Heat Recovery from Ketene Gas Cooldown.
Abstract
A gas-to-gas heat exchanger was installed to recover a portion of the heat from the ketene vapor stream leaving a cracking furnace to preheat the combustion air. Results of the evaluation indicated that combustion air temperature increases an average of 344 C. The final temperature of the ketene gas leaving the heat exchanger averaged 467 C and never dropped to the critical 350 C temperature at which recombination of the ketene/water and conversion to acetic acid occurs. There was no significant fouling inside the heat exchanger tube bundle and the rate and quality of crude acetic anhydride production were not affected. The amount of combustion air supplied to the furnace burners was about half the theoretical amount because of the draft air introduced to the furnace. Economic evaluation shows that the profitability index and payback period at the current production level is insufficient to justify the expense of installing the heat recovery systems on all the ketene cracking furnaces.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA142821
Entities
People
- L. E. Wolverton