Reasonable number of methanol distillation columns

It depends on the specific circumstances; 2 towers require less investment, while 4 towers have lower energy consumption. But considering everything (I hadn’t thought about it before; let’s look at the units used for distillation), 3 towers are probably more cost-effective! We usually design distillation systems with 3 columns. The tray technology uses vertical sieve trays; the energy consumption is approximately 1.1 tons of steam per ton of alcohol, with circulating water usage around 50 cubic meters per ton of alcohol

Research on methanol distillation technology should focus on at least two aspects: one is to further improve the quality and purity of methanol, and the other is to save energy and reduce consumption. The current methanol distillation technologies mainly include two-column distillation and three-column distillation; when it comes to balancing the need to improve quality with the goal of saving energy and reducing consumption, the three-column distillation process is superior. There is a competition between tray towers and packed towers for methanol distillation towers; the regular packed tower technology developed by Tianjin University and the vertical sieve tray tower technology developed by Hebei University of Technology each have their own advantages. Ningbo Far East Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. also possesses its own technology for stainless steel mesh packed towers specifically designed for methanol distillation.

Reply: 1. There is no need to debate this issue; the most reasonable approach is three-column distillation, but the equipment consists of four columns. Pre-distillation tower + pressurized tower + atmospheric tower + methanol recovery tower. 2、With the configuration using the above process, the steam consumption per ton of methanol is around 1.0 ton, and the quality of methanol can meet the American Federal AA standard. 3. Regarding the structural design of towers, vertical sieve plate towers were commonly used in the past; however, with the development of structured packing technology, packing towers have also seen significant progress. 4. Both types of towers have their own advantages; specific differences are covered in the forum post titled “Issues Related to the Selection of Methanol Distillation Towers”, which can be referred to. http://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-40865-1-1.html This post was last edited by zjyang168168 on 2008-1-12 15:04 ]

The most reasonable approach is three-column distillation, but the equipment consists of four columns. This statement is incorrect; there are simply three towers, and no recovery tower exists. Of course, it is necessary to ensure that both the finished product and the residual liquid meet the required standards during the operation process. In case of emergencies when these standards cannot be met, the system is definitely designed with return pipelines that allow for restarting the process. However, there is no need to include a recovery tower, unless you have excess steam available.

2 towers require less investment, while 4 towers have lower energy consumption. But overall, 3 towers are more cost-effective! We usually design distillation systems with 3 columns. The tray design utilizes vertical sieve tray technology; the energy consumption is approximately 1.1 tons of steam per ton of alcohol, with around 50 cubic meters of circulating water per ton of alcohol. Three-column distillation would be the most efficient approach, but the equipment consists of four columns. Pre-distillation tower + pressurized tower + atmospheric pressure tower + methanol recovery tower – The quality of methanol can meet the American Federal AA standard: handshake