What You Can Expect To Gain:

• The operation, control and trouble shooting of a distillation columns and it’s associated equipment

• An overview of distillation, practical solutions as well as theory

• An understating of essential distillation concepts

• Valuable practical insights for trouble free design and field proven techniques for commissioning, start up and shutdown of distillation operation.

• The fundamental knowledge of distillation control.

• To tailor your approach to specific design, analysis and trouble shooting problems.

Who Should Attend?

This course is intended for those who are making day to day decisions regarding operation, design, maintenance, and economics of process industry plants such as Line Operations personnel, Operation Supervisors, Line Maintenance personnel, Maintenance Supervisors, Senior Plant Supervisors, Operations Engineers, Process Support Engineers, Design Engineers and Cost Engineers as well as Technical Engineers, Operating Engineers, Process Support Personnel, Chemist, and Managers.

A. General Introduction

1. General Column Design

• The components of a distillation system, more than just a tower – it is a system of different components

• History of distillation

• Different types of distillation columns

• Differences among batch, flash, and multistage distillation process

• Relative advantages of tray and packed columns

• Steps in the process design

B. Thermodynamics and Equilibrium

1. Vapor Liquid Equilibrium

• Select the correct vapor-liquid equilibrium equation for your system

• Review vapor pressure and equilibrium diagrams

• Interpret mole fraction equilibrium curves, commonly called y-x diagrams

• Azeotropes and the challenges they create for distillation

2. Stages & Transfer Units Efficiencies

• Calculate the number of equilibrium stages using short cut methods

• Calculate minimum reflux and stages using graphical & analytical methods

• Determine number of theoretical stages needed in a distillation column

3. Stage Efficiency

• Methods for determining efficiency

• Calculate an overall column efficiency for tray columns

• Calculate point and tray efficiencies, and their difference

• Calculate the number and height of transfer units for packing

• Effects on distillation column by changing amount of reflux and reflux temperature

• How flooding and foaming affects efficiencies and capacities

C. Column Design

1. Tray Column Design

• The major design differences between tray types

• The operational limits for trays – operating window

• Size a distillation column for a given vapor and liquid rate

2. Packed Column Design

• The different types of packing and their characteristics

• The best type of packing for a given system

• Size a packed column diameter for a given vapor and liquid rate

3. Designing columns for fouling service

4. Designing columns for vacuum service

5. Designing Columns for improved operation and maintenance

E. Process Control

1. Distillation Column Control

• Functions of Process Control

• Characteristics of a Continuous Process

• Select appropriate composition and column pressure control schemes

• Process settings during column operation

2. Typical controlled and manipulated process variables

• Level

• Pressure

• Composition

• Temperature

• Flow

3. Controller Performance Criteria

• Final Control Elements

• Control Algorithms

• Open and closed loop tuning strategies

4. Feed Forward Control of an Ideal Process

• Feedback and Feed forward Control Loops

F. Troubleshooting

1. Introduction

• Evaluate operation of a packed column

• Evaluate operation of a tray column

• Use tools to diagnosis problems

2. Installation

• Common column installation mistakes

• List tasks to insure a proper installation

3. Commissioning

• Common start up problems and understand how to correct them

4. Utilizing Process Engineering Software for troubleshooting.

Who Should Attend

• People who are making day to day decisions regarding operation, design, maintenance, and economics of process industry plants.

1. 1st Line Operations personnel,

2. Operation Supervisors,

3. 1st Line Maintenance personnel,

4. Maintenance Supervisors,

5. Senior Plant Supervisors,

6. Operations Engineers

7. Process Support Engineers,

8. Design Engineers,

9. Cost Engineers

• An engineer or chemist who must troubleshoot and solve distillation problems in a plant, an engineering office or laboratory.

• Technical Engineers, Operating Engineers, Process Support Personnel, Chemist, and Managers

• Engineering graduates/technologists who will be using simulation software in their daily work.

• Technical Process engineers doing process design and optimization projects and studies that need who need advanced skills for more complex modeling tasks.

• Plant Operation Support Engineers checking plant performance under different operating conditions, and who are involved in design of new facilities or revamps of existing facilities.

• R&D engineers and researchers using process simulators for process synthesis, upgrade or modifications.

• Ideal for veterans and those with only a few years of experience who want to review or broaden their understanding of process safety.

• Other professionals who desire a better understanding of the subject matter.