Processes and systems that control operation of a commercial refinery distillation column and/or splitter operable to separate hydrocarbons. An automated process controller (APC) receives signal from at least one analyzer that provides information about the concentration of at least a first chemical in a first fraction and a second chemical in a second fraction obtained from the distillation column. The APC comprises programming in the form of an algorithm that calculates real-time monetary values for the first chemical and the second chemical and alters the operation of the distillation column to change either the percentage of the first chemical in the second fraction or the percentage of the second chemical in the first fraction, thereby maximizing overall operational profit for the distillation column.

A process for separating a component mixture comprising essentially hydrocarbons having two or two or more carbon atoms, methane and hydrogen using a distillation apparatus (10) is proposed. Fluid (a, c, e, g, i) from the component mixture is cooled stepwise to a first pressure level, with separation of first condensates (b, d, f, h, j) out of the fluid (a, c, e, g, i) in each case. Fluid (k) from the component mixture that remains in gaseous form thereafter is expanded to a second pressure level in an expander, giving a second condensate (l). Fluid from the first condensates (b, d, f, h, j) is expanded from the first pressure level to the second pressure level and fed together with the fluid from the second condensates into the distillation apparatus (10) which is being operated at the second pressure level. The present invention likewise provides a corresponding separation apparatus.

A method to continuously monitor for tube leakage in a shell and tube thermosiphon reboiler for heating feedstock in a fractionating column includes: determining the column is in service by continuously monitoring an input flow of the feedstock into the column; determining the reboiler is inactive by continuously monitoring an output valve of tube-side heating fluid from the reboiler; determining the reboiler is losing the heating fluid by continuously monitoring an output flow of the heating fluid from the reboiler; determining the reboiler is heat exchanging by continuously monitoring a temperature difference between input and output flows of shell-side bottoms fluid with the column; and determining the tube leakage in the reboiler is taking place when the column is determined to be in service, the reboiler is determined to be inactive, the reboiler is determined to be losing the heating fluid, and the reboiler is determined to be heat exchanging.

Processes and systems that control operation of a commercial refinery distillation column and/or splitter operable to separate hydrocarbons. An automated process controller (APC) receives signal from at least one analyzer that provides information about the concentration of at least a first chemical in a first fraction and a second chemical in a second fraction obtained from the distillation column. The APC comprises programming in the form of an algorithm that calculates real-time monetary values for the first chemical and the second chemical and alters the operation of the distillation column to change either the percentage of the first chemical in the second fraction or the percentage of the second chemical in the first fraction, thereby maximizing overall operational profit for the distillation column.

A continuous-feed vacuum distillation system with an integrated pre-heater is proposed. It operates continuously on the material to be distilled and heats such material to near-distillation or distillation temperature before it enters the distillation column. This eliminates the current practice of heating the feed material only to much lower temperatures in a feed vessel before it enters the distillation system and thereby eliminates the loss of distillation efficiency inherent in the conventional practice. Various alternative features of the claimed integrated pre-heater are also claimed.

A method to continuously monitor for tube leakage in a shell and tube thermosiphon reboiler for heating feedstock in a fractionating column includes: determining the column is in service by continuously monitoring an input flow of the feedstock into the column; determining the reboiler is inactive by continuously monitoring an output valve of tube-side heating fluid from the reboiler; determining the reboiler is losing the heating fluid by continuously monitoring an output flow of the heating fluid from the reboiler; determining the reboiler is heat exchanging by continuously monitoring a temperature difference between input and output flows of shell-side bottoms fluid with the column; and determining the tube leakage in the reboiler is taking place when the column is determined to be in service, the reboiler is determined to be inactive, the reboiler is determined to be losing the heating fluid, and the reboiler is determined to be heat exchanging.

An automatic tritium extraction method for environmental monitoring comprises the following steps: 1) cleaning of a distillation chamber; 2) distillation rising; 3) distillation; 4) condensation; 5) discharging samples out of the distillation chamber. By the adoption of the automatic tritium extraction device and method for environmental monitoring, fully-automatic distillation and condensation of environmental tritium samples, automatic cleaning of the distillation chamber, and automatic and accurate addition of required agents are realized, and fully-automatic acquisition, preparation, distillation, purification, measurement and analysis of environmental tritium can be completed; and manual intervention is reduced, so that monitoring results are more accurate, and labor costs are saved.

The operation of the arrangement (device) for conversion of contaminated (loaded) water with harmful substances and elements into certified ecological, healthy water, with natural cleaning without filters, is based on the production of water vapor by heating water in a stainless steel chamber and channeling (water vapor drain) of water vapor with air flow to the liquefaction system This model works without filters, membranes or chemicals and additionally is not including other harmful substances and elements that burden, pollute, infect and contaminate the environment. Ecologically it transforms the unsuitable for health water into the excellent quality healthy drinking water. Nitrates, which are converted to nitrites (NO2) when boiled in water, can be converted into one of the most potent carcinogenic compounds, nitrosamines. The arrangement (device) includes a container (Cx), with two electrodes, that communicates with the boiling chamber, to control the limits of the boiling water level, to eliminate parasitic electromagnetic fluctuations and to avoid oxidation of the two electrodes.

Provided is a method of separating and purifying a mixture of components having small difference in boiling point, and the method may maximize an energy collecting amount and collect a product to be desired in high purity and high yield.

The present disclosure generally relates to method and apparatus for preventing coke formation in reactor vapor feed nozzle of a fractionator column of a fluid catalytic cracking unit. One or more baffles are positioned within the fractionator column to prevent effluent vapor that is directed by the reactor vapor feed nozzle into the feed zone from flowing back into the reactor vapor feed nozzle. The reactor vapor feed nozzle itself, or an internal nozzle coupled to the reactor vapor feed nozzle, may extend at least partially into the feed zone to similarly act as a baffle.