(144c) Observing Your LOPAs in the Wildfield Validation of LOPA Assumptions in Operating Plants

Useful Rules of Thumb in Distillation

Henry Z. Kister, Fluor, Aliso Viejo, CA, USA

Rules of thumb should always be taken for what they are: rough criteria that reflect the experience of practitioners. They are not meant to replace detailed calculations such as those presented in most distillation texts. Their merit is in providing troubleshooters with a preliminary orientation while exploring potential trouble spots. Most of these rules of thumb apply to systems where there is a lot of experience. Many other systems are not covered by these rules.

This article presents common rules of thumb that have been useful to engineers engaged in troubleshooting distillation towers.