elements extending from the elongated member, and a plurality of clamping members. Each clamping member may be attached to the distal end of a corresponding fastener element.

[0016] In some embodiments, each clamping member may have a slot to receive the wall of an adjacent tower, and at least one engaging element may be positioned in the clamping member to engage the wall within the slot.

[0017] In a seventh aspect, the apparatus may further include a plurality of riser assemblies. Each riser assembly may be positioned in the upper end of a corresponding tower in the multi-tower assembly. The walls of the bottom portions of adjacent riser assemblies may be positioned within a groove for engagement with at least one engagement element within the groove.

[0018] In the eighth aspect, the device of the first aspect may include one or more features of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and / or seventh aspects. Examples of such combinations of features can be understood from the exemplary embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it should be understood that other embodiments may include additional features or additional combinations of features.

[0019] In a ninth aspect, a method for manufacturing and / or using equipment for distillation is provided. Some embodiments of the method may include the manufacture of the equipment. Other embodiments may include the use of the equipment. Still other embodiments may include both the manufacture and use of the equipment. Some embodiments of the method may utilize the equipment for distillation.

[0020] Implementations of the method may include providing a plurality of packing units. Each packing unit may have a plurality of corrugated material sheets surrounded by at least one binding element. The method may also include providing a plurality of tower assembly sheets. Each tower assembly sheet may be corrugated to have a plurality of flat walls and a plurality of angled walls. Each flat wall may extend from a first end to a second end. Each flat wall may have a first side and a second side opposite to the first side between the first and second ends. The plurality of flat walls may include a first flat wall, and the plurality of angled walls may include a first angled wall extending from a first side of the first flat wall and a second angled wall extending from a second side of the first flat wall. The method may further include positioning the packing unit in a channel of a first tower assembly sheet of the plurality of tower assembly sheets, and attaching a second tower assembly sheet to the first tower assembly sheet to close the packing unit and form a tower for forming a multi-tower assembly.

[0021] In a tenth aspect, the method may include attaching riser assemblies to end portions of each tower. For example, a first riser may be attached to an end portion of a first tower, and a second riser may be attached to an end portion of a second tower. Additional risers may also be attached to additional end portions of additional towers.

[0022] In the eleventh aspect, the method may include positioning the multi-tower assembly within the chamber of the pressure vessel.

[0023] In a twelfth aspect, the method may include positioning a jigsaw seal element within a chamber of the pressure vessel between at least one wall of the pressure vessel and the multi-tower assembly to define an annular seal between the pressure vessel and the multi-tower assembly.

[0024] In a thirteenth aspect, the method may include connecting a multi-tower assembly to a hanger positioned within a chamber. In some embodiments, each hanger may include an elongated member positioned within the chamber, a plurality of spaced-apart fastener elements extending from the elongated member, and a plurality of clamping members. Each clamping member may be attached to a distal end of a corresponding fastener element. In some embodiments, each clamping member may have a slot to receive a wall of an adjacent tower, and at least one engaging element may be positioned in the clamping member to engage a wall within the slot.

[0025] In a fourteenth aspect, the method may include passing a feed through a pressure vessel to distill the feed, such that different portions of the feed pass parallel through different columns to output an upper stream and a lower stream. In some embodiments, the upper stream may be an upper stream containing vapor, and the lower stream may be a bottom stream containing vapor, liquid, or a combination of liquid and vapor. In some embodiments, at least one intermediate suction stream may also be present at the outlet of the vessel.

[0026] In the fifteenth aspect, the method of the ninth aspect may include one or more features of the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and / or fourteenth aspects. Examples of such combinations of features can be understood from the exemplary embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it should be understood that other embodiments may also include additional features or additional combinations of features.

[0027] In a sixteenth aspect, a system is provided for forming a packing unit for inclusion in a tower of a multi-tower assembly. The system may include a cradle having a first portion movable relative to a second portion for adjusting the cradle between a closed position and an open position. When the cradle is in the open position, a first portion of a first binding element may be connected to the first portion of the cradle. When the cradle is in the open position, a second portion of the first binding element may be connected to the second portion of the cradle. The open position of the cradle may be configured such that a corrugated sheet may be positioned on the first portion of the first binding element, and a corrugated sheet may be positioned on the second portion of the second binding element. The cradle, the first portion of the first binding element, and the second portion of the first binding element may be configured such that movement of the cradle from the open position to the closed position connects an end portion of the first portion of the first binding element to an end portion of the second portion of the first binding element to form a first binding element surrounding the corrugated sheet, thereby forming a packing unit.

[0028] In a seventeenth aspect, a first portion of the first strapping element may have a first end and a second end, and a second portion of the first strapping element may have a first end and a second end. A connecting mechanism for the first end of the first portion of the first strapping element may be connected to a connecting mechanism for the first end of the second portion of the first strapping element, and a connecting mechanism for the second end of the first portion of the first strapping element may be connected to a connecting mechanism for the second end of the second portion of the first strapping element.

[0029] In some embodiments, the connecting mechanism at the first end of the first portion of the first strapping element has a groove, and the connecting mechanism at the first end of the second portion of the first strapping element has a protrusion positioned within the groove of the connecting mechanism at the first end of the first portion of the first strapping element. The connecting mechanism at the second end of the first portion of the first strapping element may also have a groove, and the connecting mechanism at the second end of the second portion of the first strapping element may have a protrusion positioned within the groove of the connecting mechanism at the second end of the first portion of the first strapping element.

[0030] In the eighteenth aspect, the system for forming the packing unit may include other features. Examples of such other features can be understood from the exemplary embodiments discussed herein. Furthermore, embodiments of the system may be used in embodiments for manufacturing and / or using equipment for distillation.

[0031] It should be understood that implementations of the methods and equipment can utilize a variety of conduit arrangements and process control elements. Implementations can utilize sensors (e.g., pressure sensors, temperature sensors, flow sensors, concentration sensors, etc.), controllers, valves, piping, and other process control elements. For example, some implementations can utilize automated process control systems and / or distributed control systems (DCS). A wide variety of conduit arrangements and process control systems can be used to meet a specific set of design criteria.

[0032] Further details, objectives, and advantages of our methods for distillation, distillation apparatus, distillation column manufacturing systems, methods for manufacturing distillation columns, and methods of manufacturing and using them will become apparent from the following description of some of their exemplary embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Exemplary embodiments of methods for distillation, distillation apparatus, methods for manufacturing distillation columns, distillation column manufacturing systems, and methods for manufacturing and using the same are shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the same reference numerals used in the drawings may identify the same parts.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of our apparatus 1 for distillation.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of our apparatus 1 for distillation.

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of our distillation apparatus 1, illustrating the positioning of the interlocking sealing element 15 between the inner wall of the pressure vessel PV and the outer peripheral wall of the multi-tower assembly 10.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of our distillation apparatus, illustrating an exemplary distribution of vapor and liquid flows that may exist via different columns 11 of the multi-column assembly 10 in section S.

[0038] Figure 5 This is a schematic bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of the packing unit 11a of the column 11 in our distillation apparatus 1.

[0039] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for forming a packing unit 11a, which can be used in exemplary embodiments of our methods for forming a multi-tower assembly 10 and for forming a distillation apparatus 1.

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an automated system 40 for forming the packing unit 11a, which can be used for Figure 6 and Figure 15 The implementation scheme of the method shown.

[0041] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a tower assembly process for forming multiple towers, which will be incorporated into an exemplary embodiment of a multi-tower assembly 10, which can be used in an exemplary embodiment of our distillation apparatus 1.

[0042] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary multi-tower assembly 10, which may be formed via the formation and arrangement of a plurality of tower assembly units 20.

[0043] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary manufacturing system 30 for an exemplary embodiment of forming the corrugated tower assembly sheet 21.

