US 6,059,934 A · Co-current contacting separation tray design and methods for using same

Abstract

Tray designs for use in a separation column for distilling or fractionating a feed stream are provided that incorporate co-current contact of the liquid and vapor streams and their subsequent separation on each tray. In one embodiment, located on the trays are a plurality of co-current vapor and liquid contacting sections including a volume of the tray in which vapors and liquid can be in co-current contact. Also located on the trays are a plurality of de-entrainment devices for separating entrained liquids from a vapor stream, the de-entrainment devices having an inner and an outer side, the inner side being adjacent to the co-current contacting sections. The tray design further incorporates a plurality of liquid downcomers, having an upper portion and a lower portion, where the upper portion of the liquid downcomer is capable of accepting liquid from the outer or bottom side of the de-entrainment device of a first tray, and the lower portion of the liquid downcomer is located within the co-current contacting section of a second tray that is vertically lower in the column from the first tray. The trays further contain vapor openings located through the bottom of the trays at a point beneath the co-current contacting sections through which vapors can pass into the co-current contacting section of a tray. In another embodiment, the liquid from some of the de-entrainment devices is directed through conduits to co-current contacting sections that are located horizontally adjacent on the same tray, thereby providing multiple contacts of the liquid with the vapor on a given tray before the liquid is passed down via a downcomer to a lower tray in the column.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A separation column for distilling or fractionating a feedstream, comprising:

(a) a plurality of interconnected trays having a tray bottom;
(b) a plurality of co-current vapor and liquid contacting sections, located on the trays, comprising a volume in which vapors and liquid can be in co-current contact;
(c) a plurality of de-entrainment devices, located on the trays, for separating entrained liquids from a vapor stream, the de-entrainment devices having an inner and an outer side, the inner side being adjacent to the co-current contacting sections, and the inner side of the de-entrainment devices being permeable to vapors and entrained liquids and the outer side of the de-entrainment devices being permeable to vapors;
(d) a plurality of liquid conduits, located on the trays, that provide a passageway for liquid exiting a first de-entrainment device adjacent to a first co-current contacting section to enter a second co-current contacting section on the same tray as the first co-current contacting section;
(e) at least one liquid downcomer, located between two vertically adjacent trays, for transporting liquid from the vertically higher tray to the vertically lower tray;
and
(f) vapor openings, located through the bottom of the trays at a point beneath the co-current contacting sections, through which vapors can pass into the co-current contacting section of the tray.

4 more elements

A method for operating a separation column, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a column comprising:
(i) a plurality of interconnected trays having a tray bottom;
(ii) a plurality of co-current vapor and liquid contacting sections, located on the trays, comprising a volume in which vapors and liquid can be in co-current contact;
(iii) a plurality of de-entrainment devices, located on the trays and adjacent to the co-current contacting sections;
(iv) a plurality of liquid conduits, located on the trays, that provide a passageway for liquid exiting a first de-entrainment device adjacent to a first co-current contacting section to enter a second co-current contacting section on the same tray as the first co-current contacting section;
(v) at least one liquid downcomer, located between two vertically adjacent trays;
and
(vi) vapor openings, located through the bottom of the trays at a point beneath the co-current contacting sections;
(b) flowing liquid through a first liquid downcomer and into a first co-current contacting section of a first tray;
(c) flowing vapors to a first tray from a second tray vertically beneath the first tray;
(d) directing the vapors through the vapor openings of the first tray and into the first co-current contacting section of the first tray, whereby the vapors entrain liquid within the first co-current contacting section of the first tray to form an entrained fluid that travels upward through the first co-current contacting section of the first tray;
(e) passing the entrained fluid through a first de-entrainment device of the first tray to thereby separate at least a portion of the entrained liquid from the vapors to form a first de-entrained liquid and separated vapor;
(f) directing the first de-entrained liquid from the first de-entrainment device of the first tray through one of the liquid conduits to a second co-current contacting section on the first tray and contacting the first de-entrained liquid with the vapors to form a second entrained fluid that travels upward through the second co-current contacting section of the first tray;
(g) passing the second entrained fluid through a second de-entrainment device of the first tray to thereby separate at least a portion of the entrained liquid from the vapors to form a second de-entrained liquid and separated vapor;
(h) directing the separated vapor from the first and second de-entrainment devices of the first tray to a third tray that is vertically above the first tray;
and
(i) directing the separated liquid from the first and second de-entrainment devices of the first tray to the second tray.

14 more elements

A method for operating a separation column, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a column comprising:
(i) a plurality of interconnected trays having a tray bottom;
(ii) a plurality of co-current vapor and liquid contacting sections, located on the trays, comprising a volume in which vapors and liquid can be in co-current contact;
(iii) a plurality of de-entrainment devices, located on the trays and being adjacent to the co-current contacting sections;
(iv) a plurality of liquid conduits, located on the trays, that provide a passageway for liquid exiting a first de-entrainment device adjacent to a first co-current contacting section to enter a second co-current contacting section on the same tray as the first co-current contacting section;
(v) at least one liquid downcomer, located between two adjacent trays;
and
(vi) vapor openings, located through the bottom of the trays at a point beneath the co-current contacting sections;
(b) flowing liquid through at least one of the liquid downcomers into a first tray from a vertically higher second tray and flowing vapors into the first tray through the vapor openings of a first tray from a third tray vertically beneath the first tray;
(c) repeatedly contacting the liquid with the vapor on the first tray by sequentially passing the liquid into a plurality of co-current contacting sections on the first tray and therein contacting the liquid with the vapor to form an entrained fluid comprising entrained liquid and vapor;
(d) repeatedly separating the entrained liquid from the vapor on the first tray any passing the entrained fluid through a first de-entrainment devices on the first tray;
and
(e) conducting the repeated contacting and separating steps on a plurality of trays within the separation column.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Co-current contacting separation tray design and methods for using same

Life of this patent

Co-current contacting separation tray design and methods for using same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10