Two Stage Contact Cooler for Hydrocarbon Effluent Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current contact cooling designs for hydrocarbon processing units are inefficient in removing heavy by-products, leading to carryover and fouling of downstream equipment, as they rely on a single recirculating wash oil stream that does not effectively separate heavies, resulting in thermal reactions and equipment damage.
Innovation Solution
A two-stage contact cooler apparatus with separate circulation loops for wash oil in each section, where the first section contacts the reactor effluent gas with a first wash stream to remove heavies, and the second section further cools and cleans the gas using a cleaner second wash stream, reducing heavies and optimizing wash oil circulation rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single recirculating wash oil stream is used in contact cooling, then the equipment structure is simple, but heavy by-products are not effectively removed and carryover to downstream equipment occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The single wash oil circulation system is segmented into two separate recirculating wash oil streams: a first recirculating wash oil stream for the first contact cooling section and a second recirculating wash oil stream for the second contact cooling section. This segmentation allows each section to independently remove heavy by-products, preventing carryover to downstream equipment while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a single contact cooling section is used, then the device complexity is low, but thermal reactions occur and downstream equipment becomes fouled
Solution Approach 1:
The contact cooling process is divided into two sequential sections: a first contact cooling section with a first packing section for initial cooling and heavy removal, and a second contact cooling section with a second packing section for further cooling and cleaning. This segmentation allows progressive removal of heavy by-products and thermal reactions at each stage, preventing fouling of downstream equipment while distributing the cooling load across two manageable sections.
3Reliability
If wash oil circulation rate is increased to remove heavies, then heavy by-product removal improves, but equipment size and operating cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wash oil circulation system is segmented into two independent recirculating streams, each optimized for its specific section. The first recirculating wash oil stream operates at a rate optimized for initial heavy removal in the first contact cooling section, while the second recirculating wash oil stream operates at a rate optimized for final cleaning in the second section. This segmentation allows reduced overall wash oil circulation rates compared to a single high-rate system, lowering operating costs while maintaining effective heavy by-product removal.
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 two-stage design significantly reduces heavies carried over to downstream equipment, enhancing the purity of the olefin product stream and reducing fouling, while minimizing wash oil circulation and equipment size, thus improving the overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the hydrocarbon processing.
Implementation Method 1
a first packing section disposed within the vessel for contacting the reactor effluent gas with a first wash stream
Implementation Method 2
a second packing section disposed within the vessel and above the first packing section for contacting the reactor effluent gas leaving the first packing section with a second wash stream
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and process is disclosed for the cooling of a reactor effluent gas stream. The apparatus includes a two stage contact cooling system with a first stage wash zone and second stage wash zone. Each wash zone has a packed bed, or other type of mechanical system for contacting the gas stream with the cooling liquid. The liquid in the first stage will remove heavy components, allowing for a cleaner second stage that can be reduced in size.