[0044] Figure 11 This is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a riser assembly 13 (which may also be referred to as a dispenser assembly), which may be included in an exemplary embodiment of a multi-tower assembly 10, which may be used in an exemplary embodiment of our distillation apparatus 1.

[0045] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary manufacturing method for forming a multi-tower assembly 10, the multi-tower assembly having a riser assembly 13 attached to a tower 11 of the multi-tower assembly 10.

[0046] Figure 13 This is a partial schematic diagram of an exemplary arrangement for attaching the hanger 17 to the tower 11 to support the multi-tower assembly 10 within the pressure vessel PV.

[0047] Figure 14 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tower attachment mechanism, which can be used to attach the hanger 17 to... Figure 13 In the exemplary arrangement of tower 11 shown.

[0048] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a method for manufacturing equipment for distillation. Detailed Implementation

[0049] refer to Figures 1 to 15 The apparatus 1 for distillation can be configured to include a single packed section S within a pressure vessel PV having a first multi-tower assembly 10, or multiple packed sections S within a pressure vessel PV having at least a first packed section S, a first multi-tower assembly 10, and a second packed section S. Other embodiments may utilize one or more additional packed sections S, each of which may also include an additional multi-tower assembly 10. When multiple sections S are used, the sections S may be spaced apart from each other within the pressure vessel PV.

[0050] Some implementations can be configured for air separation distillation applications. Other implementations can be configured for other types of distillation applications (e.g., petroleum processing distillation applications and other distillation applications).

[0051] The packing in the packed section S can be arranged to facilitate fluid flow within the pressure vessel PV to promote distillation, allowing the feed fluid into the pressure vessel to undergo separation or distillation. This allows more volatile components of the feed to concentrate in the upper stream 7 exiting the pressure vessel PV, while less volatile components are concentrated in the lower stream 9. The upper stream 7 can be considered the volatile distillate fraction of the feed, and the lower stream 9 can be considered the residual or bottom fraction of the feed.

[0052] Each segment S can have a height H. In embodiments with multiple segments S, each segment can have the same height, or different segments S can have different heights. For example, the upper segment can have a greater or lesser height than the lower segment S. For a multi-segment tower, the diameter or width of each segment S can be the same or different.

[0053] The feed into the pressure vessel PV for separation via distillation within the pressure vessel PV may include a first feed stream 3 and a second feed stream 5. In some embodiments, the first feed stream 3 may include a liquid portion of the feed 3 or may be a liquid stream. In some cases, the first feed stream 3 may be a reflux stream or may include a reflux stream. The second feed stream 5 may be a steam feed or may include steam.

[0054] The pressure vessel PV can also receive one or more other intermediate feed streams IF (in Figure 2 (Shown as dashed lines in the middle). Each intermediate feed stream IF may include feed fluids that have undergone separation via distillation (e.g., may include vapor, a mixture of vapor and liquid, or liquid, etc.).

[0055] The feed may include multiple components, which may include at least a first component and a second component. For example, these components may be included in the first feed stream 3 and the second feed stream 5.

[0056] The first component may be more volatile than the second component. During the distillation process within the pressure vessel, the different fluids of the feed can pass through the packing of the pressure vessel PV, causing the first component to concentrate more in the first fluid flow for output in the upper flow 7, and the second component to concentrate more in the second fluid flow for output in the lower flow 9. Fluids can pass through one or more packing sections S to promote interaction between the different fluids, thereby promoting heat and mass transfer, for separating the different components of the feed to form the upper flow 7 and the lower flow 9.

[0057] For example, in some embodiments, the feed stream may contain oxygen and nitrogen, which can be configured for air separation or nitrogen-oxygen separation. Nitrogen may be the first component, and oxygen may be the second component. In such embodiments, the first upper stream 7 may contain a large amount of nitrogen (e.g., 80 mol% to 100 mol% nitrogen, 80 mol% to 99 mol% nitrogen, etc.), and the lower stream 9 may contain a large amount of oxygen (e.g., 50 mol% to 100 mol% oxygen, 60 mol% to 99 mol% oxygen, etc.). In other embodiments, the feed may also include argon (Ar) and / or other components (e.g., rare gases such as xenon (Xe) and / or krypton (Kr)). These examples of feeds can be used in air separation distillation applications. It should be understood that other embodiments may use other feeds for other types of distillation applications (e.g., petroleum processing distillation applications, etc.).

[0058] It should be understood that additional streams may be present to the pressure vessel PV to facilitate distillation operations (e.g., additional feed streams may be present). In some embodiments, at least one reflux stream may also be present to the pressure vessel. In some embodiments, the pressure vessel and section S may be arranged and configured to facilitate the output of one or more other product streams (e.g., at least one intermediate stream between the upper stream 7 and the lower stream 9). For example, one or more intermediate output streams ID may be output to provide additional output streams of fluids that have already undergone separation within the pressure vessel. Each intermediate output stream ID may include a fluid (e.g., vapor, liquid, a mixture of vapor and liquid, etc.).

[0059] The pressure vessel PV may be a body having an internal chamber in which one or more packing sections S may be provided. The packing may be positioned within the chamber between external sealing elements 15, which may be arranged to form an annular seal between the inner wall of the pressure vessel PV defining the chamber and a multi-tower assembly 10 containing a plurality of interconnected packing towers 11. The sealing elements 15 may be positioned within a gap 15o defined between the outer wall of the tower 11 of the multi-tower assembly 10 and the inner side of at least one wall of the chamber defining the pressure vessel PV, to form, for example, an annular seal. The sealing elements 15 may be positioned to form an annular seal to facilitate the flow of fluid fed into the pressure vessel PV through the packing of the towers 11 within the chamber of the pressure vessel PV, rather than bypassing the packing.

[0060] Each packed tower 11 may include a plurality of aligned packing units 11a. Each packing unit 11a may include multiple layers of corrugated material, which may be arranged in a pre-selected packing pattern to facilitate desired interactions between the fluids used for distillation. The corrugated material layers may be corrugated material sheets 11cs (e.g., corrugated metal sheets, corrugated steel sheets, corrugated aluminum sheets, corrugated plastic sheets) having layers of perforations and / or surface reinforcements (e.g., defined textures, etc.) defined therein or formed therein, which are arranged and bundled together to define the body of the packing unit 11a. The plurality of packing units 11a may be sequentially mounted to define the tower 11.

[0061] Multiple packing units 11a may include wipers (e.g., binding elements 12) and spacers to maintain proper clearance between the packing elements and the walls of the tower 11 and to help prevent liquid and vapor bypass between the packing units 11a and the walls of the tower 11. Multiple packing units 11a can be installed in the tower 11 by rotating each unit by a specific angle, such as 90° or other suitable angle.

[0062] Each packed tower 11 may include multiple packed units 11a. Each tower 11 may be attached to other packed towers 11 to define an assembly 24 for the towers 11 in the multi-tower assembly 10.

[0063] Tower 11 may be elongated in the vertical direction, such that each packing unit 11a is vertically aligned with each other to define tower 11. For example, the elongated vertical direction may be the height H of tower 11. This direction may be transverse to (e.g., perpendicular to) the width W (which may also be the diameter) or thickness of tower 11.

[0064] Each tower 11 and packing unit 11a may also have a pre-selected cross-sectional shape. The pre-selected cross-sectional shape may be a polygonal shape. For example, the packing unit 11a and tower 11 may have a hexagonal shape or other suitable polygonal shapes (e.g., octagonal, pentagonal, etc.). For a tower 11 with a polygonal shape, the packing unit 11a can be installed into the tower 11 by rotating each unit to define the angle of the polygon's sides. For example, a packing unit 11a installed in a square tower may have a 90° rotation angle, a packing unit 11a installed in a hexagonal tower may have a 60° rotation angle, and so on. In other embodiments, the pre-selected cross-sectional shape may be circular or elliptical.

