Satellite-Type Tower Kettle for Vacuum Distillation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vacuum towers in refinery plants face challenges with low light oil extraction rates, harsh operating conditions, and high energy consumption when processing atmospheric pressure residual oil, particularly with heavy and superheavy crude oils, which reduces their efficiency and economic benefits.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum rectification tower with a satellite-type tower kettle system is introduced, featuring a main tower kettle surrounded by multiple small-volume sub-reactors, a non-submerged impinging stream assembly, and a rectifying section, allowing for continuous circulation and adjustment of spray directions to enhance mass, heat, and energy transfer, promoting hydrogen transfer reactions and improving light oil extraction under mild temperature and pressure conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the feeding temperature of the vacuum tower is increased to improve the extraction rate of light oil, then the extraction rate improves, but the risk of coking increases and operating conditions become harsher
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum tower system is segmented into a main tower kettle and multiple satellite sub-reactors. The sub-reactors handle the coking-prone heavy components separately, while the main tower focuses on light oil extraction. This segmentation allows the main tower to operate at lower temperatures with reduced coking risk while maintaining high extraction rates through the combined system.
Solution Approach 2:
The satellite sub-reactors act as intermediaries that pre-process the atmospheric pressure residual oil before it enters the main tower kettle. These sub-reactors perform initial cracking and separation, reducing the complexity and coking potential of the feedstock entering the main tower, thereby enabling milder operating conditions.
2Productivity
If the vacuum degree is increased to achieve vacuum deep extraction and improve the extraction rate, then the extraction rate improves by 5-8%, but the energy consumption increases significantly due to requiring at least three stages of steam injection
Solution Approach 1:
The extraction process is segmented between satellite sub-reactors and the main tower kettle. The sub-reactors perform initial separation at lower energy costs, while the main tower completes the extraction. This segmentation reduces the overall vacuum degree requirement and minimizes the need for multiple steam injection stages, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining high extraction rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The satellite sub-reactors perform preliminary separation and cracking of the residual oil before the material enters the main tower kettle. This preliminary action pre-lights the hydrocarbon molecules, reducing the vacuum degree needed in the main tower and thereby reducing the energy required for steam injection and vacuum maintenance.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional vacuum tower configuration is used for processing heavy and superheavy crude oils, then the existing infrastructure is maintained, but the light oil extraction rate is low and economic benefits are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple satellite sub-reactors are nested around the main tower kettle, forming a compact integrated system. This nested configuration allows the addition of advanced processing capability (sub-reactors) while maintaining the existing main tower infrastructure. The sub-reactors are positioned to receive feedstock and return processed material to the main tower, creating a hierarchical processing system that improves extraction rates without completely replacing existing infrastructure.
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 configuration significantly enhances the light oil extraction rate while reducing energy consumption and operating pressures, achieving a breakthrough in energy consumption-benefit data and improving the quality and extraction rate of light oil fractions.
Implementation Method 1
the non-submerged impinging stream assembly is arranged in the spray direction of each spray inlet, and used for performing non-submerged impacting, cavitation and shearing on a sprayed material from the spray inlet
Implementation Method 2
the non-submerged impinging stream assembly is arranged in the spray direction of each spray inlet, and used for performing non-submerged impacting, cavitation and shearing on a sprayed material from the spray inlet
Implementation Method 3
a spray direction of each spray inlet may be adjusted or the spray directions of at least two spray inlets are crossed
Implementation Method 4
vacuum rectification tower with a satellite-type tower kettle and vacuum rectification method for atmospheric pressure residual oil
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a vacuum rectification tower with a satellite-type tower kettle and a vacuum rectification method for atmospheric pressure residual oil. The vacuum rectification tower includes a satellite-surrounded vacuum tower kettle and a rectifying section; the satellite-surrounded vacuum tower kettle includes a main tower kettle and a plurality of sub-reactors arranged outside the main tower kettle in a satellite-surrounded mode; the main tower kettle is provided with a first outlet and a plurality of spray inlets, and a top portion of the main tower kettle has an opening; the sub-reactor is provided with a second outlet and a first inlet, the spray inlets are connected with the second outlets of each sub-reactor in a one-to-one correspondence, and the first outlet is connected with the first inlets. The above vacuum rectification tower is used for treating the atmospheric pressure residual oil, and an extraction rate of light oil may be effectively improved under relatively mild temperature and pressure environment.