Why is the pressure at the top of the catalytic cracking separation tower higher than the pressure at the bottom?
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Our unit experienced a parking period recently, and when it was restarted, there were significant fluctuations in the liquid level of the separation tower. The temperature at the bottom of the tower also fluctuated, as did the steam flow rate entering the reboiler. At times, the pressure at the top of the separation tower was higher than that at its bottom. Could anyone with expertise help me analyze the reasons for this?
Reply to 1# Lei Yunsheng: It is likely that the trays at the lower part of the distillation column have turned over, causing the liquid phase to flow down in streams. As a result, the gas phase at the bottom of the column is suddenly condensed, which leads to a higher pressure at the top than at the bottom and causes fluctuations in the liquid level； This is just an individual’s opinion and shouldn’t be taken seriously
Is it possible that the flow meter is inaccurate? Even if the pressure at the top of the tower is high, it won’t remain that way for very long
Reply to 2# linweihua6: Is your view supported by facts, or is it just a guess?
Reply to 4# zyj*aomao: Not bad; I have indeed encountered that situation before. The symptoms were the same as those described by the original poster (although at that time the components of the device could no longer be distinguished clearly). It was impossible to make the necessary adjustments, so I had to stop and disassemble it for inspection – during this process, 3 layers of plates inside the tower were flipped over
It could be due to a problem with the instruments, or phenomena such as short-term flooding, tower flooding, or tower freezing