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Energy Saving in Crude Oil Atmospheric Distillation Columns by Modifying the Vapor Feed Inlet Tray
Author(s) -
Arjmand M.,
Moreno L.,
Liu L.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
chemical engineering and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-4125
pISSN - 0930-7516
DOI - 10.1002/ceat.201000277
Subject(s) - distillation , condenser (optics) , reboiler , tray , fractionating column , process engineering , drum , energy conservation , multiple effect distillation , tower , petroleum engineering , vacuum distillation , environmental science , waste management , engineering , mechanical engineering , chemistry , electrical engineering , chromatography , light source , physics , civil engineering , optics
Optimization of a typical crude oil atmospheric distillation unit and reduction of energy conservation were carried out through modifying the implementation and change in the flash zone of the tower. A conventional procedure in such units involves the combination of liquid and vapor product of the prefractionation train surge drum upon introduction to the tower. However, it is theoretically illustrated and represented by simulation means that introducing the vapor feed into the upper stages of the distillation column separately can lead to an energy saving of 12.6 % in the condenser duty, an increased liquid‐to‐gas flow (L/G) at certain points of the column, and hence to a reduction in diameter and investment costs of new tower designs of approximately US$ 0.7 million a –1 . The proposal can be put into practice without the need of additional equipments or additional cost of difficult rerouting the streams. An industrial case study of a steady‐state crude oil distillation unit is given by simulation provision of AspenHysys™.