Appendix 2.

Descriptions of Example Process Flowsheets

These examples ask for the construction of flowsheets from the vacuum gas oil (HVGO) is charged to the top plate of zone 2,
given process descriptions. Necessary auxiliaries such as drums and removed at the bottom tray and charged to furnace no. 2 that
pumps are to be included even when they are not mentioned. operates at 500 psig and 925°F.
Essential control instrumentation also is to be provided. Chapter 3 Effluents from both furnaces are combined and enter the
has examples. The processes are as follows: soaker; this is a large vertical drum designed to provide additional
residence time for conversion under adiabatic conditions. Effluent
1. visbreaker operation, at 500psig and 915°F enters the bottom zone of the main frac-
2. cracking of gas oil, tionator.
3. olefin production from naptha and gas oil, Bottoms from zone 1 goes to a stripping column (5psig).
4. propylene oxide synthesis, Overhead from that tower is condensed, returned partly as reflux
5. phenol by the chlorobenzene process, and partly to zone 3 after being cooled in the first condenser of the
6. manufacture of butadiene sulfone, stripping column. This condensing train consists of the preheater for
7. detergent manufacture, the stream being returned to the main fractionator and an air
8. natural gas absorption, cooler. The cracked residuum from the bottom of the stripper is
9. tall oil distillation, cooled to 170°F in a steam generator and an air cooler in series.
10. recovery of isoprene, Live steam is introduced below the bottom tray for stripping.
11. vacuum distillation, All of the oil from the bottom of zone 3 (at 70O0F), other than
12. air separation. the portion that serves as feed to furnace no. 1, is withdrawn
through a cooler (500°F) and pumped partly to the top tray of zone
1. VISBREAKER OPERATION 2 and partly as spray quench to zone 1. Some of the bottoms of
zone 1 likewise is pumped through a filter and an exchanger and to
Visbreaking is a mild thermal pyrolysis of heavy petroleum fractions the same spray nozzle.
whose object is to reduce fuel production in a refinery and to make Part of the liquid from the bottom tray of zone 4 (at 590°F) is
some gasoline. pumped to a hydrogenation unit beyond the battery limits. Some
The oil of 7.2API and 700°F is supplied from beyond the light material is returned at 400°F from the hydrogenation unit to
battery limits to a surge drum F-1. From there it is pumped with the middle of zone 4, together with some steam.
J-lA&B to parallel furnaces B-lA&B from which it comes out at Overhead from the top of the column (zone 4) goes to a partial
890°F and 200 psig. Each of the split streams enters at the bottom of condenser at 400°F. Part of the condensate is returned to the top
its own evaporator T-lA&B that has five trays. Overheads from the tray as reflux; the rest of it is product naphtha and proceeds beyond
evaporators combine and enter at the bottom of a 30-tray the battery limits. The uncondensed gas also goes beyond the
fractionator T-2. A portion of the bottoms from the fractionator is battery limits. Condensed water is sewered.
fed to the top trays of T-lA&B; the remainder goes through
exchanger E-5 and is pumped with J-2A&B back to the furnaces 3. OLEFIN PRODUCTION
B-1A&B. The bottoms of the evaporators are pumped with
J4A&B through exchangers E-5, E-3A (on crude), and E-3B (on A gaseous product rich in ethylene and propylene is made by
cooling water) before proceeding to storage as the fuel product. pyrolysis of crude oil fractions according to the following
A side stream is withdrawn at the tenth tray from the top of description. Construct a flowsheet for the process. Use standard
T-2 and proceeds to steam stripper T-3 equipped with five trays. symbols for equipment and operating conditions. Space the symbols
Steam is fed below the bottom tray. The combined steam and oil and proportion them in such a way that the sketch will have a
vapors return to T-2 at the eighth tray. Stripper bottoms are pleasing appearance.
pumped with 5-6 through E-2A (on crude) and E-2B (on cooling Crude oil is pumped from storage through a steam heated
water) and to storage as “heavy gasoline.” exchanger and into an electric desalter. Dilute caustic is injected
Overhead of the fractionator T-2 is partially condensed in E-1A into the line just before the desalting drum. The aqueous phase
(on crude) and E-1B (on cooling water). A gas product is collects at the bottom of this vessel and is drained away to the
withdrawn overhead of the reflux drum which operates at 15psig. sewer. The oil leaves the desalter at 190”F, and goes through heat
The “light gasoline” is pumped with J-5 to storage and as reflux. exchanger E-2 and into a furnace coil. From the furnace, which it
Oil feed is 122,48Opph, gas is 3370, light gasoline is 5470, leaves at 600”F, the oil proceeds to a distillation tower.
