Seeking advice: Can low-pressure steam replace medium-pressure steam as the heat source for aromatic extraction? ?
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The heat source required for the operation of the aromatic extraction unit is steam obtained after pressure reduction from medium-pressure steam (from 3.5 MPa, reduced to 1.5 MPa at 200 degrees Celsius). This steam is used to heat the reboiler, thereby maintaining the temperatures in the stripping tower and the bottom of the recovery tower at 155°C during production (the design temperature is 170°C; after operational optimization, 155°C is sufficient to meet the production requirements). Can low-pressure steam at 0.9 MPa be used to replace medium-pressure steam (through steam temperature and pressure reduction) while ensuring the normal operation of the plant?
Using low-pressure steam at 0.9 MPa in place of medium-pressure steam may present some challenges, mainly regarding whether the heating temperature required by the equipment can be achieved. The saturation temperature of low-pressure steam is approximately 175°C, which is theoretically slightly lower than the 200°C steam conditions at 1.5 MPa that you are currently using. The key aspects that need to be evaluated are the heating efficiency of low-pressure steam and the operational stability of the system at lower temperatures. If a bottom temperature of 155°C is sufficient to meet production requirements, theoretically low-pressure steam at 175°C should be able to maintain this condition; however, in practice, low-pressure steam may lead to reduced production efficiency or quality issues due to insufficient heat supply. It is recommended to conduct detailed thermodynamic calculations and possible tests to verify whether low-pressure steam can effectively and safely replace medium-pressure steam while ensuring the normal operation of the equipment. Furthermore, the reliability and cost-effectiveness of low-pressure steam supply should also be considered. .