[0065] The pressure vessel PV can be elongated and have a cross-sectional shape that can be any suitable type of shape. For example, the pressure vessel can be tubular, tube-like, or have another type of shape, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the pressure vessel is polygonal, circular, elliptical, or other suitable shape. For example, the pressure vessel can be elongated to define a height, and the diameter or width of the pressure vessel PV can be perpendicular to that height.

[0066] Each tower 11 may have an upper end attached to a riser assembly 13. For example, for all towers in a multi-tower assembly 10, there may be a single riser assembly 13 attached to the respective tower 11. In some embodiments, each riser assembly 13 may be configured to facilitate vapor flow out of the tower 11 to which it is attached, and also facilitate liquid flow downward through the packing of the tower 11 to which it is attached.

[0067] For example, as from Figure 11 , Figure 13 and Figure 14Ideally, the riser assembly 13 can be attached to the end of the column 11 such that the liquid level is adjacent to or at the bottom portion 13b of the riser assembly, and the conduit 13c of the riser assembly 13 extends upward beyond the liquid level 9a to facilitate the flow of vapor 7a through the column to which the riser assembly 13 is attached, such that the vapor flows upward beyond the top liquid level 9a and flows out of the liquid (e.g., to form the upper flow 7 to be output from the pressure vessel PV). The bottom portion 13b of the riser assembly 13 can be a riser substrate, which is sized and configured for placement at the top of the column 11 to which it is attached, thus serving as an end cap for the top of the column 11 to which the riser assembly 13 is attached. The substrate can have a shape that matches or corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the column 11 for easy attachment to the end of the column 11.

[0068] The conduit 13c of the riser assembly may have a tip attached to and spaced apart from the upper distributor element 13t and the column 11 to which the riser assembly is attached, such that the distributor element 13t is positioned above the liquid surface 9a within the pressure vessel for distillation operations. The bottom portion 13b may be positioned to facilitate liquid flow toward the liquid surface 9a and downward through an opening 13o in the bottom portion 13b of the riser assembly and / or a hole 13h in the lower portion of the conduit 13c through the column 11 to which the riser assembly is attached. The distributor element 13t may be sized and configured to contact the liquid from the feed to distribute the liquid in a flow toward the liquid surface 9a and into the column 11 to which the riser assembly 13 is attached, adjacent to the column 11.

[0069] The towers 11 of the multi-tower assembly 10 arranged in the chamber of the pressure vessel PV can also be positioned within the pressure vessel PV by an array of hangers 17 attached to the chamber of the pressure vessel PV and fixed to the different towers 11 to provide structural support to the towers 11 and help to hold the multi-tower assembly 10 of section S in its pre-selected position within the pressure vessel PV.

[0070] Each hanger 17 may include an elongated member 17a that may be positioned to extend between opposite sides of the pressure vessel PV within a portion of the pressure vessel's chamber. For example, the elongated member 17a may be a rod, bar, beam, or other type of elongated member. For example, the end of the elongated member 17a may be positioned within one or more side walls of the pressure vessel PV at opposite sides of the pressure vessel, or it may be attached to opposite sides of the pressure vessel within the chamber.

[0071] The elongated member 17a can be attached to a plurality of different spaced-apart elongated fastener elements 19, each extending downward from the elongated member 17a to a tower 11 of the multi-tower assembly 10 for attachment to the tower 11. For example, the body 19f of the fastener element 19 can extend below the elongated member 17a into and / or adjacent to a clamping member 19c for attaching the clamping member 19c to the elongated member 17a via the fastener element 19. The clamping member 19c may include a body having a groove 19g with a downward-facing opening sized to receive the upper wall of an adjacent bottom portion of a riser assembly 13 attached to a different tower 11 and the outer wall 20w of an adjacent tower 11, such that the top portion of the outer wall 20w and the wall of the riser assembly can be positioned within the groove 19g.

[0072] One or more engaging elements 19s (e.g., set screws, friction bolts, etc.) can be positioned through the body of the clamping member such that the engaging end 19e of each engaging element 19s contacts and / or engages the wall 20w of the tower 11 and the wall 13w of the bottom portion 13b of the riser assembly. For example, the engaging end 19e of each engaging element can directly contact the wall 13w of the base portion 13b of the riser assembly and engage another wall 13w of another riser assembly and the wall 20w of the tower 11 by force applied via the positioning of the engaging element within the body of the clamping member 19c and at least one inner wall of the clamping member 19c, at least one inner wall of the clamping member defining a groove 19g positioned opposite the engaging end 19e. After the engaging elements 19s are secured and positioned in the clamping member 19c, the wall 20w of the tower 11 and the wall 13w of the bottom portion 13b of the riser assembly 13 can be positioned between the engaging end 19e and the opposite portion of the clamping member 19c within the groove 19g.

[0073] Each hanger 17 may include a plurality of spaced-apart elongated fastener elements 19 extending from an elongated member 17a of the hanger 17. Each fastener element 19 may have an upper portion attached to the elongated member 17a and a lower portion attached to a clamping member 19c. Each clamping member 19c may utilize one or more engaging elements 19s to position an engaging end 19c within a groove 19g of the clamping member 19c.

[0074] Fastener element 19 can be configured as an elongated bolt, anchor, or other type of fastener for attaching clamping member 19c to elongated member 17a. Hanger 17 can be arranged to facilitate suspension of packing section S via tower 11 of suspension multi-tower assembly 10. Adjacent walls 20w of adjacent towers 11 can also be attached together (e.g., by welding, different walls 20w become integral with each other, etc.) to facilitate this type of suspension within the chamber of pressure vessel PV.

[0075] The hanger 17 can be arranged such that no other positioning system is needed to assist in the positioning of the multi-tower assembly 10 within the chamber of the pressure vessel PV. In some embodiments, an annular seal formed via the interlocking sealing element 15 can also assist in the positioning of the multi-tower assembly. It is also contemplated that the pressure vessel PV may have a lower support positioned below the multi-tower assembly 10 to provide additional support for the multi-tower assembly 10 within the chamber of the pressure vessel PV. Other embodiments may not utilize such a lower support and may not employ the sealing element 15, which is positioned to facilitate positional support of the multi-tower assembly 10 within the chamber of the pressure vessel PV.

[0076] In operation, the seal defined by sealing element 15 facilitates the forcing of feed into the pressure vessel to pass through the different columns 11 of the multi-column assembly. This can help provide improved interaction between the liquid and vapor flows through the packing (e.g., the corrugated layer within the packing unit 11a of each column 11) to provide improved separation and distillation processes that can occur more efficiently and effectively. The size and configuration of the columns 11 and column assembly 10 or more column assemblies 10 can be selected to meet a pre-selected set of design criteria to accommodate the feed to be distilled, the acceptable pressure drop experienced by passing the feed through the pressure vessel, and other design considerations for a particular implementation.

[0077] We have determined that the design and configuration of the packing unit 11a and the tower 11 can be adapted to facilitate improved manufacturing of the tower assembly 10 for inclusion in the packing section S to be positioned within the pressure vessel PV. For example, exemplary embodiments of the manufacture of the packing unit 11a, the tower 11, and the tower assembly 10 can be configured to facilitate improved manufacturing, which can allow embodiments of the distillation apparatus 1 to be installed with improved efficiency and flexibility.

[0078] For example, we have found that by utilizing a pre-selected width or diameter, the manufacturing method of packing unit 11a can be configured to provide packing unit 11a to accommodate pressure vessel PV designs of different sizes. This can lead to improved packing manufacturing costs because the speed of the packing production line can be increased due to this optimization. This can be further enhanced via automation, which can be tailored to the specific manufacturing process by using a pre-selected width or diameter for standardization. This automation capability also helps to provide improved manufacturing flexibility, as well as improved manufacturing speed and reduced manufacturing-related operating costs, by allowing different manufacturing steps to be further enhanced individually.

