Structured packing with enhanced fluid-flow interface

A process column of the type facilitating enhanced interaction of a first fluid and a second fluid passing in counter-current flow therethrough and being constructed of a vessel having a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet disposed in a upper region thereof and a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet disposed in a lower region thereof for facilitating the counter-current flow of the first fluid and the second fluid therethrough, the process column comprising:

• a structured packing system having a plurality of packing layers, each packing layer including a plurality of vertically oriented packing sheets, the vertically oriented packing sheets comprising:
• a central region having linear corrugations disposed thereacross;
• a top interface region having a first linear extension of the linear corrugations extending thereacross;
• a first turning region having at least one of a first plurality of breaks and a first curvilinear extension of the linear corrugations extending thereacross;
• a second turning region having at least one of a second plurality of breaks and a second curvilinear extension of the linear corrugations extending thereacross;
• a bottom interface region having a second linear extension of the linear corrugations extending thereacross;
• wherein the central region comprises the plurality of corrugations extending thereacross in a linear fashion and arranged generally parallel to each other, the plurality of corrugations being arranged at a first angle with respect to a vertical axis;
• wherein the top interface region and the bottom interface region comprise the first linear extension and the second linear extension, the first linear extension and the second linear extension being arranged at a second angle with respect to the vertical axis, the second angle being smaller than the first angle;
• wherein the first curvilinear extension in the first turning region connects the linear corrugations of the central region with the first linear extension of the top interface region;
• and
• wherein the second curvilinear extension in the second turning region connects the linear corrugations of the central region with the second linear extension of the bottom interface region.