Why do some distillation columns not have reflux?
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In the RT distillation column, the liquid at the top is sent directly to the product tank after condensation; however, there is no reflux tank or internal reflux system visible. It’s not clear whether this was omitted by mistake or because industrial distillation processes actually do not use reflux
This process is similar to stripping and is also known as concentration; it involves a situation where the content of light components is relatively low, so there is no need for reflux. That’s how crude oil stabilizers work.
As long as the product quality at the top of the tower meets the standards, it’s not necessary to carry out reflux in all cases
In solvent recovery, we use the feed as reflux, with the vapor at the top of the tower being directly condensed and collected. However, the consequence of this is that only the concentration at the bottom of the tower can be controlled; it’s more difficult to control the conditions at the top of the tower
In a single-tower sewage stripping tower with side lines, there is no reflux for the acidic gases at the top of the tower; however, the material fed into the tower needs to be concentrated. The sulfur-containing sewage tank is the largest reflux tank in this system, and the reflux liquid is the fractionated condensate from the side lines.
I checked; there’s nothing with internal backflow
What are the differences in terms of product quality and other aspects compared to ordinary towers with reflux? Is it simply because there are fewer components in the light fraction that there is no reflux? And in chemical processing, why is this acceptable? Isn’t there always a minimum reflux ratio?
I just took a look; the products at the top of the tower are the main ones, so the quantity should be significant
Everything is the same as I saw, except that there is no backflow