heavy gasoline is 9940, and fuel oil is 103,700 pph. After serving to preheat the feed in exchanger E-2, the bottoms
Include suitable control equipment for the main fractionator proceeds to storage; no bottoms pump is necessary because the
T-2. tower operates with 65psig at the top. A gas oil is taken off as a
sidestream some distance above the feed plate, and naphtha is
2. CRACKING OF GAS OIL taken off overhead. Part of the overhead is returned as reflux to the
tower, and the remainder proceeds to a cracking furnace. The gas
A gas oil cracking plant consists of two cracking furnaces, a soaker, oil also is charged to the same cracking furnace but into a separate
a main fractionator, and auxiliary strippers, exchangers, pumps, and coil. Superheated steam at 800°F is injected into both cracking coils
drums. The main fractionator (150 psig) consists of four zones, the at their inlets.
bottom zone being no. 1 . Effluents from the naphtha and gas oil cracking coils are at
A light vacuum gas oil (LVGO) is charged to the top plate of 1300°F and 1200”F,respectively. They are combined in the line just
zone 3, removed from the bottom tray of this zone and pumped to before discharge into a quench tower that operates at 5psig and
furnace no. 1 that operates at 1OOOpsig and 1OOO”F. A heavy 235°F at the top. Water is sprayed into the top of this tower. The

33
34 APPENDIX 2.1
bottoms is pumped to storage. The overhead is cooled in a water oxide and other organic materials go overhead; the bottoms contain
exchanger and proceeds to a separating drum. Condensed water unreacted lime, water, and some other reaction products, all of
and an aromatic oil separate out there. The water is sewered which can be dumped. Operating pressure is substantially
whereas the oil is sent to another part of the plant for further atmospheric. Bubblepoint of the overhead is 60°F.
treating. Separation of the oxide and the organic byproducts is ac-
The uncondensed gas from the separator is compressed to complished by distillation in two towers. Feed from the saponifier
300psig in a reciprocating unit of three stages and then cooled to contains oxide, aldehyde, dichloride, and water. In the first tower,
100°F. Condensed water and more aromatic distillate separate out. oxide and aldehyde go overhead together with only small amounts
Then the gas is dried in a system of two desiccant-filled vessels that of the other substances; the dichloride and water go to the bottom
are used alternately for drying and regeneration. and also contain small amounts of contaminants. Two phases will
Subsequently the gas is precooled in exchanger E-6 and form in the lower section of this tower; this is taken off as a partial
charged to a low temperature fractionator. This tower has a reboiler side stream and separated into a dichloride phase which is sent to
and a top refluxing system. At the top the conditions are 28Opsig storage and a water phase which is sent to the saponifier as recycle
and -75°F. Freon refrigerant at -90°F is used in the condenser. near the top of that vessel. The bottoms are a waste product. Tower
The bottoms is recycled to the pyrolysis coil. The uncondensed pressure is 20psig. Live steam provides heat at the bottom of this
vapor leaving the reflux accumulator constitutes the product of this column.
plant. It is used to precool the feed to the fractionator in E-6 and Overhead from the first fractionator is condensed and charged
then leaves this part of the plant for further purification. to the second tower. There substantially pure propylene oxide is
taken overhead. The bottoms is dumped. Tower pressure is 15 psig,
and the overhead bubblepoint is 100°F. Reactions are
4. PROPYLENE OXIDE SYNTHESIS

Draw a process flowsheet for the manufacture of propylene oxide

according to the following description.
Propylene oxide in the amount of 5000 tons/yr will be made by C3H, + Cl,
+ -
C1, + H20- ClOH + HCl
C3H, + C1, H,O C3H,C10H + HCl 2qH6C10H + Ca(OH),
+ C3H6Cl, 2C3&0 + CaCl, + 2H,O
--f

the chlorohydrin process. The basic feed material is a hydrocarbon C3H6C10H + C,H,CHO + HCl
mixture containing 90% propylene and the balance propane which
does not react. This material is diluted with spent gas from the
process to provide a net feed to chlorination which contains
4011101 % propylene. Chlorine gas contains 3% each of air and
carbon dioxide as contaminants.
