Minimizing Energy

8 Requirements

8.1 INTRODUCTION

t here are two basic approaches to minimizing &stillation column energy

requirements:
1. Conseraatian-designing and operating a column so that it makes the
specified separation with the least amount of energy per pound of feed.
2. Energy recovq-recovering and reusing the heat in the column product
streams, whether they be liquid or vapor.
The main emphasis of this chapter is on the latter approach, but it is pointless
to uy to recover energy unless we also try to conserve it. Consequently we
will discuss conservation first.

8.2 CONSERVATION
For distillation, conservation means designing and operating a column so
that it makes the specified separation with the least amount of energy per pound
of feed. We have a number of techniques to accomplish this:
1. Automatic control of composition of product streams. Operators commonly
overreflux conventional columns with a single top product and a single bottom
product. Extra heat is used to ensure the meeting or exceeding of specified
product purities.
Geyer and Kline' give, as an example, a 70-tray column separating a mixture
with a relative volatility of 1.4 and with specifications of 98 percent low boilers
overhead and 99.6 percent high boilers in the base. If the operator adds enough
boilup and reflux to increase overhead purity to 99 percent and base purity to
99.7 percent, an increase of 8 percent in energy consumption results.
2. Feed provided at the proper feed tray. It can be shown that this results
in a lower energy requirement per pound of feed than would feedmg on any
181
182 Minimtzzw E M - Requirements

other tray. As feed composition or enthalpy deviates &om design values, the
o p t i m u feed-tray location also changes.
3. Column operation at minimu pressure.2Lower pressure usually means
higher relative voIa&ty. Therefore, the necessary separations can be accomplished
with lower boilup/feed and reflux/feed ratios. Condenser capacity may be
limited, however, and the column may flood at lower boilup rates than it would
when operating at higher pressures.
4. Use of lowest pressure steam available.' In many plants excess low-
pressure steam is available that otherwise would be vented to the atmosphere.
This steam is usually cheaper than high-pressure steam. Where reboiler AT
might be too small if the steam were throttled, one may use a partially flooded
reboiler (see Chapters 4 and 15) and throttle condensate. Since low-pressure
steam is seldom available at constant pressure or steam quality, pressure and
temperature compensation of flow measurements is highly desirable if steam is
throttled instead of condensate.
5. Use of steam condensate receivers. In many plants steam traps require
considerablemaintenance and have sigmficant leakage. The use of steam condensate
receivers instead of traps reduces maintenance and steam losses.
6. Possible use of mechanical vacuum pumps. For vacuum columns there
is some opinion' that mechanical vacuum pumps offer energy savings over
steam jets. The difference, however, is usually small.
7. Dry distillation. For columns now using live steam, it is sometimes
economical to switch to steam-heated reboilers.
8. Insulation. Older columns, designed before the energy crunch, can often
benefit from new, increased insulation.

8.3 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS IN HEAT-RECOVERY SCHEMES

Energy recovery in a distillation column means, practically spealung, recovering
or reusing heat contained in the column product streams, whether they are
liquid or vapor. A number of schemes have appeared in the literature. The two
chief ones involve (1)"multiple effect" distillation, analogous to multiple effect
evaporation, and (2) vapor recompression. But, regardless of the scheme, there
are five design factors that must be considered:
1. Reserve capacities that may be required:
-Extra heating capacity
-Extra cooling capacity
-Extra distillation capacity
These are important for startups and shutdowns, changes in production
rate, changes in feed composition, and changes in product specifications. Generally
speaking, however, auxiliary" reboilers and condensers should be avoided, if
* "Auxiliary"condensers and reboilers are those installed in parallel with "normal" condensers
and reboilers for startup or peak load purposes.
8.4 Multiple Loads Supplied /y a Sin5h Source 183

at all possible. Their use increases investment, as well as instrumentation and

control complexity.
Some users have had problems with turning auxiliary condensers and reboilers
on and off, and they prefer not to do it. Instead they always maintain at least
a small load on these heat exchangers. This obviously wastes energy.
2. Priorities. If recovered energy is to be distributed to several loads, what
is the order of priorities?
3. Interactions. Elaborate heat-recovery schemes are often highly interactive;
how is this to be dealt with?
4. Overall heat balance. How is this maintained?
5 . Inerts (low boiler) balance. With elaborate heat-recovery schemes, this
is sometimes a problem. Too high a concentration of inerts or low boilers will
blanket process-to-process heat exchangers; too low a concentration will result
in product losses through the vents.
In view of the above, it is apparent that control of columns with heat-recovery
schemes is more difficult than control of conventional columns.
Let us now look at three types of mdtiple-effect distillation.

