Apparatus for water removal from liquid-vapor contacting trays

Claim 1

IN AN UPRIGHT CYLINDRICAL FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION COLUMN FOR SEPARATING A FIRST LIQUID PHASE FROM A SECOND HEAVIER LIQUID PHASE IMMISCIBLE THEREWITH, THE COMBINATION OF: (1) A HORIZONTAL GENERALLY PLANAR TRAY IN THE UPPER SECTION OF SAID COLUMN PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR EFFECTING LIQUID-VAPOR CONTACTING BETWEEN VAPOR RISING THRU SAID COLUMN AND LIQUID DESCENDING SAID COLUMN WITH PHASE SEPARATION ON SAID TRAY; (2) A HEADER TROUGH ALONG AND SUBJACENT ONE EDGE OF SAID TRAY FOR COLLECTING THE HEAVIER LIQUID, THE RADIALLY OUTER WALL OF SAID TROUGH EXTENDING TO A LEVEL ABOVE THE TOP OF SAID TRAY; (3) AT LEAST ONE TROUGH IN SAID TRAY FOR DRAINING SAID HEAVIER LIQUID INTO THE TROUGH OF (2); (4) CONDUIT MEANS LEADING FROM THE LOWER SECTION OF THE TROUGH OF (2) THRU THE WALL OF SAID COLUMN SUBSTANTIALLY AT TRAY LEVEL; (5) A DOWNCOMER DEPENDING FROM SAID HEADER TROUGH; AND (6) AN UPRIGHT WEIR ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID TRAY EXTENDING ACROSS SAID COLUMN OPPOSITE SAID HEADER TROUGH.