Chlorination is accomplished in a packed tower in which the
hydrocarbon steam is contacted with a saturated aqueous solution
of chlorine. The chlorine solution is made in another packed tower.
Because of the limited solubility of chlorine, chlorohydrin solution
from the chlorinator is recirculated through the solution tower at a
rate high enough to supplement the fresh water needed for the
a. Construct a flowsheet of the process, with operating conditions
process. Solubility of chlorine in the chlorohydrin solution is
and the two control instruments mentioned.
approximately the same as in fresh water.
Concentration of the effluent from the chlorinator is 81b
b. Prepare a material balance showing the compositions of the
process streams in the portion of the plant before the brine
organics/100 lb of water. The organics have the composition
decanter V-103. The amount of phenol in this stream is
2000 lb/hr. Excess caustic (5%) is fed to the emulsifier.
Propylene chlorohydrin 75 mol %
Propylene dichloride 19
Propionaldehyde 6 Process description: The principal reactions in the plant are

+
C6H,Cl 2NaOH+ C,H,ONa + NaCl + H,O
Operating pressure of the chlorinator is 30psig, and the
temperature is 125°F. Water and the fresh gas stream are at 80°F.
Heat of reaction is 2000 Btu/lb chlorine reacted. Percentage
C,H,ONa + HCl +C6HsOH + NaCl I 2C,H,OH
+ (C,H,),O + H,O
conversion of total propylene fed to the chlorinator is 95% From storage, monochlorbenzene and 10% caustic are pumped
(including the recycled material). together with diphenyl ether from decanter V-102 into emulsifier
Overhead from the chlorinator is scrubbed to remove excess V-101 which is provided with intense agitation. The effluent from
chlorine in two vessels in succession which employ water and 5% that vessel is pumped with a high pressure steam driven
caustic solution, respectively. The water from the first scrubber is reciprocating pump P-103 at 4000 psig through a feed-effluent
used in the chlorine solution tower. The caustic is recirculated in exchanger E-101 and through the tube side of a direct fired heater
order to provide adequate wetting of the packing in the caustic R-101. Here the stream is heated to 700°F and reaction 1 occurs.
scrubber; fresh material is charged in at the same rate as spent From the reactor, the effluent is cooled in E-101, cooled further
material is purged. Following the second scrubber, propylene to 110°F in water cooler E-102, and then enters diphenyl ether
dichloride is recovered from the gas by chilling it. The spent gas is decanter V-102. The lighter DPE phase is returned with pump
recycled to the chlorinator in the required amount, and the excess is P-104 to the emulsifier. The other phase is pumped with P-105 to
flared. another stirred vessel R-102 called a Springer to which 5% HCl also
Chlorohydrin solution is pumped from the chlorinator to the is pumped, with P-106; here reaction 2 occurs.
saponifier. It is mixed in the feed line with a 10% lime slurry and The mixture of two liquid phases is cooled in water cooler
preheated by injection of live 25psig steam to a temperature of E-103 and then separated in brine decanter V-103. From that vessel
200°F. Stripping steam is injected at the bottom of the saponifier, the lighter phenol phase proceeds (P-108) to a basket type
which has six perforated trays without downcomers. Propylene evaporator D-101 that is heated with steam. Overhead vapor from
 7. DETERGENT MANUFACTURE 35
the evaporator proceeds beyond the battery limit for further mixture is pumped during the course of the reaction through an
purification. Evaporator bottoms proceeds to waste disposal. The external heat exchanger (entering at -10°F and leaving at -15°F)
aqueous phase from decanter V-103 is pumped with P-109 through a which is cooled with ammonia refrigerant (at -25°F) from an
feed-bottoms exchanger E-104 to the top tray of the brine tower absorption refrigeration system (this may be represented by a block
D-102. The overhead is condensed in E-105, collected in on the FS); the exchanger is of the kettle type. HCI gas is injected
accumulator V-104 and pumped beyond the battery limits for into the recirculating stream just beyond the exit from the heat
recovery of the phenol. Tower D-102 is provided with a steam exchanger; it is supplied from a cylinder mounted in a weigh scale.
