PROCESSING DEVELOPMENTS Distillation column relief loads— Part 2 The conventional method is expanded and a series of guidelines are developed P. L. NEZAMI, Jacobs Engineering, Houston, Texas methods for distillation column relief load calculations was made. In this part, the conventional method will be expanded and a series of guidelines to predict relief loads for distillation columns in upset conditions will be developed. ‘The method presented here is based mainly on the mass and energy imbalance at upset conditions. This method relics heavily oon detailed analysis of the contingencies that must be executed on case-by-case basis Ir also is based on several assumptions that plify the complex behavior of distillation columns and make it pos- sible ro determine relief loads through a series of simple calculations and by using regular steady-state process simulation software, [= first part of this article, a comparison between the (wo Basic assumptions. There are several suppositions that must bbe made to enable determining relief loads: 1. At elieving conditions, feeds, products and reflux compo: sitions as well as top-tray liquid and bottoms compositions are unchanged. Nore that for mult-feed columns this is valid only if all the feed rates, at relief conditions, vary proportionally to the normal rates. This method cannot be used if the said condition is not applicable. 2. The column trays are at vapor/liquid equil pressure 3. Except for the feeds, all streams entering and leaving the column are at vapor/liquid equilibrium at relieving pressure. 4, Vapors may not be accumulated in the column after reach- ing relieving pressure and must leave the system via the relief valve uids could accumulate in the system by means of rising and falling liquid levels. 5. The liquid phase of feeds can absorb or release heat whether they leave or stay in the system. 6. Credit may be taken for the difference between liquid feed enthalpies and the enthalpies of the liquid products and accumu- lated liquids. That is if the total enthalpy of the liquid feeds i less than the total enthalpy of che liquid products and accumulated liquids. The difference must be converted to relief load if the total enthalpy of the liquid products and accumulated liquids is less than the total enthalpy of the liquid feeds (liquids enthalpy imbalance). 7. Energy imbalance, resulting from an upset, is converted to the telie load using top-tray liquid latent heat of vaporization, calculated at relieving conditions. 8. The vapor portions of the feed streams, flashed adiabatically at relieving pressure, directly contribute to the relief load. 9. The vapor distillate control valve, if applicable, stays a is rium at relief position. Credit may be taken for the vapor distillate flowrate unless ts path is blocked. 10, Credit may be taken for reboiler temperature pinch, iflight, materials ean not reach the column bottom. 11. Any safety margin used in the design of equipment must be considered in the relief load calculations. 12. The properties of the vaporized top-tray liquid at bubble point and relief pressure are used to size the relief valve. The orifice area of any relief valve in vapor service, using API RP-520 equations, isa function of the relieving fluid temperature, molecular weight and compressibility factor. All of this plus top- tray liquid latent heat of vaporization change with time during a relief event. The orifice area would be at maximum value when the following Function is at maximum: ST. Z,M,») @ where: T'- Relieving fluid temperature, °R Z = Relieving fluid compressibility Factor, dimensionless ‘M = Relieving fluid molecular weight, Ib/Ib-mol 2 = Latent heat of vaporization, Bru/Ib, In order to conservatively size a relief valve, one might calculate the maximum value of the function, f, over the boiling range of the top-tray liquid and use corresponding properties, inch top-tray liquid latent heat of vaporization, in sizing calculations Relief load calculation. Based on the above assumptions the relief rate can be defined as: We Wy + We Wy— We Wie 2 where: W= Relief rate Wy = Load contribution from reboilers and side-reboilers Wy= Feed streams vapor contributions W= Vapor product credits W-= Condenser and pumparound credits W);= Liquids enthalpy imbalance eredit/contribution, Load contributions from reboilers. Heat input from the reboilers and side-reboilers is converted to relief load using top- tray liquid latent heat of vaporization: HYDROCARBON PROCESSING MAY 2008 | 37PROCESSING DEVELOPMENTS ‘TABLE 1. Column parameters, feed and product properties Column parameters Value ‘Gperating pressive (op) psa 1750 elie valve set pressure, psig 2000 Relieving pressure, psig) 200 Normal condenser duty milion Btuhr 23890 Condenser duty at relief milion Bturhr 0.000 Normal reboler dy milion Brut 35.000, Reboiler duty at ie (clean U), milion Bult 47.230 Top-ay quid latent heat, Bt 135 Feed properties Liquid Vapor __Total Feed normal flowrate, ofr 264864 123,236 388,100 Feed rate at relieving conditions Ihe ~ 294564 93536 388,100 Speefic enthalpy at normal conditions, Btulb “4657-124 Specific enthalpy at relief conditions, Bulb ~~ Bubble point specific enthalpy at rele, Bulb Tan 5 Product properties Prod. Prod? _Prod.3 Prod a Normal flowrate ihr 721,000 96361 16510039" Fowrate at releving conditions oti 135,500 o ieei00 0 Spectc enthalpy at normal conditions Btu 1106 900-6972 69721 Spectc enthalpy atelit conditions, Btullb 1050-70 -677.6 60564 Phase Vapor guid Liquid guid Bubble point specic enthalpy atreliet tub 22.4 Q/r 8) cboilers and side-reboilers total duty, Bru/hr «ray liquid latent heat of vaporization, Brullb. Credit is allowed for reboiler temperature pinch if light materials cannot reach the column bottom at relieving conditions. The heat transfer coefficients of the reboilers and side-reboilers, however, must be adjusted to clean (zer0 fouling factors) values Feed streams vapor contribution. The vapor portions of the feeds, lashed adiabatically at cic pressure, directly con- tribute to relief load. The compositions of those vapors, how- «ever are different from thar of the relief stream. The llatent] heat contents of the vapor portions of the feeds mus be calculated and converted to reli load. The assumption is that as the rising vapor feeds come in contact with tray liquids they are partially condensed while vaporizing some of the tray liquids. This happens all the way to the top tray. The heat content of cach vapor feed, which contributes to relief load, is equal to the feed heat-of-vaporization at relief pressure. This heat is sim- ply the difference between dew point and bubble point enthalpies of the vapor feed at relieving pressute. Qe = Z(H pyoi- Hv!) Fev! @ where: Quy= Vapor feeds total heat of vaporization, Brw/hr Hpi = Specific enthalpy of vapor feed i at dew point and relief pressure, Bru/lb Hyygi = Specific enthalpy of vapor feed 7 at bubble point and relief pressure, Brulb Fyyi = Flowrate of vapor feed conditions, Ib/he lief Borger excels in Variety! The relief oad contribution from vapor feeds is equal othe tor cea Scam Rta ote aleve ine ‘Shops ratte nthe mare, Borger an best math the mst suitable pnp sp compa total heat of vaporization of the vapor feeds divided by the top- te Marlotsing te args variety tor materi nd tray liquid latent heat. W,, = -3,479,325/123.5 = -28,173 Ib/hr Wa Wa + We Wy -We-Wy w 122,862,644 Bru/hr 182,429 + 113,379 - 140,876 - 0 (~28,173) = 383,105 lb/hr ( Piruz Latifi Nezami 2 ro:ess eineoing section manager with lacs Enginesring in Houston, Texas He holds a 8S degree chemical engewering rom Shan Univers of Tecnology i ean, ian, and has more than 30 yeas of experience inthe desig and engineering of chemical, petrochemical and ening rots