What are the symptoms of tray flooding at the bottom of a distillation column?
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The distillation column is configured such that feeding takes place at the lower trays of the column after heating in the distillation furnace; there are top reflux, first intermediate reflux, and second intermediate reflux. The products are obtained from the top, bottom, and middle sections of the column. If the product from the middle section is drawn off below a certain number of trays, what effects will this have on the entire column? For example, what changes will occur in terms of temperature distribution and differential pressure? Changes in product quality at the bottom and middle sections?
Many trays are overturned, resulting in reduced heat and mass exchange; the temperature and pressure at the top of the tower increase, the pressure drop across the tower decreases, and the temperature gradient diminishes. The light components in the bottom and middle products increase, while the heavy components in the top product increase.
The overall pressure drop of the tower decreases, resulting in a poorer distillation effect.
The yield of intermediate products is low; as the amount of intermediate products in the bottom stream of the tower increases, the initial boiling point decreases, while the yield of the material at the bottom of the tower increases.