[0079] For example, packing units 11a can be designed and configured such that they can be formed and manufactured in an automated process that improves manufacturing capabilities and flexibility to accommodate different pressure vessel PV designs and the end use of the distillation apparatus 1. Figure 6 An exemplary process for forming the packing unit 11a is illustrated, and Figure 7 An exemplary system that can be used to implement this process is illustrated.

[0080] like Figure 6 As shown, the packing unit 11a can be formed via an adjustable bracket 14, which can be adjusted between an open position and a closed position to facilitate the layering of the packing elements and subsequent bundling of the packing elements to form the packing unit 11a. In some embodiments, the adjustable bracket 14 can be configured to provide a clamshell assembly process. For example, the bracket 14 can be adapted to connect to a first portion 12a and a second portion 12b of the first bundling element 12, such that movement of the bracket from the open position to the closed position can connect the end portion of the first portion 12a of the first bundling element 12 to the end portion of the second portion 12b of the first bundling element 12 to form the first bundling element 12, thereby surrounding the corrugated material sheet 11c to form the packing unit 11a.

[0081] For example, the support 14 may include a first portion 14a pivotable relative to a second portion 14b, which may also be pivotable. The first portion 14a and the second portion 14b may be pivotally connected to each other, or pivotally connected to a support or base, to facilitate adjustment of these portions from an open position to a closed position, and vice versa. In the open position of the support, the first portion 14a and the second portion 14b may each be angled relative to a horizontal plane to provide an angled surface on which corrugated material sheets 11cs may be laminated onto portions of the filler used to form the filler unit 11a. In some embodiments, the first portion 14a and the second portion 14b may extend to receive the angle of the corrugated material sheets 11cs relative to a horizontal plane, which may be between 15° and 75°, between 30° and 60°, or between 40° and 50° relative to a horizontal plane. For example, when the support 14 is in the open position, each portion may extend at an angle ɵ of 45° relative to a horizontal plane.

[0082] When in the open position, each portion of the support 14 may have a strapping connector 14m connected to the support portion for receiving and strapping the corrugated material sheets 11cs. For example, the first portion 14a may have at least one strapping connector 14m configured to receive a portion of the strapping element 12, and the second portion 14b may also have at least one strapping connector 14m configured to receive a portion of the strapping element 12 for collecting the corrugated material sheets 11cs to form a filler layer and subsequently strapping these layers to form a filler unit 11a.

[0083] Each binding element 12 may be a component that can be positioned around the circumference or periphery of the packing element (e.g., a layer of corrugated material sheet 11cs) of the packing unit 11a. The binding element 12 may include, for example, a metal strip, a metal ring, a metal ring structure, or other types of binding element that can be positioned around the layer of corrugated material sheet 11cs of the packing unit 11a to maintain the layer in a tightly positioned arrangement for subsequent use of the packing unit 11a.

[0084] In some embodiments, the strapping element 12 may include a first portion 12a and a second portion 12b, which may be connected to each other via the ends of the portions to facilitate the formation of the strapping element 12. In some embodiments, the formed strapping element 12 may be considered a wiping element.

[0085] For example, a first portion 14a of the support 14 may have a first strapping connector 14m configured to receive a first portion 12a of a first strapping element 12. The first portion 12a of the first strapping element 12 may include a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. Each end of the first portion 12a of the first strapping element 12 may each include a connection mechanism 12i for connection to an end of a second portion 12b of the first strapping element 12, which may be connected to a second strapping connector 14m of the second portion 14b of the support 14. The end of the second portion 12b of the first strapping element 12 may also include a connection mechanism 12i to facilitate such a connection. For example, a first end portion of the second portion 12b of the first strapping element 12 may include a connection mechanism 12i, and a second end portion of the second portion 12b of the first strapping element 12 may also include a connection mechanism 12i.

[0086] These connecting mechanisms 12i may include, for example, a groove 12h and a protrusion 12p defined in the end portion of the binding element portion, the protrusion being sized and configured to insert through the groove to frictionally engage and connect with the end portion defining the groove 12h. In some embodiments, a first portion 12a of the binding element 12 may have an end with the same type of connecting mechanism (e.g., a groove 12h or a protrusion 12p), and a second portion 12b of the binding element may have an end with the same type of connecting mechanism (e.g., a groove 12h when the first portion 12a has a protrusion 12p, or a protrusion 12p when the first portion 12a has a groove 12h). Alternatively, each binding element portion may have a first end with a first type of connecting mechanism 12i (e.g., a groove 12h or a protrusion 12p), and a second end may have a second type of connecting mechanism 12i (e.g., a protrusion 12p when the first end has a groove 12h, or a groove 12h when the first end has a protrusion 12p).

[0087] To facilitate the layering of the corrugated material sheets 11cs in the filler unit 11a, supports 14 can be arranged and utilized, such as from... Figure 6 The exemplary embodiments shown are best understood. For example, in the first stage of forming the packing unit 11a, the support 14 can be moved to its open position, and the first portion 14a of the support can have a first portion 12a of a first strapping element 12 connected to the strapping connector 14m, and the second portion 14b of the support 14 can have a second portion 12b of the first strapping element 12 connected to the strapping connector 14m of the second portion 14b. This positioning of the first portion 12a and the second portion 12b of the first strapping element 12 can be provided such that (i) the first end of the first portion 12a of the first strapping element has a first connecting mechanism 12i oriented toward the first end portion of the second portion 12b of the first strapping element 12, and (ii) the second end of the first portion 12a of the first strapping element 12 has a second connecting mechanism 12i oriented toward the second end portion of the second portion 12b of the first strapping element 12. This positioning can be provided via the strapping connector 14m, such that when the support 14 is subsequently moved to its closed position, the connecting mechanisms 12i engage with each other to connect together, such that the first portion 12a and the second portion 12b of the strapping element 12 are connected to form an annular structure of the strapping element 12 around the periphery of the filling unit 11a, for surrounding a layer of corrugated material sheet 11cs positioned on each portion of the strapping element when the support 14 is in its open position.

[0088] For example, in the first stage of manufacturing the packing unit 11a, the bracket 14 can be moved to its open position, and the first portion 12a of the first strapping element 12 can be attached to the first strapping connector 14m of the first portion 14a of the bracket 14. The second portion 12b of the first strapping element 12 can also be attached to the first strapping connector 14m of the second portion 14a of the bracket 14. If a second strapping element 12 may be required, the first portion 12a of the second strapping element 12 can be attached to the second strapping connector 14m of the first portion 14a of the bracket 14, and the second portion 12b of the second strapping element 12 can also be attached to the second strapping connector 14m of the second portion 14a of the bracket 14. In embodiments where a third or fourth strapping element (or more than four strapping elements, etc.) can be used, additional strapping connectors 14m can also be provided on each portion of the bracket to facilitate the positioning of the additional strapping elements.

[0089] After the first and second portions 12b of one or more strapping elements 12 are positioned on the first and second portions of the bracket 14 and connected to the strapping connectors 14m of those corresponding portions of the bracket 14, in the second stage of manufacturing the filler unit 11a, corrugated material sheets 11cs can be positioned on the first portions 12a of one or more strapping elements 12, and corrugated material sheets 11cs can also be positioned on the second portions 12b of one or more strapping elements 12.

[0090] Positioning and layering of the corrugated material sheets 11cs can be performed to define pre-selected flow paths for the packing unit 11a. These pre-selected flow paths can be based on a predefined flow path arrangement defined by the layers of the corrugated material sheets 11cs and their orientation during the arrangement of the corrugated material sheets 11cs in the second stage of the packing unit manufacturing process.

