Questions about the distillation tower
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We use a distillation column with a diameter of 2400 MM, equipped with 20 layers of floating valve trays. The weir height is 25, and the gap between the liquid distribution plates and the trays is 19. During operation, carbon buildup accumulated in the liquid collection chambers of the lower layers of trays, blocking these gaps and preventing the column from functioning properly; regular cleaning is required, which significantly affects work efficiency. A few days ago, we changed the height of the weir on the three lower trays to 40, and adjusted the gap between the liquid distribution plates to 32; no changes were made to the other trays. After driving it again, a more serious problem arose: the tower pressure difference increased from 10 KPA to 20 KPA, while the heat supplied was only half of what it used to be; as a result, it was impossible to operate it, so it had to be shut down once more for modifications in order to restore it to its original state. I hope fellow sailors can give me some advice! Thanks!
If modification is carried out through theoretical calculations, it is possible that the height will exceed the specified standard or the float valve may get stuck.
Your tower diameter is a bit large; you could consider a multi-overflow scheme.
Increasing the weir height won’t work, right? When the weir height is increased, the amount of liquid accumulated on the tray increases, and the pressure difference across the tray **increases**, which leads to the effect you mentioned
Personally, I agree with what was said on the fourth floor; the operating flexibility of a float valve tower should be quite high.