Co-current and countercurrent contactor for immiscible fluids

A method of making a co-current and countercurrent contactor configured to contact a first fluid and a second fluid, wherein the second fluid has a greater density than the first fluid, the method comprising:

• forming a chamber enclosed by a chamber wall, the chamber wall including an interior surface defining the chamber, and the chamber extending vertically a first height;
• forming a first inlet port in the chamber wall, the first inlet port configured to allow the first fluid to enter the chamber;
• forming a second inlet port in the chamber wall, the second inlet port being above the first inlet port, and the second inlet port configured to allow the second fluid to enter the chamber;
• forming a first outlet port in the chamber wall, the first outlet port being above the first inlet port, and the first outlet port configured to allow a countercurrent and co-current contacted first fluid to be released from the chamber;
• forming a second outlet port in the chamber wall, the second outlet port being below the second inlet port, and the second outlet port configured to release a first portion of contacted second fluid from the chamber, the first portion of contacted second fluid being a countercurrent contact stream;
• placing a weir in the chamber such that the weir extends vertically a second height which is less than the first height, the first inlet port is across from the weir and the first inlet port is within the height of the weir, and the weir partially divides the chamber into a first chamber section and a second chamber section, the first chamber section including the first inlet port and second outlet port for releasing the countercurrent contact stream;
• and
• forming a third outlet port in the chamber wall within the second height of the weir and the second chamber section such that the third outlet port is laterally spaced apart from the second outlet port, and the third outlet port is configured to release a second portion of the contacted second fluid from the chamber, the second portion of contacted second liquid being a co-current contact stream.

A method of co-current and countercurrent contacting of a first fluid with a second fluid, wherein the second fluid includes a greater density than the first fluid, the method comprising:

• generating a combined co-current and countercurrent contact fluid in a chamber, the combined co-current and countercurrent contact fluid including contacted first and second fluids, comprising
• concurrently delivering the first and second fluids into a chamber;
• generating countercurrent contact between the first and second fluids by allowing the first fluid to flow into the chamber through a first inlet port in a chamber wall and flow upwardly within the chamber, and allowing the second fluid to flow into the chamber through a second inlet port positioned in the chamber wall, the second inlet port being above the first inlet port and allowing the second fluid to flow downwardly contacting the upwardly flowing first fluid, and
• generating co-current contact between the first and second fluids by allowing the first and second fluids to contact while flowing upwardly against a weir extending vertically within the chamber.