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Vapor Recompression:

Distillation without Steam


Distillation is not only the most frequently employed
DANIEL HÄNGGI separation technique in the chemical and petrochemical
ISTVAN MESZAROS industry, distillation plants are also the largest con-
SULZER CHEMTECH sumers of energy in many installations. This large
consumption of energy is not necessary. Heat pumps
0690 4504 “recycle” a major part of the energy input and thus spare
the environment and the purse.

■ Energy saving is one of the


most important measures
for controlling global environmen-
The employment of heat pumps is
one of the best possibilities for
drastic reduction of the energy
tal problems such as the green- demand. The principle of a heat
1■ 1-Butene, a popu- house effect. The saving of energy, pump consists in boosting the non-
lar raw material in however, is also worthwhile finan- recyclable thermal energy from a
the plastics industry, cially. In addition to the benefit low temperature level to a higher
is separated from the realized through the lower con- one, at which it can be employed in
C4 stream at this dis- sumption of energy, environment- a beneficial manner. In the indus-
tillation plant with friendly technologies are being trial field, distillation is by far the
heat pump, which supported more and more through most frequently applied process
belongs to the SK national or EU subsidies. for the separation of mixtures
Corporation in Ulsan,
South Korea. The
design and main
components were
10
supplied by Sulzer
Chemtech.

7 2 8 7 11
2 8
1 1

12 9 12 9
3

4 Direct vapour recompression 4 Heat pump with auxiliary circuit

1 Feed 4 Bottom product 7 Compressor 10 Condenser

2 Distillation 5 Steam ejector 8 Drive (electric motor 11 Expansion


column or steam turbine) valve

3 Distillate 6 Steam 9 Condenser/ 12 Circulating pump


reboiler

32 SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 1/99 3834


1 Feed
2 Bottom product
3 Cooling water
3 7
4 Distillate
5 Condensate
3
6 Heating steam
7 Compressor
1 4 1
drive power
4
5

(Fig. 1■). An estimated 300 million


6
liters of oil are used worldwide for
distillation every day. The energy
saving potential is correspondingly
2 2
large.
2■ In a conventional plant (left), large quantities of energy pass through
MAKING ENERGY the system limit. In a plant with heat pump (right), only small energy flows
REUTILIZABLE are supplied or dissipated. The greater part of the energy remains in the
Figure 2■ compares the advan- system.
tages of a distillation plant with
heat pump to a conventional unit. heat pump increases the existing REPEATEDLY SUCCESSFUL
In the case of the latter, energy is energy in the column head, which TECHNIQUE
fed into the system via the reboiler is normally dissipated, and trans- Heat pump technnology has
in order to create the gas load fers it into the reboiler, where the already been applied successfully
needed in the column for the sepa- vapor is condensed. In comparison in distillation plants on numerous
ration process. The vapors from with conventional distillation occasions. Sulzer was and is still
the column are liquefied in the units, this process only requires a playing a decisive role in the devel-
water-cooled reboiler. About 95% of fraction of the thermal energy. opment in this area. The first
the energy needed for the reboiler Furthermore, it does not need any Sulzer vapor compressor in an
leaves the system without being heating steam or large quantities industrial separation process was
used any further. of cooling water. Various heat installed some 120 years ago. In
In a distillation plant with a heat pump systems are available (see the meantime, the systems have
pump, the reboiler and the con- box, “The most important heat been continuously developed and
denser are linked together. The pump systems”). improved.

THE MOST IMPORTANT HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS

Direct vapor recompression, heat pumps with released energy. This is compressed to the nec-
auxiliary circuits and steam ejectors are the essary pressure by means of the heat pump and
most frequently employed heat pump systems then condensed in the reboiler itself, whereby 10
in distillation plants. The direct vapor recom- the bottom product is caused to reboil at the 6
2
pression saves the most energy, while the steam same time. 1
ejector entails the lowest investment costs. The steam ejector, driven by medium-pressure
With direct vapor recompression, the vapors steam or product vapors, compresses a part of 5

from the column head are compressed to such the head vapors from the column to the pressure
an extent that the resultant temperature is suf- necessary for heating the reboiler. The vapor
ficient to heat the reboiler. mixture is condensed in the reboiler itself and 12 9
3
If the head product is not suitable for compres- the bottom product reboiled with the released
sion, e.g. by the styrene finishing column, heat energy. An auxiliary condenser liquefies the 4 Steam ejector
pump systems with an auxiliary circuit are residual head vapors.
employed. A condenser liquefies the top product
and reboils the auxiliary medium with the

SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 1/99 33


The important thing is that the
individual components of the sys-
tem are tuned to each other, since
it is not the sum of the individual
equipment designs, but their per-
fect interplay that determines the
0685 4077-7
magnitude of the energy savings.
They are certainly impressive. 3■ This single-stage radial turbocompressor from Sulzer is suitable for the
With direct vapor recompression, compression of 1-butene or isobutane, for example.
the consumption of energy can be
reduced by up to 80%. In large

reduce the pressure drop in the col- plants. They can be employed
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS umn and thus permit the employ- almost anywhere (see box, “Typical
ment of single- or two-stage radial applications”). Sulzer Chemtech
Heat pumps have already been Further applications:
employed successfully with: compressors. has many years’ experience in the
• 1-Butene • Butanol Experience shows that compres- engineering, supply and commis-
• Chlorobenzene • Chloronitrobenzene sors operate very reliably and only sioning of new as well as the retro-
• Dichloroethylene • Cumene require a minimum of mainte- fitting of existing installations. Ω
• Dimethyl formamide • Cyclohexan
nance. The addition of a heat pump
• Ethanol • Acetic acid
• Ethylene glycol • Methanol makes the distillation plant even
• Isobutane • Methylphenol (Cresol) more reliable. In contrast to a con- FOR MORE DETAILS
• Isopropanol • Phenol ventional unit, it makes no differ- Sulzer Chemtech AG
• Propylene • Xylene and others ence whether the correct steam Daniel Hänggi, 0600
• Silane
capacity or cooling water tempera- Postfach 65
• Styrene
• Hydrogen peroxide ture is assured at all times (see CH-8404 Winterthur
box, “Fields of application and Switzerland
selection criteria”). Telephone +41 (0)52-262 48 78
plants, it can mean financial sav- Heat pump systems can be de- Fax +41 (0)52-262 00 76
ings amounting to several million signed for new installations and E-mail daniel.haenggi
USD per year. The investment for also for retrofitting in existing @sulzer.ch
a heat pump system is paid back
after just a few years, in many
cases within a period of one year.
FIELDS OF APPLICATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA
COMPRESSOR:
RELIABLE AND LONG LASTING The following circumstances or requirements speak for the applica-
The heart of the heat pump system tion of Sulzer heat pump technology:
is the compressor. Depending on • energy-saving solution for new and existing plants
the separation task and the capac- • the lack or insufficiency of steam or cooling water capacity
ity of the plant compressors such • high cooling water temperatures
as, turboblowers, radial turbo com- • reliability
pressors, screw-type or axial com- • CO2 taxes and environmental management systems, e.g.
pressors are employed for this ISO 14 000
(Fig. 3■). The choice of the column
filling has a major influence on the Heat pumps are economical for plants with:
selection of the compressor. Appro- • thermal energy requirement of more than 2 MW
priate internals, e.g. structured • temperature differences of less than 40 °C between head and bot-
packings, random packings or, in tom products
some cases, also suitable trays,

34 SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 1/99

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