Modified Hot Separator System for Liquid Stripping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydroprocessing technologies face limitations in separating recycle liquid from the liquid component in the reactor effluent stream, leading to inefficient vapor stripping and increased risk of liquid drop entrainment, which affects system performance.
Innovation Solution
A modified enhanced hot separator system that combines a hot separator with a hot stripping column, allowing for separate vapor-liquid separation and recycling of the liquid stream, thereby enhancing the stripping of net liquid with minimal entrainment and optimized operating conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional enhanced hot separator combines gross separation and vapor stripping in a single packed or trayed column, then the system can achieve additional vapor stripping, but the quantity of stripping vapor required limits system performance and increases the risk of liquid drop entrainment
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the liquid stream into recycle liquid and net liquid portions, directing only the net liquid to the stripping column. This segmentation allows the stripping function to operate on a reduced liquid flow rate, thereby reducing the vapor quantity required while maintaining effective contaminant removal from the process stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The gross separation function is extracted from the stripping column and performed separately in a dedicated vapor-liquid separator. This extraction allows the stripping column to focus solely on vapor stripping of net liquid, eliminating the need for excessive stripping vapor to handle both gross separation and stripping functions simultaneously.
2Reliability
If a traditional enhanced hot separator combines gross separation and vapor stripping in a single packed or trayed column, then the system can achieve additional vapor stripping, but the risk of liquid drop entrainment from the gross separation section increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the gross separation function from the vapor stripping function into distinct units. The vapor-liquid separator performs gross separation first, followed by the stripping column handling only net liquid. This segmentation eliminates liquid drop entrainment from the stripping section by ensuring proper phase separation occurs before the stripping process begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The gross separation function is extracted and performed in a dedicated vapor-liquid separator before the stream enters the stripping column. This extraction ensures that liquid drops are removed prior to the stripping process, preventing entrainment issues in the stripping section while maintaining effective contaminant removal.
3Productivity
If the liquid component fed to the EHS contains recycle liquid that does not need to be stripped, then the system can maintain process continuity, but the quantity of stripping vapor required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid stream is segmented into recycle liquid and net liquid portions. The recycle liquid is separated and returned to the reaction zone without undergoing stripping, while only the net liquid proceeds to the stripping column. This segmentation maintains process continuity by preserving the recycle stream while reducing vapor consumption by directing stripping only where necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The recycle liquid portion is extracted from the liquid stream before it enters the stripping column. This extraction allows the system to maintain process continuity through recycling while eliminating the unnecessary consumption of stripping vapor on liquid that does not require stripping treatment.
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 system achieves enhanced stripping efficiency, reducing contaminants to levels significantly lower than those achievable with traditional hot stripping columns, with some contaminants reduced to parts per billion, and minimizing both investment and operating costs.
Implementation Method 1
separating the first reaction zone effluent in a first vapor-liquid separator into a vapor stream and a liquid stream
Implementation Method 2
The product portion of the liquid stream is stripped in a stripping column with a stripping gas into an overhead vapor stream and a bottoms stream
Data Source
AI summary
A separation process with a modified enhanced hot separator system is described. The process eliminates undesirable entrainment while allowing for enhanced stripping of the net liquid only. The modified enhanced hot separator system combines a hot separator with a hot stripping column.