heated reboiler E-106. Bottom product is a weak brine that is The aluminum chloride forms an alkylation complex with the
pumped with P-110 through the feed-bottoms exchanger and toluene. When the reaction is complete, this complex is pumped
beyond the battery limits for recovery of the salt. away from the reactor into a storage tank with a complex transfer
Two important control instruments are to be shown on the pump. To a certain extent, this complex is reused; it is injected with
flowsheet. These are a back pressure controller in the reactor its pump into the reactor recirculation line before the suction to the
effluent line beyond exchanger E-101 and a pH controller on the recirculation pump. There is a steam heater in the complex line,
feed line of the 5%HCI that is fed to springer R-102. The p H between the reactor and the complex pump.
instrument maintains proper conditions in the springer. The reaction mixture is pumped away from the reactor with an
Note: There is a tendency to byproduct diphenyl ether alkymer transfer pump, through a steam heater and an orifice mixer
formation in reactor R-101. However, a recycle of 100 pph of DPE into the alkymer wash and surge tank. Dilute caustic solution is
in the feed to the reactor prevents any further formation of this recirculated from the a.w.s. tank through the orifice mixer. Makeup
substance. of caustic is from a dilute caustic storage tank. Spent caustic is
intermittently drained off to the sewer. The a.w.s. tank has an
6. MANUFACTURE OF BUTADIENE SULFONE internal weir. The caustic solution settles and is removed at the left
of the weir; the alkymer overtlows the weir and is stored in the
A plant is to manufacture butadiene sulfone at the rate of right-hand portion of the tank until amount sufficient for charging
1250 lb/hr from liquid sulfur dioxide and butadiene to be recovered the still has accumulated.
from a crude C, mixture as starting materials. Construct a flowsheet
for the process according to the following description. DISTILLATlON
The crude C, mixture is charged to a 70 tray extractive
distillation column T-1 that employs acetonitrile as solvent. Trays Separation of the reactor product is effected in a template batch
are numbered from the bottom. Feed enters on tray 20, solvent distillation column equipped with a water-cooled condenser and a
enters on tray 60, and reflux is returned to the top tray. Net Dowtherm-heated (650”F, 53 psig) still. During a portion of the
overhead product goes beyond the battery limits. Butadiene distillation cycle, operation is under vacuum, which is produced by
dissolved in acetonitrile leaves at the bottom. This stream is a two-stage steam jet ejector equipped with barometric condensers.
pumped to a 25-tray solvent recovery column T-2 which it enters on The Dowtherm heating system may be represented by a block.
tray 20. Butadiene is recovered overhead as liquid and proceeds to Product receiver drums are supplied individually for a slop cut, for
the BDS reactor. Acetonitrile is the bottom product which is cooled toluene, light alkymer, heart alkymer, and a heavy alkymer
to 100°F and returned to T-1. Both columns have the usual distillate. Tar is drained from the still at the end of the operation
condensing and reboiling provisions. through a water cooler into a bottoms receiver drum which is
Butadiene from the recovery plant, liquid sulfur dioxide from supplied with a steam coil. From this receiver, the tar is loaded at
storage, and a recycle stream (also liquified) are pumped through a intervals into 50 gal drums, which are trucked away. In addition to
preheater to a high temperature reactor R-1 which is of the drums which serve to receive the distillation products during the
shell-and-tube construction with cooling water on the shell side. operation of the column, storage tanks are provided for all except
Operating conditions are 100°C and 300psig. The combined feed the slop cut which is returned to the still by means of the still feed
contains equimolal proportions of the reactants, and 80% pump; this pump transfers the mixture from the alkymer wash and
conversion is attained in this vessel. The effluent is cooled to 70”C, surge tank into the still. The recycle toluene is not stored with the
then enters a low temperature reactor R-2 (maintained at 70°C and fresh toluene but has its own storage tank. The heavy alkymer
50 psig with cooling water) where the conversion becomes 92%. distillate tank connects to the olefinic stock feed pump and is
The effluent is flashed at 70°C and atmospheric pressure in D-1. recycled to the reactor.
Vapor product is compressed, condensed and recycled to the
reactor R-1. The liquid is pumped to a storage tank where 24 hr SULFONATION
holdup at 70°C is provided to ensure chemical equilibrium between
Heart alkymer from storage and 100% sulfuric acid from the
sulfur dioxide, butadiene, and butadiene sulfone. Cooling water is sulfuric acid system (which can be represented by a block) are
available at 32°C.
pumped by the reactor feed pump through the sulfonation reactor.
