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Divided Wall Column 498
Divided Wall Column 498
T
he primary separation method in the petro-
chemical industry is distillation, or
fractionation, which is an energy-intensive
process. Dividing wall column (DWC) technology
represents a mechanical implementation of fully
thermally coupled distillation that not only saves
significant amounts of energy but is both more
efficient and cost effective than conventional
distillation methods.
implementation of DWC towers in the US. The commissioned two commercial DWC units
units were designed to concentrate and remove before offering the technology to Valero. In April
benzene from gasoline streams to meet US regu- 1998, in co-operation with BP, the first tower
latory mandates limiting the benzene content of was commissioned at BP’s UK Coryton refinery.
gasoline. The DWC towers were designed and It was a revamp of an existing stabiliser column
optimised by KBR for each unique project and that produced a gasoline-blend compound.
allowed Valero to meet the regulatory In 2004, a grassroots tower was designed
requirements. and commissioned for an Asian client for
The project objective was to provide a design production of pure iC5, light naphtha and heavy
that not only complied with the new stringent naphtha.
gasoline benzene content specifications in the
US, but to do so in the most cost-effective way. Custom made
The challenge provided an opportunity to apply Where applicable, a DWC installation can be
the efficient, elegant solution that is DWC tech- designed to meet all product specifications as
nology. As previously mentioned, it is per a client’s requirements. A DWC unit can be
thermodynamically more efficient, with studies designed to increase system throughput using
proving that DWC applications can save up to the same energy as a conventional twocolumn
30% capital investment and use approximately sequence, thus saving in steam and fuel demand
30% less energy compared with conventional and reducing the overall energy requirement per
two-column configurations for reformate unit of feed processed. A new DWC system can
benzene management. easily be incorporated within current refinery
infrastructure; a unit requires no more plot
Historical studies space than a conventional single-column system
KBR began developing DWC technology in the and can be designed to utilise the available site’s
late 1980s through pilot-plant studies. Since heating and cooling media, meaning less capital
then, the KBR London Technology Centre has outlay. The mechanical revamp of existing distil-
performed several studies to identify potential lation towers with DWC technology is
grassroots and revamp applications in the refin- straightforward and can be done within a normal
ing and chemical industries. KBR designed and turnaround period.