Reflux Drum: a reflux drum to hold the condensed vapour from the top of the column so that liquid

(reflux) can be recycled back to the column Reference: http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/distil/distileqp.htm

"The purpose of a vessel in a process plant is to contain fluids for storage or during processing. The most basic requirement is that the vessel will not leak or fail catastrophically under normal operating conditions." - Sandler & Luckiewicz, Practical Process Engineering

Functions :

Collect liquid from a condenser

Act as a liquid seal on the condenser

Act as a distribution point for reflux and distillate

Reference: http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~lambert/vrml/kumip/docs/reflux.html
Application: Large-scale distillation towers use a reflux system to achieve a more complete product separation. Reflux is that portion of a towers condensed overhead liquid product that is cycled back to the top of the tower where it flows downward to provide cooling and condensation of the upflowing vapors.

Challenge: The reflux drum, or accumulator, serves as a distribution point for reflux and distillate. Condensed liquid leaves the reflux drum under level control. Drum level control is critical to ensure that the proper amount of reflux will return to the distillation tower. Poor liquid level indication can cause expensive operating problems and product degradation.

Reference: http://us.magnetrol.com/applications.aspx?application=5 OPERATION:

Basic Operation and Terminology

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 reboiler. Heat is supplied to the reboiler to generate vapour. The source of heat input can be any suitable fluid, although in most chemical plants this is normally steam. In refineries, the heating source may be the output streams of other columns. The vapour raised in the reboiler is re-introduced into the unit at the bottom of the column. The liquid removed from the reboiler 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 thereflux drum. Some 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

Reference: http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/distil/distileqp.htm SIMPLE SAMPLE CALCULATION for reflux drum : http://wwwche.engr.ccny.cuny.edu/rinard/design/Equipment%20Design.pdf

For Insulator:

Heuristics in Chemical Engineering

INSULATION1. Up to 650F, 85% magnesia is most used. 2. Up to 1600-1900F, a mixture of asbestos and diatomaceous earth is used. 3. Ceramic refractories at higher temperatures. 4. Cyrogenic equipment (- 200F) employs insulants with fine pores in which air is trapped. 5. Optimum thickness varies with temperature: 0.5 in. at 200F, 1.0in. at 400F, 1.25 in. at 600F. 6. Under windy conditions (7.5 miles/hr), 10-20% greater thickness of insulation is justified. Reference: http://people.clarkson.edu/~wwilcox/Design/heurist.pdf