What are the manifestations of tower flooding and tower submersion in a distillation column?
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My view: During a tower surge, the temperature at the various side lines increases, while the top temperature and pressure decrease. (Although the cause of the tower surge is an excessive gas-phase load, since the downcomer is filled with liquid phase, gas phase cannot enter either; hence, it seems that both the top temperature and pressure decrease.) The liquid level at the bottom of the tower also drops. (But some forum members say that the top temperature and pressure increase, as well as the reflux temperature. Could everyone please explain this?) My view is that the manifestation of a flooded tower is a decrease in the withdrawal temperatures at various side lines, a decrease in the top temperature and pressure, and an increase in the liquid level at the bottom of the tower.
It seems that your view, which holds that both charging the tower and flooding it lead to an increase in the top temperature, is incorrect; moreover, you don’t have a thorough understanding of the structure of distillation column trays. . .
1. Causes and solutions for column flooding: Excessive steam injection, cold reflux carrying water, feedstock containing water, excessively high liquid level at the bottom of the distillation column, which floods the oil and gas inlet, too high temperature of the reaction oil and gas, interruption in the oil slurry circulation, excessive amount of side-stream distillate leading to a decrease in the internal reflux flow, overflow from the re-refining oil, resulting in full levels in vessels 202 and 203, blockage of the downcomer, tray failures, etc., failure of the overhead oil and gas cooler resulting in poor cooling efficiency, overly large opening at the oil return port, and too rapid discharge of the oil slurry
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In a packed tower, high gas linear velocity leads to severe foam entrainment, causing the fluid drawn from the upper part of the tower to become heavier. Tower flooding occurs when the liquid flow rate is too high, which leads to flooding, an increase in the pressure drop across the tower, and a reduction in the density of the medium at the lower part of the tower.