Vapor-liquid contacting

Claim 2

In vapor-liquid contacting apparatus of the cross-flow type having a column housing and at least one contact stage in said housing, said apparatus including liquid and vapor inlets to said stage, and a liquid outlet from said stage, that improvement comprising an orificed tray mounted in said housing at said stage, between said inlets, said tray having free area comprising 15-55 percent of the total active area of the tray and being mounted with said free area in effective communication with both said inlets to permit vapor to rise through said tray to contact liquid thereabove and produce a two phase dispersion of vapor and liquid supported on said tray, and means disposed adjacent a surface of said tray at said free area, in effective communication with said vapor inlet and said liquid inlet, for damping fluid oscillations impinging upon said free area of said tray and for thereby reducing the vapor velocity through said free area required to prevent dumping.

Claim 3

In vapor-liquid contacting apparatus of the cross-flow type having a column housing and at least one contact stage in said housing, said apparatus including liquid and vapor inlets to said stage, and a liquid outlet from said stage, that improvement comprising an orificed tray mounted in said housing at said stage, between said inlets, said tray having free area comprising 15-55 percent of the total active area of the tray and being mounted with said free area in effective communication with both said inlets to permit vapor to rise through said tray to contact liquid thereabove and produce a two phase dispersion of vapor and liquid supported on said tray, and means disposed adjacent a surface of said tray at said free area, in effective communication with said vapor inlet and said liquid inlet, for damping fluid oscillations impinging upon said free area of said tray and for thereby reducing the vapor velocity through said free area required to prevent dumping.

Claim 4

In vapor-liquid contacting apparatus of the cross-flow type having a column housing and at least one contact stage in said housing, said apparatus including liquid and vapor inlets to said stage, and a liquid outlet from said stage, that improvement comprising an orificed tray mounted in said housing at said stage, between said inlets, said tray having free area comprising 15-55 percent of the total active area of the tray and being mounted with said free area in effective communication with both said inlets to permit vapor to rise through said tray to contact liquid thereabove and produce a two phase dispersion of vapor and liquid supported on said tray, and means disposed adjacent a surface of said tray at said free area, in effective communication with said vapor inlet and said liquid inlet, for damping fluid oscillations impinging upon said free area of said tray and for thereby reducing the vapor velocity through said free area required to prevent dumping.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said tray comprises a perforated plate with open area from 35 to 55 percent of the total active area of the plate.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means comprises a liquid retention matrix having a void fraction from 40 to 99 percent of its total apparent volume and a surface area from 100 to 1,200 square feet per cubic foot of apparent volume.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said matrix is a single layer of screening having a mesh between 15 and 80, and an open area between 30 and 75 percent.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said matrix comprises a multiplicity of layers of open, interconnected cellular mesh.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means further comprises a plurality of spaced sheets extending in the direction of liquid flow across the tray, perpendicular to the tray, and above the upper surface of said matrix to a height at least twice the thickness of said matrix.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said apparatus further comprises directional vanes located directly above said liquid retention matrix to pump liquid down said tray.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means comprises a plurality of spaced sheets extending in the direction of liquid flow across the tray and perpendicular to the plate, the spacing between sheets being no greater than 1 inch.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising downstream of said means a vapor-liquid separator comprising spaced, pleated, generally horizontal layers of open cellular material.

Claim 13

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said means is adjacent the upper surface of said tray.

Claim 14

In a vapor-liquid contacting process comprising supplying vapor through a tray in a contacting and separating stage of the cross-flow type having vapor and liquid inlets to said stage, that improvement comprising the steps of providing an orificed tray in said stage, between said inlets, said tray having free area comprising 15-55 percent of the total active area of the tray, mounting said tray with said free area in effective communication with both said inlets to permit vapor to rise through said tray to contact liquid thereabove and produce a two phase dispersion of vapor and liquid supported on said tray, providing means adjacent a surface of said tray at said free area, in effective communication with said vapor inlet and said liquid inlet, for damping fluid oscillations impinging upon said free area of said tray and for thereby reducing the vapor velocity through said free area required to prevent dumping, and passing vapor through the tray openings at a velocity below the minimum velocity required to prevent liquid dumping through the tray in the absence of said means.

Claim 15

In a vapor-liquid contacting process comprising supplying vapor through a tray in a contacting and separating stage of the cross-flow type having vapor and liquid inlets to said stage, that improvement comprising the steps of providing an orificed tray in said stage, between said inlets, said tray having free area comprising 15-55 percent of the total active area of the tray, mounting said tray with said free area in effective communication with both said inlets to permit vapor to rise through said tray to contact liquid thereabove and produce a two phase dispersion of vapor and liquid supported on said tray, providing means adjacent a surface of said tray at said free area, in effective communication with said vapor inlet and said liquid inlet, for damping fluid oscillations impinging upon said free area of said tray and for thereby reducing the vapor velocity through said free area required to prevent dumping, and passing vapor through the tray openings at a velocity below the minimum velocity required to prevent liquid dumping through the tray in the absence of said means.

Claim 16

The improvement of claim 11 wherein during operation at the turndown point said vapor is passed through said openings at a velocity below said minimum velocity.

Claim 17

The improvement of claim 11 wherein during operation at the design point said vapor is passed through said openings at a velocity below said minimum velocity.

Claim 18

The improvement of claim 11 further comprising using as the tray a perforated plate the active area of which is 15-55 percent open.

Claim 19

The improvement of claim 14 further comprising damping said oscillations sufficiently to bring Nd below 0.7.

Claim 20

The improvement of claim 11 further comprising damping said fluid oscillations with a liquid retention matrix having a void fraction from 40 to 99 percent of its total apparent volume and a surface area from 100 to 1200 square feet per cubic foot of apparent volume.

Claim 21

The improvement of claim 16 further comprising using as said matrix a single layer of screening chosen to produce a surface tension effect sufficient to cause a pressure drop across the screen of at least 1 cm. of water.

Claim 22

The improvement of claim 16 further comprising using as said matrix a multiplicity of layers of open, interconnected cellular mesh.

Claim 23

The improvement of claim 11 further comprising damping said fluid oscillations with a plurality of spaced sheets extending in the direction of liquid flow across the tray and perpendicular to the tray, the spacing between sheets being no greater than 1 inch.