Butadiene Production Water Loop Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The TPC/UOP Oxo-D Process for butadiene production requires significant water circulation, leading to high utility penalties and operating costs, necessitating a more efficient integration of water loops to reduce overall utilities and costs.
Innovation Solution
The process involves passing a reactor feed stream comprising butene, steam, and an oxygen-rich stream to a dehydrogenation reactor, with efficient water circulation loops integrated through a quench tower, aldehyde scrubber, and absorber columns to optimize water reuse and reduce cooling requirements, utilizing a ferritic oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst and specific absorption oils to enhance butadiene recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If three large water circulation loops are used in the TPC/UOP Oxo-D Process (reactor section, quench tower, and aldehyde removal section), then butadiene production is achieved, but significant utility penalty and high operating costs occur due to large water circulation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the three separate water circulation loops (reactor section, quench tower, and aldehyde removal section) into a more integrated system. The water from the quench tower bottoms is directly utilized in the aldehyde scrubber, and the stripped water is fed back to the reactor section, creating a unified circulation system that reduces overall water requirements and eliminates the need for separate large-scale circulation infrastructure for each section.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding water after single-use in each section, the patent recycles and reuses water across multiple sections. The quench tower bottoms water is recovered and used in the aldehyde scrubber, then the stripped water from the aldehyde removal section is recovered and fed back to the reactor section, maximizing water utilization and reducing the need for continuous fresh water input and large circulation loops.
2Reliability
If three separate water circulation loops are implemented for reactor section, quench tower and aldehyde removal section, then complete process functionality is achieved, but device complexity increases due to multiple large water circulation systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines three separate water circulation systems into a more integrated configuration where water flows sequentially through different process sections. The quench tower bottoms water line feeds directly into the aldehyde scrubber, and the stripped water from aldehyde removal is fed back to the reactor section, reducing the number of independent circulation loops and associated equipment while maintaining all necessary process functions.
3Temperature
If conventional water circulation loops are used in the Oxo-D Process, then cooling and quenching functions are achieved, but operating costs increase due to significant utility requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers and reuses water that would otherwise be discarded after cooling and quenching operations. The quench tower bottoms water is recovered and applied in the aldehyde scrubber for cooling and absorption purposes, then the stripped water is recovered and fed back to the reactor section, eliminating the need for continuous fresh water input and reducing utility costs associated with heating and cooling large volumes of circulating water.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the size of water circulation loops, lowers aldehyde content, and eliminates the need for reboilers and condensers in certain columns, resulting in lower operating costs and improved butadiene yield efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The reactor feed stream is oxidatively dehydrogenated in the dehydrogenation reactor in presence of an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst to provide an effluent stream comprising butadiene
Implementation Method 2
The effluent stream is cooled in a quench tower to provide a cooled effluent stream and a bottoms water stream
Implementation Method 3
The cooled effluent stream is passed to an aldehyde scrubber to provide a scrubbed effluent stream and a spent water stream comprising aldehydes
Implementation Method 4
The scrubbed effluent stream and an absorption oil stream is passed to an absorber column to provide an overhead absorber stream comprising light gases and an absorption oil stream comprising C4s
Implementation Method 5
The degassed absorption oil stream is passed to a C4 stripper column to strip butadiene and C4s from the absorption oil to provide a crude butadiene product stream
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Processes and apparatuses for the production of butadienes are provided. In an embodiment, a process for production of butadienes includes passing a reactor feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon stream comprising butene, a steam stream and a oxygen rich stream to a dehydrogenation reactor. The reactor feed stream is oxidatively dehydrogenated in the dehydrogenation reactor in presence of an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst to provide an effluent stream comprising butadiene. The effluent stream is cooled in a quench tower to provide a cooled effluent stream and a bottoms water stream. The cooled effluent stream is passed to an aldehyde scrubber to provide a scrubbed effluent stream and a spent water stream comprising aldehydes. A first portion of the bottoms water stream is passed from the quench tower to the aldehyde scrubber.