Distillation operation
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In certain sections of a plate distillation column, there are points on the plates where temperature or pressure is measured. The plates at which these points are located are generally referred to as sensitive plates. When the temperature at these sensitive plates changes, corresponding actions must be taken. Why can changes in these temperatures or pressures reflect changes in the composition of the material at the top and bottom of the column?
In normal distillation operations, the operating pressure at the top of the tower remains constant. The pressure gauges located on the trays are used to measure the pressure difference between the top of the tower and that particular tray; changes in this pressure difference generally indicate whether flooding has occurred inside the tower. The temperature of the sensitive plate can reflect changes in the composition of the product at the top or bottom of the tower; an increase in the temperature of the sensitive plate in the upper section indicates an increase in heavier components, which can be controlled by increasing reflux or reducing the amount of product taken from the top of the tower. A decrease in the temperature of the lower section sensor plate indicates that the light components have moved downward, allowing for an increase in the heating capacity at the bottom of the tower or a reduction in the feed rate.
I think it’s possible to predict potential abnormalities by observing the changes in the temperatures shown by those thermometers in between; this requires you to accumulate experience over time during the production process.
Study carefully the operation and parameter control of the distillation column you have set up, and draw your own conclusions. The bottom, top, and sensitivity plate temperatures of the distillation column are important parameters. I am guiding them patiently. I didn’t explain to you the impact of parameter changes on the system.
Actually, there are many theories on this. The control of pressure inside the tower affects the relative volatility of various components, while changes in temperature indirectly reflect the composition of the material; all these factors influence each other. It’s necessary to understand what a sensitivity plate is, as its properties can also change. One must thoroughly grasp these concepts during normal operations