[0091] In some implementations, layering can be performed on each portion 14a, 14b of the support 14, such that a first corrugated material sheet 11cs is positioned in a first orientation, and a second corrugated material sheet 11cs is positioned on the first corrugated material sheet 11cs in a second orientation different from the first orientation. Then, a third corrugated material sheet 11cs can be positioned on the second corrugated material sheet 11cs in a third orientation different from both the first and second orientations, or it can be placed on the second corrugated material sheet 11cs such that the third corrugated material sheet 11cs is in a first orientation (e.g., having the same orientation as the first corrugated material sheet 11cs). Additional corrugated material sheets 11cs can be positioned in a similar manner so that each corrugated material sheet 11cs is oriented in a desired manner, such that when the support 14 is closed to form a packing unit, the packing of the various corrugated material sheets 11cs can have a preselected orientation and arrangement that provides a predefined flow path arrangement that defines a preselected flow path for the packing unit 11a.

[0092] In some embodiments, the corrugated material sheets 11cs can be provided in layers such that a first sheet is oriented in a first orientation, and a second sheet is positioned on the first sheet in an orientation rotated 90° or 180° relative to the first orientation. A third sheet can then be positioned on the second sheet in the first orientation or in another orientation rotated 90° relative to the second sheet's orientation. This type of layering can be repeated in a similar or other sequence to provide a desired, pre-selected orientation and arrangement.

[0093] In some embodiments, layering can be performed such that the first sheet and the second sheet positioned on the first sheet are oriented 180° relative to each other, and layering continues such that every other corrugated material sheet 11cs has the same orientation within the formed filler unit 11a, and directly adjacent corrugated material sheets 11cs have different orientations. In some arrangements, the central pair of corrugated material sheets 11cs may have the same orientation, while all other adjacent corrugated material sheets have different orientations. In other orientations, the corrugated material sheets may be arranged such that all adjacent corrugated material sheets have different orientations.

[0094] Layering of the corrugated material sheet 11cs can be performed, such that the corrugated material sheet 11cs is placed on the first and second portions of the binding element 12 connected to different portions of the support 14. For each portion 14a, 14b of the support 14, placement to orient the corrugated material sheet 11cs can be performed in a similar manner.

[0095] After layers of the desired number of corrugated material sheets 11cs are positioned on the first portion 12a and / or the second portion 12b of one or more strapping elements 12, the support 14 can be moved to the closed position in the third stage of manufacturing the filler unit 11a. One or more first portions 12a and one or more second portions 12b of the one or more strapping elements 12 can be positioned on the support portions 14a and 14b such that when the support 14 is moved to its closed position, the connecting mechanism 12i of the end portion of the first portion 12a engages with the connecting mechanism 12i of the end portion of the second portion 12b to form the strapping element 12.

[0096] The bracket 14 can be adjusted from its open position to its closed position such that a pre-selected closing force is applied to close the bracket 14, causing the connecting mechanism 12i of the end portion of the first part 12a to engage with the connecting mechanism 12i of the end portion of the second part 12b to form a strapping element 12. The pre-selected closing force can be a predefined force sufficient to cause this engagement, such that the strapping element 12 is formed via the closure of the bracket 14. After the strapping element 12 is formed, each strapping element 12 may have a tab 12c that protrudes to contact the inner wall of the pressure vessel PV and / or the adjacent packing unit 11a.

[0097] Each portion of the support 14 may include one or more guides that facilitate the delivery of the pre-selected closing force. For example, the guides may be integrated into or attached to the strapping connector 14m of each support portion. Controls may also be used to measure the applied force, allowing the closing force to be increased as needed to provide the pre-selected closing force during the closing of the support 14. This helps ensure engagement of the connection mechanism 12i at the end of the first portion 12a with the connection mechanism 12i at the end of the second portion 12b during the closing of the support 14, forming the strapping element 12.

[0098] For example, during the closure of the bracket 14, the first end of the first portion 12a of the first connecting mechanism 12i of the first binding element can engage with the first connecting mechanism 12i of the first end portion of the second portion 12b of the first binding element 12 for attaching these end portions of the first portion 12a and the second portion 12b of the first binding element, and (ii) the second connecting mechanism 12i of the second end of the first portion 12a of the first binding element 12 can engage with the second connecting mechanism 12i of the second end portion of the second portion 12b of the first binding element 12 for attaching these end portions of the first portion 12a and the second portion 12b of the first binding element 12. In such engagement, for example, a protrusion 12p can be inserted into a corresponding slot 12h for attaching the end portion. Insertion can occur, such that the attachment between the corresponding connecting mechanisms 12i is secured, and one or more binding elements 12 are formed when the support 14 is closed, such that the formed binding elements 12 surround layers of corrugated material sheets 11cs and hold these layers in a tight arrangement to provide a predefined flow path arrangement defined by the placement of the layers of corrugated material sheets 11cs performed during the second stage of filling unit manufacturing. For example, a protrusion 12p can be sized and configured for insertion into a slot 12h, such that the protrusion can be inserted through the slot 12h, and after insertion through the slot 12h, the protrusion cannot be removed from the slot without causing the portion of the formed binding element 12 defining the slot 12h to break.

[0099] The formed binding element 12 may include predefined protrusions 12d. For example, the first portion 12a and the second portion 12b of each binding element may have a plurality of protrusions 12d defined on the outer side of the body of the portion adjacent to the end of the portion. These protrusions 12d may be sized and configured as spacers to facilitate the positioning of the packing unit 11 within the tower.

[0100] The protrusion 12d can be sized and configured to help maintain a pre-selected gap between the packing element and the inner wall 20w of the tower, such that the sealing elements 12s and tabs 12c of the binding element 12 can be positioned to contact the tower wall 20w to facilitate liquid outflow from the wall and back into the packing element, and to prevent vapor flow around the gap between the packing unit 11a and the inner wall of the tower, thus forcing vapor flow through the packing element of the packing unit 11a. The protrusion 12d and tabs 12c can help incorporate the function of maintaining the gap size at a pre-selected gap size for an effective seal to be provided by the sealing element 12s, and can also avoid the use of separate spacers or other components, making the manufacture of the packing unit 11a easier to automate.

[0101] The binding element 12 may also include a sealing element 12s. The sealing element 12s may include one or more resilient fingers or members extending from at least one side (e.g., top or bottom) of the first portion 12a and the second portion 12b of the binding element. In some configurations, the sealing element 12s may extend adjacent to a formed tab 12c, such that the tab 12c and the sealing element 12s provide the seal as discussed above.

[0102] The sealing element 12s can be configured such that, once the binding element 12 is formed, the sealing element 12s is positioned to engage the inside of the wall 20w of the tower 11 to facilitate the forced flow of fluid (e.g., liquid and vapor) through the packing of the packing unit 11a (e.g., corrugated material sheets 11cs) without passing between the wall 20w of the tower 11 and the outside of the packing unit 11a. The sealing element 12s can also help facilitate the positioning of the packing unit 11a within the tower 11 for tight engagement therein.

[0103] During the formation of the binding element via the closing bracket 14, the sealing elements 12s may extend between the tabs 12c formed in the binding element 12, such that the tabs 12c and the sealing elements 12s can provide a seal. Other configurations may utilize one or more sealing elements 12s to provide a seal along the entire periphery of the binding element 12.

[0104] In the third stage of manufacturing of the packing unit 11a, after the support 14 moves to its closed position to form one or more binding elements 12 and the packing unit 11a, the ends of the first portion 12a and the second portion 12b of the binding element 12 can be connected via one or more other connecting mechanisms to supplement the connecting mechanism 12i of the binding element portion. For example, welding, the use of fasteners, or other connecting mechanisms can be used to help supplement the connecting mechanism 12i of the binding element portion. In other embodiments, only the connecting mechanism 12i can be used to form the packing unit 11a and the binding element 12 via the closed support 14.

