Downcomer-tray assembly and method
AssigneeGlitsch, Inc.
InventorsMichael J. Binkley, John T. Thorngren, Jorge A. Bonilla, Gary W. Gage
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Abstract
A downcomer tray assembly for vapor liquid contact towers. The region of the tray beneath an upper downcomer is constructed with a raised, perforated region for improving mass transfer efficiency. The raised region reduces fluid pressure to facilitate ascending vapor therethrough. A series of louvers selectively directs the upward vapor flow into the liquid region below the downcomer to generate a more efficient vapor-liquid contact and reduced back-mixing across the tray.
Claims19
An improved downcomer-tray assembly for a process column of the type wherein liquid flows downwardly through the discharge area of a first downcomer onto a first tray and across the active area thereof through which vapor flows upwardly for interaction and mass transfer with the liquid before passing therefrom by a second downcomer, said improvement comprising a substantially uniformly raised active inlet area comprising upwardly extending portions of the tray itself and having gas flow openings disposed beneath said discharge area of said first downcomer for facilitating ascending vapor flow immediately beneath said discharge areas of said downcomer by uniformly reducing the height of liquid thereabove relative to the height of liquid above the active areas of said tray and injecting said ascending vapor into direct engagement with liquid being discharged from said downcomer.
An improved downcomer-tray assembly for a process column of the type wherein liquid flows downwardly through the discharge areas of a first downcomer onto a first tray and across the active area thereof through which vapor flows upwardly for interaction and mass transfer with the liquid before passing therefrom by a second downcomer, said improvement comprising a substantially uniformly raised active inlet area disposed beneath said discharge area of said first downcomer, said raised active areas comprising upwardly extending portions of the tray itself and being constructed with gas flow openings positioned to facilitate ascending vapor flow immediately beneath said discharge area of said downcomer by reducing the height of liquid thereabove relative to the height of liquid above the active area of said tray and comprising a raised inlet panel constructed with a plurality of directional vapor flow vanes formed therethrough for imparting directionalized, vapor flow into said liquid being discharged from said discharge area of said downcomer prior to its flow across said active area of said first tray.
An improved method of mixing vapor with liquid discharged from a discharge area of a downcomer of a process column onto an underlying tray and across the active area thereof, said method being of the type wherein descending liquid mixes with ascending vapor flow through said tray, said improvement comprising the steps of disposing a substantially uniformly raised active inlet area comprising upwardly extending portions of the tray itself and having gas flow openings beneath said discharge area of said downcomer adjacent said tray, facilitating ascending vapor flow immediately beneath said discharge areas of said downcomer by uniformly reducing the height of liquid thereabove to the height of liquid above said active area of said tray for imparting preferential vapor flow therethrough relative to said tray, and injecting said ascending vapor flow directly into said liquid being discharged from said downcomer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.