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• The vapours and steam rise in the column and products are withdrawn at different
sections. Circulating refluxes are also introduced at different sections of the column to
balance the liquid and vapour loads in the column.

• Overhead vapours are condensed by pre- and after condensers of ejector system.
Products are cooled and sent to storage tanks.

• If vacuum residue is left to remain at high temperature, coke formation may start due
to cracking. The vacuum column bottom product is quenched by adding a part of cold
vacuum residue in column, to avoid cracking of vacuum residue at high temperature
at bottom of the column.

Table: Uses of different products from vacuum column

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Operating parameters of distillation columns

Temperature
• The maximum limit of furnace outlet temperature is fixed at which the crude starts
cracking.

• Top temperature of column is usually dew point temperature of over head vapours at
operating pressure.

• Bottom temperature of column is bubble point temperature of bottom liquid and

controls quality of the bottom products.

• Side draw-off temperature is the temperature at which desired product is in liquid

phase at operating conditions in the column.

• Top temperature of column must be just high enough to allow complete

vaporization of overhead product. Vaporization at lower temperature can
incorporate desired overhead product in first side-stream product. A higher
temperature causes the inclusion of high boiling point components in overhead
products.

Column Pressure
• Normally pressure is not an operating variable. Higher pressure means higher
temperature requirement for vaporization.

• For residue stock distillation, even atmospheric pressure may be high considering
the temperature requirement for distillation and thermal stability of stock. So,
vacuum distillation is done.

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• Since high pressure operation reduces relative volatility of components, more

reflux and more reboiled heat are required for achieving the same fractionation at
higher pressure.

• The column diameter can lower at higher pressure due to higher vapour density.

Flow rates
• Feed to distillation column is determined by production demand placed on the plant
and by capacity of distillation equipments.

• Flow rates of overhead and bottom products from a column are determined by feed
composition and degree of separation which is a function of reflux rates.

Reflux
• Firstly, it provides liquid in the rectifying section to cause vapour-liquid contact
resulting in fractionation.

• Secondly, it is provided to maintain temperature gradient in the column.

• Higher reflux ratio results in better separation between light and heavy fraction but
requires higher condenser and reboiler loads (loss of energy).

Reboiler / Stripping Steam

• To provide vapour in stripping section of column for vapour-liquid contact, either
re-boiler is used or steam is admitted directly into bottom of the column.

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• Supplying steam has additional advantage of lowering partial pressure of liquid

being distilled throughout column.

Stability of Column Operation

• Effectiveness of the column depends on intimate contact of vapour and liquid
streams on each tray to provide vaporization of light fraction and condensation of
heavy ones.

• When the liquid or vapour rate inside the column becomes too low or too high, the
contact is insufficient and poor separation results.

• Pulsation: When amount of vapour passing through a tray is so small that bubble
cap pass vapour intermittently.

• Dumping: This results at relatively high liquid loads when some of the upstream
bubble caps do not pass vapour.

• Coning: This takes place when the combination of weir height and liquid crest over
weir does not adequately seal the cap slots. If the slots are not sealed properly,
vapours can pass to the tray without contacting liquid on the tray.

• Blowing: This results when amount of vapours passing through bubble caps is so
large that it literally tears holes in liquid on the tray.

• Entrainment: A relatively fine mist is carried away to the tray above by superficial
vapour velocity. Otherwise large droplets of liquid are jetted from one tray to the
next.
•

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• Flooding: This occurs when the level of liquid-foam mixture in the downpipe builds
up and over flows to the tray above.

Important Points for Improvements in Fractionating Column

• Degree of separation achieved is a function of number of trays and reflux ratio for a
specific pressure. The addition of trays results in higher initial investment but it can
allow lower reflux ratios and thus energy requirement can be reduced.

• For efficient operation, the feed to a column should be admitted at correct point
according to composition.

• The consumption of stripping steam is dependent on three parameters, viz. degree of

fractionation obtained in main column, stripper design and desired quality of product
(flash point). Excessive use of steam is a wastage of energy apart from increase in
column and condenser loads.

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