Ethylene Production Apparatus Multi-Stage Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing ethylene through ethanol dehydration face challenges such as low ethylene yield, inefficient recycling of ethylene, and complex and costly wastewater treatment processes, leading to increased ethanol consumption and treatment difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A multi-stage separation and refining process involving reactors, separation columns, condensers, and reflux tanks is implemented to enhance ethylene recycling efficiency, reduce power consumption, and simplify wastewater treatment, utilizing a quenching column to preprocess the ethylene stream and a fourth separation column to minimize organic substances in wastewater.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional separation processes are used for ethylene production, then the basic ethylene stream is obtained, but the ethylene recycling efficiency is low and power consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The separation process is divided into multiple stages: a first separation column for initial separation, a second separation column for heavy component separation, and a third separation column for light component separation. This segmented approach allows each column to operate at optimized conditions, improving overall ethylene recovery efficiency while reducing energy consumption compared to a single-stage separation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The quenching column performs preliminary cooling and condensation of the reactor effluent before the main separation process. By pre-cooling the stream and condensing some components beforehand, the load on subsequent separation columns is reduced, leading to lower power consumption in the main separation stages while maintaining high ethylene yield.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If complex wastewater treatment processes are implemented, then organic substances in wastewater are removed, but the treatment process becomes complicated and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The wastewater treatment function is merged with the existing separation process. The quenching column and separation columns simultaneously perform product separation and wastewater treatment by condensing and separating organic substances from the wastewater stream. This integration eliminates the need for separate complex treatment systems while effectively reducing organic substance concentration in the discharged wastewater.
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
The process increases ethylene yield, reduces power consumption by 13.25%, recycles unrefined ethanol from wastewater, and decreases organic substance concentration in wastewater, resulting in improved product purity and reduced treatment costs with simpler technology and lower investment.
Implementation Method 1
a reactor (28), used for dehydrating ethanol and obtaining a ethylene stream (1) including ethane, ethanol, ethyl ether and by-products containing three or more carbon atoms
Implementation Method 2
a first separation column (24), connected to said reactor (28), used for separating said ethylene stream (1) including ethane, ethanol, ethyl ether and by-products containing three or more carbon atoms from said reactor (28) to obtain a first light components (3) containing ethylene at a top of said first separation column (24) and a first heavy components (2) containing ethylene at a bottom of said first separation column (24)
Implementation Method 3
a first condenser (25), an inlet of said first condenser (25) being connected to the top of said first separation column (24), and an outlet of said first condenser (25) being connected to the upper part of said first separation column (24), said first condenser (25) used for condensing the first light components (3) containing ethylene from the top of said first separation column (24) to obtain a first condensate
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for producing ethylene includes: a reactor; a first separation column, connected to the reactor; a second separation column, the upper part of the second separation column being connected to the bottom of the first separation column, and the top of the second separation column being connected to the lower part of the first separation column; a first condenser, an inlet of the first condenser being connected to the top of the first separation column, and an outlet of the first condenser being connected to the upper part of the first separation column; and a third separation column, used for receiving a second part of a first condensate from the condenser and separating the received part. A method for producing ethylene using the aforementioned apparatus is also described.