Vacuum level issues in the vacuum distillation tower
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After being cooled by water, the vapor from the top of the vacuum distillation tower enters the reflux tank. Vacuum is created by opening the vapor valve at the top of this tank. Currently, there is a situation where the vacuum level in the reflux tank is about 10 kPa higher than that at the top of the tower. Could everyone help analyze the reason for this? Thank you! ! !
Bro, there is a pressure drop across the condenser at the top of the tower. When you create a vacuum by drawing air from the vapor line at the top of the reflux tank, the gas inside the tower has to pass through the condenser before it can reach the vacuum pump; hence, a certain pressure drop occurs. But if the difference is 10 kPa, then the pressure drop across the condenser is quite high. Check the diameter of the condenser tubes – it’s likely a bit too small
The diameter of the pipe before the condenser is 150, and it becomes 40 after condensation. There is also a tower condenser whose pipe diameter is 400 before condensation, and it becomes 50 after condensation
Would a pipe diameter ratio of 2:1 before and after be better? This should affect the heat exchange efficiency of the condenser, right?
The pipe diameter refers to the diameter of the tubes in the condenser
Water flows through the tube side, while the material flows through the shell side – is this also related to the diameter of the inlet and outlet pipes on the shell side?
1. ’The diameter of the gas-phase pipe in the vacuum tower is too small, 2. A balance line should be installed between the top of the condenser shell side and the top of the reflux tank
If the material flows through the shell side, it is related to the diameter of the inlet and outlet pipes on the shell side; however, whether baffle plates are present also matters, as their presence will increase the pressure drop as well
It's normal to encounter resistance; if something is affecting things, identify where the resistance lies and address it accordingly