I’m facing problems with the insulation of the distillation tower; seeking help
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Our department manager didn’t allow insulation to be applied to all the auxiliary pipelines of the distillation tower; only the hot materials were to be insulated, while the vapor condenser and reflux pipes at the top of the tower had no insulation. For the feed buffer tank, it is also necessary to consider whether the material comes from the bottom of the tower; if so, insulation is required ； Insulation is not required just because it is taken out from the bottom of the tower. Shouldn’t all distillation towers be insulated? . Also, our heat transfer oil system has a cooler that uses circulating water to lower the temperature, but it doesn’t cool down to room temperature. Does such a heat exchanger require insulation? I’ve just started working with insulation, and there’s still a lot I don’t understand.
First of all, it needs to be made clear that you only mentioned the distillation tower. Distillation towers are used on a very wide scale. I work in the field of air separation using cryogenic methods; the distillation towers and some of the associated equipment I use are all placed inside a large container, with expanded perlite added to provide insulation. In addition, there are those designed for outdoor use, which only have simple glass wool insulation. So, if your question relates to design, you should consider the requirements of the production medium when deciding whether insulation is necessary. First of all, bringing up your department’s leader without considering the facts is not an approach that shows respect for science when it comes to discussing and resolving issues. This attitude is not advisable. (My personal opinion, for reference only) Oh, if ordinary people don’t understand this issue, it’s best to ask their supervisor why that is the correct answer. If an explanation is sought here, it is best to provide relevant details such as the associated processes, as well as the physicochemical parameters of the materials used in production, in order to receive effective assistance. With all due respect.
Your supervisor might have considered energy loss and failed to follow the regulations strictly. The areas he pointed out do not require insulation from the perspective of energy loss, but from the standpoint of safety regulations (to prevent burns), it is necessary to comply with GB50264
The function of cold reflux is to cool down; then why use insulation for the package? There is also no fear of heat loss. Plate heat exchangers generally do not require insulation either.
The so-called distillation tower by the board owner should be of the standard type； It starts with whether it is necessary or not: Gaseous substance discharged from the top of the tower → cooled in a heat exchanger → stored in a buffer tank ； The buffer tank is operated based on liquid level: too much liquid is discharged when the level is too high, and too little when it is too low; most of the liquid flows back to the distillation tower. In order to keep the temperature at the top of the distillation tower low, it is desired that the reflux occur in a relatively cold manner, so insulation is not used. PS: In addition to operational considerations, it is also necessary to take into account the risk of personnel getting burned; the above suggestions are provided for reference only
From a safety perspective, insulation is required for things like heat transfer oil