8.4 MULTIPLE LOADS SUPPLIED BY A SINGLE SOURCE

Sometimes, as shown in Figure 8.1, a column that is a very large energy
user becomes the energy source for a number of loads, each of which acts as
a condenser. Two methods have been used to allocate the energy to be recovered
(1) throttling the vapor-heating medium to each condenser, as shown in Figure
8.1, and (2) operating each condenser partly flooded by throttling the condensate.
Some priority scheme must be established for startups and for any other occasion
when vapor supply is temporarily short.
One method of handling the priority problems is to use overrides and to
split-range the various valves involved, as shown in Figure 8.2. The scheme
shown illustrates the use of pneumatic devices, but the concepts readily may
be implemented with some digital or analog electronic controls. For the six
loads in Figure 8.2, we employ six gain 6 relays. For load 1, which has the
highest priority, the gain 6 relay is calibrated to have an output span of 3-15
psig for an input span of 3-5 psig. Load 2 has the next highest priority, so
its gain 6 relay is calibrated for 5-7 psig input, 3-15 psig output. This continues
until the load with lowest priority, load 6, has a gain 6 relay calibrated for
13-15 psig input, 3-15 psig output. At the design stage of such a system,
considerable care must be exerted to obtain suitable value of controller gain
and also proper valve sizing.
Process-to-process heat exchangers are commonly designed for very small
temperature differences, say 8-10°C. If vapor throttling is used, it should be
recognized that the vapor-supply valves will tend to have small pressure drops.
Accordingly, it is advisable to have vapor flow control to each load, with a set
184 Minimizing Energy Requirements
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186 Minimiziv Energy Requiremoats

point fiom a primary controller. In the absence of vapor flow control, interactions
may be severe, and very close control of supply and load pressures may be
required.

8.5 SINGLE SOURCE, SINGLE LOAD

When there is only one source and one load (see Figure 8.3), control may
be both simpler and more flexible. The column that is the source does not
need to be operated at a constant pressure-in the scheme shown, it finds its
own pressure. For the illustrative example, the overhead composition of the
supply column is controlled via reflux; the base composition of the load column
is controlled by boilup in the supply column.
The scheme of Figure 8.3 has an interesting dynamics problem. The controls
must be so designed that changes in vapor flow from the supply column must
reach the condenser-reboiler at about the same time as feed flow changes from
the supply column. If there is a serious discrepancy, particularly if the second-
column bottom-product flow is smd, base level in the second column may
experience serious upsets.
Another problem associated with this scheme is the selection and sizing of
the feed valve to the first column. This column will run at a low pressure at
low feed rates and at a higher pressure at high feed rates. Assuming that the
feed comes from a centrifugal pump, one can see that valve pressure drop will
be very high a t low flow, and low at high flow. The variation in valve pressure
drop with flow will be much greater than that normally encountered in a
pumped system.
In another version a following column in the train supplies heat to a
preceding column as shown in Figure 8.4. In this particular case, the first
column gets only part of its heat from the second column; the remainder comes
from an auxiliary reboiler. Interactions between the two columns may be severe.
Again, for the cases studied, we have found it advantageous to let pressure
find its own level in the second column, that is, the one supplying heat.
An interesting practical problem here is how to adjust the auxiliary reboiler
on the first column. After examining some complex heat-balance schemes, we
decided that the simplest approach was to use column AI'. Vapor flow to the
first column from the condenser-reboiler will not be constant, but the AI'
control will provide a rapid method of ensuring aonstant boilup. The A P
control, in turn, may have its set point adjusted by a composition controller
for the lower section of the first column.
It should be noted that for the schemes of both Figure 8.3 and Figure 8.4,
maximum column pressure occurs at maximum feed rate and boilup rate. For
columns we have studied to date, there has been no problem with flooding at
lower rates and pressures.
8.5 Siwk Swrm, Si@ Load 187
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188 Minimizing Ewm Requirements
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8.8 Energy R e m 7 iy Vapor Recompresswn 189