[0105] The packing unit manufacturing process can be automated via a packing unit manufacturing system 40. Exemplary embodiments of such a system are described in... Figure 7The filling unit manufacturing system 40 may include a corrugated sheet cutting unit 40S configured to cut corrugated material sheets to a desired length or width to form corrugated material sheets 11cs. The system may also include one or more robotic arms 40R, each including at least one gripping element 40G for gripping the corrugated material sheet 11cs after it has been cut by the cutting unit 40S, to place it on a first portion 14a or a second portion 14b of a support, and / or after the first portion 12a or the second portion 12b of a binding element 12 has been attached to a corresponding portion of the support 14. The system may also include at least one support 14 positioned adjacent to one or more robotic arms 40R for receiving the corrugated material sheet 11cs and adjustable between an open position and a closed position. Such adjustment of the stent position can be automated by using one or more actuators connected to the stent to drive movement of the first portion 14a and / or the second portion 14b of the stent 14 to adjust the stent between its open and closed positions.

[0106] System 40 can utilize a single support 14 or multiple supports 14 to facilitate the desired speed of layering of the corrugated material sheet 11cs and formation of the filler unit 11a.

[0107] System 40 may also include a positioning robot 40L, which may include a movable arm configured to move the formed filler unit 11a from the support 14 when the support is in its closed position, to position it on the conveyor belt 40E or other location for storing and / or transporting the formed filler unit 11a to a desired location for subsequent use. The positioning robot 40L may include a pivotable base 40B and an articulated arm for manipulating and moving the formed filler unit 11a.

[0108] System 40 may also include a housing 40H, which may be positioned to enclose or at least partially enclose portions of the system. For example, housing 40H may include walls positioned to enclose the robotic arm 40R and the positioning robot 40L to help provide some protection for these components during operation.

[0109] The movement of the robot arm 40R, the positioning robot 40L, and / or other components of the system can be controlled via one or more controllers, enabling their operation to be fully automated. The controllers can control the operation based on a control feedback loop, which is notified via one or more sensors positioned within the system (e.g., attached to the robot arm 40R, the positioning robot 40L, the housing 40H, or otherwise positioned to provide data to the controller). The controllers can be configured to control the operation so that the manufacturing process of the filling unit 11a is fully automated or at least semi-automated. An operator can communicate with the controller via a computer device (e.g., a smartphone, laptop, desktop computer, etc.) through at least one input and / or output device to adjust the controller setpoint or the controller's operating mode.

[0110] After manufacturing a sufficient quantity of packing units 11a to provide enough packing units 11a for forming the tower 11 of the multi-tower assembly 10 of the pressure vessel PV, the tower 11 can be manufactured to form the multi-tower assembly 10 for installation in the pressure vessel PV. The system for forming the towers and the multi-tower assembly 10 can be derived from... Figures 8 to 10 and Figure 12 The best way to understand it is through Chinese.

[0111] For example, sheet materials (e.g., metal, steel, aluminum, suitable alloys, etc.) can be corrugated via a tower corrugating system 30 to form a corrugated tower assembly sheet 21 for forming the tower body 20. The tower corrugating system 30 may include a metal coil holder 32 positioned to connect a coil of metal sheet held by the holder 32 for feeding into a roll forming machine 34 configured to corrugate the metal coil to form the corrugated tower assembly sheet 21. The tower corrugating system 30 may also include a sheet cutting mechanism 36 connected to the roll forming machine 34, such that the rolled metal corrugated via the roll forming machine 34 can be cut to the desired length to form the corrugated tower assembly sheet 21.

[0112] The sheet cutting mechanism 36 can also be configured to cut corrugated rolled metal to a desired width. For example, the sheet cutting mechanism may include a slitting mechanism that can longitudinally cut the corrugated tower assembly sheet along its length to produce a narrower sheet. In other embodiments, a slitting machine may be provided downstream of the sheet cutting mechanism 36 as a separate mechanism for longitudinally cutting the corrugated tower assembly sheet 21 to provide a narrower sheet when such a narrower sheet may be required.

[0113] The corrugated tower assembly sheet 21 can be corrugated to define a plurality of walls 20w that define channels 20c that are sized and configured to receive packing units 11a therein to form a tower 11. The defined channels 20c can define channels for the tower 11 to be formed after the packing units 11a are positioned in the channels 20c to form the tower 11.

[0114] The wall 20w formed by the roll forming machine 34 may include a flat wall 20d extending linearly in the horizontal direction along the length of the sheet and angled walls 20s extending from opposite sides of the flat wall 20d. The wall 20w may be formed such that each flat wall 20d extends horizontally from a first end to a second end, and the first side of the flat wall 20d may have a first angled wall 20s extending from the first side of the flat wall 20d at an angle relative to the horizontal plane; and a second angled wall 20s extending from the second side of the flat wall 20d opposite to its first side at an angle relative to the horizontal plane. In some embodiments, some angled walls 20s may extend between different flat walls 20d, such that adjacent, spaced-apart flat walls 20d may be positioned at different vertical positions, higher or lower than other adjacent flat walls 20d.

[0115] Corrugated tower assembly sheets 21 can be provided so that a pair of such corrugated tower assembly sheets 21 can be used to form a plurality of towers 11. For example, as from Figure 8As can be best understood, the base corrugated tower assembly sheet 20b can be positioned such that the flat wall 20d is horizontally oriented and positioned to receive a plurality of packing units 11a. For each flat wall 20d present in the base corrugated tower assembly sheet 20b, the plurality of packing units 11a can be aligned and positioned adjacent to each other to form a tower 11 by being placed on the flat wall 20d. The packing unit 11a can be sized and configured such that the outer side of the packing unit includes a bottom side contacting the flat wall 20d, a first side contacting a first angled wall 20s extending from the first flat wall 20d, and a second side contacting a second angled wall 20s extending from the second side of the first flat wall 20d. After all the packing units 11a of the tower 11 to be formed by a pair of corrugated tower assembly sheets 21 are arranged, the upper sides and upper angled portions of the first and second sides of the packing units 11a can be positioned to contact and / or engage with the angled walls 20s and flat walls 20d of the corresponding top corrugated tower assembly sheet 20a to be positioned on the packing units 11a. After each tower 11 is formed by aligning the packing units 11a adjacent to each other along the length of the flat wall 20d for each flat wall 20d, the top corrugated tower assembly sheet 20a can be positioned above the base corrugated tower assembly sheet 20b to contact the sheet for clamping the packing units 11a between the top corrugated tower assembly sheet 20a and the base corrugated tower assembly sheet 20b. After the top corrugated tower assembly sheet 20a is positioned, the upper flat wall 20d of the sheet can contact the upper side of each packing unit 11a, and the angled sidewalls 20s extending from the opposite side of the flat wall 20d can contact the corresponding upper angled side of the packing unit 11a, such that the packing unit 11a is tightly joined by the base corrugated tower assembly sheet 20b and the top corrugated tower assembly sheet 20a to form a tower 11, and the packing unit 11a of the tower 11 is located within the channel 20c of the tower defined by the walls 20w of the base corrugated tower assembly sheet 20b and the top corrugated tower assembly sheet 20a. After the top corrugated tower assembly sheet 20a is properly positioned and / or during the positioning of the top corrugated tower assembly sheet 20a, the top corrugated tower assembly sheet 20a may be welded or otherwise fastened to the base corrugated tower assembly sheet 20b to form a tower 11 for a segment 20, which is included in the assembly 24 for forming the tower 11 of the multi-tower assembly 10.

[0116] In some embodiments, the different corrugated sheets 11cs used to form the tower 11 can be riveted together to help form the tower and interconnect the different corrugated sheets. In some embodiments, pre-punched rivet holes can be formed in the material sheet before corrugating or after forming the corrugated sheets 11cs. For such embodiments, perforation units can be positioned to punch such holes during the manufacturing assembly process. Perforation units can be positioned before or after corrugating. As another alternative, it is contemplated that the roll of material to be corrugated can be unrolled for perforation and then rewound for positioning for feeding through a corrugating device (e.g., the rewound perforated material can be positioned on a retainer 32, which is positioned to connect the perforated material sheet of the roll held by the retainer 32 to feed to a roll forming machine 34, which is configured to corrugate the material roll to form a corrugated tower assembly sheet 21 in which rivet perforations are defined).

