Pressure difference issue in the MTBE methanol recovery tower
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Methanol recovery tower: What causes the large pressure difference between the top and bottom of the tower? Could any expert give some advice?~~~~ This post was last edited by psw1420 on 2008-12-23 at 19:32.]
The pressure difference and temperature difference between the top and bottom of the tower directly determine the quality of the product. This is especially true for the pre-treatment tower and the pressure tower, where the temperature difference between the bottom and top is only 4–6°C. If this difference is not properly controlled, it has a significant impact on the quality of the product. In distillation processes, temperature is the most critical factor; pressure, in turn, depends on temperature – lower temperatures result in lower pressure, while higher temperatures lead to higher pressure. The two are interdependent
Yes!! It’s closely related to the liquid level
Our plant’s recovery tower won’t start without differential pressure and temperature! It wasn’t like this before; in the past, the pressure difference and temperature of the recovery tower were always kept within the specified ranges. Now, the liquid level is used to increase the pressure difference and the temperature of the tower! Also lost in confusion 1
The pressure at the bottom of the tower generally refers to the pressure in the gas phase space at that location; it is not affected by the liquid level. The cause of pressure differences is usually the accumulation of material on the tray surfaces
The reasons for a large pressure difference between the top and bottom of the tower are, firstly, a high liquid phase load, that is, a large reflux rate; secondly, blockages in the tower trays or packing. Often, distillation operators prefer high temperatures at both the top and bottom of the tower as well as a high reflux rate, but such practices undermine the tower’s processing capacity and operational flexibility