The feed pump is a positive displacement proportioning device with
7. DETERGENT MANUFACTURE a single driver but with separate heads for the two fluids. The
The process of making synthetic detergents consists of several reactor is operated continuously; it has a single shell with three
operations that will be described consecutively. stages which are partially separated from each other with horizontal
doughnut shaped plates. Each zone is agitated with its individual
ALKYLATION impeller; all three impellers are mounted on a single shaft. On
leaving the reactor, the sulfonation mixture goes by gravity through
Toluene and olefinic stock from storage are pumped (at 80°F) a water cooler (leaving at 130°F) into a centrifuge. Spent acid from
separately through individual driers and filters into the alkylation the centrifuge goes to storage (in the sulfuric acid system block); the
reactor. The streams combine just before they enter the reactor. sulfonic acids go to a small surge drum or can bypass this drum and
The reactor is batch operated 4 hr/cycle; it is equipped with a single go directly to a large surge tank which is equipped with an agitator
impeller agitator and a feed hopper for solid aluminum chloride and a steam jacket. From the surge drum, the material is sent by an
which is charged manually from small drums. The alkylation extraction feed pump through a water cooler, then a “flomix,” then
36 APPENDIX 2.1

another water cooler, then another “flomix” (leaving at 150”F), and ethane as an impurity. It is throttled to 50 psig and recycled to the
then through a centrifuge and into the sulfonic acid surge tank. reactor. In two subsequent towers, ethylene is separated from light
Fresh water is also fed to each of the “flomixers.” Wash acid is and heavy impurities. Those separations may be taken as complete.
rejected by the centrifuge and is sent to the sulfuric acid system. Construct a flow diagram of this plant. Show such auxiliary
The “flomix” is a small vertical vessel which has two compartments equipment as drums, heat exchangers, pumps, and compressors.
and an agitator with a separate impeller for each compartment. Show operating conditions and flow quantities where calculable with
the given data.
NEUTRALIZATION
9. TALL OIL DISTILLATION
Neutralization of the sulfonic acid and building up with sodium
sulfate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP) is accomplished in Tall oil is a byproduct obtained from the manufacture of paper pulp
two batch reactors (5 hr cycle) operated alternately. The sodium from pine trees. It is separated by vacuum distillation (50 mm Hg)
sulfate is pumped in solution with its transfer pump from the in the presence of steam into four primary products. In the order of
sodium sulfate system (which can be represented by a block). The decreasing volatility these are unsaponifiables (US), fatty acid (FA),
TSPP is supplied as a solid and is fed by means of a Redler rosin acids (RA), and pitch (P). Heat exchangers and reboilers are
conveyor which discharges into a weigh hopper running on a track heated with Dowtherm condensing vapors. Some coolers operate
above the two reactors. Each reactor is agitated with a propeller with water and others generate steam. Live steam is charged to the
and a turbine blade in a single shaft. inlet of every reboiler along with the process material. Trays are
Sodium hydroxide of 50% and 1% concentrations is used for numbered from the bottom of each tower.
neutralization. The 50% solution discharges by gravity into the Tall oil is pumped from storage through a preheater onto tray
reactor; the 1% solution is injected gradually into the suction side 10 of the pitch stripper T-1. Liquid is withdrawn from tray 7 and
of the reactor slurry circulating pump. As the caustic is added to the pumped through a reboiler where partial vaporization occurs in the
reactor, the contents are recirculated through a water-cooled presence of steam. The bottom 6 trays are smaller in diameter and
external heat exchanger (exit at 160”F), which is common to both serve as stripping trays. Steam is fed below tray 1. Pitch is pumped
reactors. When the reaction is completed in one vessel, the product from the bottom through steam generator and to storage. Overhead
is fed gradually by means of a slurry transfer pump to two double vapors are condensed in two units E-1 and E-2. From the
drum dryers which are steam-heated and are supplied with accumulator, condensate is pumped partly as reflux to tray 15 and
individual vapor hoods. The dry material is carried away from the partly through condenser E-1 where it is preheated on its way as
dryers on a belt conveyor and is taken to a flaker equipped with an feed to the next tower T-2. Steam is not condensed in E-2. It flows
air classifier. The fines are returned to the trough between the dryer from the accumulator to a barometric condenser that is connected
drums. From the classifier, the material is taken with another belt to a steam jet ejector.