[0117] Each segment 20 of tower 11 can be formed such that one or more binding elements 12 of the packing units 11a in each tower 11 can be positioned between the walls 20w of the tower 11, which define a channel 20c in which the packing units 11a are positioned. Sealing elements 12s of the binding elements 12 can also engage those walls 20w. Protrusions 20d of the binding elements 12 can also help provide spacing between the packing units 11a and the walls 20w for positioning the packing units within the channel 20c of the tower 11. All towers 11 of the formed multi-tower assembly 10 can have this arrangement of packing units 11a within the channel defined by the walls 20w.

[0118] Additionally (or alternatively), after the liquid distributor bottom 13b is installed, welding or other attachments may be provided to seal the top of section S and to seal the side edges of the inner wall 20w of the adjacent tower of packing unit 11a. The remaining seals between packing units 11a may be accomplished using rivets or other attachment mechanisms.

[0119] Multiple pairs of base corrugated tower assembly sheets 20b and top corrugated tower assembly sheets 20a can be used in combination with the layered packing unit 11a to form the arrangement of tower 24, such as from Figure 9 and Figure 12 This is the best way to understand it. For example, from... Figure 12 As can be seen, the tower 11, formed via the corrugated tower assembly sheet 21 and packing unit 11a, can be arranged on bottom supports 22, which are spaced apart and positioned to hold the tower 11 during the formation of the multi-tower assembly 10. Each bottom support may have a shaped opening to facilitate holding the assembly 24 of the tower 11 for forming the multi-tower assembly 10 in a desired pattern or shape for inclusion in the chamber of the pressure vessel PV. Figure 3 , Figure 9 and Figure 12 As can be best seen, the assembly 24 for forming the tower 11 of the multi-tower assembly 10 can be executed such that the tower 11 of the multi-tower assembly 10 for the packing section S is arranged in a honeycomb pattern to facilitate the formation of the desired shape and pattern of the multi-tower assembly 10 for positioning as the packing section S in the chamber of the pressure vessel PV.

[0120] In some implementations, it is anticipated that placing the packing units 11a onto the bottom support 22 can be automated by a robot (e.g., one or more robotic arms) picking up the packing units 11a and placing them into the assembly. This automation can help further accelerate the process of forming the multi-tower assembly 10.

[0121] As from Figure 4 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 As can be best understood from the text, during the manufacturing process, each formed tower 11 may have a riser assembly 13 attached to the upper end of the tower 11. As discussed above, for example, the base portion or bottom portion 13b of each riser assembly may be positioned in the upper end of the tower 11 between the base corrugated tower assembly sheet 20b and the top corrugated tower assembly sheet 20a, which form the tower to which the riser assembly is connected. The wall 13w of the bottom portion 13b of the riser assembly may be positioned in the distal end portion of the tower 11 that will serve as the upper end of the tower, for attachment to the wall 20w of the base corrugated tower assembly sheet 20b and the top corrugated tower assembly sheet 20a, for example, via an interference fit between the walls 13w and 20w. Welding and / or fasteners may also be used to facilitate the connection between the riser assembly 13 and the tower 11.

[0122] Furthermore, during the formation of the multi-tower assembly 10 for the section, the different corrugated tower assembly sheets 21 can be welded, riveted, and / or otherwise attached to each other, so that the resulting honeycomb structure of the multi-tower assembly 10 can be secured together. Such securing can help allow all the different towers 11 to be interconnected via the corrugated tower assembly sheets 21 attached to other corrugated tower assembly sheets in the multi-tower assembly 10. This type of connection can help provide support for the multi-tower assembly 10 and suspend or position it within the chamber of the pressure vessel via hangers 17.

[0123] After the multi-tower assembly 10 for section S is fully formed to meet the pre-selected honeycomb patterned structure and the riser assembly 13 is attached to the tower 11, the multi-tower assembly 10 can be positioned within the pressure vessel PV to be positioned within the packing section S of the pressure vessel PV. A hanger 17 can be positioned within the pressure vessel to attach the multi-tower assembly 10, for example, to position the multi-tower assembly 10 within the pressure vessel at a desired location within the chamber of the pressure vessel PV.

[0124] The interconnection of the hangers 17 and towers 11 of the multi-tower assembly 10 may include positioning a plurality of fastening elements 19 extending from different elongated members 17a of the different hangers 17 positioned in the chamber of the pressure vessel PV; and positioning clamping members 19c for attachment between the plurality of riser assemblies 13 and towers 11 as discussed above. For example, clamping members 19c may be attached to the lower distal end of the fastening element 19, and the upper end of the fastening element 19 may be attached to different elongated members 17a at spaced-out locations. Clamping members 19c may then be attached to the walls 20w of the different riser assemblies 13b and towers 11, as discussed above.

[0125] In other cases, clamping member 29c may first be attached to walls 20w and 13b. Then, fastener element 19 may be attached to clamping member 19c. Next, the opposite ends of fastener element 19 may be attached to the elongated member 17a of hanger 17. In other embodiments, the attachment order of the different elements may be changed to position the multi-tower assembly 10 within the chamber of pressure vessel PV to form apparatus 1 for distillation.

[0126] After the multi-tower assembly 10 is positioned within the chamber, interlocking sealing elements 15 can be positioned between the periphery of the multi-tower assembly 10 and the inner wall of the pressure vessel or the inner side of the pressure vessel PV wall to form an annular seal around the multi-tower assembly 10. Positioning of the interlocking sealing elements 15 can occur such that these elements are welded or otherwise attached to the pressure vessel and / or the multi-tower assembly for positioning. This positioning can occur before or after the multi-tower assembly 10 is attached to the hanger 17.

[0127] Figure 15 An exemplary method for manufacturing and / or using apparatus 1 for distillation is illustrated. (See from...) Figure 15As can be seen, the method may include providing a packing unit 11a and a corrugated assembly sheet 21. For example, in the first step S1, the packing unit 11a may be formed, and the corrugated tower assembly sheet 21 may be formed to form a tower 11 for arrangement within a pressure vessel PV. In some embodiments, it is contemplated that the corrugated assembly sheet 21 may be obtained from a third-party manufacturer, which may provide the corrugated assembly sheet 21 based on design details provided to the manufacturer. The packing unit 11a may also be obtained from a third-party manufacturer, and design details and / or other instructions for forming the packing unit 11a may be provided to the third-party manufacturer to provide the packing unit 11a.

[0128] In the second step S2, packing unit 11a can be positioned within the channel 20c of tower assembly sheet 21 to form tower 11. In the third step S3, after tower 11 can be formed, tower assembly sheets 21 can be attached together to form a multi-tower assembly 10 for packing section S, positioned within the chamber of pressure vessel PV. In the fourth step S4, riser assembly 13 or other type of liquid distributor can be positioned on the top portion of tower 11. In the fifth step S5, interlocking sealing element 15 can be positioned around the periphery of tower assembly 10, such that sealing element 15 is positioned between the inner wall of pressure vessel PV and the outer periphery of tower assembly 10. In the sixth step S6, adjacent tower assembly sheets 21 can be connected to hangers 17 to support tower 11 and multi-tower assembly in their desired positions within pressure vessel PV. This facilitates secure positioning of multi-tower assembly 10 for packing section S within pressure vessel PV.

[0129] In some embodiments, a pre-dispensing mechanism may be positioned within a pressure vessel PV to be positioned above the multi-tower assembly 10 for section S. This pre-dispensing mechanism may be provided to help introduce liquid in a substantially uniform manner across the width or diameter of the pressure vessel PV above the multi-tower assembly 10 for section S.

