Up to this point, we have suggested that the weight flow of vapor up the tower is a function of the reboiler duty only. Certainly, this cannot be completely true. If we look at Fig. 6.2, it certainly seems that increasing the heat duty on the feed preheater will reduce the reboiler duty.
Let us assume that both the reflux rate and the overhead propane product rate are constant. This means that the total heat flow into the tower is constant. Or the sum of the reboiler duty plus the feed preheater duty is constant. If the steam flow to the feed preheater is increased, then it follows that the reboiler duty will fall. How does this increase in feed preheat affect the flow of vapor through the trays and the fractionation efficiency of the trays?
The bottom part of the tower in Fig. 6.2—that is, the portion below the feed inlet—is called the stripping section. The upper part of the tower—that is, the portion above the feed inlet—is called the absorption section.
Since both the reflux flow and the overhead product flow are constant in this problem, it follows that the weight flow of vapor leaving the top tray is also constant, regardless of the feed preheater duty. Actually, this statement is approximately true for all the trays in the top or absorption part of the tower. Another way of saying this is that the heat input to the tower above the feed tray is a constant.
But for the bottom stripping section trays, a reduction in reboiler duty will directly reduce the vapor flow from the reboiler to the bottom tray. This statement is approximately valid for all the trays in the stripping section of the tower.
As the flow of vapor through the absorption section trays is unaffected by feed preheat, the fractionation efficiency of the trays in the upper part of the tower will not change as feed preheat is increased. On the other hand, the reduced vapor flow through the stripping section may increase or decrease fractionation efficiency—but why?
