Regarding distillation column operation
Thread Content
Methanol is distilled in three towers; all operations are carried out under normal conditions. After multiple sampling tests, no internal leakage issues were found in the water coolers. Yet, the moisture content of the methanol obtained from the atmospheric pressure tower remains above the specified limits Everyone started a discussion to figure out what the problem was. Thank you
The prognosis indicates excessive moisture; the top temperature of the atmospheric pressure tower is not properly controlled, and the reflux rate is low
Is your tower pressure and condenser pressure lower? Are you taking samples from the low-pressure side? If the pressure in the condenser is higher than the pressure in the tower, then sampling from the side of the condenser will not yield any methanol. If, on the other hand, the pressure in the tower is higher than that in the condenser, then sampling from the condenser should reveal a higher amount of methanol. In such a case, water will not enter the tower either; the reason for this could be water coming from the upstream system
Check the analysis; there may be issues with it. In many cases, the moisture level is actually within acceptable limits, but the analysis results show deviations.
The packing in the atmospheric pressure tower is clogged, resulting in insufficient gas-liquid contact; moreover, the temperature control in the atmospheric pressure tower is set too high