(54e) A Study of Vacuum Flash Column Broken Packing Case

Flash column is a common operational unit in the chemical industry. Proper design and operation are crucial for maintaining effective separation performance. This paper describes an incident involving packing damage in a vacuum flash column equipped with three reboilers. The primary cause of the packing damage was the uneven distribution of the vapor flow within the column, originating from the three reboilers and the inlet flashing. During a shutdown, the packing was replaced, and inlet weir space was enlarged. Upon startup, the duty of the three reboilers were adjusted to prevent uneven vapor distribution.

This paper discusses method for detecting problem and offers suggestions on how to prevent packing damage.