conveyor to four storage bins. These storage bins in turn discharge Feed enters T-2 at tray 5. There is a pump-through reboiler.
onto a belt feeder which discharges into drums which are weighed Another pump withdraws material from the bottom and sends it to
automatically on a live portion of a roller conveyor. The roller tower T-3. Liquid is pumped from tray 18 through a cooler and
conveyor takes the drums to storage and shipping. returned in part to the top tray 20 for temperature and reflux
Notes: All water cooled exchangers operate with water in at control. A portion of this pumparound is withdrawn after cooling as
75°F and out at 100°F. All pumps are centrifugal except the complex unsaps product. Steam leaves the top of the tower and is condensed
transfer, and the sulfonation reactor feed, which are both piston in the barometric.
type; the neutralization reactor recirculation pump and the transfer Tray 5 of T-3 is the feed position. This tower has two reboilers.
pumps are gear pumps. One of them is a pumparound from the bottom, and the other is
Show all storage tanks mentioned in the text. gravity feed from the bottom tray. Another pump withdraws
material from the bottom, and then sends it through a steam
8. NATURAL GAS ABSORPTION generator and to storage as rosin acid product. A slop cut is
withdrawn from tray 20 and pumped through a cooler to storage.
A gas mixture has the composition by volume: Fatty acid product is pumped from tray 40 through a cooler to
storage. Another stream is pumped around from tray 48 to the top
Component N* CH, C2b C3H8 tray 50 through a cooler. A portion of the cooled pumparound is
Mol fraction 0.05 0.65 0.20 0.10
sent to storage as another unsaps product. A portion of the
overhead steam proceeds to the barometric condenser. The rest of
It is fed to an absorber where 75% of the propane is recovered. The
it is boosted in pressure with high pressure steam in a jet
total amount absorbed is 50mol/hr. The absorber has four
compressor. The boosted steam is fed to the inlets of the two
theoretical plates and operates at 135psig and 100°F. All of the
reboilers associated with T-3 and also directly into the column
absorbed material is recovered in a steam stripper that has a large
below the bottom tray.
number of plates and operates at 25 psig and 230°F.
The vapors leaving the primary barometric condenser proceed
Water is condensed out of the stripped gas at 100°F. After
to a steam ejector that is followed by another barometric. Pressures
compression to 50 psig, that gas is combined with a recycle stream.
at the tops of the towers are maintained at 50mmHg absolute.
The mixture is diluted with an equal volume of steam and charged
Pressure drop is 2 m m H g per tray. Bottom temperatures of the
to a reactor where pyrolysis of the propane occurs at a temperature
three towers are 450, 500, and 540”F, respectively. Tower overhead
of 1300°F. For present purposes the reaction may be assumed to be
temperatures are 200°F. Pitch and rosin go to storage at 350°F and
simply G H s + GH, + CH, with a specific rate k = 0.28/sec.
the other products at 125°F. The steam generated in the pitch and
Conversion of propane is 60%. Pressure drop in the reactor is
rosin coolers is at 20 psig. Process steam is at 150 psig.
20 psi.
Reactor effluent is cooled to remove the steam, compressed to 10. RECOVERY OF ISOPRENE
285 psig, passed through an activated alumina drying system to
remove further amounts of water, and then fed to the first Draw carefully a flowsheet for the recovery of isoprene from a
fractionator. In that vessel, 95% of the unconverted propane is mixture of C, hydrocarbons by extractive distillation with aqueous
recovered as a bottoms product. This stream also contains 3% acetonitrile according to the following description.
 12. AIR SEPARATION 37
A hydrocarbon stream containing 60 mol % isoprene is charged generator and a water cooled exchanger E-3 beyond the battery
at the rate of 1 0 , W p p h to the main fractionator D-1 at tray 40 limits. A side stream is taken off tray 6, pumped with J-2 through
from the top. The solvent is acetonitrile with 10 wt % water; it is E-1, and returned onto tray 3 of the tower. Another stream is
charged at the rate of 70,000pph on tray 11 of D-1. This column has removed from tray 2 with pump 5-4 and cooled in water exchanger
a total of 70 trays, operates at 1Opsig and 100°F at the top and E-2; part of this stream is returned to tray 1, and the rest of it leaves
about 220°F at the bottom. It has the usual provisions for reboiling the plant as product gas oil.
