Vapor liquid contacting
OwnerThomas W. Mixinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vapor liquid contacting apparatus having improved column throughput and mass transfer efficiency featuring, in one aspect, an overlay for dissipating vapor hole momentum and reducing vertical oscillations in the liquid vapor dispersion on the tray, and, in another aspect, an improved inlet weir.
Claims31
In vapor-liquid contact apparatus of the cross-flow type having a column housing and at least one contact stage in said housing, said apparatus including liquid and vapor inlets to said stage, a liquid outlet from said stage, and an orificed tray mounted in said housing at said stage, means at said outlet defining a liquid retention zone on said tray, the predominant flow of vapor being along a first axis, the predominant flow of liquid through said zone being along a second axis transverse to said first axis, that improvement comprising
- a porous matrix in said zone having a plurality of surfaces positioned above said tray to contact said liquid and said gas flowing through said zone,
- said surfaces being spaced along and oriented obliquely to said first axis, and arranged in layers spaced along said second axis, said surfaces in successive layers being staggered relative to said first axis, said surfaces having a hydraulic mean diameter greater than one-half the diameter of said tray orifices, the projection of said surfaces on said tray having no open areas whose greatest dimension is more than three times the hydraulic mean diameter of the surfaces so that said surfaces deflect vapor and thereby dissipate vapor hole momentum and reduce vertical oscillations in the vapor-liquid dispersion on the tray.
In vapor-liquid contacting apparatus of the cross-flow type having a column housing and at least one contact stage in said housing, said apparatus including liquid and vapor inlets to said stage, and a liquid outlet from said stage, and an orificed tray mounted in said housing at said stage between said inlets, an improved inlet weir comprising
- a liquid inlet providing momentum to said liquid in the direction of the liquid flow path,
- a vapor inlet including means for mixing gas with said liquid, and giving said gas a predominant flow component in the direction of said liquid flow path, and
- a deflection plate above and parallel to said tray and beneath the liquid after passage through its said inlet, so that the surface of said plate facing away from said tray deflects said liquid in a direction along said tray,
- said vapor inlet means including an imperforate barrier sloping from above said tray downwardly toward said outlet, the upper surface of said barrier communicating with said liquid inlet to carry a stream of liquid downwardly toward said tray and said outlet, the undersurface of said barrier communiating with said vapor inlet, said imperforate barrier being spaced above said deflection plate to define therebetween a vapor entry zone onto said tray, said zone being the sole path of communication between said vapor inlet and said tray to thereby cause all vapor entering through said vapor inlet to impinge in a single layer on said stream of liquid from beneath and in the direction of said outlet.
A method for retrofitting a vapor-liquid contacting apparatus of the crossflow type having a column housing and at least one contact stage in said housing, said apparatus including liquid and vapor inlets to said stage, an outlet weir from said stage, and an orificed tray mounted in said housing at said stage, said method comprising the steps of:
- replacing said outlet weir with a higher outlet weir capable of retaining increased froth height on said tray, and
- providing means disposed above the tray to limit the increase in froth height to less than that increase which would otherwise accompany the increase in height of said outlet weir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.