Methanol Reactor Effluent Cooling via Condensate Spray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small-scale methanol production plants face high costs due to expensive air coolers and plot space requirements, with high inlet gas temperatures leading to corrosion and fouling issues when using conventional materials in cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system that integrates a tube and shell heat exchanger with a recirculation pump and spraying device to directly cool the methanol synthesis reactor effluent vapor stream using liquid condensate, eliminating the need for air coolers and allowing the use of conventional materials without corrosion issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air coolers are used for cooling methanol reactor effluent in small-scale plants, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but equipment cost and plot space requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the air cooler from the cooling system by using direct contact cooling with liquid condensate. The effluent is cooled directly by contacting with condensed liquid in a separator, removing the need for separate air cooling equipment and reducing both equipment cost and plot space requirements while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the cooling function with the phase separation function in a single unit. The liquid-vapor separator performs both separation of condensed liquid from effluent and cooling of the effluent through direct contact with the liquid condensate, eliminating the need for separate cooling equipment.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional materials are used in cooling systems with high inlet gas temperatures, then material availability and ease of manufacture are improved, but corrosion and fouling issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary cooling action by cooling the effluent below 100°C before it enters the cooling water cooler through direct contact with liquid condensate. This preliminary cooling prevents high temperature corrosion and fouling in subsequent cooling stages, allowing the use of conventional materials with good corrosion resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the normally waste heat in the effluent into a beneficial cooling source. The hot effluent is used to condense vapor, and the resulting liquid condensate is then used to cool subsequent effluent streams, creating a self-sustaining cooling system that eliminates corrosion issues while improving energy efficiency.
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 solution enables cost-effective methanol production in small-scale plants by reducing equipment count, avoiding high temperatures, and preventing corrosion, thus providing an economic advantage and efficient cooling of both vapor streams and metal surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
spraying a liquid condensate received from a methanol synthesis loop onto a tube sheet of the cooler which enables direct contact of the liquid condensate with the methanol synthesis reactor effluent vapor stream and cools the methanol synthesis reactor effluent vapor stream
Implementation Method 2
a cooler, preferably a tube and shell heat exchanger, comprising cooling tubes for cooling the methanol synthesis reactor effluent vapor stream, a shell side for passing of a fluid cooling medium
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method for cooling a methanol r synthesis reactor effluent vapor stream in a methanol production plant, wherein the method comprises the steps of: receiving, using an inlet of a cooler, the methanol synthesis reactor effluent vapor stream from an interchanger or a methanol synthesis reactor of the methanol production plant; and spraying, using a recirculation pump connected to a spraying device, a liquid condensate received from a methanol synthesis loop onto a tube sheet of the cooler which enables direct contact of the liquid condensate with the methanol synthesis reactor effluent vapor stream and cools the methanol synthesis reactor effluent vapor stream.