[0130] After the apparatus 1 for distillation is formed, it can be installed on-site for use in distillation operations in an optional seventh step S7. The apparatus 1 for distillation can be installed and used such that liquids and vapors pass through columns 11 of the multi-column assembly 10 for separating volatile fractions from less volatile fractions. The volatile fractions can be separated such that they exit from the pressure vessel PV as an upper stream 7, and the less volatile fractions can exit the pressure vessel PV as a lower stream 9. Separation processes can be performed such that the feed into the pressure vessel passes through different columns 11 positioned within the pressure vessel PV, such that the vapors fed into the pressure vessel PV are separated into various fractions, thus the different fractions pass upward through different columns 11, and the liquids fed into the pressure vessel PV are separated into different fractions and pass downward through the pressure vessel PV, such that the different liquid fractions pass through different columns 11. The flow of the liquid can occur counter-currently compared to the flow direction of the vapors, such that the vapors passing through the columns flow counter-currently compared to the liquids (e.g., the vapors can flow upwards, while the liquids can flow downwards). Fluid flow through the packing of the tower provided by the packing unit 11a and the channels of the corrugated material sheets 11cs of these packing units 11a can facilitate heat and mass transfer interactions between the fluids to promote separation for forming the upper flow 7 and the lower flow 9. The annular seal provided by the positioning of the sealing element 15 between the pressure vessel wall and the multi-tower assembly 10, and the positioning of the sealing elements 12s and / or tabs 12c of the binding elements 12 of the packing unit 11a within the tower 11 (for engaging the wall 20w of the tower 11), can help facilitate fluid flow through the tower 11 to help ensure fluid flow through the packing of the corrugated material sheets 11cs, for improving heat and mass transfer interactions for the separation process forming the upper flow 7 and the lower flow 9.

[0131] It should be understood that the embodiments explicitly shown and discussed herein can be modified to meet a specific set of design objectives or a specific set of design criteria. For example, the arrangement and configuration of packing unit 11a and / or one or more sections S can be varied to accommodate different design configurations and other design criteria. As another example, the size and configuration of the pressure vessel PV can be adjusted to meet a specific set of design criteria.

[0132] Implementations of distillation equipment, methods for manufacturing distillation columns, and distillation column manufacturing systems can each be configured to include process control elements positioned and configured to monitor and control operations (e.g., sensors, force sensors, level sensors, detectors, automated process control systems having at least one workstation including a processor, non-transitory memory, and at least one transceiver for communicating with the sensor elements, and controllers for providing a user interface for the automated process control system that can operate at the workstation and / or another computer device in the plant, etc.). It should be understood that implementations can also utilize distributed control systems (DCS) to implement one or more processes and / or control the operation of equipment used for distillation column manufacturing and / or the distillation column manufacturing process.

[0133] As another example, it is contemplated that specific features described individually or as part of an embodiment can be combined with other individually described features or parts of other embodiments. Therefore, elements and actions of the various embodiments described herein can be combined to provide additional embodiments. Thus, while certain exemplary embodiments of methods, apparatus, systems, and methods of manufacture and use thereof have been shown and described above, it should be clearly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but can be embodied and practiced differently in other ways within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for distillation, comprising: Pressure vessel, the pressure vessel having a chamber; A first multi-tower assembly, positioned within the chamber, comprises a plurality of interconnected towers, each tower having a plurality of packing units linearly aligned with each other and positioned within a channel of the tower, each packing unit having a plurality of corrugated material sheets surrounded by at least one binding element such that the at least one binding element is positioned between the corrugated material sheets and a wall of the tower defining the channel, the packing unit being positioned within the channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tower has a hexagonal cross-sectional shape, and the packing unit has a corresponding hexagonal cross-sectional shape; and The towers of the first multi-tower assembly define the honeycomb patterned structure of the multi-tower assembly.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the corrugated material sheet is a corrugated metal sheet, or a corrugated metal sheet having perforations defined therein and / or textures defined thereon.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one strapping element comprises at least one sealing element and a plurality of protrusions.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one binding element comprises a first portion having a first end and a second end and a second portion having a first end and a second end, wherein a connecting mechanism of the first end of the first portion is connected to a connecting mechanism of the first end of the second portion, and a connecting mechanism of the second end of the first portion is connected to a connecting mechanism of the second end of the second portion.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The connecting mechanism at the first end of the first part has a slot; The connecting mechanism at the first end of the second portion has a protrusion positioned within the groove of the connecting mechanism at the first end of the first portion; The connecting mechanism at the second end of the first portion has a slot; The connecting mechanism at the second end of the second part has a protrusion positioned within the groove of the connecting mechanism at the second end of the first part.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein each of the at least one strapping element comprises at least one sealing element and a plurality of protrusions.

8. The device according to claim 1, comprising: Multiple hangers are positioned within the chamber to support the first multi-tower assembly within the chamber.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein each of the hangers comprises: An elongated member, the elongated member being positioned within the chamber; A plurality of spaced-apart fastener elements extending from the elongated member; Multiple clamping members, each clamping member being attached to the distal end of a corresponding fastener element among the fastener elements.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein each of the clamping members has a groove for receiving a wall of an adjacent tower and at least one engaging element, the at least one engaging element being positionable in the clamping member to engage the wall within the groove.

11. The device according to claim 10, comprising: A plurality of riser assemblies, each riser assembly being positioned in the upper end of a corresponding tower of the multi-tower assembly, the bottom portion of the wall of an adjacent riser assembly being positioned within the groove for engagement with at least one engagement element within the groove.

12. The device according to claim 1, comprising: A plurality of riser assemblies are connected to the towers of the first multi-tower assembly, such that each riser assembly is connected to the upper end of a corresponding tower of the multi-tower assembly.

13. A method for manufacturing and / or using equipment for distillation, the method comprising: A plurality of packing units are provided, each of the packing units having a plurality of corrugated material sheets surrounded by at least one binding element; A plurality of tower assembly sheets are provided, each of the tower assembly sheets being corrugated to have a plurality of flat walls and a plurality of angled walls, each of the flat walls extending from a first end to a second end, each of the flat walls having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side between the first end and the second end, the plurality of flat walls including a first flat wall, and the plurality of angled walls including a first angled wall extending from a first side of the first flat wall and a second angled wall extending from a second side of the first flat wall; The packing unit is positioned in a channel of a first tower assembly sheet of the plurality of tower assembly sheets, and a second tower assembly sheet is attached to the first tower assembly sheet to close the packing unit and form a tower for forming a multi-tower assembly.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising: The riser assembly is attached to the end portion of each tower in the tower.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising: The multi-tower assembly is positioned within the chamber of the pressure vessel.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising: The interlocking sealing element is positioned within the cavity between at least one wall of the pressure vessel and the multi-tower assembly to define an annular seal between the pressure vessel and the multi-tower assembly.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising: The multi-tower assembly is connected to a hanger positioned within the chamber.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising: The multi-tower assembly is connected to a hanger positioned within the chamber.

19. The method of claim 15, comprising: The feed is passed through the pressure vessel to distill the feed, and different portions of the feed are passed in parallel through different columns to output upper and lower streams.

20. A system for forming a packed unit, the packed unit being included in a tower of a multi-tower assembly, the system comprising: A bracket having a first portion movable relative to a second portion for adjusting the bracket between a closed position and an open position; When the bracket is in the open position, a first portion of the first binding element can be connected to the first portion of the bracket; When the bracket is in the open position, the second portion of the first strapping element can be connected to the second portion of the bracket; The open position of the bracket is configured such that the corrugated material sheet can be positioned on the first portion of the first strapping element and the corrugated material sheet can be positioned on the second portion of the second strapping element. The bracket, the first portion of the first strapping element, and the second portion of the first strapping element are configured such that movement of the bracket from the open position to the closed position connects the end portion of the first portion of the first strapping element to the end portion of the second portion of the first strapping element to form the first strapping element to surround the corrugated material sheet to form a filler unit.

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