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US 11,148,069 B2Granted
Multiple downcomer trays
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorsZhanping Xu, Rebecca Mudrock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Multiple downcomer trays having increased active area for vapor-liquid contact and separation are described. The increased active area of the tray is achieved by adding raised bubble promoters surrounded by perforated vertical contactors on the tray deck. The bubble promoters and surrounding vertical contactors are located under the downcomers from the tray above. The bubble promoter and surrounding vertical contactor promote uniform fluid flow and contact.
Claims20
A tray comprising:
- a perforated deck;
- a plurality of parallel trough-shaped downcomers extending through the deck, each downcomer having a plurality of spout zones at a bottom;
- a plurality of perforated bubble promoters on the deck, each bubble promoter defining an area on the deck, the bubble promoters positioned to align with a plurality of spout zones on a plurality of parallel trough-shaped downcomers on an adjacent tray rotated 90 degrees from the downcomers on the tray;
- and
- a plurality of vertical contactors, each vertical contactor having two opposing perforated side walls, two opposing end walls configured to receive sides of a downcomer from a tray above, an open bottom configured to enclose the bubble promoter, and a top configured to receive the downcomer from the tray above.
2 more elements
A mass transfer column comprising:
- at least two trays vertically spaced apart, each tray comprising:
- a perforated deck;
- a plurality of trough-shaped downcomers extending through the deck each downcomer having a plurality of spout zones at a bottom;
- a plurality of perforated bubble promoters on the deck, each bubble promoter defining an area on the deck, the bubble promoters on the tray below positioned to align with a plurality of spout zones on a first tray, wherein the downcomer on the first tray is terminated above a top of the bubble promoter on the tray below, wherein the downcomers on the first tray are rotated 90 degrees from the downcomers on the tray below;
- and
- a plurality of vertical contactors, each vertical contactor having two opposing perforated side walls, two opposing end walls configured to receive sides of the downcomer from the first tray, an open bottom configured to enclose the bubble promoter, and a top configured to receive the downcomer from the tray above.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.