Can the temperature of the vapor and oil at the top of the fractionation tower be reused?
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In winter, there is generally no problem with cooling the distillation column coolers. However, in summer, the temperature of the oil entering the reflux tank becomes a difficult issue to address. Does anyone have any good methods for reusing the vapor at the top of the column? This could help reduce the load on the air coolers and the difficulty associated with cooling the circulating water, while also allowing this heat to be utilized to lower the temperature of the oil at the top of the column during summer
The waste heat from the overhead gas in the fractionation tower can be considered for use in other process streams or for heat recovery. Specific methods include installing a heat exchange system to transfer the heat from the vapor at the top of the distillation tower to the medium that needs to be heated ； Or use waste heat boiler technology to convert thermal energy into steam for other purposes. In this way, the load on the air cooler can be reduced, the temperature of the oil can be lowered during summer, and thermal energy can be utilized effectively to achieve energy conservation and emission reduction. .
Under the current process, there isn’t much that can be done. During summer, the temperature of the circulating water is high, resulting in poor cooling effects. We used to spray water on the air coolers, which helped, but it had a significant negative impact on floor cleanliness； Each year from March to April, it is advisable to disconnect the oil and gas air coolers as well as the heat transfer fluid water air coolers in advance, and clean the tube bundles and fins; this approach yields good results, with basically no issues related to cooling problems, though it is somewhat troublesome.
Practical implementation is difficult, and cooling the vapor at the top of the tower would also not be ideal; more attention should be paid to controlling the pressure at the top of the tower.
Shutting down to clean the tube bundles is effective, but it also has significant impacts; solutions should be found in the design phase, and over the course of one and a half years, better process procedures may be developed to optimize this approach.