Main fractionators are distillation columns that handle wide boiling curve feeds, cutting it into several products. Almost every major refinery unit has such a column, all with similar design features..
Main fractionators are distillation columns that handle wide boiling curve feeds, cutting it into several products. Almost every major refinery unit has such a column, all with similar design features, though some are easier to operate than others, and "easier to operate" translates to more optimal operation and fewer incidents. From my advanced process control (APC) and inferential control perspectives, units that are easier to operate naturally lend themselves to better inferential modeling and better APC. This editorial attempts to highlight the differences, and it concludes that a small investment in instrumentation can substantially improve main fractionator performance.
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