Salt deposition in the distillation tower causing column flooding
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I heard from the experienced workers that salt formation at the top of the distillation tower can cause flooding of the tower. I don’t quite understand this: if the trays are blocked by crystallization, then the amount of gas exiting the tower should be reduced, so how can there still be a large volume of gas exiting along with liquid? Caused the tower to collapse? Please share your thoughts; extra points for that
The formation of salts will clog the trays, increasing pressure drop and reducing mass and heat transfer; this disruption of equilibrium can lead to flooding of the tower. Refluxed deoxygenated water can be used to remove these salts.
If salt accumulation on the trays causes them to become clogged, this reduces the pathways for gas to rise; meanwhile, salt accumulation in the downcomers and extraction ports hinders the flow of liquid, resulting in an increase in the thickness of the liquid layer on the trays. Therefore, whether the upward flow of gas is hindered or the downward flow of liquid is obstructed, it leads to an increase in the pressure drop within the tower, which in turn increases the linear velocity of the gas. This can result in mist entrainment in mild cases, while in severe cases it can cause flooding of the tower. If there are any mistakes in my personal understanding, please point them out.
Salt formation at the top of the tower disrupts the gas-liquid equilibrium inside it, leading to tower flooding.
Severe salt formation can cause a large amount of diesel components to end up in gasoline, resulting in an extremely high dry point for the gasoline