Problems with the bottom baffle in the methanol regeneration tower
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Regarding the issue of the baffle installed at the bottom of the methanol regeneration tower, many people have discussed it on the forum. However, whether in the material balance provided by the design institute or in actual production, the difference in water content on either side of the baffle is not significant. I would like to ask fellow users for their opinions: is it possible to remove this baffle? What impact will it have on production?
You mean the thermal regeneration tower, right? From the perspective of its structure and operating process, it cannot be removed. There is definitely a difference in the materials on these two sides; every 1% change in the water content in methanol has an impact on the absorption efficiency. The water content in methanol is generally kept at 1–2%, with some factories requiring it to be at 1%.
In my opinion, it’s not feasible, because in actual production, the methanol-poor mixture in the left chamber of the regeneration tower is much cleaner than that in the right chamber. The reason for this situation might be related to the way the various components inside the regeneration tower are installed. If the baffles are removed, the methanol mixture from both chambers will combine before entering the methanol-poor tank, and this mixture will not meet the required standards, thereby affecting the absorption process throughout the cycle and having a significant impact on the product gas. This is just my personal opinion, for reference only
This issue has been discussed in forums before. Regarding the small difference in water content you mentioned, I have also paid attention to this problem; in actual production, it is difficult to obtain accurate readings of the water content on these two sides (as far as I know, the sampling points in the Linde process are not representative). But theoretically, there must be a difference in water content on these two sides, but I don’t think this is the true meaning of the partition, because even if the water content on one side is higher, no “special” treatment is applied. Unlike Luchi’s process, it uses methanol with a high water content (the methanol from the water-rich section of the regeneration tower) as the reflux for the water separation tower. So the function of this baffle is not related to the water content; I believe it serves to stabilize the liquid level. Without this baffle, the liquid level in the regeneration tower fluctuates significantly (due to the effect of the reboiler). It serves the same purpose as the baffle in a methanol distillation tower. It’s just that the ways in which the two sides of these partitions are connected differ; in some cases, they are connected through an outer tube (this is the case for regeneration towers), while in other cases, holes are made directly in the partitions for connection.
It’s not simply something that can be understood as equivalent to the function of a single tray; problems with the reboiler… and so on.
If it is merely to prevent level fluctuations, the effect of making an opening directly and connecting it with a pipeline is similar. It is to prevent the liquid level fluctuations caused by the reboiler from directly affecting the bottom liquid level of the tower.