Countercurrent contacting devices and method of manufacture

A contacting device subassembly for the countercurrent contacting of a solid and liquid phase or a liquid and vapor phase, said contacting device subassembly comprising:

• a first grid formed of a first set of spaced-apart, parallel-extending, planar deflector blades;
• a second grid formed of a second set of spaced-apart, parallel-extending, planar deflector blades that are interleaved with and cross the first set of deflector blades at an included angle within the range of 45 to 135 degrees, adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades each having opposed ends and linear side edges, each of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades including a central crossing segment and end segments that are connected to opposed ends of the central crossing segment by reverse bends;
• first transverse strips formed by uncut portions of the side edges of adjacent ones of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades and located adjacent each of the opposed ends of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades and at the central crossing segment,
• wherein the side edges of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades include cut portions that extend between the uncut portions to allow the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades to be bent into their interleaved and crossing arrangement, each of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades having a bent portion that places segments of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades on opposite sides of the uncut portion in offset planes;
• a third grid formed of a third set of spaced-apart, parallel-extending, planar deflector blades;
• and
• a fourth grid formed of a fourth set of spaced apart, parallel-extending, planar deflector blades that are interleaved with and cross the third set of deflector blades at an included angle within the range of 45 to 135 degrees, adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades each having opposed ends and linear side edges, the side edges having uncut portions that join the adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades along a second transverse strip where the deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades cross and cut portions that extend from the uncut portions to the opposed ends of the deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades, each of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades having a bent portion that places segments of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades on opposite sides of the uncut portion in offset planes that are parallel to each other,
• wherein one of the ends in at least some of the deflector blades in the first set of deflector blades is uncut and is interconnected with an uncut one of the ends of the deflector blades in the third set of deflector blades along a reverse bend that aligns the first and second grids of deflector blades with the third and fourth grids of deflector blades,
• wherein one of the ends in each of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades is spaced apart from and aligned with one of the ends in each of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades,
• wherein the first, second, third and fourth grids have a least one side shaped to conform to a curved longitudinal plane.

A method of making a contacting device, comprising the steps of:

• cutting and bending a sheet of material to form a plurality of contacting device subassemblies, each of said contacting device subassemblies comprising:
• a first grid formed of a first set of spaced-apart and parallel-extending deflector blades;
• a second grid formed of a second set of spaced-apart and parallel-extending deflector blades that are interleaved with and cross the first set of deflector blades at a preselected angle, the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades each having opposed ends and side edges,
• wherein portions of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades are in the shape of isosceles trapezoids;
• and
• one or more of a first transverse strip formed by uncut portions of the side edges of adjacent ones of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades and located where the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades cross and adjacent each of the opposed ends of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades,
• wherein the side edges of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades include cut portions that extend from the uncut portions to the opposed ends of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades, each of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades having a bent portion that places segments of each of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades on opposite sides of the uncut portion in offset planes;
• a third grid formed of a third set of spaced-apart and parallel-extending deflector blades;
• a fourth grid formed of a fourth set of spaced apart and parallel-extending deflector blades that are interleaved with and cross the third set of deflector blades at a preselected angle, adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades each having opposed ends and side edges, the side edges having uncut portions that join the adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades along a second transverse strip where the deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades cross and cut portions that extend from the uncut portions to the opposed ends of the deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades, each of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades having a bent portion that places segments of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades on opposite sides of the uncut portion in offset planes,
• wherein one of the ends in at least some of the deflector blades in the first set of deflector blades is uncut and is interconnected with an uncut one of the ends of the deflector blades in the third set of deflector blades along a reverse bend that aligns the first and second grids of deflector blades with the third and fourth grids of deflector blades,
• wherein the offset planes of the segments of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades are parallel to each other and the offset planes of the segments of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades are parallel to each other,
• wherein said one of the ends of each of the deflector blades in the first set of deflector blades is uncut and is interconnected with an uncut one of the ends of the deflector blades in the third set of deflector blades along a reverse bend;
• and
• joining adjacent ones of the contacting device subassemblies together by joining the uncut ends of the deflector blades in the first and third sets in one of the contacting device subassemblies to the spaced apart and aligned ends of the deflector blades in the second and fourth sets in the other one of the contacting devices to form the contacting device.

A contacting device for the countercurrent contacting of a solid and liquid phase or a liquid and vapor phase and comprising at least two contacting device subassemblies, each of said contacting device subassemblies comprising:

• a first grid formed of a first set of spaced-apart and parallel-extending deflector blades;
• a second grid formed of a second set of spaced-apart and parallel-extending deflector blades that are interleaved with and cross the first set of deflector blades at a preselected angle, the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades each having opposed ends and side edges;
• first transverse strips that join the adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades and are formed by uncut portions of the side edges of adjacent ones of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades and are located where the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades cross and adjacent each of the opposed ends of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades,
• wherein the side edges of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades include cut portions that extend from the uncut portions to the opposed ends of the deflector blades in the first and second sets of deflector blades, each of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades having a bent portion that places segments of each of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades on opposite sides of the uncut portion in offset planes;
• a third grid formed of a third set of spaced-apart and parallel-extending deflector blades;
• a fourth grid formed of a fourth set of spaced apart and parallel-extending deflector blades that are interleaved with and cross the third set of deflector blades at a preselected angle, adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades each having opposed ends and side edges;
• second transverse strips that join the adjacent ones of the interleaved deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades and are formed by uncut portions of the side edges of the adjacent ones of the deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades and are located where the deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades cross and adjacent each of the opposed ends of the deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades;
• cut portions that extend from the uncut portions to the opposed ends of the deflector blades in the third and fourth sets of deflector blades, each of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades having a bent portion that places segments of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades on opposite sides of the uncut portion in offset planes,
• wherein one of the ends in at least some of the deflector blades in the first set of deflector blades is uncut and is interconnected with an uncut one of the ends of the deflector blades in the third set of deflector blades along a reverse bend that aligns the first and second grids of deflector blades with the third and fourth grids of deflector blades,
• wherein the offset planes of the segments of the deflector blades in the second set of deflector blades are parallel to each other and the offset planes of the segments of the deflector blades in the fourth set of deflector blades are parallel to each other,
• wherein said one of the ends of each of the deflector blades in the first set of deflector blades is uncut and is interconnected with an uncut one of the ends of the deflector blades in the third set of deflector blades along a reverse bend;
• wherein the interconnected uncut ends of the deflector blades in the first and third sets of deflector blades in one of the contacting device subassemblies are joined to said spaced apart and aligned ends of the deflector blades in the second and fourth sets of deflector blades in an adjacent one of the contacting device subassemblies.