Method and system for producing olefins
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Solution Overview
Problem
In oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) processes for producing olefins, there is an issue with the enrichment of carbon monoxide and oxygen in the separation step, leading to safety concerns due to the potential for explosions and detonations, which reduces process efficiency and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a process with explosion-resistant design in low temperature separation, using containers and conduits with burst pressures at least ten times the operating pressure, and connecting them to heat exchangers with short lengths relative to their internal diameter to prevent pressure increases beyond a factor of 10, thereby avoiding detonations and ensuring safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If low temperature separation is used to separate process gas components, then separation efficiency is improved, but carbon monoxide and oxygen become enriched in gas fractions creating explosion hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by designing containers and conduits with burst pressures at least ten times the operating pressure, and by limiting conduit lengths to prevent pressure increases beyond a factor of 10. These preventive safety measures are built into the system design before operation, cushioning against the potential explosion hazards created by oxygen and carbon monoxide enrichment during low temperature separation.
2Reliability
If extensive safety measures are implemented to prevent explosions, then safety is improved, but device complexity and capital costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes critical parameters by specifying burst pressure ratios (at least 10:1) and conduit length limitations relative to internal diameter. These parameter changes create an inherently safer system design that prevents detonations through physical constraints rather than complex active safety systems, thereby improving safety while minimizing device complexity.
3Reliability
If conduit lengths are limited relative to internal diameter, then detonation prevention is improved, but the process requires more compact equipment arrangement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a specific parameter relationship by limiting conduit lengths to not more than fifty times the internal diameter. This parameter change ensures detonation prevention by restricting the space available for pressure wave development, while the resulting compact equipment arrangement becomes a design constraint that optimizes space utilization.
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 prevents damage to pressure-bearing components and releases of gas fractions, increases yield by reducing dilution, and optimizes energy efficiency and capital costs by minimizing the need for extensive safety measures, resulting in a more compact and economically advantageous process.
Implementation Method 1
connecting them to heat exchangers with short lengths relative to their internal diameter
Implementation Method 2
using containers and conduits with burst pressures at least ten times the operating pressure, and connecting them to heat exchangers with short lengths relative to their internal diameter to prevent pressure increases beyond a factor of 10
Data Source
AI summary
A process for producing one or more olefins is proposed in which a reaction input containing one or more paraffins is formed and in which a portion of the paraffin(s) present in the reaction input is converted by oxidative dehydrogenation into the olefin(s) to obtain a process gas, wherein the process gas contains at least the olefin(s), the unconverted paraffin(s), oxygen and carbon monoxide and wherein at least a portion of the process gas is subjected to a low temperature separation in which at an operating pressure level one or more gas fractions enriched in oxygen and carbon monoxide compared to the process gas are formed. It is provided that in the low temperature separation in the formation and/or for the conduction of the or at least one of the gas fractions one or more containers and/or one or more conduits having a burst pressure of at least ten times the operating pressure level are used and that the container or at least one of the containers via the or at least one of the conduits is connected to one or more heat exchangers, wherein a total length of the or of the at least one conduit between the or the at least one container and the heat exchanger(s) is not more than fifty times the internal diameter of said conduit. A corresponding plant (100) likewise forms part of the subject matter of the invention.