DISTILLATION COLUMN BASICS

The liquid mixture that is to be processed is known as the feed and this is introduced usually somewhere
near the middle of the column to a tray known as the feed tray. The feed tray divides the column into a
top (enriching or rectification) section and a bottom (stripping) section. The feed flows down the column
where it is collected at the bottom in the re-boiler.
Heat is supplied to the re-boiler to generate vapour. The source of heat input can be any suitable fluid
although in most chemical plants this is normally steam. !n refineries the heating source may be the
output streams of other columns. The vapour raised in the re-boiler is re-introduced into the unit at the
bottom of the column. The liquid removed from the re-boiler is known as the bottoms product or simply
bottoms.
The vapour moves up the column and as it exits the top of the unit it is cooled by a condenser. The
condensed liquid is stored in a holding vessel known as the reflux drum. "ome of this liquid is recycled
back to the top of the column and this is called the reflux. The condensed liquid that is removed from the
system is known as the distillate or top product.
Thus there are internal flows of vapour and liquid within the column as well as external flows of feeds and
product streams into and out of the column.
CRUDE DISTILLATION SYSTEM
The crude needs to be heated up before entering the fractionation column and this is done at first in a series of heat exchangers where
heat is taken from other process streams which require cooling before being sent to rundown. Heat is also exchanged against
condensing streams from the main column. Typically, the crude will be heated up in this way upto a temperature of 200 - 20
0
!,
before entering a furnace.
"s the raw crude oil arri#ing contains quite a bit of water and salt, it is normally sent for salt remo#ing first, in a
piece of equipment called a desalter. $pstream the desalter, the crude is mixed with a water stream, typically
about % - &' on feed. (ntense mixing takes place o#er a mixing #al#e and )optionally* as static mixer. The
desalter, a large liquid full #essel, uses an electric field to separate the crude from the water droplets. (t operates
best at +20 - +,0
0
!, hence it is con#eniently placed somewhere in the middle of the preheat train.
The role of a platformer is to pa#e the way for this by a process which reforms the molecules in low octane naphtha to produce a high
octane gasoline component. This is achie#ed by employing a catalyst with platinum as its acti#e compound- hence the name
.latformer. /or many refinery catalyst applications, a promoter is used, and in the platforming process, it is a chloride promoter which
stimulates the 0acidity0 of the catalyst and thereby the isomerisation reactions. 1ften, a bimetallic catalyst is used, i.e. in addition to the
platinum, a second metal, for instance 2henium is present on the catalyst. The main ad#antage is a higher stability under reforming
conditions. The disad#antage is that the catalyst becomes more sensiti#e towards poisons, process upsets and more susceptible to non-
optimum regenerations
PLATFORMING PROCESS
The main reactions of platforming process are as follows3
4ehydrogenation of naphthenes, yielding aromatics and hydrogen
4ehydro-isomerisation of alkyl cyclopentanes to aromatic and hydrogen
(somerisation of paraffins and aromatics
4ehydrocyclisation of paraffins to aromatics and hydrogen
Hydrocracking of paraffins and naphthenes to ligher, saturated paraffins at the expense of hydrogen
FCC Units (Catalytic cracking
Hot feed, together with some steam, is introduced at the bottom of the riser #ia special distribution no55les. Here it meets a stream of
hot regenerated catalyst from the regenerator flowing down the inclined regenerator standpipe. The oil is heated and #aporised by the
hot catalyst and the cracking reactions commence. The #apour, initially formed by #aporisation and successi#ely by cracking, carries
the catalyst up the riser at +0-20 m6s in a dilute phase. "t the outlet of the riser the catalyst and hydrocarbons are quickly separated in
a special de#ice. The catalyst )now partly deacti#ated by deposited coke* and the #apour then enter the reactor. The #apour passes
o#erhead #ia cyclone separator for remo#al of entrained catalyst before it enters the fractionator and further downstream equipment
for product separation. The catalyst then descends into the stripper where entrained hydrocarbons are remo#ed by in7ection of steam,
before it flows #ia the inclined stripper standpipe into the fluidised catalyst bed in the regenerator.
"ir is supplied to the regenerator by an air blower and distributed throughout the catalyst bed. The coke deposited is burnt off and the
regenerated catalyst passes down the regenerator standpipe to the bottom of the riser, where it 7oins the fresh feed and the cycle
recommences.
The flue gas )the combustion products* lea#ing the regenerator catalyst bed entrains catalyst particles. (n particular, it entrains 8fines8,
a fine dust formed by mechanical rubbing of catalyst particles taking place in the catalyst bed. 9efore lea#ing the regenerator, the flue
gas therefore passes through cyclone separators where the bulk of this entrained catalyst is collected and returned to the catalyst bed.
The /!! $nit can be a real margin impro#er for many refineries. (t is able to con#ert the residues into high #alue products like :.;,
9utylene, .ropylene and <ogas together with ;asoil. The /!! is also a start for chemical production )poly propylene*. <any /!!0s
ha#e 2 modes3 a <ogas mode and a ;asoil mode and /!!0s can be adapted to cater for the 2 modes depending on fa#ourabale
economic conditions. The only disad#antage of an /!! is that the products produced need to be treated )sulfur remo#al* to be on
specification. =ormally 2esidue /!!s act together with 2esidue Hydrocon#ersion .rocesses and Hydrocrackers in order to minimise
the product quality gi#e away and get a yield pattern that better matches the market specifications. >ia product blending, expensi#e
treating steps can be a#oided and the units prepare excellent feedstock for eachother3 desulfurised residue or hydrowax is excellent
/!! feed, while the /!! cycle oils are excellent Hydrocracker feed.