Liquid collector-distributor device, system and method

In a method of collecting and distributing liquid in a gas-liquid exchange column, which method comprises:

• a) introducing a downwardly flowing liquid into an upper section of an exchange column, having an internal wall surface;
• b) introducing an upwardly flowing gas into a lower section of the column;
• c) placing at least one tray with a tray surface having a cross-sectional tray surface area, between the downwardly flowing liquid and the upwardly flowing gas;
• d) providing a plurality of gas riser means for the upward flow of the gas through the tray;
• e) collecting the downwardly flowing liquid on the tray surface;
• f) providing a plurality of distributors to distribute generally uniformly across the cross-sectional area of the tray to the next lower section of the column liquid collected on the tray surface;
• g) withdrawing the upwardly flowing gas from the upper section of the column;
• and
• h) withdrawing collected and distributed downwardly flowing liquid from the lower section of the column, the improvement which comprises:
• i) placing a plurality of chimney hat means having an upper surface and one and the other end above and spaced apart from the plurality of gas risers and positioned at different vertical heights above said gas risers to protect the gas risers from downwardly flowing liquid and to permit the upward flow of gas between open vertical spaces formed between the different vertical heights;
• ii) extending the widths of the chimney hat means beyond the widths of the gas riser means to cover at least 30 percent of the cross-sectional area of the tray surface without restricting the upward flow of gas in the column;
• and
• iii) collecting downwardly flowing liquid on the upper surfaces of the chimney hat means, and directing the collected liquid in the upper surfaces to flow away from the point of liquid collection and toward the internal wall surface of the column shell to promote horizontal mixing of the collected liquid on the tray surface and to reduce liquid concentration gradient on the tray surface.

An integral collector-distributor device adapted for use in a gas-liquid exchange column to promote radial mixing of a liquid on a tray surface, which collector-distributor device comprises:

• a) a tray having a tray surface with a cross-section tray surface area and adapted to extend generally horizontally across the cross-sectional area of the column to collect downwardly flowing liquid;
• b) a plurality of gas riser means on the tray to permit the upward movement of an upwardly flowing gas through the tray;
• c) a plurality of liquid distributors to permit the generally uniform distribution of the collected downwardly flowing liquid on the tray surface to a lower section of the column;
• and
• d) a plurality of chimney hat means having an upper surface and a one and other end and extending over and above at least a portion of the gas riser means, wherein the hat means comprise a generally elongated chimney hat means arranged in an alternating arrangement sequentially across the tray surface to promote the mixing of liquid on the tray surface by an alternating flow between a one side and an other side of the column or the one or other side of the column and the center of the column, and wherein the hat means are angularly inclined from the horizontal, the chimney hat means having a width which extends beyond the width of the gas riser means to cover at least a major portion of the cross-sectional area of the tray surface to collect downwardly flowing liquid on the upper surface and to permit the collected liquid on the upper surface to flow by gravity away from the point of liquid collection toward the internal wall surface of the column shell to promote liquid mixing across the tray surface and to reduce liquid concentration gradients on the tray surface, without restricting the upward flow of gas in the column.

A collector-distributor device for use in a fluid exchange column, said column having an interior vertical surface and a horizontal cross-sectional area, to promote radial mixing of liquid on a tray surface without impeding upward gas flow, which device comprises:

• a) a tray having a tray surface arranged and constructed to extend generally horizontally across said cross-sectional area of said column, to collect downwardly flowing liquid on said tray surface prior to its being distributed to a lower section of the column;
• b) a plurality of gas riser means on said tray and covering a minor portion of said cross-sectional area of said tray surface, to provide for the upward movement of an upwardly flowing gas in said column and through said tray;
• c) liquid distributor means to provide for the generally uniform distribution of said liquid on said tray surface to a lower section of said column;
• d) chimney hat means having a first and second end and an upper surface to collect and distribute downwardly flowing liquid on said upper surface, said chimney hat means extending over said plurality of gas risers and generally vertically spaced apart therefrom;
• e) said tray surface having the collected liquid on the tray surface to be distributed to a lower section of the column, comprising:
• i) downwardly flowing liquid directly collected on the tray surface;
• ii) downwardly flowing liquid collected and distributed onto the tray surface by chimney hat means;
• and
• iii) downwardly flowing liquid on the tray surface from the interior surface of the column shell;
• and
• f) said chimney hat means which are generally horizontal and extend generally from about one to an other side of said tray, and having widths which extend beyond the widths of said underlying gas risers and extending toward adjacent chimney hat means, where the small spaces between chimney hat means totals between one-third and three times the cross-sectional area of the gas risers, to provide for said upper surfaces of said chimney hats to cover at least a portion of said liquid collecting means and to cover at least 50 percent of said cross-sectional area of said tray surface, said chimney hat means placed at different, generally vertical heights above said gas risers to permit the upward flow of gas between said vertical spaces formed between the different heights of said chimney hat means and designed to collect said downwardly flowing liquid on said upper surface and to direct the collected liquid toward said peripheral interior surface of said column shell, to provide mixing of the collected downwardly flowing liquid and the liquid downwardly flowing on and near said interior surface of said column shell.