Ceramic packing element

A ceramic packing element having an essentially uniform cross-section along an axis defining a length of the element, the element including first and second opposed concave surfaces at ends of a height axis and third and fourth opposed concave surfaces at ends of a width axis, the element having a width greater than a height;

• a plurality of first passages extending through the element in the length direction;
• at least one second passage extending through the element in the length direction, the second passage having a shape different from the first passage, the second passage comprising first and second generally parallel surfaces and a height greater than a width.

A ceramic bed limiter packing element having an essentially uniform cross-section along an axis passing through the center of the element and about which the element is symmetrical defining the length of the element and first and second pairs of concave external surfaces which extend along the length of the element at the intersections of height and width axes, the height and width axes being perpendicular to the length direction, said concave surfaces being connected by surfaces that are selected from convex surfaces and convex surfaces connected to the concave surfaces by relatively short intermediate flat surfaces, and the element being provided with at least seven discrete through passages in the length direction, the through passages being disconnected from each other, wherein width and height dimensions of the element are unequal.

A ceramic bed limiter packing element having an essentially uniform cross-section along an axis passing through the center of the element and about which the element is symmetrical defining the length of the element and two opposed first concave external surfaces, and two opposed second concave external surfaces which extend along the length of the element at opposed ends of height and width dimensions, respectively, the height and width dimensions being perpendicular to the length direction, said concave surfaces being connected by surfaces that are selected from convex surfaces and convex surfaces connected to the concave surfaces by relatively short intermediate flat surfaces, and the element being provided with at least seven discrete through passages in the length direction, the through passages being disconnected from each other, in which the ratio of the width to the length is from 1.5:1 to 5:1.

A ceramic packing element having an essentially uniform cross-section along an axis passing through the center of the element and about which the element is symmetrical defining the length of the element and first and second pairs of opposed concave external surfaces which extend along the length of the element at intersections of mutually perpendicular height and width axes, the height and width axes being perpendicular to the length direction, said concave surfaces being connected by surfaces that are selected from convex surfaces and convex surfaces connected to the concave surfaces by relatively short intermediate flat surfaces, and the element being provided with at least three through passages in the length direction, the three passageways being round in cross-section and the diameter of each being less than one half of the height of the element, wherein width and height dimensions of the element are unequal.

A ceramic packing element having upper and lower surfaces which define an essentially uniform cross-section along an axis passing through the center of the element and about which the element is symmetrical defining the length of the element and four concave external surfaces which extend along the length of the element where height and width axes meet, the height and width axes being perpendicular to the length direction, said concave surfaces being connected by surfaces that are selected from convex surfaces and convex surfaces connected to the concave surfaces by relatively short intermediate flat surfaces, and the element being provided with a central through hole and at least six additional through holes connecting the upper and lower surfaces, the additional holes being spaced from the central hole to define separate passages through the element, wherein a ratio of the width to the length is from 1.5:1 to 5:1.

A ceramic bed limiter packing element having an essentially uniform cross-section along an axis passing through the center of the element and about which the element is symmetrical defining the length of the element and two opposed first concave external surfaces which extend along the length of the element at opposite ends of a height dimension, and two opposed second concave external surfaces which extend along the length of the element at opposite ends of a width dimension, said concave surfaces being connected by surfaces that are selected from convex surfaces and convex surfaces connected to the concave surfaces by relatively short intermediate flat surfaces, the height and width axes being perpendicular to the length direction, and the element being provided with at least three discrete through passages in the length direction, the through passages being disconnected from each other, wherein the width and height dimensions are unequal.