and top reflux. Uncondensed vapors are removed at the top of the column
The extract is pumped from the bottom of D-1 to a stripper with a one-stage steam jet ejector equipped with a barometric
D-2 with 35 trays. The stripped solvent is cooled with water and condenser.
returned to D-1. An isoprene-acetonitrile azeotrope goes Show the principal controls required to make this plant operate
overhead, condenses, and is partly returned as top tray reflux. The automatically.
net overhead proceeds to an extract wash column D-3 with 20 trays
where the solvent is recovered by countercurrent washing with 12. AIR SEPARATION
water. The overhead from D-3 is the finished product isoprene. The
bottoms is combined with the bottoms from the raffinate wash Make a flowsheet of an air purification and separation plant that
column D-4 (20 trays) and sent to the solvent recovery column D-5 operates according to the following description.
with 15 trays. Atmospheric air at the rate of 6.1 million SCFD is compressed
Overhead from D-1 is called the raffinate. It is washed to 160 psig in a two-stage compressor JJ-1 that is provided with an
countercurrently with water in D-4 for the recovery of the solvent, intercooler and a knockout drum. Then it proceeds to a packed
and then proceeds beyond the battery limits for further conversion tower T-1 where it is scrubbed with recirculating caustic soda
to isoprene. Both wash columns operate at substantially solution. Overhead from T-1 is cooled to 14°F in a refrigerated
atmospheric pressure and 100°F. The product streams are delivered exchanger. After removal of the condensate, this stream proceeds
to the battery limits at 100 psig. to a dryer system that consists principally of two vessels F-1 and F-2
Solvent recovery column D-5 is operated at 50mmHg packed with solid desiccant.
absolute, so as to avoid the formation of an azeotrope overhead. After being precooled with product oxygen in exchanger E-1
The required overhead condensing temperature of about 55°F is and with product nitrogen in E-2, the air serves as the heating
provided with a propane compression refrigeration system; suction medium in reboiler E-3 of column T-2. Its pressure then is reduced
condition is 40°F and 80psig, and discharge condition is 200psig. to 10Opsig, and it is fed to the middle of column T-2. Bottoms of
Vacuum is maintained on the reflux accumulator with a two-stage T-2 is fed to the middle of column T-3. This stream contains 40%
steam ejector, with a surface interstage condenser and a direct oxygen.
water spray after-condenser. The stripped bottoms of D-5 is cooled Columns T-3 and T-4 operate at 15 and 30psig, respectively.
to 100°F and returned to the wash columns. Some water makeup is Column T-3 is located above T-4. Elevations and pressure
necessary because of leakages and losses to process streams. The differentials are maintained in such a way that no liquid pumps are
solvent recovered overhead in D-5 is returned to the main column needed in the distillation section of the plant.
D-1. Solvent makeup of about 20 pph is needed because of losses in Part of the overhead from T-2 (containing 96% nitrogen) is
the system. condensed in E-4 which is the reboiler for column T-3, and the
Steam is adequate for all reboiling needs in this plant. remainder is condensed in E-5 which is the reboiler for T-4. Part of
the condensate from E-4 is returned as reflux to T-2 and the rest of
11. VACUUM DISTILLATION the condensates from E-4 and E-5 serve as top reflux to T-3.
Overhead from T-3 contains 99.5% nitrogen. After precooling the
This plant is for the distillation of a heavy petroleum oil. The feed in E-2, this nitrogen proceeds to the battery limits.
principal equipment is a vacuum tower with 12 trays. The top tray is Bottoms of T-3 proceeds to the top of stripper T-4. Vapor
numbered 1. Trays 1, 2, 10, 11, and 12 are one-half the diameter of overhead from T-4 is recycled to the middle of T-3. The bottoms
the other trays. The tower operates at 50 mm Hg. product (containing 99.5% oxygen) is sent partly to liquid storage
Oil is charged with pump J-1 through an exchanger E-1, and the remainder to precooler E-1 where it is vaporized. Then it is
through a fired heater from which it proceeds at 800°F onto tray 10 compressed to 150psig in a two-stage compressor JJ-2 and sent to
of the tower. Live steam is fed below the bottom tray. the battery limits. Compressor JJ-2 has inter- and aftercoolers and
Bottoms product is removed with pump 5-3 through a steam knockout drums for condensate.