Process and ChemicalDistillation: Process, Control and Troubleshooting
Distillation columns consume more energy than any other separation on a plant and produce more chronic operating problems than any other unit. This course covers running them well. Delegates work through vapour liquid equilibrium and the theoretical basis of a separation, column internals including trays and packing and how each fails, and the operating variables that actually control product purity. Control strategy is covered in depth, including the pairing decisions that determine whether a column is stable or fights itself. Troubleshooting takes the second half: flooding, weeping, entrainment, fouling and off specification product are each traced from symptom through column profile to cause.
Course objectives
- Apply vapour liquid equilibrium to a separation problem
- Describe tray and packed column internals and their failure modes
- Identify the operating variables that control product purity
- Select a control strategy and pair variables sensibly
- Diagnose flooding, weeping and entrainment from operating data
- Trace off specification product through the column profile to its cause
- Reduce column energy consumption without losing separation
Who should attend
- Process engineers in refining and petrochemicals
- Panel operators and shift supervisors
- Control and instrumentation engineers
- Technical services and optimisation staff
- Graduate engineers entering process operations
Course outline
- 01Why columns dominate energy and chronic problems
- 02Vapour liquid equilibrium and separation basis
- 03Trays, packing and internals
- 04Operating variables and product purity
- 05Control strategy and variable pairing
- 06Flooding, weeping and entrainment
- 07Fouling and column profile interpretation
- 08Energy reduction without losing separation
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 to 25 September 2026 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | Register Now |
| 19 to 23 October 2026 | Kampala, Uganda | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | Register Now |
| 16 to 20 November 2026 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | Register Now |