8.6 SPLIT FEED COLUMNS

A third arrangement, which is used in some s y ~ t e m s , involves
~.~ splitting
feed between two columns that make the same separation (Figure 8.5). The
supply column, however, runs at a higher pressure than the load column. The
feed split is controlled to maintain a heat balance.

8.7 COMBINED SENSIBLE AND LATENT HEAT RECOVERY

In addition to the recovery of the latent heat of vapor streams, in many
cases it is practical to recover part of the sensible heat in the column bottom
product and steam condensate by exchange with column feed. Such schemes
have been used in the chemical and petroleum industries for years. Since feed
flow is typically set by level controllers or flow-ratio controllers, its flow rate
will not be constant. The feed enthalpy or temperature, therefore, is apt to be
variable. This may make column-composition control difficult unless one employs
either feedforward compensation or a trim heater with control for constant
temperature or enthalpy. (See Chapters 5 and 11.)

8.8 ENERGY RECOVERY BY VAPOR RECOMPRESSION

In the past vapor recompression (“heat pumps”) has often been considered
for distillation of materials boiling at low temperatures. The incentive in many
instances was to be able to use water-cooled condensers, thus avoiding the
expense of refrigeration. Another factor favoring vapor recompression is a small
temperature difference between the top and bottom of the column.
Today the main interest is in getting the column vapor compressed to the
point where its temperature is high enough to permit using the vapor as a heat
source for the r e b ~ i l e r .An
~ . ~auxiliary, steam-heated reboiler and/or auxiliary
water-cooled condenser may be necessary for startup (see Figure 8.6). A review
of compression equipment and methods of estimating operating costs has been
presented by Beesley and Rhine~mith.~ Mosler7 discusses the control of a number
of vapor recompression schemes. N d 9 presents investment equations and data.
Fahmi and Mostafa” indicate that the optimum location at which to use the
compressed vapor may not be in a reboiler at the column base, but rather at
an intermediate site.
Other papers on energy integration for distillation columns include those
by OBrien” and by Rathore et al.12
190 Minimizing Enevgy Requirenents
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8.8 EWJJ~ Recovery Czy Vapor Rempession 191

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FIGURE 8.6
Heat recovery via vapor recompression
192 Minimking Energy Requirements

REFERENCES
1. Geyer, G. R., and P. E. Kline, CEP, Integrated Distillation Configura-
49-51 (May 1976). tions,” paper submitted to IOEC
2. Shinskey, F. G., Dtitillation ControL, Proc. Des.Dev. (1983).
McGraw-Hill, New York, 1977. 9. Null, H. R., “Heat Pumps in Distil-
3. Tyreus, B. D., and W. L. Luyben, lation,” CEP, 58-64 (July 1976).
CEP, 59-66 (Sept. 1976). 10. Fahmi, M. F., and H. A. Mostafa,
4. Rush, F. E., CEP,44-49 (July 1980). “Distillation with Optimum Vapor
5. Shaner, R. L., CEP, 47-52 (May Recompression,” Cbem. Eng., Res,
1978). Des., 391-392 (Nov. 1983).
6. Bmley, A. H., and R. D. Rhinamith, 11. O’Brien, N. G., “Reducing Column
CEP, 37-41, (Aug. 1980). Steam Consumption,” CEP, 65-67
7. Mosler, H. A., “Coneol of Sidestream (July 1976).
and Energy Conservation Distdla- 12. Rathore, R. N. S., K. A. Vanwormer,
tion Towers,” Proceedangs, AIChE and G. J. Powers, “Synthesis of
Workshop on Industrial Process Distillation Systems with Energy
control, Tampa, Fl., 1974. Integration,”AICbE J., 20(5): 490-
8. Chiang, T., and W. L. Luyben, “Heat 950 (Sept. 1974).