Bubble column and the use thereof
AssigneeDegussa-Huls AG
InventorsHubertus Eickhoff, Rüdiger Schütte
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bubble column can be operated using countercurrent flow including perforated trays. The space-time yield of gas-liquid reactions can be considerably increased if the perforated trays have a substantially uniform distribution of holes, if the cross-sectional area of the individual holes is 0.003 to 3 mm2, particularly 0.01 to 0.5 mm2, and if the open area of the trays is 3 to 20%, particularly 3 to 10%, and if the bubble column comprises passages for liquid between adjacent liquid zones. The bubble column can be used for carrying out gas-liquid reactions, such as oxidation reactions with air, with the gas and liquid preferably being passed in countercurrent flow through the column. Cocurrent flow may also be used.
Claims15
A bubble column comprising a columnar vessel (1), arranged in a vertical manner, having:
- (a) a bottom part (3), a middle part (2) and a top part (4), wherein:
- (i) the bottom part comprises the gas phase inlet and liquid phase outlet;
- and
- (ii) the top part comprises the liquid phase inlet and the gas phase outlet;
- (b) one or more perforated trays (5) horizontally disposed in the middle part with a distribution of holes which is essentially uniform over the cross section of the column, wherein:
- (i) the cross-sectional area of each of the said holes is 0.003 to 3 mm2;
- (ii) the open area of trays formed by said holes is 3 to 20%;
- and
- (iii) liquid zones formed in the operating state above and below a tray communicate with each other via a passage (6) for the throughflow of liquid;
- and
- (c) devices for feeding and discharging a liquid phase (9, 10) and gas phase (11, 12), said devices being arranged for operating the bubble column with countercurrent flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.