Regeneration tower
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The regeneration tower here has been experiencing frequent flushing episodes in recent days. The reason is that replacing the filter on the reflux pump initially resulted in no reflux; after about half an hour, frequent flushing began. The pressure in the tower reached 0.2 MPa, while the temperature was 130 degrees. Additionally, the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the reboiler was only three degrees. When attempts were made to relieve pressure, flooding occurred, which led to further flushing. Much less steam is being used now compared to before. What should be done? I hope everyone can pay attention to this issue
Check the properties of the solvent. Also, pay attention to the possibility of the presence of hydrocarbons or ammonia, as these should be avoided.
Check whether there is a possibility of salt buildup and blockage in the tower top water cooler
The problem has been resolved, but the cause has not yet been identified. What’s unknown is that there is an abnormal temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the reboiler – a difference of two degrees – and there are no leaks in the reboiler either
Check whether the amine solution is clean and free of foaming, whether there are any abnormal fluctuations in the steam at the bottom of the tower, whether there is salt deposition in the piping equipment at the top of the tower, whether the pressure difference is within normal limits, and whether the reflux flow rate at the top of the tower is normal.
None of these are problematic; the abnormality is the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the reboiler, which is two degrees higher than before
I have encountered similar situations: due to various reasons such as blockages or scaling, the reboiler receives insufficient feed, which reduces heat absorption. With the same amount of steam used, this leads to an increased temperature difference between the inlet and outlet. Reducing steam also affects the regeneration effect. Since we haven’t stopped the vehicle yet, we don’t know what’s wrong with the equipment’s internal components. As long as your situation does not affect the regeneration process, just make sure the temperature does not exceed the limit.
We have encountered similar tower-impacting incidents before; let’s check the condition of the reboiler during maintenance
I’d like to ask how to handle this properly? I think frequent tower surging might be due to solvent foaming; the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of our reboiler is always around 2 degrees, so a difference of 3 degrees in your case should not be a big problem.
During operation, after cleaning the tower, it was found that the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the reboiler had decreased; thereafter, the temperature could be increased normally. Our regeneration tower’s reboiler does not have a reboiler coil, so there are two possible explanations: either no vapor resistance exists in the reboiler, or there is excessive scaling inside it. Cleaning the tower helped to dislodge the scale, but it’s definitely related to the reboiler. Under normal operating conditions, the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the reboiler is only 0.5 degrees